Harley Benton Jazz bass ... un-boxing and modification

OilCityPickups

Well with new bass pickups to test a plenty ... and the HB challenge bringing the brand into my tiny, fevered mind ... I thought picking up a Jazz bass from them would be a fun thing to do. I've always liked the big JB offset body ... and my old boss when I was a bright eyed teenager working in a local music shop (back in the stone age) had a sunburst JB which I adored.

I saw a B stock Harley Benton 'vintage' JB with a maple neck and block inlays for 82 quid ... and pulled the trigger!

Ho hum ... what arrived was this.

Um ... the 'Standard' model that retails at around twenty quid less ... no maple board, ash body (poplar instead) or Wilkinson pickups ... or for that matter D'Addario strings. Actually however it felt really nice and I couldn't be arsed to return it ... so I gave Thomann an ear-bashing and took a refund for the difference.

So what's wrong with it? Nothing much ... the body appears to be a single slab of poplar, nicely cut ... I keep looking for joins ... but I can't find em (I think they must be there ... just very well done). The scratchplate is a bit rough ... and the 'neck' pickup can't be raised because the pickup feet don't line up with the cutouts in the scratch plate. If I had to guess I would say thay they have made one scratchplate try to 'do' for both the cheap ceramic pickup £71 version ... and the Wilkinson pickup equipped one ... trouble is, the cheapie isn't to US spec sizewise ... and the scratchplate damn nearly is!

The neck is lovely and comfortable, with good fretting and a well cut nut ... a bit light in colour ... but then so were many old Fenders straight out of the factory! Shame the headstock shape looks like a horses bellend ... but that can be changed ... 

The pickups are a bit weak and rubber-bandy ... and not being able to raise the neck one doesn't help ... but I know a man who can fix that!

So all in all not a bad bass ... even for twice the money.

Right ... the to do list

Junk the nasty, fridge door white scratchplate and fit a  Mexican Fender mint green one. 

Ditch the knurled chrome knobs for proper black JB style ones.

Ditch the mini pots and nasty, cheap capacitor (blurggggggh) ... probably Bourns, Sprague and Switchcraft to replace.

Ditch the horrible ceramic pickups (double blurggggggggh) they're thin and harsh.

Fit new Oil City HardMan J Bass pickups ... subtle overwinds for a bit more meat and two veg.

Then if I can be bothered ... re shape the 'donkey dong' up the tuner end ... perhaps blowing over the neck with nitro.

JookyChap

Looking good - though I thought I was the only one who got an odd order, my HB335 arrived as a book matched pair of Stylophones first time around

OilCityPickups

I'm actually surprised you get a nice solid wood body, well fretted neck and tuners that work for £71 ... I guess a Stylophone or two wouldn't have lightened up proceedings ... hummm as endorsed by Rolf!

chrisj1602

That looks great... and I'm now wondering what a horse's bellend looks like.

impmann

If Ash says thats what a horse's bellend looks like, I show bow to his greater knowledge. ;-)

OilCityPickups

Humm new pickup covers just came for it ... and the muppets sent two damn neck ones!!! DOH!!!