AY
Very nice but lacking in QC
I'll jump straight to the point.
The bass is a very nice sounding PJ, with a quite good low B, especially considering the price. However, in my case, the bass came with uneven frets, needed a shim and the nut was high. There was also a bent potentiometer but that was fixed easily.
Fit and finish were beautiful. Apart from a couple of very, VERY minor spots which would be someone being nitpicky, the bass is perfect in that regard. No paint/clear runs, no uneven surfaces, the back of the neck is finished beautifully, all in all, great.
The sound is also one of its very good qualities. The Roswell pickups on this will not need an upgrade. They are classic examples of alnico pickups, perhaps a tad on the hot side but nothing excessive. Sweet sounding and perfectly balanced, without sanding harsh in any setting.
Now the setup and quality control on that regard, which should be the most important -playability- was very, VERY poor.
First off was the need for a shim. The saddles couldn't get low enough to accomodate even medium action. And it needed a relatively substantial shim, too.
Next up was the frets, which was the worst part. The neck was thankfully not warped but, looking at the frets, you'd think it was! This was unacceptable in what's supposed to be on the more upscale PJ model. Even after the shim, you'd get buzzing all over and especially on the higher part of the neck, since the last few frets were incredibly high.
Sadly, it needed leveling and crowning since this wasn't a case of a couple of frets just popping up.
Really, REALLY BAD quality control on this one.
Other than that, the nut was also cut very high and the slots were apparently cut for lower gauge strings, too. It wasn't terrible but it needed filing to be set up correctly.
Thomann of course offers a no-hassle refund but at that point, I did the work myself.
Now, AFTER shimming, nut filing and doing fretwork, I must admit it plays beautifully but you can't expect everyone to be able to do their own fretjob.
I must also mention that it's quite light for a PJ fiver. At just shy of 4kg, it's just nice, especially compared to a lot of heavy Sires, for example.
Would I recommend this one? Yes. It's a nice sounding and nice playing bass. If you can do the work yourself, moreso. Still, even if you can't, If you get a lemon, Thomann will replace it and it's still a very nice bass. Not just for the money, either. A nice bass, period.
The bass is a very nice sounding PJ, with a quite good low B, especially considering the price. However, in my case, the bass came with uneven frets, needed a shim and the nut was high. There was also a bent potentiometer but that was fixed easily.
Fit and finish were beautiful. Apart from a couple of very, VERY minor spots which would be someone being nitpicky, the bass is perfect in that regard. No paint/clear runs, no uneven surfaces, the back of the neck is finished beautifully, all in all, great.
The sound is also one of its very good qualities. The Roswell pickups on this will not need an upgrade. They are classic examples of alnico pickups, perhaps a tad on the hot side but nothing excessive. Sweet sounding and perfectly balanced, without sanding harsh in any setting.
Now the setup and quality control on that regard, which should be the most important -playability- was very, VERY poor.
First off was the need for a shim. The saddles couldn't get low enough to accomodate even medium action. And it needed a relatively substantial shim, too.
Next up was the frets, which was the worst part. The neck was thankfully not warped but, looking at the frets, you'd think it was! This was unacceptable in what's supposed to be on the more upscale PJ model. Even after the shim, you'd get buzzing all over and especially on the higher part of the neck, since the last few frets were incredibly high.
Sadly, it needed leveling and crowning since this wasn't a case of a couple of frets just popping up.
Really, REALLY BAD quality control on this one.
Other than that, the nut was also cut very high and the slots were apparently cut for lower gauge strings, too. It wasn't terrible but it needed filing to be set up correctly.
Thomann of course offers a no-hassle refund but at that point, I did the work myself.
Now, AFTER shimming, nut filing and doing fretwork, I must admit it plays beautifully but you can't expect everyone to be able to do their own fretjob.
I must also mention that it's quite light for a PJ fiver. At just shy of 4kg, it's just nice, especially compared to a lot of heavy Sires, for example.
Would I recommend this one? Yes. It's a nice sounding and nice playing bass. If you can do the work yourself, moreso. Still, even if you can't, If you get a lemon, Thomann will replace it and it's still a very nice bass. Not just for the money, either. A nice bass, period.
9
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Sb
Satisfied
I really appreciate the fast delivery to the U.S.
Pros: Great price! Mines look like it came with a roasted maple neck, Beautiful finish, Great sounding pickups (wish they were noiseless), Brass saddles, Good tuners (not great), Snappy strings and an Excellent feel!
Cons: Sharp fret edges, Looks like a plastic nut (not bone) and a couple of Pickup screws were slightly bent (comes from using a power tool and not a screwdriver by hand). Tone pot was crackling after about a year.
Overall 3.5/5, I am satisfied with this purchase and will be ordering another bass. This bass is also an excellent MOD platform.
Appreciate it mate!
Pros: Great price! Mines look like it came with a roasted maple neck, Beautiful finish, Great sounding pickups (wish they were noiseless), Brass saddles, Good tuners (not great), Snappy strings and an Excellent feel!
Cons: Sharp fret edges, Looks like a plastic nut (not bone) and a couple of Pickup screws were slightly bent (comes from using a power tool and not a screwdriver by hand). Tone pot was crackling after about a year.
Overall 3.5/5, I am satisfied with this purchase and will be ordering another bass. This bass is also an excellent MOD platform.
Appreciate it mate!
1
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B
Very Good for the price
Very nice Bass for beginners, very playable right out of the box, weight is nice and light, looks incredible and if necessary, very easy to mod/upgrade with better pickups or maybe even a better bridge. No real complaints.
0
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d
Not great out of the box, but a fantastic platform for modding.
5 String PJ basses are hard to come by, as such I was drawn to this instrument.
Out of the box, the fit and finish I couldn't fault. However, there was some serious fret buzz on a fair few frets from 10 and above. This was down to uneven frets and I needed to seriously level the frets. Having done this, it now plays with a very low action and feels lovely.
The pickups are mixed. The P pickup is pretty decent. The J pickup to me sounds horrible, and mixing it into the P just didn't work. That may be personal taste.
I've since replaced the pickups, bridge and machine heads and this is now one of my favourite basses.
If it had arrived not needing a fret dress, I'd say it's entirely worth the money. Perhaps I got a bad one.
Out of the box, the fit and finish I couldn't fault. However, there was some serious fret buzz on a fair few frets from 10 and above. This was down to uneven frets and I needed to seriously level the frets. Having done this, it now plays with a very low action and feels lovely.
The pickups are mixed. The P pickup is pretty decent. The J pickup to me sounds horrible, and mixing it into the P just didn't work. That may be personal taste.
I've since replaced the pickups, bridge and machine heads and this is now one of my favourite basses.
If it had arrived not needing a fret dress, I'd say it's entirely worth the money. Perhaps I got a bad one.
0
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AB
value for money, poor strings, poor quality of the wood of the neck.
I was looking for a p-passive 5 strings bass and I got this one. The neck is D-Shape, comfortable at playing, but the wood of which the neck is made is 2nd choice material, full of wooden knots and not regular as it should be for a mid-high level of instrument of the Harley Benton line (the most expensive 5 strings HB bass costs 330 euros).
The bolt of the jack plug was too much tightened, so it ruined the area around it.
The pick-ups are silent, and this is a good new: no hum or noise. Anyway they needed an accurate setup, because they came with the screws all lifted up. For an instrument of about 200 euros something more accurate could be expected, even if not the top of the factory adjustment.
The sound is quite good, but only after having changed the strings (35 euros), having redone the setup, and having adjusted the distance of the pickups from the strings. I would have liked more care in the setup before the delivery.
The bolt of the jack plug was too much tightened, so it ruined the area around it.
The pick-ups are silent, and this is a good new: no hum or noise. Anyway they needed an accurate setup, because they came with the screws all lifted up. For an instrument of about 200 euros something more accurate could be expected, even if not the top of the factory adjustment.
The sound is quite good, but only after having changed the strings (35 euros), having redone the setup, and having adjusted the distance of the pickups from the strings. I would have liked more care in the setup before the delivery.
3
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