Harley Benton PB-20 SBK Standard Series

1.Thomann: gyors kiszállítás, biztobságos dupla csomagolás, 2.A hangszer nyaka be volt állítva (ennek ellenére igényeimhez állítottam, meglepően alacsony húrnyomást létrehozva:12 bundnál 2mm), 3.Kényelmes nyak, jó minőségű bundozással, 4.Könnyű test (faanyag), 5.Nincs fejnehézség, 6.Tökéletes kivitelezés, megmunkálás, illesztések, 7.Karakteres, erős hangszedő, jó mélyekkel és közepekkel, kevesebb magassal, 7.Jó sustain, tehát megfelelő bridge (rézre cseréltem a támaszokat, hogy szebb legyen a magas hangzás:+17EUR- megérte), 8.A hangkulcsok tartják a hangot, de a lepke az egyiken levált (vissza tudtam erősíteni, de ez nem jó minőségre utal), 9. Jól működő passzív elektronika, 10.A hangkarakter lapos, olcsó benyomású (de nagyon erősen szól erősítő nélkül is, erősítővel: morgós , konkrét hang, magas csengés nélkül), ezért inkább gyakorlóhangszer, de annak nagyon jó még egy 2000 Eurós hangszer mellett is (Vagyis van mihez hasonlítanom)!!! Összegzés: kimagasló ár - érték arány. Szerethető, inspiratív, nagyon szép.

This was my first bass guitar, and it is great to practice on, especially for a beginner.
The bass itself only offers controls for tone & volume, since it has passive pickups, but as a beginner, that's completely fine.
It sounds alright played through an amp, great to play both with fingers and a pick.
Overall, great value for the price, if you moved past your beginner phase, I would recommend you to take a look at the Harley Benton HBZ-2004 bass.

I find the look of the Harley Benton PB-20 SBK bass guitar very beautiful: it features a sleek satin black finish and a classic P-bass body shape, which is complemented by black hardware for a modern look. There were no sharp edges along the neck. It’s a budget-friendly bass guitar with a great sound, a fantastic value for the money. I love it!

Now, almost two years later, I have to mention some issues that have appeared. The pickup has started to sink into the body, which seems to be a factory or assembly problem, perhaps the foam or springs underneath weren’t installed properly or have compressed too quickly. In addition, since I play fingerstyle, the paint in that area has worn off surprisingly fast, which I don’t think should happen with such a relatively new instrument.

Overall, I still like the bass, but it’s a pity that these faults showed up so soon.

HB PB-20 SBK: 88 EUR, shipping to France included...?

Quality:

I'm no stranger to the handy-work that's sometimes required to render new acquisitions playable, and honestly, I expected to spend some time with this baby...

Initial inspection after unpacking the instrument left me quite surprised though.

Neck relief: perfect.
Action: a little high for my taste, but already quite good.
Fret finish: not super-shiny & polished, but nothing wrong with it; smooth all the way through. No sharp edges along the neck. All good.
Fret board: some minor traces of white (dusty) residue, but easily removed with a brush/cloth.
The paint-job is a really nice - the satin finish looks killer, and I could not spot any imperfections.
The neck-joint is flawless - no gaps, rock-solid.

Closer inspection of the fretwork didn't reveal any issues. All well leveled.

After a little TLC & Wax for the fret board, I lowered the action to suit my preferences. No buzzing, no problem-spots/frets. Very comfortable now.

The hardware is OK. The tuners are a bit tough-going compared to more expensive parts, but a little grease here & there...problem solved.

A glance under the pick guard reveals some left-over saw-dust, but otherwise, things are in order.

Playability / Sound:

Played dry, it's present, good attack & bite. The vibration propagates nicely throughout body & neck, the sustain is good. No obvious dead spots.

The instrument is very light and quite well balanced, although - being very picky - a wee bit heavy on the head. Nothing serious though, and a good strap easily takes care of that.

Amplified, the sound is remarkably good. The pickup is not of the fattest order, but delivers good output & the dry characteristics of the instrument shine through quite well.
The tone control is efficient, and cuts the high frequencies without affecting the upper mid range bite; the sound remains present at all settings.

I replaced the stock-pickup with a spare EMG split-coil & pots I had in a drawer, and now this budget-beauty really sings! ;-)

Now let me repeat this: 88 EUR, shipping to France included!

I play Bass for more than 30 years, and spent considerable amounts for the majority of my instruments.
While I love them all dearly, and appreciiate each and every one of them for their qualities, I cannot help but be utterly gob-smacked by the value-for-money delivered in this case.

I owned instruments costing 10 times this price that were plagued by inexcusable quality control & manufacturing issues...or simply lousy design. It's amazing to see, that such a small price can get you an instrument, that is absolutely perfect for beginners, and - given the quality - well beyond that.

Highly recommended.