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NBM: Harley Benton Enhanced MP-5EB

#161
Stuart Hmm said:
MM pickup too loud? Probably wired in series. maybe you don't need to change the pickup, maybe all it needs is exchanging the places of 2 wires!
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That's exactly what I wanted to ask....I got a P-MM on which I managed to get the same volume from the two pu's , by leveling their heights. What I would like to know is if the MM pu comes wired in series from the manufacturer. I suspect that because it's got a lot of mids, while a classic MM pu should sound a little hollow when parallel wired.

Other than that the bass is very well-manufactured , and with some minor mods (like lighter tuners) it can be a winner.

P.S. : just my two cents on the (cheap) preamp: I found on mine that backing off a little both treble and bass controls makes the output and tone comparable to passive. On the center detent volume gets sensibly higher, making it difficult to switch back and forth during the same song.
 
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#163
And I said:
The tuners are in! Neck dive completely gone, probably a good half pound shaved off. Seriously those stock tuners are good but heavy!

As mentioned, drilling required, and it doesn't look pretty from the back. But get a load of the size difference!
View attachment 3507799

There is a grommet wedged into the post hole. It will need to be tapped out. I used a tiny crowbar and hammer. It does require some force, but I went slow and it all came out fine.
View attachment 3507801

I used the "put a piece of tape around the drill bit" method to mark the depth (and avoid drilling right through the headstock (which is a thing I would do)).
View attachment 3507806

Looks sweet from the front.
View attachment 3507804
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Outstanding.

which size Hipshots did you get?
 
#165
This bass has developed a problem. The open B string is buzzing against the zero fret. Looks like the nut has lifted ever so slightly from the neck... I'm using 40-120 guage strings, I believe it shipped with 45-125... seems counterintuitive but I believe the fix may be to file the nut slot a bit to get the string to sit a little bit lower and make full contact with the zero fret...
 
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#168
I just finished reading through this whole thread.

I’m strongly leaning towards buying one and a set of Hipshot Ultralites...

morrisonhendrix said:
BTW, having never replaced any tuners before, how would I go about figuring out what replacement tuners would fit this thing? I have some Hipshot ultra-lites on my Lakland DJ 5 and love them.
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I’m thinking about buying this bass to replace my DJ5. Would you mind taking a picture of them side-by-side?
 
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#170
Sorry about the crappy lighting. The flash on my phone didn't seem to help.

morrisonhendrix said:
Yeah, I can do that. The Lakland I bought here and it has a custom paint job with the painter's crappy name on the headstock . The Harley Benton has a string off as I've never finished working on it. I'll post the pic for you soon.
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20200120_183220.jpg
 
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#176
And I said:
Yes, I suppose I could've tagged you and made that clear... just curious if you lost interest or ran into issues.
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Yes, you are accurate on both accounts. I compared the 1/2" tuners to the dimensions published by Hipshot, going so far as to print their drawing to scale. Everything was within published tolerances. However, the headstock holes were larger than 1/2" which required either metallic tape around the shafts, rubber washers around the shafts, or both. I decided to do both to make them as secure as possible. During this time, I lost interest to a certain extent, as I couldn't figure out a good way to cut the metallic tape. Add to that I purchased a custom Kiesel P bass, the holidays, and life in general, and this is what you get. I'll get to it at some point.
 
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#177
i installed the 1/2" tuners with no problems. yes, the holes are slightly larger than the posts. it doesn't actually matter though when you put on the bolt from the front. they install just fine and work marvelously.

i'm sure that Kiesel made you forget all about everything else though... :)
 
#180
And I said:
@morrisonhendrix , this is totally normal. There's a washer and sheath thing that go over it and the sheath screws down. Even then, with no string on the post will have some wiggle to it.
View attachment 3679039
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Yes, I was aware of the washer and sheath. The one I have already installed has those and a rubber washer/ring underneath those to fit more snug. I was a little taken aback at the wiggle room in there though to begin with. Structurally, the design of fit doesn't seem the best with all the wiggle room. I do realize that once the string has tension, it's not going to move much. However, that puts more load on the side of the hole nearest the nut. I don't know, maybe it's much ado about nothing.
 
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