Vintage Tones, Affordable Price | Harley Benton PB-50 Demo and Comparison
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- čas přidán 22. 08. 2024
- This week I'm reviewing the PB-50 and putting it up against it's Fender counterpart... but is it worth buying this budget bass? Let me know what you think!
Learn more about the bass here:
harleybenton.c...
Send me a bass you love and I'll add it to my Sexy Basses story highlight on Instagram
jonnydibble
@jonnydibble
Check out Rich's band 'Some Villains' here:
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Music used:
Nova Mora - The One to Run
Take it from someone who has owned classic Stingrays, Fender J and P et al.....the funks in the fingers, they all sound similar and it's about the set up nowadays. Simply NO need to spend big money on guitars. Save ya money for lessons.
Absolutely. So much amazing affordable stuff on the market nowadays!
Honestly spend all the money you got on the nicest amp and maybe a few pedals because 98% of the way your shit will sound is coming from there. The only reason to buy better guitars if you really want them or you think they look good or something. Not for the sound
Too true
Why slag off flat wound strings?
@@blooter6360 because he is a slapper
I have the exact same bass for a while now. I use it tuned to drop C, with fat strings et distortion to play stoner/heavy doomish things. It's a beast !!!
Bet that sounds incredible! Can't belive how good this bass is. Thanks for the comment! 😁
Why the number of subscribers is so low? This is one of the BEST MADE reviews I've ever seen. You convinced me to buy one to use as a backup and to mod it
I'm definitely gonna subscribe and follow you, you're great!
Wow, thankyou SO much! I've only been going for a few months so just getting started really 😁 Thankyou for the support!
If you want that 'muted' tone, wedge a piece of foam under the strings in front of the bridge. It will emphasize the fundamental and reduce the harmonics in the string.
Great advice!
@@JonnyDibble Yeah, a lot of reggae bassists I know do it, as they only want the fundamental in the note.
I bought this cause i really whanted a p-bass again, and am on a tight budget.
Had to grese up the tuners, small nut job, pollish the frets, tighten six screws, set pickup and string height, intonate.
That was it and now it plays nicer then my Gibson Thunderbird Studio, so i actually sold that one.
Super happy with this fiesta red Harley Benton PB50VT FR.
Oh, i play rock 'n roll with a pick!
EDIT:
1.Put on Fender pure vintage backwords tuners.
2. New string retainer.
3. Fender neckplate with the big F.
4. Matching am Cts pots with an orange drop.
5. No name dome nobs (top notch on them).
6. Switchkraft jack.
7. Wilkinson bridge, with brass-saddles.
8. Totally sawed down the headstock to early -51 to early 57. An ass of a jobb!
Don't go into all details, but I keept the pickup, cause I really like how it sounds.
Don't like the frets, and they are to tall for a vintage type bass.
And I don't like the trusrod, it's just to weak.
It's an ok bass, but I seldom play it.
Thats amazing! A decent set up can go a LONG way. I've just released my review if the enhanced series and, after some adjustments, it MIGHT just replace mh Fender jazz bass!
I’m loving this channel Jonny. I enjoy bass reviews especially of the “entry level” or affordable(better adjective) stuff. I got the classic vibe 60s Precision after seeing your review. You have a great on camera persona and play very well. Greetings from Chicago!!
Hi Don! Thank you so much! I'm glad you enjoyed and made the decision based on the video! 😍 That P bass is incredible. Thanks again
Sounds nice like a Fender, the Harley Benton bass would work for me like Squier basses. I like budget priced basses too.
The modern affordable market is pretty fantastic! Thanks for checking out the video 😊
I've always loved the sound of these style basses. So simple yet so versatile. Nice to know they're pretty cheap too! Would be fun to own one. I may have to pick one up sometime. looks and sounds great! :)
I'm new to this channel ,AND I LOVE IT! I'm a freak for the cheap budget basses,Squier,HARLEY ,BRNTON,,GLARRY,ETC. It's more impressive to see someone kicking ass on a cheap bass than to watch them make an ass out of themselves with their thousand dollar bass
Thankyou Aaron! I've never owned a bass worth more than £600 (I think). There's just so much quality in the affordable market nowadays.
@@JonnyDibble You said it,as an older guy I can't believe what one can get on the cheap these days.You can buy a totally gig and recording worthy bass for under $600.And put new pups and hardware on one of these H.B. cheapos and you have a very viable instrument for $350 or less going the used route as you did.
I have the same bass. Mine is without pick-up cover. This must have been installed by a former owner. Great!
Insane quality for the money!
Jonny Dibble I'm very satisfied with it too! I like the adventure of discovering good instruments for a few dollars; I mostly buy from the internet.
@@johnpatist9797 Im the same! The second hand market for affordable basses is thriving 😊
I just received mine, and I am absolutely in love with it! Sure, it needs a little bit of set up, but it is pretty much ready to go right out of the box. But, I am setting mine up with flatwound strings. I know how you feel about them, but for this bass, and getting that true '51 tone, they are the way to go.
Feel free to gag. 😉
Oh I have done a full 180 on flats now and I REALLY wish I still had this bass to truly appreciate flats on it! So smooth, awesome bass. Glad you're enjoying 😁
@@JonnyDibble if you want to try flats with a bit more bite, GHS Bright Flats are an excellent choice! Still plenty of of low end thump, but with more high end brightness. I use them on several of my basses.
@@skooterbrah thanks for the recommendation 😀
With the tone knob to 0, both basses sound very similar. On 100% The HB offers a lot more treble. That's added flexibility.
They are called 'tug bars'. Leo designed the P bass with upright players in mind and thought they would be using thumbs to play😎
Good ol Leo
Interesting, I've wondered about these for a while
as a guitar player you inspire me to play bass more. i feel like i only know so much in bass as rock and metal and indie. i wanna truly learn the instrument as much as i did in guitar. great vid man
Thats amazing! I'm primarily a "rock" bass player but do love all the different genres and techniques/challenges! Thanks very much 😀
Real cool, yes great tones here, but I'm more impressed with your playing. Lots of feel and groove! Major Thud ! It's helped my playing, thank you . :D
Thanks so much!
My PB-50 had no pick-up cover, nor a bridge cover from factory. That means that you han play directly or close om the pickup. Truly great punchy Sound. Like other Basses like fe Thunderbird styles, it sounds best with all controles fully open. Let the Amp do its job and take care of the rest. If you panic use somekind of pedal. In this context the PB-50 is NO different that other and MUCH more expensive Basses. Roswell pickups.. well yes the are a Thomann inhouse brand. They were intrduced as an immediate and instant replacement og their previous brand. Thomanns quality-control discovered fraud regarding quality and performance, and immediately switched to anothef manufacturer Roswell. From my experiences with Thomann over 10 years as a customer ive learned that take quality very serious. The good old german pride.
Rgds
Simon
Should have done a double blind test with basses looking that similar, with the bottom half of the screen blocked out. I saw a test like this on another channel with a Harley Benton and a Fender and the amount of people that got it wrong was quite shocking. No really.
Yeah its amazing how the eyes can influence us! Food for thought for the future, thanks Paul 😊
Great video! Really informative. Absolutely love the look of this bass.
Thanks Joe!
You already know what I have to say, great editing. Two questions though, what is that green/yellow light that I could see in the reflection of your glasses? Also could you possibly do a run though of that line 6 pedal? I've been thinking about one of those for a while
As always, thank you my friend 😁 My glasses have anti-glare/flash lenses and thats the reflection of my soft box light haha. Had it a bit too direct on me this time. 100% will be doing a video on the HX Stomp! Want to be able to do the best video possible so it'll be a few weeks before I figure everything out properly and play it through my cab properly 😊
@@JonnyDibble Great channel thank you. I too am keen on a run down on the Line 6 from a Bass perspective. Love your recorded sound.
@@marksvideochannel3592 thanks very much! I've done a few videos on the HX Stomp since this video, but will be doing more 😊
The current PB-50 doesn't come with the pickup cover anymore but then its so cheap its perfect for modding, maybe Ill add it.
Put a hotrail guitar pick-up in it and i bet that you will fall in love with that hb
That is an incredible idea! With some distortion that would sound NASTY 👌 Thanks for the comment!
Great Demo, Mr. Dibble!
I got the same bass in Fiesta red and totally agree that it's a steal. But it's very limited in versatility and giving a modern sound. Keep up the good work. Greetings from Germany 😊
Thank you good sir! Totally agree, its definitely got a more vintage sound, which is what it's meant for at least! Thanks again, have a great day 😁
Great review, Jonny! Nice bass 😉
Thanks Mike!
Awesome video!!!
As always, great video buddy. Keep them coming!
In my time I ended up as a Harley collector, Pb20, one of these PB50s as well as the Tbird, Hollowbody and 2 Jazz's!
I must stop watching as your giving me GAS for Jazz and P style basses again.
Im a Thunderbird guy, I am. I am. I dont need a P bass, but I do, but no i dont! 🤣
Haha! Thank-you man. Its addictive when theyre so cheap and so good!
That's how it begins.After my retirement I've replaced working with buying gear.Do they have treatment for this affliction?
Seems like HB have droped the metalplate over the pickup , love the design.Love cheers =)
They never came with a pup guard the previous owner fitted it😎
I'm interested in getting a harley benton of some sort just because of how affordable they are to try a different style bass than what I have. I bet that sounded great with flats on it though since the pickup does seem to make the rounds sound harsh
Oh man, I wish I still had this bass purely for flats!! Amazing how fast taste can change
And it’s precisely that byte what seduces me. And being for me easier to play finger style, I’ll guess I’ve got a winner here. Thank you for help me decide... ❤️
It's an incredible bass! Not just for the money either 😍
Mine is just like thi# one, except it did’t come with the metal pick uo cover. The fret ends were awful, had to be filed/smoothened. I tinkered with the truss rod and bridge for a while as well, but otherwise I really like it. Good Alnico pickup. Thank you. ✌️
How's the neck feel? What would you compare it to?
I'd say its thicker than a c but about the same width? Really comfy!
The sound of the pickup could be just a poor match or pot. Change it to higher ohm and loose some of the shrapness.
Should I go for the Harley Benton PB-50 or their RB-414CS?
Having played both, I preferred the PB50! But they're pretty different sounding basses so its all down to personal preference 😁
Love the channel you should get a squier 50’s classic vibe so I know if it’s a good Bass to buy
Tha ks very much! That would be a goodn to review. I've played one in a shop and it felt good! Needed a setup though
Suggestions for a bass the Harley Benton PJ-74 VW Vintage Series
And the jazz bass 75.... Thanks for your videos !!!!!
I actually borrowed the PJ a few years ago, they're great. Definitely want to cover some more HB stuff! Thanks for the suggestion 😊
Hey Jonny, thank you so much for this video. I play the same bass and I was wondering about how you create such a great sound in the video. My sound is great as long I play directly over the amp (HARTKE HD25) but if I connect it through an interface (Focusrite Scarlett Solo) to my computer, it sounds pretty horrible. I am fairly new to this whole sound recording thing and I basically do not know what I am doing 😅 which is why I would be happy to know what kind of setup you use. Greetings from Germany, Moh
Hi Moh! Thanks for checking it out 😁
So I'm recording through a Line 6 HX Stomp using a patch I created using the Ampeg SVT 4 Pro amp model. From here I'm going into my Focusrite 2i2 then into Logic Pro X.
If you're going straight from the bass into the interface you'll just be getting the DI sound. If you're using something like logic, their Ampeg bass amp model is brilliant. Alternatively you could record through the DI out of tour Hartke (if it has one) using an XLR cable? - Just be careful of levels 😊
Coole Combi…habe den gleichen Amp und auch den PB 50
This is a better channel👍🏻
Better that whaaaaat?
Nice Slappin buddy!
Cheers me dears!
I'm gonna reveal that I bought that Harley Benton for...
Gets interrupted by 2 unskippable ads
Gotta get dat 20p ad rev 😋
@@JonnyDibble well u deserve it lad... good content
@@chlum6295 thanks very much 😊
Slapa da bass man! Love it
Thank-you mate!
If they made the headstock their own version of the “tele” style headstock, I’d be 100% down for one of these.
Get that saw out! 😅
I had a HB Stingray style bass a couple of years ago. Although the sunburst finish looked great it was in fact a photo-flame laminate and did not reflect the quality of the underlying wood at all. It was also very thick and not ideal for getting the best from the tonewoods. Inspection of the pickup cavities showed that the body was made up of multiple pieces of wood of what looked like pretty low quality.
Comparing this to a fender body of 2/3 pieces where you can see the actual grain of the body wood through the finish is really no comparison. I became suspicious as the wood grain on the HB looked far to good to true for the price. I was disappointed in Thomman for this as they described the body as basswood and made no mention of the fake finish. I now have a Sterling SUB series which I feel is a much better instrument than the HB.
Yeah the tort pickguard I had on a PJ bass from them was very much "tort.jpeg". I think there come a long way in the last few years though!
What's the size of the pick up cover ?
I don't know about to buy this or rb414 ... which do you think is better? Thanks :-)
Lord have mercy - he doesn't like flats
I want more BASS!
I WANT ALL THE BASS! Any suggestions?
I don't know how they do it for the price.I just ordered a Harley Benton Rickenbacker type for cheap.
As its thomanns house brand they can cut out the middle man, mass produce and undercut their competitors! My first video was on the Rick copy. Hope you enjoy 😁
Is this a good one for punk rock, alt. rock? Looking to get a LH one, not many options :)
Definitely! I normally prefer a standard split coil P bass for that, but these work well!
@@JonnyDibble Thanks!
I've just ordered one tonight for£79
Rockandralll
this or the squer vintage vibe?
I think this bass is awesome! I've only played the Squier for like 2 minutes so cant really compare, but I think the HB is the best value
I think It would sound way better with higher action. Too much fret buzz for my ear. I think when treble overpowers bass on bass something is gone wrong
All comes down to taste 😊 I love a clangy attack to punch through a mix with a pick
You need to rub a pencil in the nut groove to fix the tuning issue
Great tip!
How can you slag off using flats on this bass that’sehst they first came out with in the 50s
Should demo with both strings
Just because you don’t like flats doesn’t mean others don’t ?
This video is very old now. I love flats now! We live, we grow
@@JonnyDibble good lad
This or squier p basses?
Tough one! Honestly I think this one takes the top spot for me! I've just dropped a video on Sire's version too which I'd recommend!
Where did you get the pickup cover from? Can you send me a link plz?
Bought it second hand and it already had it on there. Sorry I can't help!
Jonny Dibble it’s alright, I’ll find one somewhere
www.thomann.de/gb/fender_vintage_bridge_cover_51_p_bass.htm
Tomáš Kudera Thank you so much man I appreciate it
@@G900BOI sorry , now I see that the link I sent you is bridge cover which is bigger then the pickup cover. This should be what you are looking for :
www.ebay.com/itm/Genuine-Fender-51-Precision-P-Bass-Pickup-Cover-Plate-Chrome/312401398014?hash=item48bc9308fe:g:wWcAAOSwWAhcI-hD
Mine didn’t come with a pickup cover 🤔🤷♂️
Just looking at their website, didn't realise that the slightly newer ones don't come with one?!
Most of HB guitars are no longer made in Covidna, I mean China!
Oh really? Where are they made now? Since the video I've noticed that this one has the older logo tbf. Thanka for the comment! 😄
@@JonnyDibble Umm more diverse, now being made in Indonesia, Vietnam and some I think in India.
Sounds shrill. PB20 sbk is a better option.
JB20 even better😎
The fender did sound better. It seemed from the video there was a thinness to the tone on the HB. Not hating I love cheap gear! The only reasonable P basses (tone to cost) seem to be the MIM Fender and the Classic vibe. And both are not really cheap. I’m hunting either or used.