Harley Benton HBZ-2005 Deluxe Series

Kellemesen karakteres hangzású, 5 húros jazz-basszusgitárt keresgéltem, ami masszív, minőségi faanyagból készített, súlyra nehezebb fajtát, de jól kiegyensúlyozottat - és az sem baj, ha szép ;-)
Az ár amúgy csak sokadik szempont volt.

Amikor rátaláltam a Harley Benton HBZ-2005 Deluxe Seriesre a Thomann.de oldalán, meglepett, hogy az alacsony árához képest milyen minőséginek és masszívnak tűnik, ráadásul testen átmenő nyakkal! A Thomann oldalán lévő megfelelő bőségű termékinformációk, jó minőségű fotók és jó minőségű hangminták után még jobban felkeltette az érdeklődésem a HBZ-2005. Utánanéztem alaposan más fórumokon, demókat, teszteket is megnéztem-meghallgattam, és végül úgy éreztem, hogy pont ez a basszusgitár kell nekem, így hát megrendeltem a Thomanntól. A csomag a hangszerrel és pár kiegészítővel gyorsan megérkezett.

Amióta megkaptam, a napi használat során egyre jobban meggyőz a hangszer arról, hogy jól döntöttem, amikor "őt" választottam. Finom játékra és határozottabb futamokra is alkalmas, egyedi, szerethető hangzású karaktere van, jól kiegyensúlyozott, kényelmes :-)

A csomag a hangszerrel és pár kiegészítővel gyorsan megérkezett.

Profi, megbízható online szaküzlet, megfelelő termékinformációkkal (kép és hang is), biztonságos hangszer-csomagolással és gyors szállítással. A Thomann visszatérő ügyfele vagyok, mert még sosem csalódtam a termékekben és a szállításban sem, és az árak is kedvezőek.

Plus points:
Thomann's excellent customer service. The first example I had was an escapee from quality control and had to be replaced. This was done quickly, and with a very helpful attitude. The second example, the one I have kept, needed a little remedial soldering to fix a broken connection.
It's a beautiful looking thing, better in the flesh than in the photographs. The combination of woods works well. It is cosmetically very attractive.
Very little, if any set up will be required. The neck pick-up is arguably a little low and the truss rod will need a little tweak as the neck is not quite concave enough. This is not a big deal, I've have had to adjust the truss rod on just about every guitar I have ever owned. The action is never going to be as good as more expensive bass, but it's good enough.
D'Addario strings. Apparently not everyone's cup of tea, but they are the brand I currently favour, so I won't be changing them, except for another set of D'Addarios when they wear out.
Smooth operating control knobs that have a very subtle but definite centre notch (not the volume control).
Reasonably quiet electronics to begin with. After three months I am replacing them with an after market active circuit.
Very good tonal range, as you would expect from an active bass ? have a listen to the samples on the Thomann site. I have seen reviewers grumble that the bass is not as deep as more expensive basses, or that the treble is not as bright. To which I would say, maybe, but learn how to play the thing. There's plenty there. More than enough for an introduction to 5 string bassery.
The through neck is obviously wider than a 4 string, and the strings are slightly closer spaced. It is, however, pleasant to play.
The balance is good. I don't find it heavy (try a Rickenbacker if you want to hurt your shoulder!)
The machine heads are precise and seem rather better quality than I had expected.
There is no significant fret buzz anywhere, although the action is medium rather than low.

Minus points:
The first example had a body in three pieces. The lower part of the bottom wing was a separate piece of mahogany. The joint was solid, but inevitably you could see where the grain changed. My current example of this model has single piece wings.
The bridge pieces are individual for each string, and not quite perfectly aligned across the guitar. They were differently misaligned on the first example I had, it looks like the manufacturers just can't get it right. I doesn't matter other than visually. The bridge pieces are steel. I can't help feeling it would have been better to have a billet bridge and tailpiece.
There is no instruction sheet - you have to work out what the controls do - volume, balance and two tone controls.
For me, the lack of a thumb rest is a big deal. Luckily I had some hardwood spare and have made my own.

Conclusion:
My experience of Harley Benton instruments is that they are of noticeably cheap construction on close inspection, obviously nowhere near the quality of a major brand instrument, but sound unexpectedly good and play unexpectedly well. This is the cheapest bass I have ever owned by a significant margin. That it is so capable for less than £200 is an indicator of how much better cheaper instruments are these days. So for a first dabble with 5 strings my immediate reaction is that really, for so little money, you can't go wrong, but don't expect to fall in love with it.
I play quite forcefully with the middle cut. Through the Hartke A100 this bass really growls ? I like it. The acid test is would I use this bass live? The answer is yes, I would, but I'd still stick with my Hohners as my main instruments.

Rated as good overall despite some drawbacks, simply because it is very good value for money.

Features: First of all, this is cheapest 5-string bass guitar with active electronics and neck-through body I have ever seen. All hardware is black, natural wood body is covered in light polish and looking great. Sound knobs have a very pleasant go and you can feel very light click when it passes the middle (So light I haven't noticed it in couple first weeks)

Sound: I have tried few other guitar for brief time, and compared to this one they all are dull. Don't know, is it ceramic pickups, body, my own feeling or I just don't have enough time to feel other guitars. Sound is generally is very deep and powerful, and using active electronics it is possible to get very wide range of sounds. However I noticed that this guitar can't achieve some sounds in metal songs. Nevertheless its sound is all I could have dreamed of. I am playing Muse, Metallica, Deep Purple and it fits perfectly, especially Muse.

Quality: Body feels very durable, hardware is very good as well, tuning pegs are very stable. However, I have to glue sound knobs so they would be more stable. Also I have to use soldering iron as one of the wires inside fell off. Also it might sounds crazy, but I have enjoyed fixing my guitar. Just be sure you have some tools.

Total: Reasonably cheap guitar with great sound.

I have to say thank you Thomann for making this great guitar, I love it all !

I am delighted with the HBZ-2005 DeLuxe series bass guitar! So much fun for so little money. Wow. The look is fantastic. The details are neatly executed and it looks better than in the photos. If only electric guitars were so beautifully designed. The bass is delivered with an already made set up and very good strings! I've only been playing it for a month and I'm still enjoying it as if it had just arrived. It is easy to play, and 24 frets and active electronics are a big advantage. Intonation is good in all positions. Tuning pegs are much better than expected. The thumb can rest correctly on the upper edge of the pick up. I'm still getting used to the sound due to the new amplifier, but for now it seems to me that it's very good and that it inspires me to work more on my playing skills. I tested it in the studio and it sounds like a real beast. If there is a small minus, then it is a detail on the plastic cover on the back of the guitar. But, compared to the competition and much more expensive bass guitars, I can freely give it the highest marks. Thanks to the previous user ratings and especially to Thomann for this beautiful bass.