Harley Benton MV-4PJ Gotoh - Pure Precision Power at the Perfect Price - LowEndLobster Review
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- čas přidán 25. 08. 2024
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Hey Everyone! Today we are reviewing the third and final member of Harley Benton's Modern Vintage bass lineup - The MV-4PJ Gotoh! Featuring a gorgeous burgundy mist finish, bound and blocked roasted maple neck with laurel fingerboard, and a ridiculous sounding P pickup, this budget beast brings the bottom end! Let's check it out!
This bass and all my other basses with rounds are strung with SIT Foundation Nickel Plated Stainless Steel 45-105(125) unless otherwise noted. Check them out at sitstrings.com/
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![ULTIMATE Affordable Jazz Bass?! | Harley Benton MV-4JB Gotoh [Review/Demo]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/3Qftcn1YMPg/mqdefault.jpg)
![ULTIMATE Affordable Jazz Bass?! | Harley Benton MV-4JB Gotoh [Review/Demo]](/img/tr.png)
Don't understand why they discontinued all the nice finishes. Those were largely what made these appealing.
I think the same. I wonder if it is some copyright or cost issue? I notice the same happened with their J-45op series.
Most likely cost or supply. Basic colors are plentiful and cheap from multiple suppliers, while cool uncommon colors might not be consistently available at appropriate prices
Agree 100%.
The color makes ALL the difference here. The Burgundy Mist Metallic is the only color I’d want this instrument in, and not the other two colors. For the price, and despite only four strings, I think I’d be willing to pull the trigger on one… in the Burgundy Mist Metallic finish.
I hope Harley Benton reconsiders their color selections moving forward.
It was pretty stupid. I think everybody’s getting pretty sick of the black, white, red, and Sunburst electric guitars and basses with cheap pick guards.👨🏻
One of the things I really admire about Thomann is their customer service. They have (in the few times I've needed it) always been quick to respond and worked to keep me happy. That not only keeps me coming back but also has me telling others to give them a try..
Yep, their service is top notch and they are quick to respond.
I grabbed one of these a few months ago (in Daphne blue) and am very happy with it. I did replace the pickups with some old (late 80's!) Bartolini's I had kicking around and shielded the cavities. It is a monster of a bass especially for the price and I find myself picking it over other more pricey basses.
What speaker did you run it out of?
Of all the basses you have demonstrated you sound most at ease on this one. Just the way you moved on the fretboard was outstanding. I'm sure the electronics are not on par with high end instruments but you gave that one a superb test drive.
Thank you! I was feeling especially good in this vid ahaha
Thomann has been testing US distribution through a Harley Benton Reverb Store for those that don't know. Thanks for the review :)
Thanks for info bro
These models of HB are made in Indonesia :) Harley Benton made a huge step up in quality since they are made in Indonesia and not longer in China. It's a good way to see if the Harley Benton you looking for will be good or not ;)
I own this MV-4PJ Gotoh since January, it's a truly happiness to play !
Thank you for the info! Where did you find that?
Their higher end instruments are indeed made in Indonesia, but their more 'budget' models seem to have transitioned from China to Vietnam.
Thanks for telling the weight for us older players!
Lobster, you have just about sold this HB bass to me! I think I’m going to pull the trigger on this bass. Many thanks on the review!
Esp if the weight is down, youre gonna be very happy with it.
I purchased this model in vintage 3 tone sunburst a month or so ago and could not be happier with the quality of this bass. I got lucky on weight too, mine comes in dead on 9lbs. I wanted a PB, but as you know, HB did not make one in this series. Since I’ve never been a fan of JB bridge pickups, I removed it and rewired the bass as a PB with upgraded wiring, pots, cap, knobs, shielding ……as well as fabricating a wooden cover to hide the JB pickup rout. I was originally going to replace the P pickup, but it sounds so good now, I don’t feel a need. Getting rid of all that extra crap in the circuit has made a huge improvement in clarity and tone!
You can't beat the price. Great looking and sounding. Thanks for sharing with us.
Nice looks, tone has nice attack and bite. Has its own sonic thing going on and doesn’t sound cheap. Pickups are decent- wow. P pup sounds plump and has nice mids. Burpy J pup also has a good vibe. Nice bite when combined. And looks are two thumbs up. That color kills. Would use that on stage no problem.
a nice pair of Aguilar 60s PJ's or a EMG GZR would be the ultimate upgrade for this bass.
Man, I love these basses. I picked up a burgundy mist and a daphne blue, changed the pups and changed the bridges to gotoh bridges to match the tuners. Overall - I'm very pleased with how they play. I'm glad I snagged them while I could!
What bridge model did you use?
@@themigwel6185 Gotoh 201B-4 - direct fit and it comes in gold, chrome and a cool metallic black.
@@groseromedia nice, thanks.
Well done for talking about balance (on and off strap). That's one thing that most reviewers omit, but imo it's a make or break feature when it comes to enjoyment playing. (and yes that P pickup sounds terrific).
I recently fell in love with that burgundy mist/tortoise color combination, especially with the matching headstock and dark bound fretboard with blocks! It's really a pity that they discontinued it. If I find a used MV4-MSB in that color, It'll be hard for me to resist buying it!
I bought mine 6 months ago and am so glad I did as it was this colour that swung the deal. It's my first bass and it's nice to see it get such high praise from Mr. Low End.
I have one in shell pink, great value for what you pay. I predict that Harley Benton will eventually market a $700-$800 Bass that will make $1500 Basses look ridiculous.
That's what I'm waiting for... Kinda wanna let 'em clone my hooky bass vi ;-)
Mine is in the mail. Will swap the GZR in when it arrives.
I wanted one of the Seafoam finished models so badly. I regret not pulling the trigger.
I suspect they just ordered a big batch of all colors and now there are a few finishes available. When they sell out all units a new complete batch will come. I hope so...
That bass sounds great. I personally would not have had an issue with that tiny chip on that grade of instrument as long as it played well enough but that is cool they accommodated.
I wish they had some Gotoh series 5 strings 😩
Very nice! I've got a late '90's early '00's Fender Deluxe Precision bass (USA) with a similar finish. It's got active electronics and two J-pickups. I replaced the pick guard with a mirrored-purple. It's a shame Harley Benton discontinued that finish, it looks stellar. Block inlays and binding look great. Quality tuners and bridge. I bet with a pick-up and electronics upgrade that bass would be really killer.
I'm thinking about picking up a jb 75 fl. What I have seen is that these budget instruments are worth every penny!
Pj combines the best of best worlds for bassist.
Best tone ever
I have this model and the surf green one. I really like them for the money. I agree with the pick-up opinion here. I tend to roll the J pickup down to about half. The green one has more of a gloss finish on the body and can stick a little to clothing. But as you say for the price, they are very good.
Bought one of these quite recently. Great value and sounds good too.
There aren't many good budget short-scale basses around.
The jazz pup adds the cut out for its replacement 🤣
LOL
HB has re-released all the Gotoh series with all the colors for 2024......even in burgundy mist.
Got this one barely used a month ago:
went to some jamsessions and gigs with it. Very nice to set up, very good feel on the neck and the tuners and a badass P-Bass sound. J-Pickup ist thin and i only use it as a kind of low cut eq to dial it in in certan sections of songs. Tone control feels heavy but responsive. It actually plays almost as good and totally tunes better than my vintage Fender P. I am amazed that you can get as good of an instrument at that price point. Definetly recommended for any beginner, I wish these would have been out there when I was starting. Finish on mine is flawless, which also really surprised me.:D
Great review, I totally agree with your opinion on this amazing budget P-Bass.
I would most likely replace that jazz pick up with a Seymour Duncan quarter pound pickup that was really open up the lows and midrange
If I was starting out today, I’d probably get one of these 👍🏽
Recently bought one in shell pink (a few days before they discontinued it). So far I'm absolutely in love with this thing, apart from the really mediocre j pickup, but I plan to change it for something a bit better in the future.
Nice Donny Benet shirt Lobstah
I bought MV-4PJ 2 months ago. It's my first bass. The bass looks and sounds great. But J pickup is so noisy, even I use PJ together. So I use P pickup and it sounds awesome.
Hi Lobster! Love the reviews. I was wondering if you would be up for reviewing any of the HB 25th anniversary editions? They’re pricer ofc, but I’m wondering if they’re worth it?
The reality is,....the 25th anniversary models are exactly the same as the CC-62, that Lobster just reviewed. The only difference is that a regular CC body is made from poplar while the 25th Anniv. model is made from alder.
Yeah would love to see double p pick ups too i bet that would be up there,sounds great for the price though.
Matching headstock at this price is crazy. Fender would only do that on something 10 times the price.
I wish they still had the purple and green finishes...
It's unique color is its only real selling point for someone who isn't looking for either a starter bass or a project...That's not to say it sounds bad or anything. I'm just talking about a unique selling points. For someone just starting out (particularly if they're in Europe) it looks like it would be a wonderful starter or backup.
I'm more talking about for established players who already have multiple instruments. I mean I don't really need another bass at the moment...but for around $250, sign me up! But with only black and sunburst to choose from...you can get those anywhere, and honestly sunburst on a headstock just kind a weirds me out for some reason...
Just imagen if they had gone with a P and M/M pick up.....🤯 Very nice bass for the money and looks killer too🎸
The 25th anniversary model has one with a MM and it looks so nice.
Nice vid. Would love to see you reviewing bacchus p bass.
Nice review Lobster 🦞🎶🎸🎵
I think some geezer butler would sound really good on this bass. Great review, thanks for sharing!!!
Looks great and sounds good. I would lower the j pup a little to help harshness
I'll be looking for a double-P from them, hopefully, and a review from your channel.
I just wish they weren't so heavy, and of course they didn't discontinue the finishes(I also don't like the Tort with some of these colours as I said in the discord). Hopefully them discontinuing them is a sign they'll be doing a new round of Gotoh Basses - hopefully with a fix for the Mustang-style.
Nice video and nice bass! I was lucky enough to get one in daphne blue 😊 and just uploaded a video on it. I like the high mids the bridge PU adds to the sound, but I wouldn‘t really solo it…
I got a little excited when I saw yours, post-mod, on Reverb. Then I saw it sold already...
They never last
I love that color. Too bad it's discontinued. That color was going to be my justification for adding another bass to the herd.
ditto 😊
The Modern Vintage Gotoh series will eventually be discontinued. I've assumed at first it was because of the GB-7 tuning machines being a discontinued model. I've seen that written elsewhere too - the black and sunburst versions are probably just the last of the stock that's left.
It would not surprise me if they brought this series back, but with different Gotoh tuning machines with a slightly upped price. I'd be curious what tuning machines they could find that wouldn't make these neck-dive city (considering their lightweight tuning machines are not cheap).
I'm finding out about how sensitive I am to the curvature of the backside of the neck. My Squier Jazzes seem more round on the back and the Squire Precisions seem to be more flat but on the serial # lookup for these basses, Fender describes both as having 'C' neck profiles. I favor the feel of the Precisions (and the tone). HB describes this bass as having a "D" neck profile. I'm sure I'll find it immediately after submitting this comment, but so far I've not found anything yet in FAQs. I'll email HB too but I wonder what your expert opinion is on the overall curvature of the neck.
I’ve never understood the PJ configuration. And, aesthetically, I don’t like them either. I agree with you regarding the discontinuation of the cool colours.
It's basically a harmonic p- bass tone.
Same discontinuing seems to be happening to the MV-4MSB, which is a shame because that seemed like one of the best affordable short scale options.
Now that Harley Benton has released new models, will you be reviewing the new MV-4P bass in Burgundy Mist?
Smooth neck and frets are a big plus in my book. I can`t put down my CNZ mini bass.
Got this exact bass! In this colour! Mine came at 4,1 kg . Awesome quality for the Bass! Neck is too thin for my taste
sounds nice,
I'd probably try and find a humbucking J-style pickup for this bass, give it a real throaty sound. you seem to really like the P Pickup so I'd keep it and Shield the bass! I think that the J Pickup in this is maybe just basically there as a treble boost for the P pickup - turning it on like 50% at most probably does help for Slap.
Also the neck slaps a lot better than on my PB-Shorty, which I find hard to slap on.
I have been looking for the HB 60 WB but it’s been sold out forever. I wish I could get my hands on one.
If the P pickups are louder than the jazz bridge pickup,......I typically back off the height of the P pickups till the volumes of bridge and neck are about even with just a slight increase in the bridge. Regarding the availability of these colors, this almost sounds like the limited edition crap HardLuck Kings pulls. The 25th Anniversary firemist gold jazz bass has been removed from the Harley Benton website and current is not available at all. CORRECTION: The Firemist model is currently available again.
If you ever sell this bass hit me up, I will definitely buy it. I’ve been looking for one in that color.
This bass seems like a great bass that only needs an upgrade to the pickups and it would be ready for the stage. That finish is sweet too, I just asked Harley Benton about a couple of their bass lines and they said a couple were being reissued so hopefully this one comes back with that sweet purple and two P pickups. 🤣🎸
Maybe get another J pup, or check the wiring, it sounds like it might be out of phase maybe? That P is fine though.
I was expecting you to laugh again, and you plaused and said “very nice” and that made me laugh!🤣🤣
That PJ bass is typical of cheap PJ’s. With the P pickup only, it’s fairly quiet regardless of tone setting,
but any use of J pickup requires the tone down to tame the noise.👨🏻
Does anybody know if there's a 5-string version of this? I love the PJ pickup set up but I'm looking for a 5-string.
I don't know why, but in my ears, the bridge PUs on Harley Benton always fall a bit short compared to the neck PUs on the same instrument. I had this with my enhanced five string thingy (reversed P and humbucker) and with my Gotoh Jazz as well, although not as obvious on the Jazz.
Is there any reason why i can't find these bases anywhere? They're not on thomann or any onltger side i can find.
Hey there's only Sunburst left now of this and the jazz bass version so all things being equal, subjective I know but which would you recommend or have a preference for out of the two PJ or J?
Great question! TBH the PJ here is the best out of the box. The Roswell J pickups are kind of meh.... but this P pickup is the bees knees. As a mod platform, probably the J as a set of pickups will take that bass a long way. If you want a bass that you don't want to mod, this PJ is probably the better choice.
This video is great but what we need is a video reviewing your cat(s). Or them reviewing cat food. Some cat content has to happen.
Can you just order straight from Thomas? I guess I always assumed there would be a significant import tax/duty put on that.
which is the best harley benton bass?
I'm mildly annoyed that it's called the "Gotoh" and has a Sung Il bridge and not a Gotoh bridge to match the Gotoh tuners on a bass called Gotoh. Sung Il is fine and all, but gott dang. 😅
A high mass gotoh bridge is a $50 upgrade. I have their 50's P bass and thats the only upgrade i did as i couldnt intonate it if my life depended on it.
this one vs jp-44op?
How about swapping out the Jazz p/up, Mr L?
Not sure when you made this video but as of 10:23 on 5-15,2023 the price is now $211.00 USD.
Wheight?
Anybody know which is the bass on the closing frame of the video? 22:35
Status Electro II Fretless, an incredible instrument. Nails the upright tone.
It's a Status,.who sadly no longer build basses.
People can be snobby about pick playing, but when you hear a P-Bass pick tone like that, it’s hard not to appreciate. Lobster was certainly enjoying it 😁
Double-P all day, though. Double reverse P, even better
Thanks Martin! I reaaaaallly appreciate the picked P tone on this one. Even when I was editing I made a stank face
@@LowEndLobster Lol! On the UK rave scene, it’s simply known as ‘Bass Face’
I am kicking myself I didn't get the MV-4J.
man this looks like a Sire
In this price range, i'd rather buy the Squier Mini P Bass.
+ 70€ cheaper
+ short scale
+ only one pickup (less is more)
"If this was just a straight up P-Bass" - guess what they just released ;)
#124🇺🇸✡️✝️
Wanna sell that bass
it's looong gone
@@LowEndLobster darn
that 38mm nut completely turned me down from buying thats so sad