Naetharu Posted September 17, 2015 Share Posted September 17, 2015 Hi folks, I ordered myself a Harley Benton Jazz the other night. It's one of their 'Deco' basses and thus was silly money. In all honesty I didn't expect much but I figured if nothing else I could pop it up on the wall as it looked like it had a nice bit of ash for the body. Well, I have to say I am very impressed with just how nice this bass it. I've had a really good look at it and I honestly cannot see anything wrong at all - I have no idea why it's a 'Deco' as its perfectly fit for playing. The fit and finish is good. There are no sharp edges on the frets, the neck is smooth and easy to play, and the bridge feels solid. The electronics are Wilkinson and do their job just fine. They'll not blow anyone away with their tone but equally they sound pretty nice and are certainly usable. Even the pots seem pretty good with a reasonably smooth roll off in volume and tone as opposed to some cheap ones I've tried where it seems to go from all to nothing in an instant. The only downside to the bass is the weight and balance. I've not got scales here so I don't know numbers but this thing is heavy. It'd say it weighs even more than my Squire P-Bass - a proper 'back breaker'. Its also got a bit of neck-dive. Nothing too bad, but enough to require a bit of support from your fretting hand while playing. However, given the price (after the deco discount and using a Thomann voucher I got for doing a review it came to a mere £18 plus shipping!) I just cannot believe how nice the bass it. I'd certainly be more than willing to direct anyone to the Harley Benton range if they were looking for a nice little cheap bass. I'd honestly say that this stands shoulder to shoulder with my Squire VM bass - and even without the deco discount it comes in at around 1/3 of the price. I have no idea how they do it, but Thomann really are making some great stuff with this Harley Benton range. Now I've just got to restrain myself from ordering more. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Funky Dunky Posted September 17, 2015 Share Posted September 17, 2015 It looks expensive! Nice one, enjoy it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mcnach Posted September 18, 2015 Share Posted September 18, 2015 That looks really nice. I have a Fender Jazz 75RI with a very ugly body compared to that! (I refinished in red because of it)... Looks like a fantastic platform to get a great working horse bass. £18 plus delivery??? wow! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CamdenRob Posted September 18, 2015 Share Posted September 18, 2015 I got one of these for a friend of Mrs C's... It sounded great with the wilkinson pups. Ridiculous value. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
madshadows Posted September 18, 2015 Share Posted September 18, 2015 As you see from my profile pic I have one of these, great bass for the money for a non Deko but what you paid is ridiculously low price !! John Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lowhand_mike Posted September 18, 2015 Share Posted September 18, 2015 nice score, the HB's seem to punch well above their weight, congrats Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Low End Bee Posted September 18, 2015 Share Posted September 18, 2015 They're tremendous value. Really nice to play and gig worthy straight from the box. As has been said the only downside is the weight. Mine is having a re-spray as I type. Metallic purply blue with a matching headstock. Gold pearloid pickguard and white pickup covers sourced too. Total outlay with shipping will still be under £50! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Geek99 Posted September 18, 2015 Share Posted September 18, 2015 That looks pretty good Needs tort though Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Naetharu Posted September 18, 2015 Author Share Posted September 18, 2015 [quote name='Geek99' timestamp='1442580692' post='2867970'] That looks pretty good Needs tort though [/quote] Hehe, sounds like a good idea. I am tempted to order a new scratch-plate for it as the one it has is made of a nasty soft plastic. It does the job but it is the one thing on the bass that feels cheap. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kodiakblair Posted September 18, 2015 Share Posted September 18, 2015 I have one of the sunburst with the "melted wax" scratchplate and RW fretboard. Bought as a deko last year for £33,great bit of kit. Yes it does have some weight but then so do my T-40s Congratulations on your NHBD Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Annoying Twit Posted September 18, 2015 Share Posted September 18, 2015 Happy new bass day. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rockmanrock Posted September 18, 2015 Share Posted September 18, 2015 I got one of these recently too. I agree they are little bit heavy but not too excessive. Mine is about 10.5 pounds. The only faults I can find are the binding on the end in the neck pocket is a bit loose, and a few frets are high. It was buzz free until I wound the saddles down one allen key turn. The frets are a tiny bit sharp on the bottom edge. Pretty happy overall. Just got to resist filling the house with more Bentons! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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