p
Great Instrument
Lovely instrument and well set up out of the box. I have added some shielding to get rid of some hums, apart from that it didn't need anything. Action and Relief were good. I'll probably change the strings soon, and might play with the capacitor value on the tone control.... at the price of this bass I can comfortably take it apart and play around without fear! Great buy.
Edit: I have had it a few weeks now. After sorting out the shielding issues (copper tape in the cavity and nail varnish on the pickup poles) I noticed that one of the pickups was microphonic: when I tapped the pickup housing I could hear the tapping through the amp. Pup probably needs re-potted. I swapped the pickups for some cheap Chinese ones and that fixed the problem. Put on some Daddario EXL220S strings when I put it back together. All sounds great. And I'm enjoying learning about the inner workings of a bass!
Edit: I have had it a few weeks now. After sorting out the shielding issues (copper tape in the cavity and nail varnish on the pickup poles) I noticed that one of the pickups was microphonic: when I tapped the pickup housing I could hear the tapping through the amp. Pup probably needs re-potted. I swapped the pickups for some cheap Chinese ones and that fixed the problem. Put on some Daddario EXL220S strings when I put it back together. All sounds great. And I'm enjoying learning about the inner workings of a bass!
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B
Shorty Bass
I love it, I usually play guitar and I own a bass but I get along with this shorty so much better, purely because of its size. It feels more like a standard electric guitar and I find it more practical so have it at hand to pick up and play whenever I please. 👍✌😀
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t
Crazily priced!
For what you're paying you're getting an extremely nice starter bass that you'd most likely pay around ?200+ for in another music shop.
The neck on my one is flawless and very playable, the finishing on the fretboard and frets is also excellent. The tuning heads are of a decent quality and I can't tell yet whether I'll have to put something like a set of Schaller's on it.
The body of the bass is beautifully finished and extremely light. As for the pickup and electronics, they're functional. Obviously it's not going to sound like a thousand euro bass, but for the price you pay you're really getting a lot for under ?80.
I plan on replacing the pickup with a Seymour Duncan P-Bass pickup, but for the absolute beginner there's not a thing wrong with the stock pickup and the shielding appears excellent.
In short, if you have a measly ?79 in your account and were thinking of giving the bass a try then spend it on this before you waste your money on something that won't last a 1/100th of the time that this bass will last you.
The neck on my one is flawless and very playable, the finishing on the fretboard and frets is also excellent. The tuning heads are of a decent quality and I can't tell yet whether I'll have to put something like a set of Schaller's on it.
The body of the bass is beautifully finished and extremely light. As for the pickup and electronics, they're functional. Obviously it's not going to sound like a thousand euro bass, but for the price you pay you're really getting a lot for under ?80.
I plan on replacing the pickup with a Seymour Duncan P-Bass pickup, but for the absolute beginner there's not a thing wrong with the stock pickup and the shielding appears excellent.
In short, if you have a measly ?79 in your account and were thinking of giving the bass a try then spend it on this before you waste your money on something that won't last a 1/100th of the time that this bass will last you.
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T
Absolute bargain!
Got this for my son to start learning the bass.
Great bass, amazing build quality and good output from the pickups (considering the cheap electronics).
Hardware is acceptable, but what is not is the strings. I would prefer the instrument to cost 10 pounds more than to have a string break due to mild slapping two weeks later.
All in all, an amazing bass for 90 pounds, should you include the 20 pounds spent on strings.
Great bass, amazing build quality and good output from the pickups (considering the cheap electronics).
Hardware is acceptable, but what is not is the strings. I would prefer the instrument to cost 10 pounds more than to have a string break due to mild slapping two weeks later.
All in all, an amazing bass for 90 pounds, should you include the 20 pounds spent on strings.
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RB
The neck weight more than the body. Well, it does feel totally unbalanced. I suggest this one if you play while sitting. Other than that, the sound is ok. Let's say, you want to get a bass sound, there you have it! But do not expect any miracle buying it. Still! You can get the enjoyment you want from having at least a bass in your hand. Best if you have not yet played on other basses before.
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A
The real deal for younger players
This is awesome instrument and great for a 9 year old who is starting to learn the bass. Having a small left-handed instrument is brilliant for young players and the shorter neck is essential for a child learning bass. Well designed and high quality construction which looks good and is comfortable to play. The only thing that would improve this is the weight as it's a little heavy for a child to play for a long time.
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A'
Surprisingly good!
I've played 6 string guitars for so long that I find the fret spacing on a regular bass to be very unnatural and tough to play. So I went for this short scale option & it's a real fun instrument. I look like a giant playing a child's toy, but who cares :-)
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C
Incredible quality and performance
A big surprise, a very good product, this bass is at a good level, easy to manage, easy to touch, great sound.
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W
A lefty short scale bass for the people
What is so good about these low cost Harley Benton B&W lefty guitars is that fresh out of the box with a minimal setup, they make for a great first instrument. All the hardware and electronics are fit for purpose and fully durable. What really shines is the sheer quality of the necks - fine grained wood and excellent fretwork. As a newcomer to playing bass, I had decided beforehand that my HB PB-20 Shorty was to be converted into a keeper I could bond with. I fitted brass saddles and a custom made brass top nut, good quality flat wound strings and a set of top quality pickups. After a proper setup, I now have a wonderful sounding precision bass style guitar that is a pleasure to play. Either way, it was a bargain out the box, and a bargain after my upgrade. I would have to pay a lot more money for an instrument in anyway better than what I now have. I would recommend the HB PB-20 Shorty bass to anyone - regardless of their ability or musical intentions.
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PK
stunning!
For its price a very well made and great sounding budget guitar suitable for younger and more seasoned players. highly recomended!
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