Harley Benton MM-85A Review - Sweet Stingray Substitute or Spread Too Thin? - LowEndLobster Review
ฝัง
- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 5 ก.ย. 2024
- Looking to snag one of these basses? Use my Reverb affiliate link!- reverb.grsm.io...
Hey everyone! Today we're going to be reviewing the Harley Benton MM-85A, the active 24 fret double humbucker variant of the Harley Benton "Stingray" bass. With a three band preamp, two music man style humbuckers, and a 5 way selector switch in the vein of the HH stingrays... Is this the budget ray to get? Let's find out!
Harley Benton MM-85A: www.thomannmus...
This bass and all my other basses with rounds are strung with MJC Ironworks Nickel Plated Stainless Steel 45-105(125) unless otherwise noted. Check them out at www.mjcironworks.com
Info on my signal chain, setup and more: • FAQ: My Signal Chain, ...
Discord: discord.gg/dzrFMzD
Facebook: LowEndLobster
Twitter: @LowEndLobster
Instagram: LowEndLobster
Reverb Shop: reverb.com/shop/lowendlobster
This bass went through better QA than the Charvel you tested and that was a much more expensive bass.
I’d seen the bass before and thought it looked pretty cool but after seeing that quality control I’d rather spend my money elsewhere.
@@Eatmybunghole a good setup at a guitar shop costs 30-40 bucks, still not worth paying 450 or over for sterling or anything
I remember Patrick Hunter and the guys from the Bass Channel going out to Thomann and doing a head to head comparison between a number of Stingrays and clones. I think they were all the H style as opposed to HH, but their overwhelming comment that the HB Stingrays were amazing for the money and still solid even when you took the cost out of the equation. I have my eye on a number of HBs as a way to try out other things and/or use them as modding platforms because even with the shipping, the price is just too damned good.
I'd have to respectfully disagree with them. I had a top of the line Harley Benton MPB4 enhanced with an MM style humbucker and compared to my stingray it wasn't even close in tone or volume. Even when I compressed and put it through a good preamp it still sounded worse
@@ileutur6863 According to some other vids, the HB Enhanced JH Model also has powerful pups like it's PH counterpart w/o the pup problem. The J pup also sounded very beefy like a P pup.
I'm not a Musicman user, but I actually do like this bass; the tones all sounded really usable.
And if you look at the pickups in relation to the 12th fret, they're both in the same position as a regular Musicman. Its only the addition of the extra frets, and the longer baseplate of the bridge which make it look a bit off.
But as per usual from HB, well worth the money they're asking.
Just wish they'd make short and medium scale 5 strings now.....
It sounds great. EBMM SUB has a SS H model that isn't expensive either. Or the Sterling for around $500
The perfect timing of your cat staring in bewilderment at the bass as you explain it doesn't look exactly like a real Stingray is absolutely priceless LOL Great review!
Regardless of the number of frets the distance between the bridge and nut will be the same for any given scale. In this case they pushed the neck out further which means the bridge had to follow, if the bridge was in the usual position the neck would be about half way through the neck pick-up... I like the single pick-up version of this bass....
NBD - Based on Lobster's review above, I bought one of these. I have an actual Stingray (1979) and a SUB (2013). I went through two OLP 5 strings, a passive one and the Tony Levin signature and never really bonded with either one. I also have a Carvin LB75 (5 string) and an Electra Phoenix 5, so this one has tough company. I have nothing to add to Lobster's review, except that I will rewire the selector switch at some point. If you buy this with the idea of modifying the electronics, when you take off the rear control cavity cover you may be surprised when you see that the cavity is cut right through the body. In other words, the controls attach to the front panel and the panel secures to the bass, but if you remove the panel, you can see right through. A novel approach. The cavity is not lined, which explains the hum in some selector positions. I am not in love with the neck. Both the Carvin and Electra have much better profiles. I am not sure why HB chose to make such a thick neck. Do people prefer necks that way? I can't imagine its that much of a cost factor. Beats me. So, I would certainly recommend this bass as a great beginner instrument, and an inexpensive mod platform. Just make sure you can handle the thick neck profile. BTW, my rule of thumb for mods is never spend as much on mods as the bass costs. Putting expensive mods on a cheap instrument is a major error in judgment. So, I keep my mods in line. I might add a $40 preamp to a passive instrument, and I will certainly change a cheap bridge to a better one, but my idea of "better" is the super high mass bridge that Rondo Music sells for a whopping $20. And of course, change the strings, but that's about it.
It might be an idea to remove the neck humbucker get a custom pickguard made which eliminates the neck pickup and replace the 5 way switch with a 3 way to give you bridge coil, both coils in parallel and both coils in series
yeah but he could just put it in the bridge position, unless you are talking about replacing the humbuckers
I actually have opportunity to compare it to 5 string Sterling in my friends studio. HB feels bulkier, and has much more of neck dive (the neck profile is enormous), but in blind tests, all three of us preffered sound of HB. It is much bigger on low end, the sound is massive, but still clear. Sterling sounds very flat in comparison, however it is more comfortable with thinner neck. Intonation, surprisingly, was impeccable on both basses.
Awesome video. As a Sterling Ray4 owner, I was intrigued. If I got this, I’d have to change how the 5 way switch works and add more copper shielding to lessen the hum.
Thanks Everett!
Just got my new Ray4HH last week. I love the thing, the tones on position 1, 2 & 3 sound so good.
The real think for me please! I thought the mods were going to be an urgent matter but other than the tuning machines and the strings, I am going to enjoy my SUB the way it is for a little while.
Congrats on your new bass! Enjoy it :)
$200 plus $70 shipping that is. Better off with a Sterling Sub ray 5 HH at $399 and free shipping and no neck dive. I would love the 24 frets myself.Thanks for mentioning the weight of the basses and please mention the weight of the basses in other videos!! Great work, Lobster!
Agreed, the Sterling Ray5HH is a superior instrument and value. HB is trying to emulate it here, but it really misses the mark in most regards.
Huzzah! Three Lobster videos in one morning. I have been totally "Lobsterized" now. You may want to include a 1 pound lead weight on the body as part of the upgrades for this bass. That way it will balance better. For my money........I'll take the traditional setup. Thanks Lobster. Cheers.
I LOVE your kitty. 23:57 you can hear her purring !
OK, I've never been a fan of Stingray basses. BUT, I could NEVER build this for $200. I like the 24 frets. I thought the bass sounded great, and like you said the slap-less ability does take it down two claws.
If I were a kid starting out, I'd take this over a Squier everytime.
Thank you! She has a VERY loud purr hahaha. Indeed, it's a solid value with a simple enough control setup and lots of usable tones.
Thanks for this critical review, I ordered one today while working, love the 24th fret and active electronics.
Sound is noble.
I love basses that sligtly diverge from the original soundwise as I got fed up with it, that's why I also dig my Ibanez ATK.
Humbucker close to the neck is ok for me, because it feels like a 'slapping ramp' to me.
Anyway cheers classy dude
I really love this bass. I like modding guitars and this sounds so nice.
Lobster is the #1 Stingray man on YT
Surprising to me?! Bottom line is it does sound pretty good overall and the pre-amp actually did what it was intended to. Most cheap pre-amps may have a lot of knobs and settings but do little to alter the tone. The single coil switch position options are really annoying with the heavy hum on this bass though even with single coil on both pickups combined?? Those are generally my favorite settings for many situations with my Sterling Ray5HH SUB.
Yeah the single coil bits were definitely annoying. I think the wiring of the 5 way switch was a bit more haphazardly done compared to the Ray4/5HH
Awesome video, as always. There's not a lot of HB "stingrays" reviews, and this one is very complete and clear. Side Note: That fretless stingray on the wall gives me goosebumps !! :)~
It doesn't sound bad at all, considering the price! I actually like it, and position 5 sounds convincing. I still have doubts about the playability, but I don't think I will have the chance to try one of those. Good review as usual!
Sounds as good as basically any LG HH equipped bass.
Sounds pretty good! I considered one of these, but went with the Sterling SUB Ray5. The neck on that SUB is really nice, and I couldn't get over the odd proportions of the Harley Benton. Nice shirt, BTW!
I’ve always been put off by the extremely low price tag on these- makes me think that they’re too cheap to be worth anything, but your playing suggests otherwise. Recommended it to my mate who’s just started learning bass
Thanks Deer! I've found HBs to be hit or miss depending on the model and config. The 'Stingray' ones IMO are some of their better instruments. More Harley Bentons coming :)
Thank you for the nice review ! 👍
Got that bass back in February, in part thanks to Bully's videos ^^
Used it in many of my published videos, but I still prefer to play with my PB-20 SBK ...
Knobs were tilted, frets are not too bad (they are better on my much cheaper PB-20 SBK) and I had to lower the Action quite a bit from factory.
I really like it, but I can tell they skipped on the finish just so they could push more hardware inside, as well as D'Addario strings (these alone are 27€).
95% of my playtime is with a pick, so I don't mind the slap-repellent humbucker placement
I only play standing up with a strap (as one is supposed to !! 😋), which gives me no neck-dive.
So far I'm loving the 3rd position with both humbuckers more than the others. I usually keep the Bass to ~70%, Mids at 50% and Highs at ~40%.
I don't like the white-ish pickguard, so I gave it a temporary fix with mirror/chrome tape 😅
Thanks Asfodhell! Don't blind anyone with that pickguard ;P
@@LowEndLobster 😂
I'm not blinding anyone with my current skills, so .... a light beam would do !
Also practical in case I have to duel the Devil itself
Nice video. Cool bass. Cool riff too. I always have to practice after watching your videos. They inspire me to work harder. Thanks.
Thanks for commenting on neck dive... this is one of the most important things I look for in a bass.
Hey lobster, this bass seems like a bargin at 200! With all the tonal possibilities
The Roswell pickup sounds good, but I really miss the sound of the Wilkinson pickup because it sounds a bit better than Roswell. Its a shame that HB stop selling their bass with Wilkinson pickup.
Dear L. E. Lobster;
A humble tech tip:
Use a metal tuning fork.
At Guitar Center, I wanted to see the pick up combinations of an SSS Danelectro Hodad guitar. The tuning fork let me see which coils were active/ live depending on the set up. (Hodad gas all 7 pick up combinations).
That will help you greatly. I also advise using the tuning fork idea on EBMM Pinky 1st, A) as to get get familiar with the technique, and B) have a reference to compare to the Harley Benton against.
Sincerely
Mike B. B. From Philly
Thank you Michael! That's a great idea, I just poke the poles with an allen wrench but I think your way is a bit less annoying than hearing "THUD THUD - this magnet is active!"
@@LowEndLobster
I got an TH-cam notice saying you're doing a EEB Eastwood Bass. I wanted the fretless one with black nylon flat wound strings.
I hope the video releases from its current private state.
I figured it is because of you releasing the Mothman review today too.
Sincerely
Mike B. B. From Philly
That vid was meant for tomorrow haha, little scheduling mishap
I had the 4 string with that finish in my basket for a few weeks pondering it. When I went to pull the trigger they were sold out, but had the 5ers still. I didn't want another 5 string, and I just was not feeling the matte black with a red pick guard model. After your review, I think I will just get a Sterling and not have to wait. Thanks for the review!
Awesome demo. \m/ Harley Benton makes great sounding basses for the price. This stingray take on sound phenomenal. I do wonder where can buy these basses.
Thanks Alex! I added a link in the description to Thomann
Okay but isn’t Thomman exclusive to Europe only?
No, they ship internationally.
I bought one, and it sounds just as good as on this video. Excellent value for money!
Seems like a very decent bass, regardless of price. At the price, it’s a helluva good bass.
I like that it comes with a flamed maple top
Indeed! Though it's probably a paper thin veneer, still a nice to have for the price.
@@LowEndLobster yeah
I'm thinking of getting the 4 string version of this as a project bass when my current project is done. Thank you for your take.
That single humbucker model looks lovely. :)
Indeed, it really is nice for the price. IMO feels a lot less 'thrown together' vs the HH which feels like a parts bin special adaptation
A Stingray clone with "slap problems"!!
Blasphemy! Sacrilege! Stingrays were created for slapping! Excellent review as always Low. I think that string spacing would annoy me as well. Sorry I went temporarily nuts there but that's just wrong! On a lighter note Bebe is such an affectionate kitty! That's very cool. Give the cats a scratch for me. I guess 3 claws isn't bad but I think I'll go after the "budget" Ray. I want a shorty anyway and they sound great too.
Thanks Jeff! Scratch delivered
Good job Lobster, Nice and complete review! Here in Brazil we dont have this bass yet... Thanks for your great vídeos !
Excellent Lobster great review 👍
Thanks Paul!
That's was a very pleasing head scratch (for the fluffy cat)!
:)
Well, too bad bout the shaping, but I do approve of this one. I'll be looking into getting one just for the kicks. Thanks again for another great review!
Of course! Thanks for watching, Ryan :)
I'm interested in Harley Benton basses! But there's only Corts and Sqoes here in Malaysia 😞
Cort and Squier aren’t bad, but it sucks being limited in options. I feel for you, broheim.
Great video, I’ve been contemplating getting one of these... or perhaps the single HB version. I thought the tones from selector switch positions 4 & 1 (especially on your ‘Lobster Setting’) were just what I’d be looking for! I don’t (can’t) slap anyway, so that’d be no issue, and I’d be looking at the 4 string model. Cheers 🦞
I wish they made a left handed version of the 4 string with 1 pickup. I love that 24 fret maple neck.
Sounds like you're running a compressor and it's clamping down on the bass notes too much. When you noted the neck pickup was boomy, I couldn't tell on my speakers because the threshold of the compressor grabbed it and brought it down(and thinned it out). Great review excepting the compression. Very informative. I'm subscribed.
I bought it one month ago! I’m a pro user and this bass is pro too except that it catches radio stations with its pickups. Don’t know why
As someone with zero experience playing bass, but interested in getting one I would appreciate something like a "beginners buying guide" video. Should I focus on getting a more expensive bass or more expensive amp? I'm used to guitar and all this bass gear confuses me :D
I have not seen your video on the single H model I think for what I see it looks very nice I love that gray color and pickguard spacing is still tight, I gotta find your video on the single H model
Only did a vid on the 4H not the 5H. I think I meant to shoot it and left that bit in ;P
I had a cheaper model (Harley Benton PJ-5 HTR Deluxe Series) but I bet it's the same neck profile. I think that that fat neck gives the B strings a bit more authority. I found it easy to play on after a couple of hours (maybe 2) of playing it.
Lobster my man! (crustation?) 20, 21 or 24 frettes neck length is the SAME, it's just the spacing between the frettes which is calculated differently....Ok?. ;)
This is not correct. If the bridge position was in the same place as the 4 or 5H versions (which I've also tested and reviewed), then the neck would be the same length. However, with this bass they literally put on a longer 24 fret neck and moved the bridge an inch and a half or so away from the edge of the body to compensate so intonation wouldn't be impacted. Take a look at a picture of the HH vs the H models of this bass side by side (not the photoshops but actual pictures of the bass, the Thomann site uses some bad renders)
It is tradition! Traditionnn 🎶
Really surprised how good it sounds. The only drawback for HB is the $ 60-70 shipping and two week wait. Have bought from them before , had small problem. Customer service help me quickly...
What country are you from?
@@jaxonvictoria4345 U.S.
True, though I try to snag a few things at a time to save a little bit overall on shipping (per item)
I actually LOVE the look of this bass., and 24 frets is something I really like. Not a Harley Benton fan though.
The first thing I noticed about this bass - the pickguard is less reminiscent of a toilet seat :)
Unfortunately, the narrow string spacing is a deal braker for me..
I really do not like the sound of that neck pickup, I think I would prefer it with just the bridge pickup and a single/series/parallel switch. However, it is amazing what you can get for only $200 these days, unlike 30+ years ago when I was just starting out on bass.
Indeed! $200 really goes such a long way nowadays in many regards.
This kinda sold it to me for this Bass. I like the finish and everything. If the cavity is clean, I'd get rid of the pickguard. Almost perfect 'Ray 5 clone. A minor mod could enhance the tone, if one felt the stock was lacking.
I think it sounds really great. I mean 200bucks, me from germany where thomann is from, i could get it even cheaper
Thanks Duese!
She is a real beauty catch my eye the sound is a diffrent story
Nice video! I always have a blast watching them. By the way, could you take a look at the Harley Benton B-450? I just want to know what the Lobster thinks about it in case I get it when my parents give me the thumbs up for my first bass... :) (my parents are the type to think $300 is too much for a first instrument)
Thanks Kenji! Sure, we'll be taking a look at more Harley Bentons (probably after NAMM I'll do another order) and I'll snag the B450 :)
@@LowEndLobster As always... thanks for the reply! I look forward to seeing more content :)
Love the purring
That B seriously does growl tho again for a 200 dollar bass you can't beat that and 24 frets, id totally buy one so my stingrays don't get hurt during shows lol, I just bought the quantum industries 3 bass carry case, you should do a review on one of them
Hey man - love all your videos!
Thanks Wade!
Excelente reviuw.
Me pillaré el HB MM-84
Será mi primer bajo
I think I liked position 2 the most.
Thanks Meyers!
I liked settings 3&4 ,but your right: it ain't for thumping & slapping.
Nothing bass-related on that affiliate link. There is one delay pedal from Solid Gold FX, and two ads from Reverb for Reverb. Is Reverb messing with our favorite crustacean?
I'll check that out, thanks for the heads up.
A very good Review , thanks . For this price , it's more than good . And you can change something, if you want it ? If it was a Expensive bass , I had a Problem with it !
I see more and more Harley Benton being played on TH-cam by all types of players. I have yet to hear one bad thing about them. I am writing this before I watch your video, so I'm curious as to what you say. They seem like the best bass for the money right now, besides SIRE.
Honestly, they're very much hit or miss. The "Enhanced" 5 string that I had was very lackluster, but the cheaper instruments that I've tried in the Sub $200 price point were much better.
Here in Mexico there is a similar bass but from another brand called McCartney pro guitar's, most of the basses are very similar to the Harley Benton in aesthetics (a similar headstock, Same type of font in the brand logo and more features)The brand is known to be Chinese and many instruments (some electric and most acoustic guitars) look that the manufacture is very cheap
Another fact that is known is that the brand wanted to position itself as another Harley Benton, having a presence in one namm show
Does anyone happen to know if you can use it without the pickguard, i.e are the pickups unconnected to the pickguard and is there any exposed routing under it? Thank for any information.
it's usable, nothing was connected to it when i removed mine but the routes aren't flush with the pickups
@@ieuanjordan575 Thanks for the answer
Im really interested of buying a Harley Benton, a fretless 6 string model b-650 fl, you should check it out, it has really good reviews for an insane price
Thanks for the suggestion Ruben! Definitely going to be doing a decently sized Thomann order in the near future
Hi lobster any review on the keisel Osiris or Vader headless basses. I would love if you could do A review on one of these instruments 👍🏼🙏🏻
I really think for the money as a good starter bass it sounds good especially that B , at least through my headphones not sure what u are hearing on your end ,like u said very boomey, I'm always going to love my 2 octave basses and wish stingray basses could be 24 frets , its not bad for the price if a kid wants a stingray but the parents don't want to drop the money, yea first thing i noticed was how there is no room for slapping at least on the stingray basses u can get used to that little space you get to slap on
Nice mod on the cat. The bass isn't bad, either.
11k subs
Congrats big dog
Thank you!
Great looking cat. I bet it's Siberian
thump up for Lord Cat
Kitty seems to like it.
A lot of quantities in this instrument.
Too bad with the neck dive :/
A real shame it's not a 3-way switch.
A lot of modding on this one I guess.
24 frets... Lol. I would get blod loss in left arm xD
Great review as usual!
Thanks Matthew!
I didn't listen to you that the bass is un-slapable....Not I want to get rid of the neck pickup, do you have any idea? Maybe change the electronics or the bridge pickup to something with 5 positions? Now the problem is there is no option of buying pickguard that will fit.
Great video as always Lobster, does anyone have any first hand comparisons/opinions between the 4 stringed version of this and the Ray4?
Hello 🦞, would you consider reviewing the Danelectro '59dc short scale?
Danelectro is one of those brands that gets overlooked by many because of their ehm.. 'unique' design. They sound great but do they play well, or how's the build quality?
I heard that they moved the bridge towards the fretboard but the overall length is exactly the same it's long scale (34) counterpart.
Ps. great video as always
Great suggestion! I had a dano briefly that I was really impressed with but never made a video on... I need to get another and actually do a vid on it!
@@LowEndLobster 🙏
Gave the thumbs up just for the cat!
thanks for your review, I'm owner of 84A, considering a pickup substitution, what do you think about installing a pair of EMG MMCS with volume/tone pots or going passive (MEC or Seymour Duncan) keeping the stock electronics ?
I really love this channel but I can’t afford any of these cool bases
the cat steals the show!
hey can you start putting the link of where you bought a bass you are reviewing or where we can buy it from in the description? it would be super helpful
Link added :)
@@LowEndLobster thanks
Hi... I decided to write to you because I have a problem and I know you can help me. I am the happy owner of a Harley Benton MM-85 A and love this bass. The guitar has Roswell humbuckers on board and according to the manufacturer's data, to connect the coils in parallel, you need to solder white to green because it is the output of the humbucker signal and red, black to the ground. I did so and now the guitar sounds fantastic to me but on the switch I only have three active positions with full humbuckers: 1, 3, 5 and I can't deal with the individual coils of the pickups. Can you help me somehow? Regards Jaro
“Lack of slapability” “Not much of slapped”…yeah that’s me…guess I’ll look at this…and get my plectrum
pickbros unite
Aesthetics are subjective.
Does HB make Indonesian basses?
Other than that, it looks pretty nice for a 24-fretted bass.
I have this bass and I love it but the 5th string booms a lot. I don't know if it is because of the amp (i don't have a bass amp and run it in my marshall dsl not pushed hard or through reaper) or the bass itself as it is my first bass. I just don't know if 5 strings are like that or is my amp or bass setup
Seeing that with 24 frets makes me wish they copied, I mean took inspiration from, the Bongo.
What hard shell cases are you guys using for this bass? its long (48.5 in). Most interiors I see are 47.5 in or less.
Let’s gooooooo !!!!! (That’s what she said)
do you notice much difference in sound and build quality between this bass and a SUB stingray HH?
Lobster, look at your real stingrays.....they ALL have 3 or 4 frettes which are "in the body"......Just like the Harley Benton. That said a simple fix for slap would be to simply move the neck pickup towards the bridge an inch or so and make another pick guard.......;) For the price.....Electrics sound good for bars & barbecues....
Great comment. Someone actually messaged me about this bass and said they installed a new switch to get the proper outer and inner coil settings, and they said it woke up the bass quite a bit. The offset bridge/neck make the styling weird, but functionally this bass is pretty solid for the price
Yeah!
I am interested in this bass. But a couple of questions. How far can the neck pickup be lowered without losing to much signal level, also can the hum be reduced in positions 2 & 4, Thanx..
Wasn't the double Humbucker Music man bass called the Sabre??
Eh! Nice! Thank you Lobster 🦞🦞🦞
Idk how you got it to sound this close to a stingray, I've played several Harley Bentons with humbuckers and they sounded nowhere close, even after compression and EQ.