Harley Benton MB5 SBK - Stealthy Stingray 5 Style on a Stingy Budget - LowEndLobster Review
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 5 ก.ย. 2024
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Hey Everyone! Today we're reviewing the Harley Benton MB5-SBK. We originally looked at the 4 string sunburst model back in late 2020, but this time we're adding a string and selecting the stealthiest finish available- flat black. How does this bass hold up to its sunburst four string counterpart? Let's find out!
Harley Benton MB4 Review: • Harley Benton MB-4 SB ...
This bass and all my other basses with rounds are strung with SIT Foundation Nickel Plated Stainless Steel 45-105(125) unless otherwise noted. Check them out at sitstrings.com/
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Thanks for giving such thorough reviews of budget instruments. With my current situation even an extremely budget bass like is a bit of an investment so it's great to hear the honesty. Also, It would be really great if you could give some examples in a mix with guitar or keys to hear how well it sits. Thanks again dude!
They really are making some decent stuff for the price! I had the HB shorty, and sold it about 6 months later. However, right before I sold it though I put on some new strings and then wished I hadn't put it up for sale. If anyone ever picks up a HB instrument, make sure to change the strings immediately! it makes such a huge difference. The bass was $80, but by the time it got to me, I paid $220. A good little bass!
I sure wish there was budget stuff like this 30 years ago when I was starting out on bass! That thing sound pretty darn good! Looking forward to your mod video.
I bought an MB5SBK a year ago because I needed a 5-string to cover a show. My 6-string was incapacitated at the moment so I needed something fast. At $130 I figured it sounds ok and I can make it to the end of the show, cool. If not I could use it for firewood or something. It sounded great! We had to mute it between songs because it had a little bit of hum but other than that, I was happy with it. I bought the 4-string version and a couple other Harley Benton basses since then
Hi Lobster. I bought an MB4-SBK and, at first, liked it a lot. It sounded great and looked fantastic. However, I found that the plastic nut slots were cut too deep. When I tried to tap out the nut in order to replace it, it would not budge. I tried prying it out, but it took a chunk of wood with it. Ouch! I glued the wood back in place and replaced thr nut with a Graph Tech. It now sounds better than when I first got it. Fortunately I can do minor repairs to a guitar. If a beginner had a repairman fix it, it would cost more than the instrument itself. Love your TH-cam channel. Keep up the good work.
Thank you for sharing! It looks like QC is still a little iffy in some areas with these.
I should add that I have a five year-old HB Beat Bass which is quite good all around. Sounds great and no issues whatsoever.
Got one of these in 4 string and one in 5. Rewired them with replica 77 tone circuit off of eBay (using the original decommissioned ICs) - beefs up the sound amazingly and really took me back to the actual 77 Stingray that I had once upon a time. I've rarely had fret finish issues like that on any of the HBs that I've ordered. Thanks again for another excellent review!
can you post a link to the replica 77 circuit you bought from ebay?
@@Bluestomiv This was the item name - link is dead: *NEW* MusicMan StingRay 2-band Active PreAmp , EQ for Bass Guitar
@@TRtribal Found it, thank you very much.
Ive just thought about buying a new 5 string and had my eyes on this.. and now you just put out a video on it! Hopin for the best
Love this channel. So underrated
Lobsterites fo life
Thank you Jack!
would love to see a mod series on this bass
It sounds and looks great. I just wish there was a more expensive / higher quality version of this bass, that you could actually use for gigging and recording out of the box without having to repair / customize it right away to make it playable.
Great review! I just got mine and I absolutely love it. As a guitarist that just wanted a cheap bass to record demo's this was an absolute steal, and the fretwork on mine was actually pretty good, no rough edges or anything. Definitely recommend it!
lol that’s one of the main reasons I wanted a bass as well. I’m getting a 7 string at some point so I figured it was best to get a 5 string bass.
I find that a good setup is the biggest factor in a b string being good. I've got 34 and 35" basses with a nice tight b string. A well cut nut makes a massive difference ime.
Some friends and I just pitched in and bought a friend the lefty PB-20 with the same stealth finish. The frets and everything else on it were flawless. There was a little rough edge on the nut and that was the only flaw I can find. Worked great out of the box, but I'm gonna rewire it with a Seymour QP and Mojotone cap anyway.
I was so impressed with it, that I bought the PB-50 for myself just for fun. I hope it's as good as the other I got. That said, I'm replacing everything on it just about but the frets. All gold hw and the equivalent Seymour pup. :)
Awesome! Happy modding, Seth!
Thanks to this video.. I bought the mb5 . feels really great. Coming from playing the high end Yamaha basses. This mb5 gives me an ease to not worry about damaging or being more careful with the instruments.
Think of putting a Delano with series and parallel option. Feels great stock too
That bass sounds really good for a passive one!!! I like the look of the finish on the body and neck. That's a steal for $130!!!!!!
I've got that one and while it's certainly nice enough, mine came with a lot of issues. I had to do full fretwork, nut filing, put in a shim, the works. I added a series/parallel switch that, somehow, just makes the (already muddy) pickup, muddier in series mode. It'll probably be a lot better with a better pickup but I doubt most drop in MM replacement pickups would be ideal, considering the string spacing (which I do like, to be honest). All in all, it's not bad but it could certainly be way better.
Good call, Lobster.
I also much prefer the sunburst finish and maple fretboard of the MB-4.
I think Squire was offering a Jazz bass with much the same finish that was less than stellar.
I noodled around on one tonight, without plugging it in. Surprisingly great build quality and components for the price. I would compare it favorably to a Squier Affinity, or maybe even approaching the Classic Vibes.
The Ray34 I played *obliterated* it, but those are over 3x the price!
thank you for the review. i’m a huge fan of the stingray but i’m a keyboard player and i would rather buy a fender rhodes than a musicman haha… but i just ordered this bass from thomann as my first bought bass. can’t wait to play it
Watching you struggle with a pick while shredding with fingers and slapping.. makes me feel better about my own playing. I try to use both pick and fingers, but I am years behind you still ! LoL No matter how much we know, there is always room to learn more. Don't despair if you are just starting your journey new players! Thanks for the vid as always LEL
Thanks man! I try to shy away from being a perfectionist with my playing in these vids. I feel it's more authentic when nothing is pre recorded or over produced. Nothing to be ashamed of!
@@LowEndLobster Absolutely.. keep up the great content for us freeloaders! LOL cheers!
This bass sounds great!! I’m really impressed by the B String too. Quite solid.
Low End Lobster!! The biggest arms in bassdom💪, man that low B sounds exceptional! Your playing has really blossomed recently... great timing, cheers
Thank you!
Awesome review, lobster. 😎🤘🏻🎸 I remember seeing these basses on a couple clips and I thought it sounded pretty cool. The back of the bass reminds me of the the schecter stiletto stealth and the Yamaha bb735a. For a passive bass at an affordable price, it sounds phenomenal.
Plus I’m being reminded of a Fernandes atlas 5x. It was Fernandes’s take on of a stingray bass. Just like that Harley Benton bass, the atlas 5x sounds phenomenal for a passive stingray styled bass. Wish I’ve kept it. Anywho, great sounding bass.
Hi Lobster, thanks for the review. For the money, it certainly seems an excellent value. However as a relatively new bass player, my philosophy tends toward buying a better bass with greater resale value. If I don't like it or if heaven forbid, if I decided that the bass was not for me, I can sell for decent money back. Also a quality instrument may be more playable and therefor more enjoyable, even for a beginner.
I don't know about the resale value but he HB is very good for the price. i was going get a HB to learn on, then a Squire, then a Fender. now I'm going to miss out the Squire and go straight to a Fender, the NB is that good.
I have rhis bass in sunburst. Highly playable straight out of the box. Same issue of jagged fret wires. I concur that low B sounds tight and respectable; upper register is a little too bright for my taste. Your suggestion to combine shipping cost is a good one - I paid about $215 total for this instrument.
I bought the 4 string version of this bass and sadly I had the same experience with fret issues you did. Once the luthier fixed it, the bass plays and sounds great but I sadly had to almost pay the price of the bass to get the frets fixed, lol.
Fret files are your friend! Dressing fret ends is not hard to do, but it is time consuming.
I would be curious to see this bass versus a sub bass 🤔
I love your videos. This one is very inspirational,. The first thing I would do is change the middle knob (Bridge coil) to a series parallel switch. The other thing I wish you would do is play along with some minus bass tracks so we can hear what it would sound like recorded or just with a band.
I love your videos.
We’re living in a “golden age” for music gear. When I started playing at the ah, tender age of 15, there were not a lot of options for low price or intro electronic instruments. Sadly that ruled out many kids dreams of learning to play bass. I’m impressed at the quality available at this price. And the added few bucks for a fret file…
I bought an Ibanez medium scale last year just to check it out and the fret sprout shredded my hand when I first picked it up. I was surprised. I never bought an Ibanez instrument before but I thought their QC was better than that. Of course wood does expand and contract due to weather conditions but this was pretty bad.
Golden age my ass. If you buy any 10 basses for under 500€ they come with major flaws like shit electronics, shit material used for the bridge and tuning keys, not to mention the extremely horrible setup and the fact that 5/10 come broken, unplayable etc. And the sad part is this can happen to the higher end musical instruments too. This is a shit age for music gear except (maybe) for amps.
@@stefaneduard8169 gotta comprise somehow cobba, you'd be surprised how far a little tlc can go
@@stefaneduard8169 I seen to have struck a nerve… These basses seem to be acceptable starter instruments. That is what I’m talking about. There are also new manufacturers of recording gear that function just as well as the pieces that they are modeled on at significantly lower prices. I can personally attest to the quality of these products from Black Lion Audio, Warm Audio, ART and some others. There are comments here from people who use these low priced basses for gigs regularly and don’t seem to think that they are “shit”. Maybe your experience has been different and that’s unfortunate.
I know if a very good proctologist too if you need a consultation…
All in fun you know.
Some sweet playing Lobster! The first sounds we hear you play went all chordal and lovely, very nice. That sounds pretty good slapped!
About to start on my HB pb20 project, once the neck shims turn up from stewmac
I have the 4 string. I like it. Change the strings IMMEDIATELY.
With your love of Stingray style basses, surprised you haven't gotten a G&L Kiloton on your channel yet!
Lace Alumitone + ToneMonster 3 band EQ = WIN
Unbelievable what $130 can get you these days; I would gig with that bass as is never mind with the cool mods
Hey Lobster, quick question. Do you feel that your Orange amp adds a coloration to the tone of the basses you demo? The tone you get is generally pristine across all instruments you play for your show. Thanks for all your great reviews.
Great question Gerald! I find there's a little bit of vintage coloring, but overall it sounds pretty natural and consistent in its delivery of the tones. It was honestly kind of a fluke as I purchased this when I started the channel as a cheap amp with a line out, but I've really enjoyed working with it over the past two years. I actually planned on replacing it for the two year anniversary with a more 'robust' setup, but I ended up going back because the Orange just delivers exactly what I'm looking for in my videos.
@@LowEndLobster it's really helpful that you use the same amp in every demo to get that consistent level of comparison
6:20 beautiful moment ❤
I have the HB M5 SBK and the only thing you need to change is the electronics, the rest its ok.
Good quallity for the price.
thank you for the review. liked and subscribed
I wonder if a quad coil humbucker with a switch for series/paralleled/p-bass pickup config would be possible. Anyway I would love a full mod video on this bass :)
Bought this bass a month ago, still waiting for delivery. Hopefully, one day soon...
Just bought one of these for like 108 bucks and there a 2band preamp copy from eBay for like90 bucks in it. A little darker than my ray34 but sounds great with the upgrades
I have the bass in another color...and there is quite an audible difference between the coil near the bridge and the coil towards the neck!
Nice review again bro ! I've bought this one few month ago, and I love it ( no frets issues, finish perfect), the low b is killer and I love the sound. I own other most expensive basses, but this one is special. You said you think change the pickup, imo the pickup sounds good. I've thought put an active preamp ( Noll 2 band). But I think I will let this bass passive. A good solution is a bass varitone like stellar tone. What do you think about this solution ?
Love the Andrew Callaghan shirt!
Fret work on my 4 string version of this was awful too, sharp fret ends like you said and also a nasty bit of unlevelled 7th fret around the A and D strings which really ruins it to be honest. The tuners do seem very cheap to the touch but honestly it stays in tune quite well. The nut seems to be a bit of an issue too, looks badly made and installed. The sound of it is actually good if a little shy in the bass frequencies. Overall I think that this would be something to try modding yourself if you fancy, it’s not too difficult to smooth the fret ends and change the tuners but I think that throwing any money after one of these once bought defeats the purpose of buying something cheap, If you’re going to spend money on this just why not get a SUB? If you’re hoping you get one that needs a bit of work you would be prepared to do yourself then crack on!
I take this on the road as a back up, and even as the main for some songs. No complaints for the most part, except for the low range intonation. It was just HORRIBLE, and in my experience, this is a chronic Harley Benton problem. I had to shave the nut quite significantly in order to get the low range intonation right.
But hey, sub 150!
Ya so I dig all the mat black finishes. Bummer it's not a better finish
Thanks. Killer B string. Upgrade the electronics later.
Hmmm, wonder if there is QC problem with the fretboard on these HB 'Musicman' Basses. I have the 4 string flat black MB-4. It played fine out of the box but the action was waaaay high. And the fret ends were a bit scratchy but not unplayable. But when I lowered the action down to something more reasonable the E and A strings started to buzz terribly, though the D and G were fine. It's like they just didn't even bother to hammer down frets on the low side of the fret board. When I did a fret rocker test it was like a roller coaster of uneven frets all the way down the board. So, I had to do a complete fret leveling and fret end dressing. Having never done it before I took my time and spent a good 8 hours sanding, filing, and polishing everything. Now, it actually has a better fretboard than the Marcus Miller M5 bass I just bought last week :) On one hand, it was a pain to have to fix a bass I just bought. But on the other, it was actually kind of nice little, Zen like experience, to listen to some music while I studiously shape each individual fret to my liking. My next plans for the MB4 is to replace the pickup with a Nordstrand Quad Coil and replace one of the volume pots with a push/pull for complete Parallel/Series/Single Coil control.
It seems like the 16.5 spacing keeps the G string on the fretboard. 17.5 on the Musicman 5 makes for some sitar like edge of the fretboard moments. Loved them otherwise.
Great reviews. Keep it up!
right now they charging crazy shipping cost to NY state 100 bucks for one bass
This is true. I always recommend snagging multiple. 120 or so bucks for shipping 3 basses is a lot easier to stomach than 100 for 1.
Thank you for your effort and hard work on testing all those instruments for us. I am a part-time player and don't have need for some expensive instrument, so I bought this bass. It is pretty OK for my needs. After a while, like it is always the case, I wished to change something, in this case strings and pickup. I'd like this guitar to stay passive, so I'll wish to buy Seymour Duncan SMB-5A and DR Sunbeams or Hi-Beam. Is this a good step? Do you have some other advice or suggestion? Cheers.
Hi Lobster. Great review :)
I'm waiting for that same model in sunburst (awfully slow postage :( ), and I didn't know beforehand that the string spacing is THAT narrow. I've hoped for 17.5mm. But considering it was intended to be a project from the beginning, it might get a new bridge. So, do you think it could by chance accomodate any 17.5-18mm spacing bridge without drilling? Thank you!
Thanks Pavel! Great question. I can't guarantee that you won't need to drill, but the G&L 5 string bridge is 17.5mm and can be purchased from their site and is much cheaper than the hipshot alternative.
You will have to route a 1/2 channel to use the G&L bridge unless you want to grind the tone block off the back of the bridge fyi.
This is Shadow the Hedgehog's Bass
Bass sounds great actually. The strings make all the difference in tone and playability I bet. Shame about the fret ends. If that wasn’t an issue it would be a better value since mods would be in line. But I’d rather just buy a better instrument as mods would not be cost effective IMHO. Great for a student though.
I like the bass. Hate that color, tho. I would get it “professionally” painted alpine white (my fav). Then replace the electronics with a Nordstrand 2bd EQ with a active/passive option. (Again, MY fav) I wish HB would pay attention to QC, tho. I wanted a EBMM classic 5 but the used ones are still over $1k and the SBMM are a little heavy. But all ‘n all; a nice bass. Just fixed the fret problem.😕🎶👍🏾
That Bass sounds good for the money
At 130 bucks one should expect to do some work it. $500 + price point will just be "season to taste "
Looks sweet though.
The Tortoise pick guard on a matte black color just makes me feel off lol, put a black pickguard or at least a metal plate like the old MM SUB basses
Yeah, it looks weird. I have a gloss black G&L with the tortoise pickguard and to me it looks great.
@@sd3falco gloss black does work imo or even with a sunburst finish, personally I ain’t a fan of tortoise or abalone pickguards, I’m more of a pearloid/mother of pearl type of guy 😅
Nice shirt, my dude.
Thank you!
Hey Lobster, dig the channel and this review. I just picked one of these up. The fretwork isn't as bad as the one you got and all around it's solid for the price. What do you think about the difference between this one and a Sterling Ray5? As a lefty, I don't get the option for the Ray 35.
Also, If I were to mod the one I have, other than It seems all the 5-string replacement pickups have a different shape (full rectangles, as opposed to the side tabs) so I'd have to modify the pickguard, If I don't want to route through the body for a preamp battery box, would getting a 2 knob setup (vol, tone, or vol, stacked b/t) leave enough room in the cavity for a battery, and besides it not being as convenient as a door on the back, would this present any problems electronically? Also, Master Effects has a couple of "EBMM type" preamps in pedal form. What are your thoughts, if any, on those? Thanks, Lobster. Keep up the awesome work!
Hi Lobster, I'm looking at the SBK4 and the Ray4. Which do you think is the better choice? Love your reviews! Did you ever mod this bass?
Hey Lobster, if you get a chance, I'd love for you to compare a USA Music Man 5 string to the Sterling by Music Man 5. In my experience, the SBMM has slightly better playability because the G-string isn't as prone to slip off the edge of the fingerboard. I've always had problems with that on the US models - especially on the "specials" since they have stainless steel frets.
I haven't had a chance to play them back-to-back so I'm not sure if the SBMM 5 string has a slightly wider fretboard, or if the frets are just cut differently. Anyway, just an idea for a future video!
channel 5!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Lovin the shirt!
Thanks! I got this bass some time ago, and have been having sooo much fun with it. I ditched the middle pot, and put a serial/parallel switch there. I also covered the pickguard with a black matte vinyl sticker for a more unified, stealthy look. It looks like banger, and plays like a dream. The frets are slightly uneven, but I expected to need to give it a fret job. In the end, for the money, it's a great bass, and my main instrument right now. What pickup would you recommend I put there? I'm aiming for passive, and mostly play parallel.
hello, for disco , soul, rnb this one is ok? or Pbass dunno
@@lartisan6274 both are great for this kind of music. This one is more present and audible in the mix, while a p-bass will be more hidden behind other instruments, while still providing all the bass foundation, that this kind of music needs. If you want to get a p-bass, get a pj instead, it has a p-bass tone + another pickup, for a wider variety of sounds. Both p-bass and mm style basses are basically one-trick ponnies (although they do their jobs perfectly).
@@qkimat ah thank you for the reply, i wish buy a harley benton, there also Jazzbass Oo for this kind of sound th-cam.com/video/OPkjnRIdQXQ/w-d-xo.html
th-cam.com/video/jG6RnLVX07I/w-d-xo.html
th-cam.com/video/Vc8sR60pwtA/w-d-xo.html
th-cam.com/video/lhL1lUzmjcs/w-d-xo.html a sound round, warm, with sub.
PLEAASSSSSE I SO WANT THIS BASS. HELP ME!!!!! PLEASE!!!!!!!!!!
Will you do a review of the player fender precision?
Sharp fret ends is called sprouting in fretwork circles.
True, though only when the fret sprout is caused by shrinkage of the board. This wasn't sprout though, as the pic showed there was excess metal at the end of the frets that was VERY sharp and uneven. It's as if the fret wire was cut and put in place but the ends were never filed at the factory. Honestly haven't seen another HB like this, so I think it must have missed a QC station along the line somewhere.
What's your take on basswood?
It gets a lot of hate for being cheap, and I don't agree with that. It's a good lightweight wood, and quality basswood has been used in quality instruments for a long time. Cheap wood is cheap wood regardless.
Do you think this is a good, well rounded bass for different genres. Also would it hold up to drop tunings with metal type music?
It does sound good...
What pickup replacement would be appropriate given the string spacing? I’ve read of people having issues attempting such a thing having a hard time finding poles that line up correctly
Hi lobster have you ever thought of reviewing barefaced cabinets?
This bass is crying out for a G&L L1000 style control layout - with a series/parallel switch thrown in.
I wish more basses did that. I feel like basses like the Kiloton don't really get to use the series mode to the fullest because the MFDs are already so hot, and the L1k circuit can truly tame the low end (which can get a little out of control on the hotter settings).
@@LowEndLobster - Do it, do it, do it!!!
I've bought the sunburst version. Stringspacing is too narrow so I ordered a bridge via Amazon. In my case the frets needed to be leveled, so a full job. But for the money what could get wrong?
It sounds ON the Ball! ;oP
Eyoooo! I see what you did there!
@@LowEndLobster ;oP
Maybe the Harley Benton PB-20 SBK (P-Bass) has the same quality.... I dont have it, maybe I'm wrong.
45 - 105 strings?
45-125
@@LowEndLobster your rep is solid, we’ll let it slide. 😉
How does the truss rod do?
Does this bass have any boomy resonances across the fretboard while playing?
Can you please adjust the truss rod for at least 2 times and come back with the results? I got a $500 cort bass with markbass electronics, active/passive switch, bartolini mk1 etc. so it sounds amazing, but after adjusting the truss rod for a 3rd time, the truss rod got stuck and the screw broke. :(
My budget is really, really tight and can't afford to buy a $1k bass guitar and I'd appreciate if you'd tell me if this harley benton has ok build quality regarding the truss rod & the neck.
Good bass good inaf for this price
Cool
Hey Lobster! What would you say it's the best sub-200 5 string bass from Harley Benton (or any other brand) that you have tried out?
Btw, I'm also considering going 4 string but BEAD. Maybe getting a good 4 string and getting a replacement nut for it would make it work.
hey anyone tell me what is the red bass in the background, what looks like a 5 string
That's my Valenti 5 string
Did you end up modding this thing? I bought one about a year ago and I can't get any volume out of it. It's absolutely useless to me as I am not a modder. The neck on mine was pretty good and I'm used to my #1 being a Warwick so the spacing was good for me. But the sound... and the eq... is just ridiculous. Did I just get a dud? A dud?
Did you ever get it fixed?
My pickup height was miles too high when I ordered the 2 humbucker version and it was super loud and boomy, maybe yours was too low?
@shaunstephen9761 Nope it's still sitting here with the tag still on it. The pickup height seems about right. I have the double pickup one too. That one is ok besides the sharp fret edges. I need to smooth those down but other than that it works.
how you feel about this vs the ivy
This, though the Ivy has a larger control cavity
118 bucks haha thats amazing
Is this passive?
Yes
@@LowEndLobster Hmmm, I’m going to have to change that. Haha
.045" to .105"????
It's a 5 string not a 4 string.
He said .45 to .125
No, better listen again....
I swore I said .125 when I was editing too hahaha
@@LowEndLobster We still love you and your incredible reviews!!!!!!
@@grantkoeller8911 he said .125 the second time after he first played the bass, so we both were right :P
b string is not good...sounds dead.
I have it and I hate it, it LITERALLY HAS NO LOW END. Both the B and E string sound like they have been through the most powerful high pass filter. Makes me throw up just thinking about the tone of this bass… And the string spacing makes it feel like a damn guitar🤢
Hi lobster 🦞 I just bought one of these . Is there a particular pre amp/pick up combo you recommended? Or is there just a pick up and wiring configuration you recommend? Thanks keep up the good work 👍👏
I like the idea of the series parallel switch too do you know of one I could drop in without too much trouble??