JB-75MN NA Vintage Series : Solid bass... very heavy though!

I am a bit of a budget guitar/bass addict. The most expensive thing I have in my arsenal is a hagstrom HB8. This is up there in the weight category so it isn't too much of a problem that the JB-75 weighs the same as my car. I think this is an excellent, versatile bass. I have to admit that I am becoming very fond of Harley Benton guitars and this is the 4th addition to my collection.

My band packed in earlier this year but it was to be my primary 4-string for that. But now I am on my own I use is primarily for my home studio.

SOUND: It fit with the rock/blues we were playing seamlessly and has the versatility to cover most bases being a jazz copy. The pickups are nice and hot, the heft of the body ensures a nice full tone, and I've had zero problems with the neck like I had with the bass vi copy (sharp fret edges needed filing) and the strat copy I bought recently (same issue with the fret edges, and one fret above the 12th was raised slightly but was remedied with a bit of filing). So no buzz and the intonation is spot on.

BODY/FINISH/BUILD QUALITY: it looks gorgeous. The finish is around what you might expect for a mid range bass and much better than you would expect at this price point. There's no glaring problems with the body, the plastic covers are all well cut and everything is well secured. The jack is solid and the pots feel good, no crackling/buzzing to speak of which is more than can be said for the hagstrom... The tuners are the only real let down, but they work. There's a lot of play in them so they would be worth upgrading at some point, if I was to get a lot of use out of the bass, but as I am only using it in the studio then there's not much point.

CONCLUSION: For a gigging musician this might be a little heavy for a lot of stage use. It's akin to having about 7 real jazz basses hanging around your neck. For occasional use or use in the studio where you can sit in a nice comfy chair it is an absolute belter. I'd recommend it to anyone looking for something to start out on as it wont break the bank but you arent buying rubbish. I personally think it is an excellent bass and would thoroughly recommend it.