Harley Benton JB-75MN LH SB Vintage Series 4-stars Reviews

Great starter bass

I mostly play guitar but wanted to have a play with bass having started out on bass when I was a kid but gave up quickly and then roll on 20 years. Didn't want something too expensive to dip my toes in and play at home. The price point on this bass for the quality you receive is startling.

I am going to get the negatives out of the way real quick as the list is really short:

1. It is pretty damn heavy. Probably it's biggest fault. However, for playing sitting down in the studio it is fine for me. If you have a back condition (like I do), then playing standing up is probably going to cause you problems.

2. It can be a bit noisy on the frets if over plucked, probably can be sorted by adjusting to my preference. But that's how it is out of the box, plus side is that it has very low action.

3. This can be a +/- point as I am getting used to it, but it is a bit of a baseball bat neck, i.e. pretty chunky. Makes me stretch a little more than I would like, have smallish hands so a thinner neck maybe easier for me. But if you like chunky necks then this is great. The neck is smooth with a satin finish that is easy to play.

Good points:

1. Fretwork is great, zero complaints.

2. Tuners seem stable and hold tuning well.

3. Pickups sound fine with the Roswells, just how you would expect a Jazz Bass to sound.

4. Finish is really nice. Zero blemishes not faults at all (have checked very carefully).

Is it a bass I will cherish forever, maybe? Maybe not. I expect if I stick with the bass as well as guitar then I will upgrade at some stage. But this is more than good enough for at least a couple of years before I look to offload or donate it. Really enjoying playing on it so far.