MM-85A SB Deluxe Series : Harley Benton did it again.

I needed a bass like this for my studio, and being a 42 years of guitar player, I'm not a big fan of active pickups.

But knowing how the key of D on a guitar tends to like being weighed down by a low D, I went for this very low budget 5-string with active pickups.

My only concern was that some of the reviews here - and a video too - told stories of a terrible hum when the switch engaged single coils in position 2 and 4.

But when trying that out, I must concur that the hum hardly noticeable, like it is on my shielded, single coils guitars.

Now: after some initial setup - relief of the neck truss rod and some saddle height adjustment, lowering the height of a pickup and raising one to find the sweet spot (and I always do that with new guitars to get them where I want) - I started playing it, and I love it. I feel so good for buying this.

And it looks great, nice fretwork except for the need to be polished to really shine, but tbh unpolished frets aren't a big problem for a bass string, is it.

I played that thing for over an hour, just reveling in the playability and tones I was able to get from it. It's like a Swiss knife of diverse bass tones just via the 5-way switch, and the tone controls enable you to hone the tone right into the pocket you want it to go to.

I couldn't be more pleased, and that's not often the case with guitars I buy not having tested them beforehand, especially when they are cheap like this. If you're reading this wondering whether or not you should buy one, I hope this honest review will be helpful.