Better pickups for Harley Benton MM

[Kalmek]

Hello, this is my first post here.
I've got Harley Benton MB-5 SBK. My only other sound reference is my old 2001 Squier JB.
I want to know, if anyone changed pickups on their cheapo basses and what were the results? Is it worth it?
I'm thinking about buying Seymour Duncan pickups (not much to choose for Stingray 5 in this price category). The sound is sometimes muddy and not so clear. I know that it should sound gritty and growly but it's not, the notes are not as defined as on JB, even when going through various amps, drives etc. Also have new Slinky strings. I heard that pickups make 90% of sound characteristics, so is it worth to invest? Thank you all for answers.

 

[kodiakblair]

Check that your pickup is wired in parallel not series.

 

[kodiakblair]

@Kalmek

I was thinking more on your post.

I know quite a few people who own that particular model and none have reported similar issues, in fact quite the opposite. One fella , with years of Musicman experience under his belt , is full of praise for his MB-5-SBK.

There should be an easy fix here like altering the pickup height.

I'm hesitant to recommend swapping pickups. My own experience has taught me that replacing one MM or single coil for another , and using the exact same position , rarely gives ground breaking improvement.

Yes, you may notice a difference but difference and improvement are not the same thing . Nor will the slight difference compensate for the hole in your wallet.

 

[Kalmek]

The mudiness come after G and lower notes. I use Zoom B1x four and Hartke HD50 for the playing. Another reason might be bad acoustics in my room with deeper notes being reflected throughout a room more and making mess. But still, the overall sound (not just lower notes) is just subjectively worse than that of Squier JB.

Bass is wired in parallel because it has control knob for each row of magnets.

 

[darthplagis]

TBH I would just rewire the bass.

I had/have a bass with a twin jazz in the MM position (my first real bass back in 96) and I had a P put in it too .

the stock wiring was like the HB ray.
the coils wired like a Jazz. which is fine.... but isn't that MM tone, I mean it needs the EQ for it to nail that tone anyway... but a good start would be wiring up the pickup in series with one Vol pot (it should be as easy as the hot from the neck into the ground of the bridge and the hot of the bridge to the ground of the pot).

you could if you wanted to wire up a simple varitone for the spare knob.... but that's a daft idea that may or may not be of interest.

in all honesty I use Wilkinson alnico MM buckers in a few of my basses and they are fine.... worth it if you fancy a cheap swap out.
I actually have 2 harley benton guitars with roswell pickups (paisley strat and 335) and the pickups are actually decent the 335's PAF clones being amazing actually

 

[BassLife77]

Upgrade the pickup

 

[DCFanatic]

I also just picked up a MB-5 SMK and am thinking about changing the pickup. The string spacing seems quite tight on these compared to some other 5ers I've owned in the past so I am really interested to know what pickup you buy if you end up upgrading it.

 

[mrjim123]

I had always been skeptical about pickup swapping, but after seeing a pickup shootout video with sound samples (bass was a Sterling Sub StingRay) I decided to install an Aguilar AG-4M on my Sterling Sub StingRay. I am quite happy with the results, so much so that I may do the same with my Cort jazz bass next.

 

[sloppy_phil]

If any mod to a bass is going to have a significant tonal impact, it's definitely the pickup. It's not a guarantee, but it definitely is a good place to go. Have turned a Squier Jazz (with a nice acoustic resonance, but somewhat indifferent plugged in tone) into an absolute tone machine with some Lindy Fralins. Smoother, more balanced highs, and significantly more detailed midrange. Maybe a bit more low end, although that's more debatable, and the booty on this Jazz was never an issue anyways.

I don't know this Harley bass, but in general with budget basses, the electronics and hardware are where they're most likely to skimp. I'd do a follow-up like @kodiakblair and @darthplagis suggest with the pickup itself first, and check the height and wiring. If that doesn't yield the results, then maybe it's time to think replacement. Aguilar, EMG, and Duncan are all well-known and easy options. Probably some Nordstrand, too; although I don't really know their products personally, I seem to only hear good things