Harley Benton JP-55OP White 5-stars Reviews

Fantastic Passive 5-string

As soon as I received my bass, I pulled it out of the box (very well packed and protected), tuned up, and plugged in. I was so surprised and thrilled with the way this bass sounded without any other setup. The neck is very smooth and easy to play, not to mention the coloring is gorgeous. Electronics work fine, pickups sound good, but have slightly lower output than some of my other basses. Then again, the moment I kicked on the same EQ and cab sim pedal I use with everything else, it sounded alive. I will say, using my fuzz and wah created some extra noise for the first time, though I haven't tested if that's something with the bass or the pedal. For that reason, and the somewhat weaker output, I'll drop my sound rating down just a hair.

More than anything, I'm thrilled this bass doesn't require a battery to sound good. With the exception of an electric upright and another 5er, I've only played passive basses and don't like bothering with batteries. Given the cost of this one, I'm also planning on modifying the controls for stereo operation (main bass is a Ric 4003), and maybe swapping the pickups for stronger response with lower tunings.

(For context: I play across many genres in cover bands and musical theater, so having a bass that can hit a wide range of tones and sounds is very important.)

As a whole, I'm very satisfied with the instrument, especially seeing how it compares to the bass it was inspired by via YouTube demos. It's a quality bass at an affordable price, and it's hard to resist the temptation to replace my active 5er with another one! If you're going to buy this bass because you're taking a chance on an inexpensive option, you may as well buy a case or bag to go with it because you're gonna want to keep it.

Suprising!

The overall quality of this instrument is amazing for its price range. It is as good as basses I have I spent 10 times as much on. And, a roasted maple neck at this price is unbelievable

Excellent... for the price!

Don't dream; this is not a 'pro' bass. But for the price, it's definitely the best you can find. Mine arrived with a decent setup (you NEED to install new strings though).