Fender vs. Sire vs. Squier vs. Harley Benton - Ultimate 50s P Bass Comparison With Bass Giveaway!

Hmmm, electronics issues on the Sire, that's surprising to me, and disappointing. I liked the tone the best, I think, though yeah, low signal means less "balls" so I hope they get that fixed. I've read reports that the pickup is hum cancelling, but also reports that it isn't, so I've got to get that cleared up. I wasn't surprised to Fender won overall, it should, given the price differential.

 

The bass that impressed me the most was the Harley Benton, given its price point and how phat and hot it sounded!

I thought the sire sounded very good. The squier and fender sounded most classisc to me.

I would buy either the Fender or the Squier though, as that classic headstock shape is an important part of the '51 P for me.

 

Yeah the Harley Benton kills it in the "bang for the buck" category here, definitely a great value, especially for starters. But me, if I get anything (don't need another bass lol), it'd be the Sire. Have 5 already, love 'em all, but no gen 2 yet, and the D5 is just so tempting, other than those worrisome electronics issues on the review bass. Wonder if that was a fluke or representative of all of them (had read elsewhere the sc pickup seemed to be silent, but not here).

 

It's a shame that the Squier had quality issues and weighed a lot. I thought that it sounded the most like what I'd want a 50s P to sound like. The Fender looks and sounds awesome, I love the look of the Harley Benton, and it sounded good too, if a bit generic.

 

@Bassprofessor

Hi Robert.

I've some experience with 3 of these basses . Played a few Squiers, owned many Harley Benton PB-50s and have a Paisley MIJ Fender reissue. I agree with most of your points though not all

For instance I prefer the satin finish of the PB-50 neck to high gloss . The weight of the Squiers did not bother me either , my own pine slab body is much heavier . Some folks have this notion that pine = light . Not all pines are equal

Personally I'd reverse positions 1 & 2.

The Paisley finish on my Fender is a joy to behold but my PB-50s see 90% of the playing

Any way kudos to you for taking the time to make the video and showing folks they don't need to drop big money for a single coil P-bass.

That's single coil P-basses , they all sound roughly the same.

 

I think the Fender and the Squier have a bit of something familiar in the mids.

 

Yeah, and at least at those settings, the Sire is the darkest tone of the 4.

 

What's not touched on in the video is the pole pieces.

The Harley Benton uses the same massive slugs as Duncan QP's , they affect the initial attack. The earlier PB-50s had Wilkinson pickups with standard slugs for more traditional tone.

Quite pronounced wasn't it. Wonder if it was the cap/potentiometer tolerances ?

 

I'd say the HB, although it's not that surprising that they make some quality stuff for so cheap.

 

The Fender sounds the best of all, hands down, when played on its own, but in a mix it's not that obvious.

 

Just looked at prices on the MIJ Fender reissue….I would hope a $2k bass would sound the best out of the four!
But a $499 Sire would suit myself just fine

 

It will be sum of all points - pretty much - how much sound for the money, without hassle...

HB
Squire
Sire
Fender.

But, I will not pay so much for Fender even if Leo gets up and sign it and go back.

 

Honestly I liked them all. They all sound like a p-bass.

I voted Squier because I think it has the most Vintage sounds and looks out of the bunch. Bummer about the neck though!

The HB is a great deal, but they’re challenging to find (as is the Sire). The neck is a deal breaker for me though.

The sire has a retro-modern vibe which I do dig as well, sounded sweet, but no good about the electronics.

The fender sounds great but personally I think it has too much clarity for a “vintage” instrument. Would make a great all purpose p-bass though.

Squire
Sire
Fender MIJ
HB

 

1K used is their going rate which IMO is quite fair for as close to the real deal as most can afford.

 

I think they all sounded pretty similar tone wise, with subtle differences. I think I like the Sire best.

 

Cool, thanks for getting it fixed "in process" so others won't have it.