Harley Benton HBZ-2004 Deluxe Series

OK to start off, i want to say that i wish more than anything else that i could give the instrument a perfect 5/5 in all categories. However, there are some problems that need to be adressed.
Good things first (and they are plenty). This bass looks AMAZING! I love the natural finish, the inlays are a nice change to your classic white inlays. It really is a beautiful bass and it is just so inspiring to pick up and play, and for me that is always the most important.
Sound wise i think it really delivers. Great tone and sustain. I think it can go against competition from higher price ranges with ease.
Combine those with the active electronics and neckthrough construction and you get a solid instrument capable of much more than being a stepping stone for begginers. I would easily take it to a gig, without second thought.
Having said all that, mine came with quite a few toolmarks and scratches. on the fretboard, on the neck and on the body. particularly 2 of the scratches are somewhat large and noticeable, and i am a bit worried that they ll grow with temperature/humidity change. I dont care about the visuals in that aspect, so i dont mind them now, i just dont want to think that i might need to spend more money on a new instrument.
Lastly, the ceramic pickups do absolutely fine, but perhaps for next generation Thomann could go for an eponymous brand and that would lead the already amazing sound that the HBZ-2004 has to skyhigh levels.
No matter what, we can be thankful that we can have instruments so good at such a great price! Thanks Thomann and Harley Benton

Im a guitarist for 30 years but this is also the 4th bass I've owned in that time. I've played bass in a few bands and now I've settled down in a new country, I'm building my gear back up and wanted to buy a bass again. I've been playing this via amp, DI into DAW, rehearsal rooms and live over PA. I'm reviewing this bass according to its price and therefore expectations at that point.

Firstly this guitar looks great but thats obvious in the photos.

The build, while structurally solid has a few very minor cosmetic flaws in the finish but you really need to look to see them. a small tool burn when routing the top horn, it could be sanded out easily as there is zero lacquer finish but I wont bother with that, maybe one day if Im bored. The back plate doesnt quite fit the hole at one corner, its short by about 5mm but it is completely shielded inside, I may make my own wooden backplate to match the guitar. The inlays on the fretboard arent perfect when you look up close. Nothing major!



It plays very well, after an adjustment of the truss and bridge, the action is low, no buzz, the neck is slim and thin. The frets stop about half a mil before the end of the fretboard and are clean and smooth.

Sound is very versatile, having the active controls is extremely useful when you want to ease or apply more treble/bass depending on style. The tone between the two pickups is matched well. There is a small notch you can feel when the pickup and bass/treble pots are in the center positions.

The only con I can find with the bass is that I have nowhere suitable for me to rest my thumb when playing as the pickups come quite high outside the string width so I may add a wooden thumb rest if I cant get used to it.

I've been playing other low cost / big brand basses since I got this and this HBZ just feels far superior in every way.

Active, through neck with this versatility, playability and looks at this price is a strong 5/5. Even at twice the price id give it a 5/5. three times the price id expect the minor flaws to not be there and then give it 5/5.

The HB bass is Thomanns's own brand. How they make a thru neck for this price is beyond me. It is well built and rugged and surprisingly light but not in a detrimental way. The finish is great and the matt look on this will appeal to anyone who likes a natural look rather than a high gloss finish. The finish isn't perfect, with one or two minor imperfections, mine has a small crack near the battery compartment but you really have to look to see it, but you can't expect perfection on an instrument this good for this amount of money.

It plays well and was we'll set up on arrival. I've just changed the strings to flat wounds and the small alterations i had to make to the bridge were quick and easy. It has 24 frets, great intonation and keeps tuned well. The action is great and the frets sit nicely with no problems. The socket clicks a jack into place firmly and will ideally suit a right-angle plug. The 9v battery compartment is well designed and the tuners move without effort. The simplicity of the bridge makes adjusting it really easy although I didn't need to until I changed strings. It looks beautiful, is well made and the centre-notched treble, bass and pickup mix controls, along with the volume, have a great feel. The pickups are powerful and sound great with only minor EQ adjustments needed.

It comes shipped with the Allen keys for the bridge and neck and fitted with D'Addario roundwounds.

A great all round bass with a jazzy feel. You won't find better in this price range.

Overall this bass is good for anyone looking for an affordable bass and it’s a perfectly decent instrument however other budget brands offer better quality control for the same price. The one piece neck feels great and the fretwork is excellent. The electronics are also surprisingly decent for the price point. This bass looks and plays great and the set up on it was also excellent out of the box and the bass played great out of the box which was nice and surprising. At $366 CAD the price is appealing at first glance. The quality of the wood is also very good for the low price. I definetely dig the ovankol body and the neck is really nice and I LOVE the walnut fretboard. The bass is perfectly weighted and is super comfortable to play and the playing feel is good. Not gonna trade my custom shops in for this thing but again playability is honestly excellent overall.

I own several basses ranging from Fender Custom Shop Jazz basses to an entry level Sterling Ray4’s and Squiers. I have to say apples for apples that the quality of the hardware on the Ray4 and Squiers is superior. The end of the bridge on the HBZ-2004 I bought is so sharp i literally cut myself on it and the tuners are definitely lower grade and have a weird play in them that make tunning this bass a pain. Again, you don’t expect top shelf hardware at this price point however other budget brands deliver better hardware at the same price. Some brass is visible through the black finish and the finish on the black bridge is flaking in some spots and the serial number is literally a sticker. The hardware definetely feels cheaper and overall the build quality overall feels a bit less refined than the Sterling Ray4. After factoring in shipping and customs duties, the price point difference is a moot point as I paid the same for my Sterling from long and mcquade as I did for my HBZ-2004.

As expected on an instrument in this price range there are some small QA issues that are not present on the Ray4 ans Squier jazz i own . The bass I got came with a small crack on the fretboard from when the nut was installed at the factory. Not a big deal however again the attention to detail on the Ray4 is noticeably better for the same price. Thomann has a good return policy and great customer service but if you’re outside of Europe returning/buying a HB is more complicated than going to your local Long and McQuade to find a good Squier, Epiphone, Ibanez or Sterling. Don’t get me wrong, these brands have their QA issues as well however it is easier to deal with returns for the other brands and you can have the opportunity to try before you buy and overall it feels like QA is still a bit better with the other budget builders. Not a huge difference but enough for me to say I’d feel more inclined buying a Squier or Sterling sight unseen over getting another Harley Benton.

Also the packing of these is absolutely atrocious. It came packed in a super cheap box that offered no protection. There was no bubble wrap or anything and many buyers have complained about broken guitars. My Sterling came in a factory box that could survive shipping. With the packaging on thiese it’s a wonder that it made to Canada intact.

If you want a unique bass for a cheap price as a mod platform, the HBZ-2004 is a great buy. As a beginner bass, shop around as you can likely find better for the price. d’accord comment tu vas faire hier