Harley Benton PB-50 LH FR Vintage Series Reviews

Nice for the price...

A good, solid instrument right out of the box with just a few tweaks. Gotta love that Fiesta Red color. Sounds great through my Ampeg 2x10.

Absolutely mindblowing

I came across this bass accidentally on flickr and I instantly fell in love. Finding a lefty 50's-style P Bass is extremely difficult, and the only way to get one is to purchase a vintage (Telecaster Bass) or a Custom Shop, both of which are way out of the realm of affordability for the average Joe like me. I wasn't expecting this bass to be even remotely good at this price point, but when it got here and I played it, I was instantly blown away. This bass plays just as good as basses that are three times it's price point. I get a lot of compliments on it and everyone can't believe how little I paid for it. I've been using it in the studio now for the past two years. Aside from minor quality control issues (pickguard screws not seated all the way, bridge screws not seated fully), this is a total knockout!

Interesting but several flaws.

The bass arrived in a timely manner. The fret ends were so sharp that if you attempted to play it your hand would be cut. The action was so high that I could slip a number 2 pencil between the bottom of the strings and the 10th fret! And lastly it weighs over 9 pounds!

Lovely sounding great looking and well priced

Nothing but praise for this bass. A super looking lovely sounding left handed bass for a very very reasonable price. You wont be dissapointed.

great pb51 copy

the pick guard screw on the lower horn wasn't fully in because there where lacquer around it whits means the drill the holes when put the pick guard on I unscrew it and clean out the area around the hole with a piece of paper.

It hums a bit which probably has to do with the singlecoil Roswell pickup and maybe bad grounding ill look under the bridge there should be a groundwork underneath just like on telecaster guitars.

Also its a bit neck heavy the body is is a little to light weight but all and all its a nice precision 51 ass and sounds really decent what surprised me is them vol and tone pots are BIG ONES that's good maybe they came with the Roswell alnico pickup.

its my first bass ever and comes with decent D’Addario strings also I am very happy with this purchase so do not hesitate as a lefty you won't regret and the looks it is just stunning

The hype is real...

Outstanding quality & sound for ridiculous price...

PROS:

1. Sound, sound, sound... Absolutely amazing and dynamic.

2. Overall build quality & paint job. For the price it's almost unbelievable.

CONS:

1. Vintage tuners feel cheap-ish, u might want to consider replacing them first. They do hold pitch pretty good tho...

2. Tone knob (seems like everyone has that problem) works only on last 20% knob range (quite an exponential curve), seems like they choose wrong value pot for this which is easily fixable by changing it to a right one.

3. You will need to do at least basic setup, the action is pretty high on the bridge side. The intonation was quite good tho...

To conclude, for the price it's a no brainer, whether u want a playable vintage-toned instrument or a base for heavy mods. Well done!

Great sound at a great price

I got this base as an accompaniment to producing music - mostly being a guitar player but looking to make a decent bass line - and I am very impressed with the Harley Benton. It's a joy to play and was well set-up when i received it. The microphone and tone knobs are a bit stiff but that's really the only downside.

How can they do this for almost free?

Amazing bass, especially considering the price. I did find some final finish imperfections, like shreds of plastic around the pickguard. One tuner sticks a bit. Aside from that, the fretwork was good, the setup was only a tad high for me, which I easily tweaked.

I honestly thought I would be modding this bass...I don't really think that it is necessary though.

More than worth the price

I must admit I did not have high hopes when buying this bass but my lord it met my expectations and more i fully recommend this to anyone who is looking for a medium priced bass

Too good for this price point

I bought this two years ago and prior to that waited 6 months or so for it to be in stock.

Excellent product. The red finish is stunning. The neck is so smooth, very chunky and much attention was given to the frets and bevelled fretboard edges. The nut was cut perfectly. The blend of old and new (belly cut, modern bridge) is just right.

I took it to a local luthier to have the headstock reshaped to look like this design's original influence... He was gobsmacked by the instrument and purchased one himself (right handed).

He found the bridge and tuners to be good quality and the factory installed strings were excellent (d'addarios) and the Roswell pickup fantastic. He recommended changing the potentiometers and output jack - which I said yes to.

I was going to put flats on this bass but have left the factory installed strings on - it is an unlikely slap monster! The bass sound is naturally quite bright (single coil and bright strings) but with the tone knob and playing technique it can also sound old school, full and thumpy.

I flick between taking the pickguard on and off - currently it is off - there is no visible routing underneath - it looks so beautiful!

It is not too heavy either at 9lbs.

Highly recommended.

Nice

Nice simple pb bass an ideal starter bass

Fantastic Value

I am mostly a garage player and was looking for something with an old school look and sound.

As a lefty, not an easy task, especially on a budget.

I am very impressed wit this bass.

The build quality is excellent, as is the fit and finish.

It has the old school look for sure, (think Fender '51 P Bass) and the Fiesta Red just adds to it.

The volume and tone controls work fine and the tuners not too tight.

Although fitted with decent D'Addario EXL 170 roundwound strings, this bass is begging for flatwounds, and that is the first thing I did.

Got a set of D'Addario ECB-81 Chromes, a perfect match.

I did not need to change action or intonation at all, which was fine right out of the box!

I received much more than I expected with this guitar, it looks, sounds, and plays like a much higher priced instrument.

This one was really cool!

I loved this old PBass replica. It came with two pick guards and liked that too. Could get a whole different look just by switching. Played well too. The pickup was a little weak, but still sounded good. H-B s are great!

Great beginner bass.

You cannot go wrong with this price, tone pot was a little loose but that's it really. Great simple bass, one volume , one tone. Sounds good and feels great to play. I've heard people complaining about the thickness of the neck but I find it quite comfortable(I don't have the biggest hands). If you're thinking of getting it, do it. You really won't regret it. Overall a great bass, perfect for someone dabbling in bass now and again, or even if you just want that old p-bass look on a budget.

Better than expected

Looks great. A lefthand bass that isn't black!

That would be enough for me to buy it on it's own but wait, it plays really well and sounds really good. For how much?

This is my sixth Harley Benton Bass and it still surprised me how much I like playing it. The neck is great, decent fretwork, nothing sharp and I love the profile. The Roswell pickup has a very clear fundamental with plenty of low end.

If you're thinking of buying one of these, just do it. You won't be disappointed.