I'm looking for a short scale bass and this has entered my radar. If the only real negatives are the set-up and intonation then I will take that. Any bass sent directly to me from the factory will always go to my tech to have a full set-up. I never expect a bass to be perfect out the box, regardless of the price. Great review.
Great review, as usual 🤗 I already own and am very happy with the first generation with Labella Flats on it, would you advise me to keep it or change for this one? Thanks
Thanks for watching! I’ve recorded both gens. I would keep the 1st gen! Put in a dual volume pot or a pickup selector switch if you need to. Could get the 2nd gen for different strings (eg rounds) for more tonal options, but I personally liked the 1st gen better.
First of all, thank you for this review and your valuable inputs for the short-scale community and my apologies for what may be a pretty long comment. I purchased this exact same bass in this exact same color as soon as it got out because a) I suspected it would run out of stock rapidly, and it was the case and b) it had everything I wished on a bass in this price range: short scale, PJ pickup configuration, 38mm at the nut and a cool vintage vibe. I have other harley benton instruments and they never disapointed me. I am mainly a guitar player so I wished I could have a short scale bass that would be more manageable for me to play. I never really played a lot of basses in my life, I only have one long scale bass with a two single coil pickup configuration. I felt the need for a split coil pickup to get that classic Precision sound. Having said that, I played that mustang copy for a couple of hours and I took the decision of returning it... Why? Because I couldn't stand the neck dive... I don't know much about basses and I discovered that it is an issue on many basses, long or short scale, but mainly on short scale with traditional designs like this one. I noticed at the beguinning of the video where you put an original fender mustang side by side with it and it appeared to me, let me know if I am wrong, that the fender had a slightly bigger body. Adding it with the chunkiness of the neck it may explain the bad diving. Soundwise, I agree with you about the P pickup, as I said before, I have no experience in playing P basses but I have an ideia of the sound it is supposed to have and didn't found it there. Actually I could easily emulate that sound with my J style bass by maxing the bridge pickup with a bit of the neck! Apart from that I really liked the sound of both pickups on, but I am a freak for that kind of sound.
Thanks for watching and commenting! My Fender’s body is not significantly bigger. The shape is a few mm different here and there presumably to avoid trademark lawsuits, but it’s a pretty close copy. Re neck dive, this is the product of the mustang body design with the super short horn. It would balance better if the horn was closer or past the 12th fret. You’re right that the degree of dive is a ratio of neck and body weight and the Harley neck is chunkier than my Fender, but my fender dives in a similar manner, perhaps not as much, but still does. I’ve gotten used to it, but body shape preferences are like guitar players who either love or hate Les Paul and teles’ lack of an upper horn!
Nice review, one awesome thing about this bass is that just like their PB shorty they actually offer a left handed version so for 10% of people it's infinitely better than any Fender short scale haha :D
Hey Jonathan, thank you for the review. I see you have the annotation saying it's slightly bigger than your fender neck. How does it compare to the classic vibe mustang, not just the neck but in general as I can get one locally for the same price as the mv-4sb. I definitely prefer a slimmer neck and I'm debating cancelling my order of the harley benton and getting either the classic vibe mustang or even something like a sire u5. I borrowed an ibanez recently and really liked that slim neck but couldn't get on with the full scale length.
Thanks for watching! It’s been a while since having a classic vibe mustang in my hands. If I recall correctly, the HB has a bit more of a D shape profile. It’s not a night and day difference but neither are Ibanez-like. If you like the Ibanez neck profile, you might like their medium scale sound gear mezzo bass. Oddly they don’t have a sound gear style 30” scale but they have the Mikro at 28.6”. The 30” scale Talman has a really chunky neck and much bigger body. The classic vibe Squier has a different sound. The stock pickup is quite a bit smaller (sonic footprint) and more narrow sounding. Whether or not you desire a bridge pickup might also factor in. The Sire u5 is a solid bass, but I found the body to be a bit uncomfortable with the absence of a forearm cutaway. It’s more ‘modern’ sounding. Hope this helps!
@@jonathanwong458music thank you very much, it's really helpful and yeah I have been looking at that mezzo, only just noticed your video on it which I'll check out.
Nice job as always. At least the body has comfort cuts. A slab body is one thing I don't like and that bothers me about the Player Mustang as well as the Gretsch Junior Jet. Two shorties I really like otherwise.
Thanks so much for watching and for your encouragement! You're absolutely right about the comfort contours. I made mention of those in my video on the 1st gen. This video on the 2nd gen was getting too long, so that aspect got edited out. I also agree that the Player Mustang's slab body is holding it back. Maybe it's a price-point $ saving strategy? I really like my 1st gen PJ Mustang, but the lack of a forearm contour made longer sessions uncomfortable.
That retail price comes "with a price", sure. Those vendors squeeze the costs at every level, so one has to expect such shortcomings. Unfortunately this can happen the same with a quality brand, too. Purchasing online, without being able to test, has always a bit of a risk. However, I personally find the sound of this bass still pretty decent and versatile. A good choice for a beginner, especially whe they have a buddy at hands, who may help to improve the adjustments. Thank you for your well-made test and overview. Good as always!
Thanks so much for watching and commenting! Most of my purchases these days are indeed, online. I support my local stores as much as I can, but selection doesn't always cater to my needs, unfortunately. The biggest issue with Thomann outside of the EU is the cost of return shipping and taxes/duty reimbursement. It's a hassle and shipping a bass back across the Atlantic from Canada is expensive!
if this had a proper mustang pickup it'd be a no brainer for me! I like PJ configurations but I already love my Mikro :) That said the Mikro doesn't have a typical PJ voicing.
The traditional mustang pickup size and appearance tends to appeal to a narrower audience. I like them, though! They sound different compared to a precision pickup. Would you consider modding and getting or making a custom pickguard to allow for a tradition mustang pickup? Thanks for watching!
@@jonathanwong458musicThese pj's are set up with a standard fender 19mm string spacing, they might not line up with the poles on a pickup designed for 18mm spacing...I put threaded saddles on the bridge of my bullet bass to better accomodate that
@@jasondorsey7110 that’s a good point. My threaded saddled Schecter mustang in the pickup series has 19mm spacing, but it also has the larger reissue sized shells.
@@jonathanwong458music And both your schecter and my bullet are single pickup basses, you throw a jazz pickup in the mix and it complicates things even further, though somehow fender made it work with the american performer series mustang which comes with the 18mm bridge...maybe that has a bigger pup like your schecter?
I just pulled up a picture of it. The strings don’t line up at the J pickup! The outer strings are over the medial pole pieces and not in between. I didn’t expect Fender to rewind or make a new pickup for the model (ideal but not cost effective) but they didn’t even bother to use a solid top pickup cover (no exposed pole pieces) to conceal it! It would match the solid mustang p/u better too…
I'm a big Fender fan, but I'll take rosewood every day over maple, with Telecasters being the one exception. Though if the choices were between a maple board, or poo ferro, I would take the maple across the entire product line.
Jonathan thanks for the video! Just me but I am more inclined to purchase a Squier product over the Harvey Benton. Being a beginner I am been very pleased with Fender support. My local Fender warranty repair shop has been helpful with sharp fret issues
Squier has really stepped up their game in the last few years. I think the Harleys are a better deal for those in Europe. Thomann shipping fees within the EU are way cheaper compared to shipping things across the Atlantic. Thanks for watching!
The classic vibe mustang pickup? That pickup didn’t impress me. I have a 5 part series on replacement mustang pickups should you be interested. But it starts to get expensive…
Exactly. Not convinced these tuners will survive being thrown around in the van. Bridge feels alright. Swap the pickups out. Get some fretwork done and it has potential to be quite useable! Thanks for watching!
I'm not sure I'd go as far as to call it a dead spot, but this particular example does have uneven spots throughout the fretboard. Might be due to uneven frets too. Thanks for watching!
Yes, indeed! The pickup selector is an improvement. The tuners, however, were a downgrade, unfortunately. As were the pickups. Suppose HB had to do something to keep the price more or less the same as the first iteration. Thanks for watching!
On those relatively rare occasions I have a pick in my hand, I’m also palm muting at the bridge. But yeah, rock or heavier pick playing, I’d be smashing the pick and my fingers into the tug bar. Guaranteed to be dropping that pick on stage, hahaha! Thanks for watching!
Lamentablemente, Harley Benton utiliza piezas OEM (Original Equipment Manufacturer) en los instrumentos. Estas piezas a menudo tienen dimensiones no estándar. Esto significa que los afinadores Gotoh no encajan si desea actualizar los afinadores de mala sordina. Esto es estúpido si el modelo anterior tenía dimensiones Gotoh 🤷🏽♂️
If the translator is correct, I agree with you! The Gotoh tuners on the 1st gen were much better in feel and probably in reliability. Thank you for watching and commenting!
@@jonathanwong458music Leider verwendet Harley Benton in den Instrumenten OEM-Teile (Original Equipment Manufacturer). Diese Teile haben oft nicht standardisierte Abmessungen. Das bedeutet, dass die Gotoh-Stimmgeräte nicht passen, wenn Sie auf schlechte Dämpfer aufrüsten wollen. Das ist blöd, wenn das vorherige Modell Gotoh-Maße hatte 🤷🏽♂️ Das wollte.ich eigentlich sagen..und das das ich immer noch am warten bin, mit welchen Stummmechaniken ich meinen Bass aufrüsten kann, ohne diese jetzt schon auszubauen, um den Umfang zu messen. Danke für die tollen Videos
@@marlen2801 I have a suspicion that you will need to fill the existing mounting holes and re-drill new mounting holes. Assuming that the post diameter fits what you wish to install. Thanks for watching!
I put EMG Geezer Butler pickups on mine and it sounds wonderful. Huge improvement from the standard pickups
Yeah! Geezers would be a great replacement!
Thanks for watching!
I'm looking for a short scale bass and this has entered my radar. If the only real negatives are the set-up and intonation then I will take that. Any bass sent directly to me from the factory will always go to my tech to have a full set-up. I never expect a bass to be perfect out the box, regardless of the price. Great review.
Thanks for watching! Good luck in the hunt!
Great demo as usual, thanks Jonathan!
Thanks so much for the encouragement and for watching!
I'm loving these shortscale basses.......🇨🇱🇨🇦👍
They've been a game changer for me! Thanks for watching!
@@jonathanwong458music Enjoying my Squier Bronco,carry on with your great reviews!!
Thanks man!
Great review, as usual 🤗 I already own and am very happy with the first generation with Labella Flats on it, would you advise me to keep it or change for this one? Thanks
Thanks for watching! I’ve recorded both gens. I would keep the 1st gen! Put in a dual volume pot or a pickup selector switch if you need to. Could get the 2nd gen for different strings (eg rounds) for more tonal options, but I personally liked the 1st gen better.
First of all, thank you for this review and your valuable inputs for the short-scale community and my apologies for what may be a pretty long comment.
I purchased this exact same bass in this exact same color as soon as it got out because a) I suspected it would run out of stock rapidly, and it was the case and b) it had everything I wished on a bass in this price range: short scale, PJ pickup configuration, 38mm at the nut and a cool vintage vibe. I have other harley benton instruments and they never disapointed me. I am mainly a guitar player so I wished I could have a short scale bass that would be more manageable for me to play. I never really played a lot of basses in my life, I only have one long scale bass with a two single coil pickup configuration. I felt the need for a split coil pickup to get that classic Precision sound.
Having said that, I played that mustang copy for a couple of hours and I took the decision of returning it... Why? Because I couldn't stand the neck dive... I don't know much about basses and I discovered that it is an issue on many basses, long or short scale, but mainly on short scale with traditional designs like this one. I noticed at the beguinning of the video where you put an original fender mustang side by side with it and it appeared to me, let me know if I am wrong, that the fender had a slightly bigger body. Adding it with the chunkiness of the neck it may explain the bad diving. Soundwise, I agree with you about the P pickup, as I said before, I have no experience in playing P basses but I have an ideia of the sound it is supposed to have and didn't found it there. Actually I could easily emulate that sound with my J style bass by maxing the bridge pickup with a bit of the neck! Apart from that I really liked the sound of both pickups on, but I am a freak for that kind of sound.
Thanks for watching and commenting!
My Fender’s body is not significantly bigger. The shape is a few mm different here and there presumably to avoid trademark lawsuits, but it’s a pretty close copy. Re neck dive, this is the product of the mustang body design with the super short horn. It would balance better if the horn was closer or past the 12th fret. You’re right that the degree of dive is a ratio of neck and body weight and the Harley neck is chunkier than my Fender, but my fender dives in a similar manner, perhaps not as much, but still does. I’ve gotten used to it, but body shape preferences are like guitar players who either love or hate Les Paul and teles’ lack of an upper horn!
@@jonathanwong458music I actually hate les pauls for not balancing well when sitting down, but I love teles :) Thank you for your time!
All about finding what’s comfy for your body. Hard to play good music when it’s uncomfortable to play.
I'm wondering about the weight, great review, thank you!
This particular example weighed 8 lbs 5 oz. There will likely be a range of weights within the line. Thanks for watching!
Nice review, one awesome thing about this bass is that just like their PB shorty they actually offer a left handed version so for 10% of people it's infinitely better than any Fender short scale haha :D
Re lefty options. That’s a great point. Thanks for pointing that out!
Thanks for watching!
Hey Jonathan, thank you for the review. I see you have the annotation saying it's slightly bigger than your fender neck. How does it compare to the classic vibe mustang, not just the neck but in general as I can get one locally for the same price as the mv-4sb.
I definitely prefer a slimmer neck and I'm debating cancelling my order of the harley benton and getting either the classic vibe mustang or even something like a sire u5. I borrowed an ibanez recently and really liked that slim neck but couldn't get on with the full scale length.
Thanks for watching! It’s been a while since having a classic vibe mustang in my hands. If I recall correctly, the HB has a bit more of a D shape profile. It’s not a night and day difference but neither are Ibanez-like. If you like the Ibanez neck profile, you might like their medium scale sound gear mezzo bass. Oddly they don’t have a sound gear style 30” scale but they have the Mikro at 28.6”. The 30” scale Talman has a really chunky neck and much bigger body.
The classic vibe Squier has a different sound. The stock pickup is quite a bit smaller (sonic footprint) and more narrow sounding. Whether or not you desire a bridge pickup might also factor in. The Sire u5 is a solid bass, but I found the body to be a bit uncomfortable with the absence of a forearm cutaway. It’s more ‘modern’ sounding.
Hope this helps!
@@jonathanwong458music thank you very much, it's really helpful and yeah I have been looking at that mezzo, only just noticed your video on it which I'll check out.
Nice job as always. At least the body has comfort cuts. A slab body is one thing I don't like and that bothers me about the Player Mustang as well as the Gretsch Junior Jet. Two shorties I really like otherwise.
Thanks so much for watching and for your encouragement!
You're absolutely right about the comfort contours. I made mention of those in my video on the 1st gen. This video on the 2nd gen was getting too long, so that aspect got edited out.
I also agree that the Player Mustang's slab body is holding it back. Maybe it's a price-point $ saving strategy? I really like my 1st gen PJ Mustang, but the lack of a forearm contour made longer sessions uncomfortable.
Umey putted that damn switch NOW ITS AN ABSOLUTE BEST BUY
Thanks for watching!
That retail price comes "with a price", sure. Those vendors squeeze the costs at every level, so one has to expect such shortcomings. Unfortunately this can happen the same with a quality brand, too. Purchasing online, without being able to test, has always a bit of a risk.
However, I personally find the sound of this bass still pretty decent and versatile. A good choice for a beginner, especially whe they have a buddy at hands, who may help to improve the adjustments.
Thank you for your well-made test and overview. Good as always!
Thanks so much for watching and commenting!
Most of my purchases these days are indeed, online. I support my local stores as much as I can, but selection doesn't always cater to my needs, unfortunately. The biggest issue with Thomann outside of the EU is the cost of return shipping and taxes/duty reimbursement. It's a hassle and shipping a bass back across the Atlantic from Canada is expensive!
just ordered one - 2 month wait! that j pick up on its own is noisy...but still sounds very nice, especially for the price!
I hope you like it when it arrives! Best of luck to you and thanks for watching!
if this had a proper mustang pickup it'd be a no brainer for me! I like PJ configurations but I already love my Mikro :) That said the Mikro doesn't have a typical PJ voicing.
The traditional mustang pickup size and appearance tends to appeal to a narrower audience. I like them, though! They sound different compared to a precision pickup.
Would you consider modding and getting or making a custom pickguard to allow for a tradition mustang pickup?
Thanks for watching!
@@jonathanwong458musicThese pj's are set up with a standard fender 19mm string spacing, they might not line up with the poles on a pickup designed for 18mm spacing...I put threaded saddles on the bridge of my bullet bass to better accomodate that
@@jasondorsey7110 that’s a good point. My threaded saddled Schecter mustang in the pickup series has 19mm spacing, but it also has the larger reissue sized shells.
@@jonathanwong458music And both your schecter and my bullet are single pickup basses, you throw a jazz pickup in the mix and it complicates things even further, though somehow fender made it work with the american performer series mustang which comes with the 18mm bridge...maybe that has a bigger pup like your schecter?
I just pulled up a picture of it. The strings don’t line up at the J pickup! The outer strings are over the medial pole pieces and not in between. I didn’t expect Fender to rewind or make a new pickup for the model (ideal but not cost effective) but they didn’t even bother to use a solid top pickup cover (no exposed pole pieces) to conceal it! It would match the solid mustang p/u better too…
I got a black b-stock one a few weeks ago. Love it!
Right on! At time of writing, there’s a 12+ week wait! Guess HB sold out the first batch quickly!
Thanks for watching!
@@jonathanwong458music ya, I got lucky. Just happened to catch a return.
Nice! Any noticeable issues with the B stock?
@@jonathanwong458music actually yes it could use a fret leveling. It is on my to do list.
All Fender style Guitars or Basses need a maple fretboard in my opinion other than that. Looks great.
A maple board would look great! Thanks for watching!
@@jonathanwong458music yes sir
I'm a big Fender fan, but I'll take rosewood every day over maple, with Telecasters being the one exception. Though if the choices were between a maple board, or poo ferro, I would take the maple across the entire product line.
@flapjack413 well, the main thing I insist on is Teles so, I will let you slide😀
Jonathan thanks for the video! Just me but I am more inclined to purchase a Squier product over the Harvey Benton. Being a beginner I am been very pleased with Fender support. My local Fender warranty repair shop has been helpful with sharp fret issues
Squier has really stepped up their game in the last few years. I think the Harleys are a better deal for those in Europe. Thomann shipping fees within the EU are way cheaper compared to shipping things across the Atlantic.
Thanks for watching!
unfortunately the only Mustang squier do has a butty pickup
The classic vibe mustang pickup? That pickup didn’t impress me. I have a 5 part series on replacement mustang pickups should you be interested. But it starts to get expensive…
Hi Jonathan, wouldn't you like to review the Epiphone Newport bass?
I would! I haven’t yet had an opportunity to buy one to try out.
Thanks for watching!
Sounds good. I have a hankering to have a go on a shortscale.
Thanks for watching! This is a reasonable and economic gateway to see if you like the scale length.
Sounds good for the price point, my concern would be parts quality and longevity.
Exactly. Not convinced these tuners will survive being thrown around in the van. Bridge feels alright. Swap the pickups out. Get some fretwork done and it has potential to be quite useable!
Thanks for watching!
Deadspot A on D string?
I'm not sure I'd go as far as to call it a dead spot, but this particular example does have uneven spots throughout the fretboard. Might be due to uneven frets too.
Thanks for watching!
I see a pickup selector, so yes, an improvement.
Yes, indeed! The pickup selector is an improvement. The tuners, however, were a downgrade, unfortunately. As were the pickups. Suppose HB had to do something to keep the price more or less the same as the first iteration.
Thanks for watching!
If you play pickstyle with any kind of gusto, those finger rests are a no-go
On those relatively rare occasions I have a pick in my hand, I’m also palm muting at the bridge. But yeah, rock or heavier pick playing, I’d be smashing the pick and my fingers into the tug bar. Guaranteed to be dropping that pick on stage, hahaha!
Thanks for watching!
So tempting . . . .
Better shipping deal if you bundle it with other stuff, if ordering from Thomann Germany. I'll send you this one if you want it!
@@jonathanwong458music Very kind offer, I think I would go for a different color, though but again, very kind offer!
@jonathanwong458music ill take it ❤
@jonathanwong458music ill take it
@@jonathanwong458music ill take it!
Lamentablemente, Harley Benton utiliza piezas OEM (Original Equipment Manufacturer) en los instrumentos. Estas piezas a menudo tienen dimensiones no estándar. Esto significa que los afinadores Gotoh no encajan si desea actualizar los afinadores de mala sordina. Esto es estúpido si el modelo anterior tenía dimensiones Gotoh 🤷🏽♂️
If the translator is correct, I agree with you! The Gotoh tuners on the 1st gen were much better in feel and probably in reliability.
Thank you for watching and commenting!
@@jonathanwong458music Leider verwendet Harley Benton in den Instrumenten OEM-Teile (Original Equipment Manufacturer). Diese Teile haben oft nicht standardisierte Abmessungen. Das bedeutet, dass die Gotoh-Stimmgeräte nicht passen, wenn Sie auf schlechte Dämpfer aufrüsten wollen. Das ist blöd, wenn das vorherige Modell Gotoh-Maße hatte 🤷🏽♂️
Das wollte.ich eigentlich sagen..und das das ich immer noch am warten bin, mit welchen Stummmechaniken ich meinen Bass aufrüsten kann, ohne diese jetzt schon auszubauen, um den Umfang zu messen.
Danke für die tollen Videos
@@marlen2801 I have a suspicion that you will need to fill the existing mounting holes and re-drill new mounting holes. Assuming that the post diameter fits what you wish to install.
Thanks for watching!
According to Harley Benton, they also have glow in the dark side dots 👀
Cool! Thanks for watching and pointing that out!
Sonojono! ❤
#25_July19_SewWheeFinallySea_HardleyBending_BEHS_guitarsGettingLessThan_GlowingReviews_Thanks🇺🇸
Call them as I see them. Thanks for watching!