Harley Benton Bass Guitar Kit J-Style

This is a very good kit to work with and with a bit of effort, will result in a very usable bass guitar.

I've built HB kits before so I knew what to expect. True to form, it was well packaged, delivered very efficiently, and everything was there. The components were all wrapped carefully and everything was complete. It's a kit so I knew I'd need to do a reasonable amount of work on it. You could just build it as is but you get a better result with some effort.

The body was fairly well finished but there were some rough patches and a couple of marks from the sanding so it was sensible to sand it down to 400. Although it didn't need a primer, I applied one anyway because I was going to give it a gloss acrylic finish. After the initial cleaning up and painting the body I checked the neck. Very straight, frets perfect and there were no rough edges. It would have been fine to use straight out of the box but I shaped the headstock and then prepared and painted the neck too - don't forget to mask the fingerboard :) .

Once painted, I assembled the whole thing in about an hour but there were some little irritations on the way. The plastic plate was not cut accurately to fit the neck and needed a fair bit removing with a Dremel. Not difficult but surely it could have been cut accurately in advance. The screw holes for the plate were positioned accurately though they were drilled a little deep so the screws were loose once inserted. I just dipped the ends in wood filler and they settled in fine. These are very trivial irritations.

The bridge was positioned perfectly and once the strings were on I set it up. The truss rod needed only a quarter turn to set the action though getting the action right at the bridge meant the bridge was lowered virtually to the plate. That tells me that I'd have to put a shim under the neck to recover the adjustability. Something the width of a credit card will do the trick. It's not a deficiency of the kit, simply something we need to recognise and deal with for all bolt-on necks. A note in the construction booklet in future might be useful for others.

The pickups and controls were easy to install and everything works fine, both pickups giving a good signal and the tone control has a reasonable range. The downside is that these are cheap pickups and seem quite noisy. Given that the pickup and control cavities are not screened from EMI and since they are both single coil, noise is inevitable. I decided to disassemble the bass, put a shim under the neck join, and replace the pickups with Fender Jazz Bass pickups (from here) and also to line and earth all the cavities with copper tape which should all but eliminate noise. The strings provided are fine but I'm putting flats on for even less string noise.

First time round it played very well and comfortably and there's a good balance between neck and body. Even with the stock pickups, there's a good range of sounds available and it records well straight into a USB mixer. I'm playing mostly jazz and not gigging with it but even through a standard guitar amp, this gives plenty of rich bass tones. Once it has the Fender pickups in it, it'll sound even better.

As with every kit, you'll have to do some work but with a bit of patience and a modicum of skill, this kit gives you a very nice jazz bass at very low cost. Recommended.

This was the first time I'd attempted to build an instrument from a kit.
I've been a guitar player for over 40 years, and wanted a bass for home recording, but also for a bit of a 'do it yourself' challenge.
I downloaded a template for the headstock from the web, cut out the shape with a coping saw, used a file and emery cloth to smooth it off.
Lacquered it with some automotive acrylic lacquer I had lying around and treated the fingerboard to lashings of lemon oil. Some spikey fret ends were smoothed with a small file and polished with emery cloth.
The body was a disappointment, being of two distinct colours of wood, so had to be painted. I chose gold to go with the tortoiseshell pickguard I'd ordered with the kit. It was only after applying the paint that I realised I'd misread the instructions.
The body needs grain sealer and primer before painting. I'd recommend this be stated clearly in the instructions if possible. I didn't do this, and consequently the woodgrain soaked up loads of paint and is still visible after many coats. Be warned, future buyers!
I lined the cavities with copper foil for shielding, then the whole thing went together like a dream, and I set it up for neck relief, intonation and action as per online recommendations.
Here's the best part. The sound is fantastic and very like the genuine article; so much so that the bass player in my band wants me to build him one. It'll be ordered today.
A few little niggles, but the end result is great.

A good kit to approch the art of guitar/bass building.
The wood of the body has a weird grain so a natural finish is not the best option, I finish mine in fiesta red nitro and the result is stunning. Body needs to be carefully sanded on some spots that are rough to grant a good final result.
The neck is quite good, I did a level-recrown-polish job to the frets as I did with all the low cost instruments, fretboard with a good soak of wood oil (I use the red one but there's plenty of choices) reveals a beautyful dark tone.
I can't judge the stock PU because I changed it with a pair of Di Marzio's DP123, electronic is the standard chinese stuff you find in low cost intruments, it works, for sure can be upgraded with quality part for a few bucks if you want.
Assembly is easy, the coupling neck-body is tight.
With a quick set up the finished bass is a good, playable instrument, soundwise my rating is influenced by the fact that I installed PUs that costs more than the kit but even with the standard ones you'll have a light bass with a confortable neck with no dead spots that you can think to upgrades later

I recently had the pleasure of assembling and playing the Harley Benton Bass J-Style DIY Kit, and I must say, it exceeded my expectations in every way. As a budget-friendly option, the kit offers insane quality for the price, making it an excellent choice for those curious about DIY projects.

The build process was straightforward and incredibly enjoyable. The kit comes with clear and concise instructions, making it accessible for those new to DIY instrument projects. The provided components are of impressive quality, and everything fits together seamlessly. The body and neck materials are sturdy, and the precision in the pre-cut parts ensures a hassle-free assembly. The body is ready for painting which comes out pretty good even with a spray can.

What truly sets the Harley Benton Bass J-Style DIY Kit apart is its surprising tonal capabilities. Once assembled, the bass delivers a rich and versatile sound that is, again surprisingly, impressive for rock, punk, and metal. The pickups provide a well-defined and punchy tone, with a surprising amount of clarity in the midrange and a robust low end. Whether you're laying down a funky bassline, rocking out with power chords, or diving into metal riffs, this bass handles it all with ease.

Considering the affordability of this DIY kit, it's a fantastic option for musicians on a budget or those looking to add a unique touch to their collection without breaking the bank. The Harley Benton Bass J-Style DIY Kit combines value, quality, and tonal versatility in a way that is hard to beat. I highly recommend it to anyone in search of an affordable yet high-quality DIY bass experience.

What a neat product!

Everything is smartly packaged for maximum efficiency and protection during shipping from overseas.

This is a great project to share with kids as they can help separate things out of the various boxes and bags. If they aren't comfortable with the assembly items, then they can still benefit from being involved with handing you parts and tools.

All the hardware and electronics are an incredible value. The fact that it comes with a body and a neck just adds to the package. Tuners are smooth, no burrs or scratches on the plated parts. Wood body can use some sanding due to the body contour being a little disjointed from the radius to the top/side and bottom/side. Looks like the radius tooling could have used another 0.5mm down during manufacturing. It'll come right out with prep sanding for finishing.

This is really fun. Now I'm looking into what kind of spray equipment I'll need to put down a very bling-y flake paint job for the body and headstock.

I will pickup a few more for various ideas for stage instruments. I'd love to do a body covered in stickers and cleared. Do one with a wrap, etc.

Super approachable for the kind of person that loves to window shop on Warmoth and Allparts. No stress in doing things like fret level and filing or other amateur luthier projects!

Body:
-The body needed a lot of sanding and putty before I could paint it.
-The wood is also really soft and light. This means it dents easily and the bass has quite a lot of neck dive.
-The predrilled holles were drilled in the correct position but the holes for the strap buttons were too big for the screws so I had to use bigger screws.
Neck:
-The neck was finished well. The fretboard needed a bit of cleaning
-The frets were 100% perfectly level and perfectly crowned, the did however need polishing and the fret ends needed rounding (they were not sharp but I prefer rounded fret edges).
-The nut was cut correctly.
-The neck fitted very tight in the neck pocket.
Hardware:
-All the hardware works, the tuners aren't super smooth but they do the job.
-I can't comment much on the sound of the pickups because I'm new to bass guitar. I don't know how they should sound. But I think they sound just fine.
Conclusion
I give this bass a 7/10
It is a perfectly functional and good looking bass but it has neckdive and the body dents easily. I also needed some different screws than they provided to assemble the strap buttons.

I gave this four stars because it really is a great piece of kit.

I was surprised at the overall quality, let me make that clear.
The neck has a thin coating over it from the getgo, and as such I had to do no extra work to get a satisfying satin finish.
The machineheads do their job, and the neck fit perfectly (a REALLY important detail that easily gets overlooked by other kit vendors).

As this is modelled after a fender jazz bass, you should be wary that the neck is on the chunkier side in comparison to a traditional jazz; of course, as a cheap custom kit, this is by no means a deal breaker.
I can't comment on the stock pickups, but I'd imagine they do their job, they look and feel like the real deal.

I do have two grievances however:
1. The screws were on the cheap side, this is perfectly reasonable given the price, but don't be like me and use a drill for everything - screwdrivers are your friend here.

2. A bigger issue though is that I couldn't quite get rid of all the fret buzz, predominantly on the 9th fret (even with the help of a luthier).
As such I can't recommend it as a perfect kit, but as it is only an acoustic issue (if an issue at all), it doesn't bother me too much.

You really can't go wrong starting off with this kit, it won't be a "dream" guitar, but it's miles away from being something unplayable.
And given the price, it really is something to admire.
Good job Thomann.

I bought this in December as a project to complete during the lockdown and was not disappointed at the level of quality.

I've had no previous experience playing bass or guitar of any kind as I am predominantly a Saxophone player. Never the less the experience of assembling, finishing and learning to play the bass was extremely enjoyable.

Pros:
-Pre made high quality parts
-Very easy to follow instructions (in both English and German, nice touch)
-Thorough guide on how to finish the bass to your own style without damaging the kit

Cons:
- one of the pre drilled holes for the screws in the head of the bass was a little too small but was easily rectified by slowly tweaking the screw in and out before fitting the tuning pin

This bass is not intended as a professional grade instrument but with care and attention could quite easily get there. The 'modular' aspect of the kit makes it more than easy to upgrade any parts you wish to in the future. I would definitely recommend the kit to anyone who wants to have fun building their own instrument or a high quality starter kit to upgrade and tweak.