Harley Benton PB-50 FR Vintage Series

I ordered this single-coil version to start up base riffs to support my guitar playing.

Seeing a few very positive reviews on YouTube triggered me for especially this bass guitar with no difficult settings.

Three days later it was delivered to my home packed in a very big box with another box well protected inside of it. No dents, no damages whatsoever, it arrived in perfect condition. Very funny are the UPS notices you get on your mobile phone that your shipment is on its way and what time it will arrive.

Out of the box playability:

After seeing the YouTube review I didn’t expect the budget guitar to come out of the box as perfect as the on the YouTube video, but I was wrong! Perfect smooth satin finish neck, no sharp frets, action height on 3 strings was almost good for my tase, i lifted the saddle of the E-string a bit, which made it almost perfect to start playing right away. There are D’Addario strings on the guitar, unbelievable because these do not come cheap. I wonder how they do it fot this price.

Hardware:

The body is beautfully done with a very thick layer of fiesta red, very thick 1-ply pickguard with a beautful design, the Roswell VTN4 Vista Alnico-5 vintage PB-style house brand single coil pickup is attached directly to the body and magnets lines up perfectly with the strings.
The chrome volume and tone knob feel very convincing and roll smooth, tone pot had to have a little contact spray because I heard a tiny crackle whilst rolling on and off. Now it is absolutely silent in using on amp or headphone. Tuners are vintage but do their job beautifully.

Soundcheck:

First I plugged on a very simple mini guitar amp with a headphone to try various settings.
As I am a guitar player but decades ago started at some point with a very bad bass guitar I quickly stepped up to the plate of playing various riffs I used to know. The sound was nice and round, much better than to expect but please understand I have no comparison here besides electric and acoustic guitars. I became so confident in playing my red rambler after already one day that I ordered a B-stock Hartke bass amp with it at Thomann’s, which came delivered at my front door unbelievably fast, in one day wow!

General impression:

This bass guitar is a jewel to the eye, the neck for this kind of money has been done very very good, even the woodgrain is beautiful on front and back. The hardware is more than sufficient for use and can be upgraded but certainly does not have to right away. I myself am more than content with the Roswell Alnico 5 Vintage single coil pickup, it does not hum or buzz and gives a perfect rumble ramble foundation when the right chords ring out. I for example went straight into Deep Purple, Jimi Hendrix and Funky Town rythms and ended with a very low and deep Reggae riff. The sounds are more versatile as one should think.

My advice:

Go and buy one! Disover the simplicity of bass playing for little gas-money you cannot even spend properly on a trip or dinner in this fast changing world. Pleej dah bees!

Thanks for reading!

Excellent bass for this cost. 💲
I am very pleased with the build quality, it did not cause any complaints. The frets don't stick out, the strings are at an acceptable distance, the bass is well tuned and all this is straight from the factory. This model has very good ergonomics, although the neck does not have a quick game. Well, this is an attempt at the classics.

There are no complaints about the sound either, it sounds a little better than its cost, for the first bass this is a very good option. There is an opinion that with other pickups, it sounds even better, so we will add customization to the advantages.

Of the small drawbacks, it is not very convenient to put your finger on the pickup because of its shape, but there is a stand in the kit that can be screwed on. And near the pickup itself, I can see the wiring.
The cutout for the belly is very comfortable, but was it classical bass?

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Отличный бас за эту стоимость. 💲
Очень доволен качеством сборки, оно не вызвало нареканий. Не торчат лады, струны на приемлемом расстоянии, бас хорошо отстроен и все это прямо с завода. У данной модели очень хорошая эргономика, хотя гриф не располагает к быстрой игре. Ну это же попытка в классику.

По звуку тоже нареканий нет, он звучит чуть лучше своей стоимости, для первого баса это очень хороший вариант. Есть мнение что при других, звукоснимателях он звучит еще лучше так что к плюсам добавим кастомизацию.

Из маленьких недостатков, не очень удобно ставить палец на звукосниматель из-за его формы, но в комплекте есть подставочка, которую можно прикрутить. И возле самого звукоснимателя у меня виднеются проводки.
Вырез для живота очень удобен, но разве он был классических басах?

I've been playing bass for almost 40 years and have played a lot of different basses, high-end included, in my working bands. I bought this bass to use as part of my Dusty Hill costume at our Halloween gig. Originally I planned to use it for just one set but it played and sounded so great that I ended up using it the whole night. My guitarist, who's very particular about the bass sound, also loved it and recently requested that I bring it to our most recent gig. The finish and general setup was excellent. Once it arrived I did my own final setup and slightly modified the electronics to match the 1956 Fender P-bass this is modeled after (very minor changes, I think it was moving 2 wires and replacing the cap). For the price I paid I can't believe I got a bass that plays and sounds like this! It's not as easy to get a terrible instrument anymore like it was in the 60s and 70s (and most of the 80s) but this is just an incredible deal! I've never been a fan of Precision basses in general but I've always had a soft spot for the '50s style models. This one is definitely going to be a keeper!

This instrument is arguably the best bass at its price point. The price is unreal considering its sound/tone quality. I have used American and Japanese Fenders (which are 6 to 10 times more expensive). If Fender were to assemble a bass or something close to this price range, the PB-50 would still beat them hands down. Give Fender 100 euro and make them produce a bass with this amount. I'm sure they would be scratching their heads and struggle to rival this Harley Benton bass. What else can I say?

PROS: 1. undeniably the legendary p-bass tone/sound; 2. not heavy; 3. very nice aesthetics; 4. unjustifiably and insanely cheap for the sound you get; 5. the Roswell pickup is thunderous!

CONS...?: 1. chunky neck others say, but I don't really mind. If you are a precision bass user, it shouldn't be a big of a deal; 2. I hope Thomann could "soon" come up with the classic natural blonde or ash colour version and/or lighter body shades. (Just some unsolicited advice...guys this would boost your sales big time.)

Overall, this bass is a revelation, one huge surprise!

Someone recommended me this bass. I didn't realize instruments for this price could be this good.

Went for it. I love the popping color of this.
I was instantly loving the sound.
I'm giving the features 5 stars because I was looking for something basic.
It is surprisingly versatile because of the responsive tone knob.
All the way up there's a lot of detail and character in the sound that responds well to different styles of playing. From an Entwistle/Chris Squire kind of growl to warm Jamerson-like soul grooves.

It plays well. It was set up properly. It's even in sound mostly, but not as much on the E string. I would like a bit more string tension there as it can get a bit loose and buzzy, but nothing bothersome with the right technique. I might be able to fix that later with some adjustments to the setup.

All in all a fantastic bass that I already love.
Especially the sound character and responsiveness still surprise me every day.

I've been playing since 1970 and have acquired enough skill to setup my own guitars and evaluate them objectively. I ordered the PB-50 because I wanted a 2nd bass in my home studio strung with roundwounds (already have a Jazz bass with flats). For the price I just couldn't resist, even with a substantial cost of shipping.

The service from thomann was top notch. Quick response and unbelievable shipping considering I'm in the US. Packaging was perfect and no shipping damage.

The good: Finish came flawless. Fiesta Red can be a tricky color and this one lacks a little of that tomato soup hue, but no matter. I can't fault the paint. All hardware fastened well and not as "cheap" as I would've expected. Pots are smooth and noise free. I have no comparison of the single coil Roswell pickup since I've never owned a vintage style P bass but can honestly say this is the most surprising thing about this bass. Sound is significantly louder than my Duncan Apollo pickups in my Jazz Bass, clean and articulate. As an enthusiastic pickup swapper I don't see a need to do anything with this one. The bass is light by comparison to my Fender Jazz bass.

The neck is an unextraordinary piece of lumber. Rough and unfinished looking. Mine has a 1 inch knotty streak on the treble side of the 8th fret. The profile is substantial which I like (hate skinny necks). The strings were misaligned because the nut was never glued in and slid toward the bass side. I had to substantially tweak the trussrod into compliance and there was a considerable amount of fret spout. All frets appear to be seated well but needed a bit of cosmetic attention.

After filing back and rounding the fret ends, adjusting the truss rod, intonation (not bad), action (pretty close) and aligning/gluing the nut I did some cosmetic work. I micromeshed the back of the neck to get some shine. Honestly I wasn't even sure if there was a finish on the neck but it did come out to a nice semi-gloss.

After all these adjustments I have the instrument I was expecting. I find it incredible that this guitar could be manufactured and sold at such a cost, even needing so much attention. I would put some Thomastik-Infeld strings on this bass but they cost more than the guitar, lol.

My lesson is this: do not expect this instrument (or any for that matter) to arrive in plug and play condition. The reviewers that state such things are either lying, complacent with iffy workmanship or extremely fortunate. I'm glad I possess enough ability to make this instrument into a decent player. And again, the pickup; wow.

I bought this bass 2 months ago after reading all the fuzz about it, and it delivers!

Pros:
- The neck: In my opinion the biggest asset of this bass. The chunky (baseball!) neck is a joy to play, no fretting issues at all.
- No need to set up or replace anything, even the strings: I just tuned it and was ready to go
- Look, the fiesta red colour is very nice, hopefully it will age well
- Sound. The Roswell pick-up works perfect for home practice and small gigs.
- Price! 109 euros this is amazing.

Cons:
Some minor issues here and there: a pickguard screw was loose, the pickguard and hardware look cheap (from close only), the paint job on the side of the neck for the dots marking is not immaculate and the tuners probably won't last forever but they do work, so no hurry for an upgrade.

I recommend this PB50 Harley Benton bass to all players, not only beginners.

... got the best value bass on the market. period. The finish is near flawless, in a beautiful fiesta red. the roswell pickups are truly special, seriously. i did not expect such an enormous sound from such a cheap bass.

The neck is a nice chunky p bass, fairly typical, with a matt finish. there were no bad frets, no raised frets, no unfinished fret ends. equally on a par with much more expensive basses i have.

i bought this bass out of curiosity, to see how good a bass can be for so little money. it was my first harley benton. I really do not think it will be my last. and that pickup? just amazing.

now all i need is a lake placid blue copy...