After almost three years, your bass is still playable? How long do you think that you'll be able to play it before it starts to presenting problems? Here in Brazil, we are used to think that everything that is cheap, is disposable.
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Harley Benton PB-50 Vintage
- Thread starter kodiakblair
- Start date
The English fella said he replaced the volume pot after about 300 gigs. I've had no problems with mine but I never turn the knobs down 
Most of my gear is 20+ years old and still going strong. One of them was built in 1968 and still stock,I did change the strings though 
It's not just in Brazil folks think cheap is poor quality,it's the same mind set here
2 things to keep in mind.
1 : A bass guitar is not a very Hi Tech bit of equipment,parts will wear out if you're constantly fiddling with them but if you keep an eye on things any adjustments will be slight and that will give your bass a longer life.
2 : Thomann sell 1000s of the PB-50 and their business model is make smaller profits per item but have larger sales numbers. Now folks are hesitant about buying cheap guitars so the 50 has to do it's job well. A cheap priced bass with poor QC or reviews will sell very poorly but if you have a cheaply priced bass with glowing reviews they will sell by the container load.
If you get the chance read the posts on the SX basses sold by Rondo in the USA,they follow the same business model. Good quality products at low prices will sell. Some folks think SX and certain HB models are produced in the same factory. I've no idea if that's true but I fully expect my 50 to last,in 5 years I may have to change the jack socket or maybe a pot but I doubt it.
Most of my gear is 20+ years old and still going strong. One of them was built in 1968 and still stock,I did change the strings though It's not just in Brazil folks think cheap is poor quality,it's the same mind set here
2 things to keep in mind. 1 : A bass guitar is not a very Hi Tech bit of equipment,parts will wear out if you're constantly fiddling with them but if you keep an eye on things any adjustments will be slight and that will give your bass a longer life.
2 : Thomann sell 1000s of the PB-50 and their business model is make smaller profits per item but have larger sales numbers. Now folks are hesitant about buying cheap guitars so the 50 has to do it's job well. A cheap priced bass with poor QC or reviews will sell very poorly but if you have a cheaply priced bass with glowing reviews they will sell by the container load.
If you get the chance read the posts on the SX basses sold by Rondo in the USA,they follow the same business model. Good quality products at low prices will sell. Some folks think SX and certain HB models are produced in the same factory. I've no idea if that's true but I fully expect my 50 to last,in 5 years I may have to change the jack socket or maybe a pot but I doubt it.
I sold my SX to buy a PB-50 
. Thomann doesn't ship direct to Brazil, so I had to contact an importer to send it to the U.S and then, to me. I don't expect a bass that will be with me for the rest of my life for 99 Euro but It would be nice if to have mine for 5, 10, 15 years drool.
I want to reshape the headstock with the Mike Dirnt mold and maybe a new pickguard to make it look like a Sting Signature (or something close to it). I don't know if a 2 saddle bridge can be installed (or even if I should do it considering that everybody hates that kind of bridges. I've never played a bass with one so I can't tell.)
I don't know if I'm being stupid with all these "plans". I'm not experienced with music at all.
. Thomann doesn't ship direct to Brazil, so I had to contact an importer to send it to the U.S and then, to me. I don't expect a bass that will be with me for the rest of my life for 99 Euro but It would be nice if to have mine for 5, 10, 15 years drool.I want to reshape the headstock with the Mike Dirnt mold and maybe a new pickguard to make it look like a Sting Signature (or something close to it). I don't know if a 2 saddle bridge can be installed (or even if I should do it considering that everybody hates that kind of bridges. I've never played a bass with one so I can't tell.)
I don't know if I'm being stupid with all these "plans". I'm not experienced with music at all.
A sort of complication with these 2-saddle bridges is that they are string-through-body only, so you would also have to make that modification. My experience with making a bass (PB-50) string-through-body is that it improves the sound and sustain and that it makes the dead spots on the G string much less noticable, probably due to the higher pressure of the strings on the bridge saddles, which changes the way the entire bass (and neck) vibrates. A worth while mod IMO.
I wouldn't be too concerned about intonation problems, unless you like to play beyond the 12th fret often.
I wouldn't be too concerned about intonation problems, unless you like to play beyond the 12th fret often.
This is the official Fender bridge (picture Angela Instruments). 3 screw holes. I don't know if they match the stock bridge.
This is the official Fender bridge (picture Angela Instruments). 3 screw holes. I don't know if they match the stock bridge.
If anyone has done this mod i'd love to know. I've toyed with getting a PB50 once or twice just to do this and make my own Sting bass (without the Stinglay
)
It seems that a guy did it. I've read it in thomman's website.If anyone has done this mod i'd love to know. I've toyed with getting a PB50 once or twice just to do this and make my own Sting bass (without the Stinglay
"
Destined for different (if not greater ... not with my playing) things.
thomann
Total
características
som
acabamento
27.12.2015
Well, I bought this Bass after a discussion with a luthier friend at a summer party. The discussion was basically "how thomann good can a cheap bass be, and how good can you actually make it?".
I've always had a hankering for a 50's P Bass, and this seemed the perfect way to do it.
On arrival we were BOTH (my untrained eye and his expert eye) impressed thomann with the finish and construction. For the price, it's an AWESOME bass.
My luthier has sorted out many Fender and Gibson instruments that have been supplied with far more issues that this instrument did.
We were also impressed at the fact it came with a Wilkinson thomann Pickup and D'addario strings - how can they do it at that price! I used it at a rehearsal and a gig before handing it over to him. I think I may have invalidated the warranty at this point...but it's worth it. I have no intention of sending thomann it back.
He reshaped the Headstock to the proper 51/54 shape (Just enough room, then applying his own Decal), put on a 51 Style P Bridge and provided thru-body stringing. He didn't need to do a lot to the neck (a little fret finishing maybe) and made thomann a pearloid scratchplate before handing it back.
Biggest issue was that the jack plate was a little ill fitting, which he soon sorted. Tuners seem a little cheap construction wise, but they do the job well and I've seen far worse.
It is RAPIDLY becoming my thomann favorite bass. Everyone who grabs it can't believe how good it plays. Even with the extra work to customise it, it still cost far less than a Squier and has so much kudos."
If I put a 2 saddle bridge, I'll have to buy Super Long D'addario Chromes? They cost like U$ 98,00 in Amazon (with stupid Brazilian taxes, of course) and I won't be able to afford it now. The space between HB 50's bridge and it's neck seems to be a bit shorter than in a Squier CV 50's bass and the great majority of SCPBs
Ok
I've just been comparing the bridge/neck distance on the 60th Aniverse Fenders to PB-50.The Fender bridge plate are nearly half as long as the HB
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Harley Benton PB-50 SB Vintage Series
Both however seem to be same distance from the bottom strap button. I can appreciate the sales tax trouble,we're 23%
here in the UK.
I'm afraid that the Chromes that I have won't be long enough to pass trough the bridge. If that's the case, I won't change it for 2 saddles until I have money to buy new onesOk
The Fender bridge plate are nearly half as long as the HB
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Harley Benton PB-50 SB Vintage Series
Both however seem to be same distance from the bottom strap button. I can appreciate the sales tax trouble,we're 23%
here in the UK.
.Here in Brazil, we're 90,4% taxes and politicians steal billions from our money. I don't get why people don't rebel on the streets
. A Fender 60th Ann. 54 P-Bass would cost something like £ 6500,00 for example.If there's any grammar error, feel free to correct me. I'm not an english native speaker.
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I'm afraid that the Chromes that I have won't be long enough to pass trough the bridge. If that's the case, I won't change it for 2 saddles until I have money to buy new ones
Here in Brazil, we're 90,4% taxes and politicians divert billions from our money. I don't get why people don't rebel on the streets
If there's any grammar error, feel free to correct me. I'm not an english native speaker.
The only grammar I would change is the word "divert" for something that describes the reality
Thank you very much! Is it better now?The only grammar I would change is the word "divert" for something that describes the reality
" 90.4% " is outrageous !!
Photographs are a normal requirement for a Harley Benton Owners Club number but in your case I feel duty bound
to award one anyway. If you get the chance post a photo of your PB-50.
HBO #71 @gregorybarbosa
Photographs are a normal requirement for a Harley Benton Owners Club number but in your case I feel duty bound
to award one anyway. If you get the chance post a photo of your PB-50.
HBO #71 @gregorybarbosa
Would you believe that I'm waiting for the customs release the bass until now? The Carnaval slowed everything here(do you guys know what's Carnaval in the U.K?). As soon as it arrives to me, I'll be pleased to post photos from all possible angles, specially after the install of the 2-saddle bridge
Hahahaha, I forgot about it!Don't think there's anyone doesn't know about Carnaval. It's World famous
The bridge on my PB-50 enabled a string through setup, so I drilled the holes and put in the ferrules. It took approx. 3 cm off the string length which wasn't a problem.
