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NBD. Almost lost for words


stewblack

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A lot of you know I enjoy a bass or two, and if I can have one without breaking the bank so much the better. 

Well I've surpassed myself. I have just had a foray into the bargain basement of the bargain basement.

I've already bored you with how nice I think my Harley Benton collection is, but even I hadn't particularly high expectations of this one. 

The 'Progressive' series doesn't really catch the eye on Thomann's Pornhub. The shape appears a bit blobby and nondescript. The fretboard is neither light nor dark,the finish unremarkable. And it is cheap. Cheaper than an effects pedal. Cheaper than a replacement neck. 

But looking at it, so to speak, in the flesh and above all playing it, is a different ball game. 

I may have been dismissive about the aesthetics but this thing is all about the playing, not the looks.

I use a little bass run to test a new bass. The opening run up of the solo in Sir Duke, to be precise. If I'm contorting my wrist to reach the top few notes then the bass needs to be sexier than Felicity Kendall playing Twister with Kate Humble, or I don't keep it. 

I flew up and down the neck on this one with laughable ease. It really is a joy to play. The back of said neck does not look pretty. I can see where different pieces of timber have been joined and there's a couple of unsightly dark blemishes in the wood. But it isn't a 1k bass it isn't a 500 quid bass, heck it's not even a 150 quid bass. And the neck is smooth. And it's straight. And the low action and perfect intonation tell their own story. And my hands glide over it like greased WD40 in a vacuum. 

The bass has a pre-amp. Another reason to pass in my book. Never got on with active basses. But it switches off and the passive tone is great. And actually, so is the active tone. And the two (again unattractive) humbuckers blend really sweetly. The pots have that tactile centre point and I would describe them as subtle but effective. No huge sweeping tonal variation but enough for me. 

The balance is excellent sat or standing, the weight is negligible. Not worth checking on the scales,  you just smile when you pick it up. It isn't polystyrene light like some basses, you don't want to pass it round the band to see the look on people's faces but you barely know it's there when playing. 

Oh and as for the uninspiring finish. That solid black actually has a subtle purple tiger stripe quilty thing going on. 

I know many reviews will say, great for the price, be useful to give to a student and so forth. But I am gigging with this and recording with it. No question. 

Totally blown away. 

Decent pictures and sound clips will follow. IMG_20200424_113611.thumb.jpg.6766e9f9c62913afa0fef34741fae0e9.jpg

 

 

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24 minutes ago, stewblack said:

 If I'm contorting my wrist to reach the top few notes then the bass needs to be sexier than Felicity Kendall playing Twister with Kate Humble, or I don't keep it. 

And my hands glide over it like greased WD40 in a vacuum.

😊

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On 24/04/2020 at 13:12, stewblack said:

 

...few notes then the bass needs to be sexier than Felicity Kendall playing Twister with Kate Humble, or I don't keep it. 

 

 

Omg that’s the image I'm taking to bed with me, but you forgot the family sized jar of peanut butter and the pastry brush 

Edited by Geek99
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On 24/04/2020 at 13:45, NickD said:

I bought the fretless 5 of this, and it's a tidy bit of kit for almost no money. Sadly it's self isolating at my Mum's house atm.🙄

I've got one too, it sounds great with roundwounds.

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  • 2 weeks later...

Time for an update. There is a tendency to exaggerate when receiving new gear. It's either the best thing ever or a crushing disappointment. Expectations and excitement play a part. 

With this in mind I thought I'd let the froth settle and ask myself some searching questions now I've had this bass for a couple of weeks. 

Edited by stewblack
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How do we quantify a good or bad instrument? Difficult when so much is subject to personal preference and taste. 

I think one way is to ask yourself, if all your basses bar this were to somehow disappear, would you be happy to go out there and gig, rehearse and record with just this one? 

Another way, assuming you have multiple basses from which to choose, is how often do you choose this one? And when you do, how does it make you feel? 

For me the answer is a resounding yes to the first question. And to the second? I try to rotate, but sometimes just grab and go but this is always near the top of my list. And the final question is easy - it puts a smile on my face. 

I think this is the hidden gem in the HB bass inventory. 

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