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What do you think? (Ric type Harley Benton)

JACink

JACink

Mar 9, 2011
5,271
7,363
Spain
#1
So with all this talk of counterfeit basses going on, I wondered what you guys thought of this.

I am not sure if anyone has posted this on here yet, but I didn't find it.

It is a new model from Harley Benton, and it seems to be rather Ric'like.

What do you guys think?

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It is a Harley Benton RB-414CS, for 248 €. Invalid Link Removed
 
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#2
So noone has an opinion on this bass, even if it is only to say "I don't like it"?

I guess I scared everyone away by mentioning counterfeit basses in the OP :). Please note that this is not a counterfeit bass, it is an actual model released by Harley Benton.
 
#3
It's a nice looking bass and a lot cheaper then the real deal. It's probably not as good as the real deal but people seem to love Harley Benton basses and I can't really blame them. Been tempted to buy one a couple of times but I have a bit of a problem with the headstock logo but that's just snobbery on my part.
 
#4
I'm not a fan of the aesthetics of Rics but there is something about this derivative that I quite like.

At a couple of hundred quid it might be an interesting one to try.
I have a Harley Benton EUB and it is a very nice piece of work, good quality construction, finish and sound as far as I can see and hear and also according to the teacher I went to for lessons -especially at under 400.00 euro for a non-upright player to venture into trying and as after taking some lessons and working away, it is sitting in a corner now and rarely touched!
 
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#5
Not a bad looking bass. The bridge, pickups, and pickguard look identical to the ones used on fake ricks shown on Aliexpress and Alibaba, so I'm sure its Chinese manufacture. This makes it a bit of crap shoot quality wise, could be fine, could be nice looking firewood. There is almost no way to know who is making the Chinese stuff any more, as the same bass can be labeled by a 100 different companies after manufacture. They are all made on the same CNC machines, so the neck and body alone are probably ok, and they do a decent job on finishes. If you count on upgrading electronics, maybe some fret work, you might get a great player for short money.
 
#6
Not my cup of tea, but I actually like that tamer shape better than the more disinctive Ric original.

As far as making instruments inspired by other brands I don't have a big problem with that unless it's an outright copy, and even worse with a copied label.
 
#7
I have a couple of Harley Bentons myself, and although the pickups are not the best, the overall quality of the basses are pretty good.

I don't think that this particular bass is very high on my GAS list, but then again, it would be a nice cheap addition to the collection.
 
#8
Ric-inspired, not a copy. I kinda like it, and it's a semihollow. Maybe that'd be a good platform for a Dark Star experiment (that I was just rambling about in the "cheap Ric sounding" thread).
 
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#9
Like JAcink I've a few Harley Bentons. Never had any problems with them and it's hardly a crap shoot quality wise.
Thomann are one of the biggest instrument retailers in Europe,sales are in the region of 600 million euros pa.

They get checked and if they miss a fault it gets replaced no questions,if you change your mind you have 30 days
to return it just cost you 10 euros and they give you 3 years warranty.

I've spent the last 24 hours thinking about pulling the trigger on one of these. It gets 1 more hour then I better make
up my mind.
 
#10
kodiakblair said:
Like JAcink I've a few Harley Bentons. Never had any problems with them and it's hardly a crap shoot quality wise.
Thomann are one of the biggest instrument retailers in Europe,sales are in the region of 600 million euros pa.

They get checked and if they miss a fault it gets replaced no questions,if you change your mind you have 30 days
to return it just cost you 10 euros and they give you 3 years warranty.

I've spent the last 24 hours thinking about pulling the trigger on one of these. It gets 1 more hour then I better make
up my mind.
Click to expand...

I am in the same boat, I just can't decide if I want one or not, the more I look at it, the more I like it. I suppose I had better stop looking at it, as I still have 20 days 8 hours and 15 minutes left to keep my promise of no basses in 2014!
 
#11
I emailed a fella in England about his and he thought it was great. Could review it on BC because of fear of
JH and the legal dept. Said it didn't sound like a Ric but gave him the vibe and that was enough for him.

Sounds like a good enough reason to me. My T 40's can give an almost Ric sound if I needed it.

No basses in 2014, I've broke that vow many times:).
 
#12
I really want to keep my promise this year, and I have made it this far...

So, I think the best option is to wait for you to buy it, see your review and sound samples, and then by that time it will be 2015! ;)
 
#13
Close enough to a Rickenbacker that I'm surprised they haven't taken notice. Good idea that they went with a traditional f hole instead of a Ric type.
Other than that, I'd buy one if I saw it hanging up in a store...even though I'd prefer a solid body in that bright Ric red with black hardware, or maybe walnut.
 
#15
Can't see Ric lawyers getting involved the bass has been for sale a few months and Thomann are a Ric distributor into the bargain.

Remember these aren't being sold by Aliexpress but are an own brand model sold by a large respected German company,the Danish
guy in charge of the guitar/bass development is switched on.The business model they use is they have a Chinese factory build say a
$100 bass and they'll sell them for $110.

Quite different from most others who get a $40 bass and sell for $150. The smaller profit margins pay-off in better reputation and higher
volumes of sales also repeat business. Myself and JACink aren't the only ones who own multiple Harley Bentons.

Oh and JACink I've a new vow. No more basses in 2014:D I've bought one and should have it by Mon/Tues. Let you know what I think
when it gets here.
 
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#17
FretNoMore said:
Is it that much Ric really? It's mainly the pickup and the pickguard, but maybe that's enough to get Ric's leayers salivating. :)
Click to expand...
If I saw someone on stage playing one, and couldn't quite make out the headstock, I'd think it was a Ric...or a copy. That's not exactly a P bass pickguard and the horns aren't EB-3 horns.
Regardless, I doubt they could sell them in the states.
 
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