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Harley Benton Enhanced Series
- Thread starter The Expendable Clay
- Start date
That fits, right? I think Thomann is a German company but their house brand of instruments is named after a British guy who had his lunch money stolen in school.
My MP-4EB came in yesterday - crazy fast shipping from Germany! They shipped on Friday and I get it on Monday. I'm amazed it arrived unbroken because it came in the standard triangular bass box (technically trapezoidal, but that's the math teacher in me being picky) but the outer box is huge and there was barely any packing material.
I would take pics, but it truly looks exactly like this other than the finish is more cream (like you'd use in your coffee) than the banana pudding this picture makes look like:
I'm honestly impressed by every detail! Nothing is out of place and everything looks well done. I haven't been able to plug it in so I can't speak to the electronics. The only thing that feels cheap is the binding - it just feels like plastic fork plastic, if that makes sense. I'll probably hit it with some really fine micro mesh to give it more of a satin feel.
It weighs in at 9.8 lbs, which is usually not an acceptable weight for me, but it feels solid on the strap - not heavy. The finish everywhere is flawless.
There aren't any sharp frets, as in fret ends hanging over the edge of the fretboard, but there are a few that are right up to the edge so I'm going to file them. The frets are just really square, so I'm going to tape off the binding and run my micromesh pads along the fret ends to round them off.
Not a fan of the pickguard, although I'm impressed that it's truly W/B/W/Pearl and every part of it lies flush against the body. A lot of pickguards on cheaper instruments are one layer and/or have some warping somewhere. In the picture the body color is more banana pudding, but in person it's a really nice off-white, like what I'd imagine aged Olympic White would look like. This means that the really white pickguard kind of looks out of place. It doesn't exactly disappear against the off-white of the body, but there's just something off about it. Tort would have been perfect, but I can't bring myself to put a $60+ custom tort guard on there. I'll probably get some nice black adhesive vinyl and make it black.
The tuners feel nice and turn really smoothly. Are the the most accurate? Maybe not, but just as accurate and smooth turning as any chrome open-gear tuners I've used on other basses like G&L Tributes. They're not Hipshot, but they'll work fine.
My fretboard has a nice, dark ebony look to it. I know this is supposedly massacar ebony, but there aren't any highlights or streaking, it's just a solid dark color like I've seen on ebony fretboards from Carvin and other makers.
I might replace the cup style jack plate with a football style one. I use cables that are straight on one end and an L on the other, and I'm a little concerned that the cup is too deep for the L connectors to go in enough to make a solid connection. Maybe it's fine - I'll see today when I can try this out with my amp.
The block inlays look good, and there aren't any filled gaps around them. I've played other inexpensive basses with inlays that were poorly cut and needed filler around them.
I'm looking forward to getting it all set up to my specs. For sure the pickups are going to be lowered - especially the P. I use small wooden thumbrests on my other basses so I'm not resting my thumb on the pickups and so I can play between the pickups (I like that sound) and the P pickups are too high for that. I think I have an extra one lying around, but if not I might make a thumbrest for this bass as well.
All in all, really impressed that this bass cost $412 new shipped.
I would take pics, but it truly looks exactly like this other than the finish is more cream (like you'd use in your coffee) than the banana pudding this picture makes look like:
I'm honestly impressed by every detail! Nothing is out of place and everything looks well done. I haven't been able to plug it in so I can't speak to the electronics. The only thing that feels cheap is the binding - it just feels like plastic fork plastic, if that makes sense. I'll probably hit it with some really fine micro mesh to give it more of a satin feel.
It weighs in at 9.8 lbs, which is usually not an acceptable weight for me, but it feels solid on the strap - not heavy. The finish everywhere is flawless.
There aren't any sharp frets, as in fret ends hanging over the edge of the fretboard, but there are a few that are right up to the edge so I'm going to file them. The frets are just really square, so I'm going to tape off the binding and run my micromesh pads along the fret ends to round them off.
Not a fan of the pickguard, although I'm impressed that it's truly W/B/W/Pearl and every part of it lies flush against the body. A lot of pickguards on cheaper instruments are one layer and/or have some warping somewhere. In the picture the body color is more banana pudding, but in person it's a really nice off-white, like what I'd imagine aged Olympic White would look like. This means that the really white pickguard kind of looks out of place. It doesn't exactly disappear against the off-white of the body, but there's just something off about it. Tort would have been perfect, but I can't bring myself to put a $60+ custom tort guard on there. I'll probably get some nice black adhesive vinyl and make it black.
The tuners feel nice and turn really smoothly. Are the the most accurate? Maybe not, but just as accurate and smooth turning as any chrome open-gear tuners I've used on other basses like G&L Tributes. They're not Hipshot, but they'll work fine.
My fretboard has a nice, dark ebony look to it. I know this is supposedly massacar ebony, but there aren't any highlights or streaking, it's just a solid dark color like I've seen on ebony fretboards from Carvin and other makers.
I might replace the cup style jack plate with a football style one. I use cables that are straight on one end and an L on the other, and I'm a little concerned that the cup is too deep for the L connectors to go in enough to make a solid connection. Maybe it's fine - I'll see today when I can try this out with my amp.
The block inlays look good, and there aren't any filled gaps around them. I've played other inexpensive basses with inlays that were poorly cut and needed filler around them.
I'm looking forward to getting it all set up to my specs. For sure the pickups are going to be lowered - especially the P. I use small wooden thumbrests on my other basses so I'm not resting my thumb on the pickups and so I can play between the pickups (I like that sound) and the P pickups are too high for that. I think I have an extra one lying around, but if not I might make a thumbrest for this bass as well.
All in all, really impressed that this bass cost $412 new shipped.
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I'll take a picture of the body later so you can see how white, and not banana pudding, the finish is so you can understand my minor gripe about the pickguard. It's a great color, and more "natural" than the color in the picture.
Here a pic of my bass so you can see how pale the cream is:
Not banana pudding at all. Doesn't the pickguard look out of place a bit?
Not banana pudding at all. Doesn't the pickguard look out of place a bit?
No one asked me, but I'd rock that thing with that pickguard... Or just about any other color Pearloid, too... The 'creamy' color of the bass would lend itself well to a variety of colors/types, in my opinion. I would be disappointed if I was specifically ordering it for a banana pudding color though.
Funny, but I'm honestly on the fence. It reminds me of when I custom ordered a Schroeder cab that I thought was going to be cream and it's white white. The bass picture on the website is definitely banana pudding but this is definitely off-white. It's definitely an olympic white like this Jazz:
I think it's a color that will change visually based on the available light. Right now hanging on the wall in the late afternoon it's definitely a yellowish white.
I'm thinking of going black, but I wonder if a black pearl would work - or would it clash with the white pearl of the neck blocks?
I'm late to your post as I see it arrived very fast. Congrats!
I dig the bass with that pickguard. You can change it or just change colors of it but I like the bass (in the actual Olympic white) and pickguard color as is.
If it was mine...Iodized silver or brass maybe?? Custom cost could be high though. I'm just thinking outside the box. Great score of a bass for that price bro.
I dig the bass with that pickguard. You can change it or just change colors of it but I like the bass (in the actual Olympic white) and pickguard color as is.
If it was mine...Iodized silver or brass maybe?? Custom cost could be high though. I'm just thinking outside the box. Great score of a bass for that price bro.
I'm not getting a custom pickguard - too expensive. I have glossy and matte finish black adhesive vinyl coming tomorrow, and I'm going to try and make it black that way. At least it would be easily reversable.
And the bass is cream for sure - just not that banana pudding color. It's not a white white, but more like french vanilla ice cream. Maybe condensed milk color.
I just picked one of these up and love it! Here’s a quick demo in active mode:
Hey Kammschott, really late reply but I will just test my luck: Did you find a way to incorporate a passive tone blend? Thinking of going full passive rn but would love an easier route!
Cheers
Just received my MJ-4MN and love it some issues, E string fret buzz @ 0 fret, pretty sure just need to file the nut down a little or just put a string mute above the nut.
I would like a different pick guard however I noticed that they don't use a standard Jazz pickguard. Ay ideas on where I can get o e or do I need to by a sheet of pickguard and cut to fit?
Thank you
I would like a different pick guard however I noticed that they don't use a standard Jazz pickguard. Ay ideas on where I can get o e or do I need to by a sheet of pickguard and cut to fit?
Thank you
I bought a new one and upgraded it!
Nordstrand Pickups, Bartolini Pre:
Nordstrand Pickups, Bartolini Pre:
Those of you who own one of these:
or one of these:
What do you think about the pickups? I know the preamp isn't great, but what about the pups?
I own one of the white ones but replaced the pickups years ago. I'm thinking about buying one of the gold ones and can't remember what the pickups sound like.
or one of these:
What do you think about the pickups? I know the preamp isn't great, but what about the pups?
I own one of the white ones but replaced the pickups years ago. I'm thinking about buying one of the gold ones and can't remember what the pickups sound like.
