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NBD! Harley Benton PJ Deluxe

Gustopher

Gustopher

Jul 30, 2018
1,581
4,047
#1
Picked up this beauty last night at my local shop. I had been really looking for a P-bass or a PJ and this thing feels and sounds fantastic. The fit and finish are miles ahead of the price and I am in love with it already. Going to tinker a little change the pickups and pots, but it doesn't really need any of that as it is. I'll get some more pics uploaded soon, I was too busy playing it last night to do much else! Came with a sweet Gator soft case (not a gig bag, but not a hard shell) and was a deal of a price too. I kind of have an idea to go with a blue pearl pickguard, I think it would look great with the cream color.
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#2
Could not agree more regarding fit and finish! Snatched the 5 string version up on a whim last week and this guy blows away all the non-USA Fenders I've owned. Needs a little cavity shielding, and tuners could be improved, but other than that, this 5 string PJ that comes in under 9 lbs, with low action, clean fretboard, and dare I say flawless finish is a GEM!

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#3
i love the PJs --- and yours looks delicious, OP! sounds like you got a helluva deal, too --- all the sweeter. i'm thinking that ax would look good with almost any pickguard but a blue pearl pg would look great. congratulations on your new instrument! :thumbsup:
 
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#4
Gustopher said:
Picked up this beauty last night at my local shop. I had been really looking for a P-bass or a PJ and this thing feels and sounds fantastic. The fit and finish are miles ahead of the price and I am in love with it already. Going to tinker a little change the pickups and pots, but it doesn't really need any of that as it is. I'll get some more pics uploaded soon, I was too busy playing it last night to do much else! Came with a sweet Gator soft case (not a gig bag, but not a hard shell) and was a deal of a price too. I kind of have an idea to go with a blue pearl pickguard, I think it would look great with the cream color.
View attachment 3720589 View attachment 3720590 View attachment 3720591 View attachment 3720575
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A lot of people say the J pickup in the Fender Special Edition Deluxe PJ Bass, for example, underperforms in conjunction with the P pickup...in other words, it's not quite loud enough.
How does the J pickup sound in that yours?
 
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#5
jd56hawk said:
A lot of people say the J pickup in the Fender Special Edition Deluxe PJ Bass, for example, underperforms in conjunction with the P pickup...in other words, it's not quite loud enough.
How does the J pickup sound in that yours?
Click to expand...
The J is a bit weaker, but has a nice honky tone that I am liking. I usually have been just running the P wide open and the J off with the tone control dimed. It really sits well in the mix. I was going to replace the pickups, but after a couple of rehearsals with the band, I am kind of afraid to touch anything, it really sounds good as it is.
 
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#6
Ppl L
Gustopher said:
The J is a bit weaker, but has a nice honky tone that I am liking. I usually have been just running the P wide open and the J off with the tone control dimed. It really sits well in the mix. I was going to replace the pickups, but after a couple of rehearsals with the band, I am kind of afraid to touch anything, it really sounds good as it is.
Click to expand...
Might be a good idea to keep it as it is.
I'd change strings, always do, and maybe just pick up one of these...the price is ridiculously low.
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#7
JoeDoe said:
Could not agree more regarding fit and finish! Snatched the 5 string version up on a whim last week and this guy blows away all the non-USA Fenders I've owned. Needs a little cavity shielding, and tuners could be improved, but other than that, this 5 string PJ that comes in under 9 lbs, with low action, clean fretboard, and dare I say flawless finish is a GEM!

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That's high praise, indeed! I've been looking for a budget 5 to dip my toe into the water since I never really know what key our worship team will be in until Sunday morning. This wasn't even on my radar until today. Looks like a great value!
When you say it blows away all non-USA Fenders are you talking fit and finish or sound? Also, how is the B string?
Thanks for bringing this to my attention!
 
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#9
PlatoFunFactory said:
That's high praise, indeed! I've been looking for a budget 5 to dip my toe into the water since I never really know what key our worship team will be in until Sunday morning. This wasn't even on my radar until today. Looks like a great value!
When you say it blows away all non-USA Fenders are you talking fit and finish or sound? Also, how is the B string?
Thanks for bringing this to my attention!
Click to expand...

I just barely got one of those 5 strings in today -- and they're pretty sweet! I think I'd upgrade the pups before playing a show with them but ya never know...tone's pretty subjective and you might find it giggable right out of the box.
 

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