On Thursday I became the proud father of my second son (16 years after the first one), and luck would have it that my first 6 string bass was also delivered. We just got home from the hospital today hence the N"B&B"D!!
First the important part...
A beautiful little boy that is healthy (after a bit of a scary birth) and looks just like his father:
Now, on to the bass...
I have been wanting a 6 string for a while now but I kept putting it off thinking it was probably just a phase of GAS. However, lately I have been working more and more on looping and the urge for a 6er kept growing.
On Black Friday I came accross a great deal on an Ibanez BTB846SC with 350€ off and I was very close to pulling the trigger. For some unknown reason, I actually managed to be sensible for once (maybe it was the incoming baby) and decided to opt for a cheaper 6 string and see if I really did get use out of it before upgrading.
I had been tempted by a Harley Benton B-650 for a while, mainly due to its 150€ price tag and decided to give it a go.
This is not my first HB and I have been satisfied with most of the ones I have had in my hands, but to be honest I wasn't especting much from a 150€ 6 string bass. My plan was (and still is) to refinish the bass as I am not madly in love with the looks but I was pleasantly suprised when I got it out of the box, it does look better in person than in photos.
The bass is advertised as being active/passive and has vol/balance/treble/bass. What I didn't expect was that the bass pot turns into a tone control when in passive mode.
The finish is ok, nothing spectacular but no noticeable flaws (except one that I will get to in a moment). Hardware is fine, nut is fine and it is actually pretty well set up out of the box.
The fret ends are a little sharp in places but that shouldn't take too much work to sort out and turn it into a pretty acceptable instrument as far as fit and finish.
I haven't had time to play it yet for more that 10 minutes of test run (you can probably understand it's been a little busy
) but the tone seems to be acceptable and the EQ works fine. I did find it a little anemic on the high C, but as I said, I just did a quick test drive to make sure everything works.
On a final note regarding the "noticeable flaw", I think I broke the record for the quickest ding ever. As I was getting it out of the box, I manage to drop it off the table and onto the hard tiled floor
Actually, the damage is pretty minor and has probably given me the excuse I needed to refin
First the important part...
A beautiful little boy that is healthy (after a bit of a scary birth) and looks just like his father:
Now, on to the bass...
I have been wanting a 6 string for a while now but I kept putting it off thinking it was probably just a phase of GAS. However, lately I have been working more and more on looping and the urge for a 6er kept growing.
On Black Friday I came accross a great deal on an Ibanez BTB846SC with 350€ off and I was very close to pulling the trigger. For some unknown reason, I actually managed to be sensible for once (maybe it was the incoming baby) and decided to opt for a cheaper 6 string and see if I really did get use out of it before upgrading.
I had been tempted by a Harley Benton B-650 for a while, mainly due to its 150€ price tag and decided to give it a go.
This is not my first HB and I have been satisfied with most of the ones I have had in my hands, but to be honest I wasn't especting much from a 150€ 6 string bass. My plan was (and still is) to refinish the bass as I am not madly in love with the looks but I was pleasantly suprised when I got it out of the box, it does look better in person than in photos.
The bass is advertised as being active/passive and has vol/balance/treble/bass. What I didn't expect was that the bass pot turns into a tone control when in passive mode.
The finish is ok, nothing spectacular but no noticeable flaws (except one that I will get to in a moment). Hardware is fine, nut is fine and it is actually pretty well set up out of the box.
The fret ends are a little sharp in places but that shouldn't take too much work to sort out and turn it into a pretty acceptable instrument as far as fit and finish.
I haven't had time to play it yet for more that 10 minutes of test run (you can probably understand it's been a little busy
) but the tone seems to be acceptable and the EQ works fine. I did find it a little anemic on the high C, but as I said, I just did a quick test drive to make sure everything works.On a final note regarding the "noticeable flaw", I think I broke the record for the quickest ding ever. As I was getting it out of the box, I manage to drop it off the table and onto the hard tiled floor
Actually, the damage is pretty minor and has probably given me the excuse I needed to refin
???? 
