Hey guys! Please pardon the re-upload. I had to fix a typo due to an incorrect autocorrect. :( Thanks for checking out my Budget Bass Shootout! SWEETWATER: imp.i114863.net/NA49V THOMANN: redir.love/thocf/j4f5i8x23g If you purchase after using any of these links, a small portion goes towards supporting my channel. :) TABS, Backing Tracks, Guitar Pro & Bass Stems: www.patreon.com/NathanNavarro
Thank you !I appreciate this very much.What I miss : Where are the dead spots on the neck ? They can be very annoying and often destroy the vibe and flow. This is something I consider when choosing an Instrument.
G’day Nate, just wondering if you’ve ever checked out SX basses? I recently picked up a P style bass secondhand and it is a killer bass, worth a look as an additional bass to this selection.
I'm actually quite impressed how well the "cheapo" Glarry held up! I was formerly a punk rock bassist, and also notoriously hard on my gear. $90?! That's like a couple night out at a sushi bar! Great video Nate!
YES! Mr. Nate! Your technical prowess on the instrument and superbly organized review is only surpassed by your formal speaking voice, crying out for a future behind the voice-over mic! I'm curious what your singing voice sounds like...? Any vocal accompaniment with your bass work?
This video proves 2 things. 1. Pickups are the biggest contributor to tone. 2. A good bassist will make a cheap bass sound good. A bad bassist will make an expensive bass sound bad.
@@danibiyarslanov are you talking about the pre-amp because that's not on all electrics. If you are talking about the amp you plug into, that is not a part of the instrument.
It's amazing how much they have improved from their early days. 15 years ago Bentons were cheap, but mostly just utter crap. Today, they are still cheap, but can absolutely destroy other brands at the same price range. I personally liked Cort the most in this video, but Ibanez and HB were right there on the same level. Squier doesn't sound bad either. But only one of them costs 130$..
@@RedderPDX For that I would recommend you a J-Series Bass from Harley Benton. It has a brighter sound and is much more versatile than the one reviewed in this video. Look for JB-20 or JB-75. The latter is a bit more expensive.
@@RedderPDX Get their Music Man clone (MM-4? can't remember) the one with just the bridge pickup. The one with two pickups has the neck pickup too close to the neck for snapping strings outwards EDIT: It's the MM-4 and they have the epic satin black version for just £93. Probably the best slap bass tone you can get until you buy an actual Music Man :P
I have to say that this is one of the best side-by-side comparisons Ive seen. Not just the playing so we can hear the difference but also the breakdown of components. Im currently looking for a beginner Bass & this vid did help for me to know what to look out for. Many thanks
As someone that recently purchased that exact model of Squire, I could not agree more with this breakdown of it. Obviously not the best bass I've ever owned, but it's wonderful.
The Ibanez is the first bass I’ve bought and the only one I have so far. So worth the money. I’ve used it for rock, metal, reggae, funk/disco, blues, jazz etc and it’s never let me down. It’s the most comfortable bass I’ve ever played, it lets you play your chops freely if you want to play some Victor Wooten/ Stanley Clarke kinda licks too, comfortable all the way up the neck, eq controls are perfect. Great bass for the price
What a fantastic revew! Instead of an hour telling jokes and stories, followed by rave reviews for everything, you just play the instruments and point out what a buyer should expect, since nobody is going to spend an hour inspecting and setting up a bass in this price range. Even the close-up photography was really good. Thanks.
Don't agree people won't set up stuff in this price range. I set up everything as do many other players. It's what makes a cheap good bass a great cheap bass. I have two HB guitars on my wall that both needed fret dress and levelling and truss adjusted. Totally transformed them.
I agree, but his point is also valid because we don't pay that much attention to sound when we play, but to how we feel. And most of the time a better amp and a better mixing are the determinants of a good sound
Also as smne who's owns a Harley Benton PJ5 Deluxe, the five string version of the one tested, it really is great although I'd say the Squier got me really interested because of its sound.
This scoring system is brilliant. This should become the youtube standard for instrument assessment. Obviously, the scoring would have to change for guitar, but this system is scalable. Really impressive! Glad this vid showed up in my feed. Instantly subscribed.
I'm not so sure about that. The way he calculated the value means cheap instruments will always have a high value, even if they are terrible. That glary was the worst bass by far but came in 2nd for value. But how valuable is a bad instrument really?
I have to agree that this isnt the best method, there is absolutely no way the Glarry is in anyway better than the Ibanez, this method makes a good affordable bass with great features to its credit seem bad just because the value isnt ideal, having said that the actual price of that GSR model is 199 right now, unless he's adding a gig bag, strap or stand cost to that, which i doubt. My faves are definitely the Ibanez and the Harley, im actually seriously considering getting the GSR.
@@turnerjazz7872 I dont think you understand the definition of "value". Somethat that is quality, but expensive, can never be considered a "value". This is by definition.
I was thoroughly surprised at how good the Glarry sounded. I wasn't surprised at all that the Harley Benton came out on top. The HB was a beautiful bass that sounded great!
I'd recommend for anybody who wants to really become a bass player but has very little money to just buy a squier. Mainly because you can see the quality and you have the compatibility with so many aftermarket parts. Also it's a good idea to get used to that standard fender shape and neck feel. Many basses are based of that and it's just a good idea. If you eventually get bored with the sound or you want to make upgrades you dont have to buy a completely new bass.
I was blown away by the Cort when I got it, and a year later am even more in love. Last bass I had - years ago - was a Kramer. I got back into playing and finally really trying to learn when my kids gave me the Cort for a pandemic lockdown birthday present. Wow! The build quality is exceptional, the tone, playability and overall sound (except for the bridge pup on it’s own) very good, and it’s so comfortable to play. I thought that if I carried on playing I’d eventually grow out of it. No way. If anything, may replace the bridge pickup... but I’m enjoying the hell out of it as is
Based on the sound, it was my least favorite. Too bright with a not very smooth sound. Perhaps great for a bass solo, but I don't think it would fit in a busy song mix all too well.
@@rookmaster7502 imo it'll work well for punk or indie, Also. It's better to have a naturally brighter sound so if you'd like you could turn it down with an EQ than boost something that isn't really there, I reckon by also just switching where the right hand plays could make it sound less brighter if it was more closer to the bridge. At the end of the day it depends on taste really but definetly usable for most things as long as mixing is on point
For my ear Ibanez and Cort sound of bass is really good, more better sound is cort. In the reviews video i choose Cort wins 1st place and Ibanez 2nd place. But i still fans of Ibanez
Harley Benton - ridiculously good value, and to my ears, sounded every bit as good if not better than the others. If I were a youngster starting bass , that's where my money would go.
@@ramengurung9913 I've actually had chance to play one of these HB basses and confirm that it's a good solid piece of kit. I tried it with classic rock, soul, funk, blues, reggae, jazz...it coped pretty well with all of those genres. Would it be right for metal? I don't know, never tried that, that's not my sort of music and I really don;t have any interest in that.
@@ramengurung9913 all basses are for each genre, sure they excel in one more than others but they all can use the padals to change the sound, which is why basses and guitars are so good :3
totally agree , the cort action bass is insane for the price, i think that is the best one of this shootout in terms of sound quality. Im running it with flatwounds and the sound is pretty clean . +1
It should be noted that the cost of the Ibanez is $50 higher because it’s a GSR200SM, and not the standard finish GSR200. A standard finish GSR200 is only $199 which using your scoring system brings it up to a 211 which puts it above the Squire.
Dude, a normal scale bass looks short scale in you! super tall. Very good playing too! I have the first Ibanez you played, since 10 years already, and it still works so good!! love it
Hey man, thanks for this extensive review. Especially with all the math action/value points system. That was so neat! Thanks again and God bless. I’ve been thinking about getting that Harley Benton 5 string version of the PJ bass in the same exact color. Now I know it’s a definite HELL YEA!!!
This video was pretty great. Great playing, great quality. A fair rating system and one that makes sense. You should do more of these. There's hundreds of bass brands out there so why not try many and rate them!
Been playing Bass since I was 16. That was 50 years ago. Your assessment method is spot on. I did notice that to my ears the Ibanez had a 'darker' tone which I would have to attribute to the electronics and to an extent the wood used to build the body and neck. That is my only observation that is not in line with yours. Great Job....
The Ibanez and Squire were big stand outs to me. I'm surprised by how cheap it is that it had that nice, modern tone. I'm not big on P basses, but that Squire sounded good. And it looks nice, too. Very impressed.
Watched tons of reviews, but this one is the best. Straight out to the sound test. And consistent test all throughout and has less talk. Keep up these type of reviews. Other reviews is like watching an autobiograohy . 😆
This is the best comparison video ever! I've never seen anyone doing like this, especially the value calculation is crazy :D Oh btw I liked the play of course!!
i recently got a second hand squier affinity pj for 150 quid as my first bass, i'm really happy with it and this reassures me that i got a good bargain on it as i didnt have anything to compare it to, thank you!
Thinking of getting a budget bass to record with, and came across this video. I have never seen your channel before, it is very professional, I can see why you have so many subscribers. Thanks for all of the great info, you have made my choice pretty clear.
I have gsr200 and Mikro as well. I play those every day. I also own Fender Player Jazz, Glarry P (same as this one video). Ibanez gsr200 is my favorite.
I know this wasn't the point of the video but that Amianto pedal sounds so good! Hoping to see a full demo of that pedal and curious to see if it can nail those distorted Muse tones.
Awesome demo, Nate. \m/ the Ibanez gsr200 is my personal favorite. That bass sounds killer for a budget bass. Especially with distortion. I do like the blue finish on the cort action bass and I also dig the sounds from the squire and Harley Benton basses.
Just to be on the factual side - the Harley Benton PJ4 is imported from Thomann in Germany and the delivery charges are unavoidable and is $67.79 US to ship to Florida. This changes the total real cost very close to $200 US. This makes the price of the Squier only around $30 US more than the Harley Benton. It is possible that the shipping costs are inflated due to the pandemic as previous reports were that the shipping costs were only $30 US.
I've bought a few Glarrys and the quality difference from my first Glarry J to the 5 string one I just bought with the soapbars is astronomical. It feels just as good, if not better than my Ibanez GIO bass. I threw some EMGs in it and it's absolutely killer now
Thanks ❗️i've definitely subscribed ❗️ this is the best eye opener info yet ! just starting out on bass after forty years or so of acoustic fingerstyle ; anyhoo bought myself the five string Ibanez SR405EPBDX cause the price was right and liked the esthetic appeal and which i also really like this bass A Lot 😊 [but without knowing nothing about active or passive basses when purchased _however reading up on it today] ; was thinking of getting the less expensive four string like the Ibanez GSR200SM _then changed my mind after watching your video 😝
I have been searching for a decent budget bass guitar to have in my home studio and after watching this video, I'm sold on the Harley Benton. The distorted tone is EXACTLY what I'm looking for! Thanks for this video!
I own 7 basses, including a fretless, an acoustic and a semi acoustic. I was curious what a 5-string could do. So I bought an active Harley Benton Progressive Bass. After some minor adjustments, lighter strings and one year of experience playing with 5 strings, I‘m sorry to say it beats all the others in sound flexibility, playability and overall feel. It even beats my Fender JB and PB, and the Warwick. I still love all of them, but when it comes down to ectended live playing or studio recording, it‘s the Harley. 😛
The Harley Benton is very nice but to be fair to the others here, you'd have to add in approx. $85 for shipping as they aren't sold here in the states.
I'm watching this video 2 years later and it's the best review video i've seen from now. Straight to the point. Thank you, i will go with the Squier pj bass. 👍
Yeah I bought the Glarry for shats and giggles.. _{and because I didn’t want to bring my 64P onto certain gigs/certain areas..}_ $68.50 total shipped and everything 😂 the Cheapest bass I’ve ever bought in my life. And it should’ve been no shock that it came with all those problems (& more) that you stated However I had money to burn, (not to mention a few tech friends that Owed me some favors) and I fixed it up pretty nicely. Full leveling-crown and polish- ripped out the electronics (kept the pickups) and put the real deal in there _(switch craft, CTS, cloth wire, .047 µF orange drop)_ And now after around $200, I can confidently say, it’s a decent sounding “P”OS. 😃
@@KamuBodohYaKan oh yeah, that garbage Plastic Nut had to eventually go since this original post,.. but I’ve had No Problems with the Stock Tuners and Bridge.
I've had the ibanez as my first bass - being a guitarist for many years. I got it for sale used-new and it's been really great to learn on - very ergonomic and comfortable, and the difference compared to a larger fret bass seems negligible once it's through the amp.
For the budget I finally go to Ibanez BTB which has the best ergonomy and price and performance for me. The only issue is that the bass is too heavy and the pinch for strap almost fail and I have to fix it with my knowledge in woodcraft lol.
This was superbly done. Great playing too! I've been very impressed by the Harley Benton guitars/basses I've seen demo'ed. I for one did NOT like the HB tone that much, I would assume that it could be dialed to my own liking better, but for $130, that's a crazy good deal.
I have the exact same Cort, and I'm happy that you estimated it almost as high as the Squier, because my beginner untrained ear can't tell much difference. I should say however that I would definitely go for a Squier if it weren't at least 2 times more expensive in my local stores.
This is one of the best comparison videos I've seen. Out of fairness, a Glarry GIB would have been a more appropriate model for comparison, as it is a PJ instead of just a P.
This is the best video I've saeen on this topic. I like an old school bottom end bass sound in the style of John Paul Jones (Led Zeppelin) Leon WIlkinson (Lynyrd Skynyrd) Roger Waters (Pink Floyd), and I needed one for at home recording and playing out occasionally. For me, the one bass that excels at the tones I use and has the quality is the SQUIER. Great video.🎸🎸🎸🎸🎸🎸🎸🎸🎸🎸🎸🎸🎸🎸🎸🎸🎸🎸🎸🎸🎸🎸🎸🎸🎸
Thanks for this material. It’s possibly asking too much to squeeze this in but as a follow up perhaps. The same selection of bases reviewed but with two or three layers of fine tuning and tweaks. Layer 1 review after new strings, tweaking the neck truss, adjusting the pick-up height. Layer 2 review after doing a more detailed cleanup of frets and so on. Layer 3 replacing hardware. (Drop in options, real work options etc) In doing all this the perspective buyer can then know what to expect 1.on opening the box. 2 after getting into some small improvements, 3 the possibilities for taking the main unit to its highest level over time and as skills and interest allow and progress. I’m hoping the each unit would be mostly a reflection of the respective manufacturers general kit so another style from the same manufacture would have a mostly similar tweaking, fine tuning, and upgrade path. There you go. Enough to keep anyone busy for a while if it’s interesting for you Thanks again for the material.
I was actually quite surprised at how nice the Cort sounded. I didn't think it had a lot of high end but it had a nice meaty mid range with a little bit of growl and a smooth low end.
Lots of people seem to agree that the Ibanez had the best overall sound. Yet because it's the highest price it scored lowest on your point system. I wonder if you're putting too much weight on the price when it comes to total value. Because if you ask me, most people would be willing to pay an extra $50 to get a significantly nicer sound. Plus the fact that many people buy their instruments used from other resellers. Maybe suggest adjusting the numbers. Possibly making the perfect sound score worth more than just 5 points, since the way the bass sounds is probably a more important metric. I do agree however with the outcome of the Harley Benton having the best sound for the money.
I agree that rating them straight out of the box makes sense if you assume a beginner is buying these, but I would like to see how they all compare once they've had a standard setup and a new set of strings, because the cheap strings that come on some cheap instruments are really terrible. My local music shop charges $70 for a setup, but only $40 for a setup on a brand new instrument. I would also encourage anyone thinking of starting out on bass or guitar to consider learning how to do a setup yourself, it's really not that hard and there are plenty of TH-cam videos to show you what to do.
This video alone gets you a follow. Excellent content. I literally just purchased the Glarry to mod (since I want a p sound) so I'm hoping to increase the scores of the low points you've described.
Strange the Glarry was so bad. My pro Gib bass was great out of the box. The intonation was perfect, the finish is good, it's weight and balance is right and it stays in tune no problem. The frets are perfect and all I did was buy some decent strings and lower the action a bit. For £82 it's brilliant!👏
First time I’ve landed on your channel. Excellent playing, maybe the best I’ve heard on TH-cam. I commend you on your rating system, although you may want to consider squaring the score - as it is, people might choose a Glarry for its perceived outstanding value when a little more money would buy a much better instrument. Also, you may want to discuss the relative difficulty of addressing various points. Anyone can easily learn to set intonation and even string height, yet the bass can lose more points for those than for bad frets which are much more difficult for a beginner to remedy. Great systematic ranking though.
I got the Harley Benton based on Nate’s review. Very nice bass for the money. Sounds and looks good. Just one adjustment to the scores. The Harley Benton is more of a 224 due to the price once you factor in the shipping costs. It’s about $75 to ship from Germany. So it cost me $205 I love Harley Bentons now and I figured out if you buy two guitars the shipping stays the same. Now do budget Jazz Basses Nate
I bought the Glarry for an upgrade project while stuck at home due to the virus. I planned to improve many of the areas that fell short in your test. Firstly, the body I ordered has the same finish as yours. It is highly polished and smooth with no dings or imperfections, The neck came tightly bolted to the body. The tuners and bridge were of decent quality. However I replaced the bridge with a slightly heavier one. This was not necessary, but I had planned to change it from the start. I sanded down the neck to make it thinner and and finished it with Tung oil. I installed GFS hot overwound pickups and Quick Plug electronics for an easy upgrade. A few of the frets were high, so I ground and polished them. I also filed and smoothed the fret ends. Lastly, I gently filed one nut slot and put on a set of flat wound strings. What I ended up with was a better sounding, better playing instrument that I have already taken to several open microphone events.
My opinion is that the Squier sounded best, followed by the Cort. Which one you choose would depend on preference/style, with the Squier being better for rock, vintage soul/funk, etc. and the Cort being better for metal, modern funk/R&B, and modern pop. The Harley Benton would be next on my list, followed by Ibanez, with Glary coming in last. I listened to the first comparison blind, then watched the others after I realized the sounds were so different that it didn't really matter if I knew which was which.
i bought the ibanez one, not only it plays really good but it is extremelly versatile. you can play metal, funk, rock or jazz it doesnt matter it will sound, feel and looks good among the rest of the band.
That Harley Benton just sounds so good, right up my alley....especially for that price. The Cort had a unique sound....not a fan, but when you ran it with that green distortion, was a real good tone.
Hey man pretty cool to see you play through all the different styles and sounds,... I just put money down on a late 90s model 4 string and idk what it was about it when I first set my eyes on it at a guitar store and there were 5 others and they looked good also but before I noticed it was an Ibanez bass I didn't even care at the moment what the brand was, all I knew in my mind was it was meant for me and I hadn't even reached up to unhook it from it's stand and handled or played it yet.. I hadn't played in over 15 years and never knew if I'd ever get back into it again but once I walked in and looked down the line of the guitars and bass that were there only one caught my attention and it's weird but I put it back and told the owner maybe I'd come back sometime if it was still there.. I left and got about a mile away and I immediately made a u-turn and went straight back to that guitar store and put half down on it because the feel of the bass in my hands and it's like being reunited with a long lost friend and it's like a good drug that you enjoy being hooked on 💯😎
now, best bases if you can afford some tweaks and if you find one with a good finish in the shelf: #1 - Ibanez #2 - Squier/Cort #3 - It doesn't really matter
Hey guys! Please pardon the re-upload. I had to fix a typo due to an incorrect autocorrect. :(
Thanks for checking out my Budget Bass Shootout!
SWEETWATER: imp.i114863.net/NA49V
THOMANN: redir.love/thocf/j4f5i8x23g
If you purchase after using any of these links, a small portion goes towards supporting my channel. :)
TABS, Backing Tracks, Guitar Pro & Bass Stems: www.patreon.com/NathanNavarro
Ohhh that explains the deja vu feeling 😁
Thank you !I appreciate this very much.What I miss : Where are the dead spots on the neck ? They can be very annoying and often destroy the vibe and flow. This is something I consider when choosing an Instrument.
G’day Nate, just wondering if you’ve ever checked out SX basses? I recently picked up a P style bass secondhand and it is a killer bass, worth a look as an additional bass to this selection.
I'm actually quite impressed how well the "cheapo" Glarry held up! I was formerly a punk rock bassist, and also notoriously hard on my gear. $90?! That's like a couple night out at a sushi bar! Great video Nate!
Hey brother can you cover a Glarry GIB 5?
Wait this guy's voice is the best bass
Avi kaplan
😂 your right
Exactly!!
Haha true
YES!
Mr. Nate!
Your technical prowess on the instrument and superbly organized review is only surpassed by your formal speaking voice, crying out for a future behind the voice-over mic! I'm curious what your singing voice sounds like...? Any vocal accompaniment with your bass work?
This video proves 2 things.
1. Pickups are the biggest contributor to tone.
2. A good bassist will make a cheap bass sound good. A bad bassist will make an expensive bass sound bad.
And still the most important part of a bass and guiyars in general without taking notice of the player is the amp
@@danibiyarslanov are you talking about the pre-amp because that's not on all electrics. If you are talking about the amp you plug into, that is not a part of the instrument.
@@jasonz1771 yeah my bad i meant of a bass sound
@@danibiyarslanov not all basses have a pre-amp. Many passive basses don't have one.
@@jasonz1771 im talking about the amp not the pre amp😂
i'll watch it again just to hear those sweet bass testing licks
:D
I thought i was the only one😂
Lol same
Haha same
Haha I come back at least 3 times a week to hear the licks, they’re so good!
Harley Benton are ridiculously good for the money. I always recommend them to any new players.
It's amazing how much they have improved from their early days. 15 years ago Bentons were cheap, but mostly just utter crap. Today, they are still cheap, but can absolutely destroy other brands at the same price range. I personally liked Cort the most in this video, but Ibanez and HB were right there on the same level. Squier doesn't sound bad either. But only one of them costs 130$..
Would it be a good choice for funk slap? I'm looking to buy my first bass and learn.
@@RedderPDX For that I would recommend you a J-Series Bass from Harley Benton. It has a brighter sound and is much more versatile than the one reviewed in this video. Look for JB-20 or JB-75. The latter is a bit more expensive.
@@RedderPDX Get their Music Man clone (MM-4? can't remember) the one with just the bridge pickup. The one with two pickups has the neck pickup too close to the neck for snapping strings outwards EDIT: It's the MM-4 and they have the epic satin black version for just £93. Probably the best slap bass tone you can get until you buy an actual Music Man :P
What Harley Benton would be good for Playing pop punk and indie emo
I have to say that this is one of the best side-by-side comparisons Ive seen. Not just the playing so we can hear the difference but also the breakdown of components. Im currently looking for a beginner Bass & this vid did help for me to know what to look out for. Many thanks
As someone that recently purchased that exact model of Squire, I could not agree more with this breakdown of it. Obviously not the best bass I've ever owned, but it's wonderful.
The Ibanez is the first bass I’ve bought and the only one I have so far. So worth the money. I’ve used it for rock, metal, reggae, funk/disco, blues, jazz etc and it’s never let me down. It’s the most comfortable bass I’ve ever played, it lets you play your chops freely if you want to play some Victor Wooten/ Stanley Clarke kinda licks too, comfortable all the way up the neck, eq controls are perfect. Great bass for the price
What a fantastic revew! Instead of an hour telling jokes and stories, followed by rave reviews for everything, you just play the instruments and point out what a buyer should expect, since nobody is going to spend an hour inspecting and setting up a bass in this price range. Even the close-up photography was really good. Thanks.
Don't agree people won't set up stuff in this price range. I set up everything as do many other players. It's what makes a cheap good bass a great cheap bass. I have two HB guitars on my wall that both needed fret dress and levelling and truss adjusted. Totally transformed them.
Ironically, I thought the Ibanez sounded the best in every style you played, followed by the Squier and Cort.
Agreed
True. The Ibanez is the most versatile of the bunch and has the smoothest sound.
I agree, but his point is also valid because we don't pay that much attention to sound when we play, but to how we feel. And most of the time a better amp and a better mixing are the determinants of a good sound
Agreed. Especially for rock and metal.
Yep, Ibanez by a mile.
The way you have the rating system is sooooo good!!! Please don’t stop doing what you do. Beginner bassists need people like you.
This may be the best review of anything ive ever seen. Concise, detailed, unbiased. Very useful!
The Glarry and the Harley Benton both sounded real deep. Excellent presentation.
Great playing. Really shows how it doesn’t matter how much you spend, it’s all in the fingers.
Fingers and the preamp 💸
The equipment the basses are plugged into probably costs more than all the basses combined 💀
@@Feartheviper exactly, genzler amps are not in the cheap side
Your grooves are so good man, so much talent
Wow ! That's a great video. Stellar playing, the comparison/scoring system is flawless, straight to the point. Definitely worthy of way more views.
Also as smne who's owns a Harley Benton PJ5 Deluxe, the five string version of the one tested, it really is great although I'd say the Squier got me really interested because of its sound.
This scoring system is brilliant. This should become the youtube standard for instrument assessment. Obviously, the scoring would have to change for guitar, but this system is scalable.
Really impressive! Glad this vid showed up in my feed. Instantly subscribed.
I'm not so sure about that. The way he calculated the value means cheap instruments will always have a high value, even if they are terrible. That glary was the worst bass by far but came in 2nd for value. But how valuable is a bad instrument really?
@@turnerjazz7872 Good point. Maybe weight "value" differently?
I have to agree that this isnt the best method, there is absolutely no way the Glarry is in anyway better than the Ibanez, this method makes a good affordable bass with great features to its credit seem bad just because the value isnt ideal, having said that the actual price of that GSR model is 199 right now, unless he's adding a gig bag, strap or stand cost to that, which i doubt. My faves are definitely the Ibanez and the Harley, im actually seriously considering getting the GSR.
@@turnerjazz7872 I dont think you understand the definition of "value". Somethat that is quality, but expensive, can never be considered a "value". This is by definition.
I was thoroughly surprised at how good the Glarry sounded. I wasn't surprised at all that the Harley Benton came out on top. The HB was a beautiful bass that sounded great!
I'd recommend for anybody who wants to really become a bass player but has very little money to just buy a squier. Mainly because you can see the quality and you have the compatibility with so many aftermarket parts. Also it's a good idea to get used to that standard fender shape and neck feel. Many basses are based of that and it's just a good idea. If you eventually get bored with the sound or you want to make upgrades you dont have to buy a completely new bass.
I just got one last week. It has been fantastic.
I was blown away by the Cort when I got it, and a year later am even more in love.
Last bass I had - years ago - was a Kramer. I got back into playing and finally really trying to learn when my kids gave me the Cort for a pandemic lockdown birthday present. Wow! The build quality is exceptional, the tone, playability and overall sound (except for the bridge pup on it’s own) very good, and it’s so comfortable to play.
I thought that if I carried on playing I’d eventually grow out of it. No way. If anything, may replace the bridge pickup... but I’m enjoying the hell out of it as is
Can you use it whitout a battery?, like if it was a passive bass just deactivacting tremble and bass controls, or does it just work whit a battery?
What would be your best choices for replacement bridge pickup? Let's say budget is not much of an issue.
I feel like that Squier bass just smashes it out the park for me
Yeah and it even sound so good with Darkglass
Based on the sound, it was my least favorite. Too bright with a not very smooth sound. Perhaps great for a bass solo, but I don't think it would fit in a busy song mix all too well.
@@rookmaster7502 imo it'll work well for punk or indie, Also. It's better to have a naturally brighter sound so if you'd like you could turn it down with an EQ than boost something that isn't really there, I reckon by also just switching where the right hand plays could make it sound less brighter if it was more closer to the bridge. At the end of the day it depends on taste really but definetly usable for most things as long as mixing is on point
Weirdly I like the Glarry P pickup sound more
@@tibayonex4505 I does have a certain charm, more vintage sounding maybe, but I'm a guitarist so maybe I'm off bass.
That Cort has sick tone, disappointing not to see any Yamahas though they're fantastic instruments
Was wondering the same
what do you think a sick pj yamaha bass for around 200 bucks?
@@hendyp6325 Yeah the Yamaha RBX 170 is right around 200
I'm looking to buy a yamaha trbx 174, is it good?
@bflo1000 oh okay, thanks!
For my ear Ibanez and Cort sound of bass is really good, more better sound is cort. In the reviews video i choose Cort wins 1st place and Ibanez 2nd place. But i still fans of Ibanez
Harley Benton - ridiculously good value, and to my ears, sounded every bit as good if not better than the others. If I were a youngster starting bass , that's where my money would go.
It sounds too classic for me and it doesn’t seem like it would fit into more than one genre
@@ramengurung9913 I've actually had chance to play one of these HB basses and confirm that it's a good solid piece of kit. I tried it with classic rock, soul, funk, blues, reggae, jazz...it coped pretty well with all of those genres. Would it be right for metal? I don't know, never tried that, that's not my sort of music and I really don;t have any interest in that.
@@ramengurung9913 all basses are for each genre, sure they excel in one more than others but they all can use the padals to change the sound, which is why basses and guitars are so good :3
totally agree , the cort action bass is insane for the price, i think that is the best one of this shootout in terms of sound quality. Im running it with flatwounds and the sound is pretty clean . +1
It should be noted that the cost of the Ibanez is $50 higher because it’s a GSR200SM, and not the standard finish GSR200. A standard finish GSR200 is only $199 which using your scoring system brings it up to a 211 which puts it above the Squire.
I really liked the Ibanez sound for slapping around and distortion better than the rest…great video!!
I was surprised more commenters didn't favor it! I thought it was by far the best poppity do.
I really like the system that you set up which does honestly compare the basses.
Dude, a normal scale bass looks short scale in you! super tall. Very good playing too! I have the first Ibanez you played, since 10 years already, and it still works so good!! love it
OMG so true
I have the GSR205 and absolutely love it, was a birthday/Christmas gift from my brother and it has been such a blast playing it.
Hey man, thanks for this extensive review. Especially with all the math action/value points system. That was so neat! Thanks again and God bless. I’ve been thinking about getting that Harley Benton 5 string version of the PJ bass in the same exact color. Now I know it’s a definite HELL YEA!!!
Had been looking for a thorough and honest review for that Squier, it’s great, thanks !
I'm really digging the Cort....It's really difficult to have a bass shootout when the bass player is so good he can make anything sound awesome.
I will watch again no problem for me! You are one the best bassists on TH-cam and one of my main aspirations, keep it up!
This video was pretty great. Great playing, great quality. A fair rating system and one that makes sense. You should do more of these. There's hundreds of bass brands out there so why not try many and rate them!
Yap, my bias towards Ibanez doesn't to change
IMHO Exactly !
The best in this lineup.
@@bentpolski same, I’ve got a GSR200, a GSR205SM and a SR300, and I wouldn’t trade them for any other brand.
@@JCole78 You know they're all made by Cort right?
The best bass comparison video so far. Thank you!!!
Been playing Bass since I was 16. That was 50 years ago. Your assessment method is spot on. I did notice that to my ears the Ibanez had a 'darker' tone which I would have to attribute to the electronics and to an extent the wood used to build the body and neck. That is my only observation that is not in line with yours. Great Job....
The Ibanez and Squire were big stand outs to me. I'm surprised by how cheap it is that it had that nice, modern tone. I'm not big on P basses, but that Squire sounded good. And it looks nice, too. Very impressed.
you and guitarbank are the only ones the know how to do a great bass comparison.
Love your playing, man, I like practicing your riffs
Ibanez one is my favorite by quite a mile. Although, I could be biased since I learned on a very similar model one.
Watched tons of reviews, but this one is the best. Straight out to the sound test. And consistent test all throughout and has less talk. Keep up these type of reviews. Other reviews is like watching an autobiograohy . 😆
Man! This is how to do a shootout ! Very professionnal!
This is the best comparison video ever! I've never seen anyone doing like this, especially the value calculation is crazy :D Oh btw I liked the play of course!!
i recently got a second hand squier affinity pj for 150 quid as my first bass, i'm really happy with it and this reassures me that i got a good bargain on it as i didnt have anything to compare it to, thank you!
Thinking of getting a budget bass to record with, and came across this video. I have never seen your channel before, it is very professional, I can see why you have so many subscribers. Thanks for all of the great info, you have made my choice pretty clear.
Dude your voice is so soothing
That Ibanez sounds really good, has a bit of Spector vibe to it
It’s even more amazing in real life I hope I’m getting one
Ibanez has delivered best tone overall obviously, especially on clean setups. And it doesn't sound cheap like other contenders.
I have gsr200 and Mikro as well. I play those every day. I also own Fender Player Jazz, Glarry P (same as this one video). Ibanez gsr200 is my favorite.
I know this wasn't the point of the video but that Amianto pedal sounds so good! Hoping to see a full demo of that pedal and curious to see if it can nail those distorted Muse tones.
Prob the best instrument comparison done in such a quick amount of time I have seen on YT.
Awesome demo, Nate. \m/ the Ibanez gsr200 is my personal favorite. That bass sounds killer for a budget bass. Especially with distortion. I do like the blue finish on the cort action bass and I also dig the sounds from the squire and Harley Benton basses.
Just to be on the factual side - the Harley Benton PJ4 is imported from Thomann in Germany and the delivery charges are unavoidable and is $67.79 US to ship to Florida. This changes the total real cost very close to $200 US. This makes the price of the Squier only around $30 US more than the Harley Benton. It is possible that the shipping costs are inflated due to the pandemic as previous reports were that the shipping costs were only $30 US.
The Harley Benton sounded nice. I was not surprised that you gave it top rating.
I've bought a few Glarrys and the quality difference from my first Glarry J to the 5 string one I just bought with the soapbars is astronomical. It feels just as good, if not better than my Ibanez GIO bass. I threw some EMGs in it and it's absolutely killer now
Thanks ❗️i've definitely subscribed ❗️
this is the best eye opener info yet ! just starting out on bass after forty years or so of acoustic fingerstyle ; anyhoo bought myself the five string Ibanez SR405EPBDX cause the price was right and liked the esthetic appeal and which i also really like this bass A Lot 😊 [but without knowing nothing about active or passive basses when purchased _however reading up on it today] ; was thinking of getting the less expensive four string like the Ibanez GSR200SM _then changed my mind after watching your video 😝
I have been searching for a decent budget bass guitar to have in my home studio and after watching this video, I'm sold on the Harley Benton. The distorted tone is EXACTLY what I'm looking for! Thanks for this video!
Nate, this is really good. Your scaling system is brilliant...thanks for this information. Subscribed.
I own 7 basses, including a fretless, an acoustic and a semi acoustic. I was curious what a 5-string could do. So I bought an active Harley Benton Progressive Bass.
After some minor adjustments, lighter strings and one year of experience playing with 5 strings, I‘m sorry to say it beats all the others in sound flexibility, playability and overall feel. It even beats my Fender JB and PB, and the Warwick. I still love all of them, but when it comes down to ectended live playing or studio recording, it‘s the Harley. 😛
finally. A real and comprehensive review. Excellent
The Harley Benton is very nice but to be fair to the others here, you'd have to add in approx. $85 for shipping as they aren't sold here in the states.
I'm watching this video 2 years later and it's the best review video i've seen from now. Straight to the point. Thank you, i will go with the Squier pj bass. 👍
I have a black squier bass like this and I love my bass. Hugs from Rio de Janeiro.
Let’s just take a second to appreciate them sweet jams ! Wow what talent
That was one of the most thoughtful and comprehensive shootouts I've seen. Thank you!
Yeah I bought the Glarry for shats and giggles.. _{and because I didn’t want to bring my 64P onto certain gigs/certain areas..}_
$68.50 total shipped and everything 😂 the Cheapest bass I’ve ever bought in my life.
And it should’ve been no shock that it came with all those problems (& more) that you stated
However I had money to burn, (not to mention a few tech friends that Owed me some favors) and I fixed it up pretty nicely.
Full leveling-crown and polish- ripped out the electronics (kept the pickups) and put the real deal in there _(switch craft, CTS, cloth wire, .047 µF orange drop)_
And now after around $200, I can confidently say, it’s a decent sounding “P”OS. 😃
You don't change the nut, tuner and bridge?
@@KamuBodohYaKan oh yeah, that garbage Plastic Nut had to eventually go since this original post,.. but I’ve had No Problems with the Stock Tuners and Bridge.
I've had the ibanez as my first bass - being a guitarist for many years. I got it for sale used-new and it's been really great to learn on - very ergonomic and comfortable, and the difference compared to a larger fret bass seems negligible once it's through the amp.
For the budget I finally go to Ibanez BTB which has the best ergonomy and price and performance for me. The only issue is that the bass is too heavy and the pinch for strap almost fail and I have to fix it with my knowledge in woodcraft lol.
Would love to see you do budget 5 string basses. Awesome playing as always!
I got myself Harley Benton PJ-5 , same model as in the video but 5 string. It’s wonderful for the money paid
This was superbly done. Great playing too! I've been very impressed by the Harley Benton guitars/basses I've seen demo'ed. I for one did NOT like the HB tone that much, I would assume that it could be dialed to my own liking better, but for $130, that's a crazy good deal.
I have the exact same Cort, and I'm happy that you estimated it almost as high as the Squier, because my beginner untrained ear can't tell much difference. I should say however that I would definitely go for a Squier if it weren't at least 2 times more expensive in my local stores.
Can you use it whitout a battery?, like if it was a passive bass just deactivacting tremble and bass controls, or does it just work whit a battery?
@@javier10jr Just checked, no sound without a battery.
@@Maickellz Thank you for checking
This is one of the best comparison videos I've seen. Out of fairness, a Glarry GIB would have been a more appropriate model for comparison, as it is a PJ instead of just a P.
Just the best budget bass comparison review on TH-cam..thanks. I'm looking to buy a budget bass so this has been incredibly helpful👍
I have got the Cort bass in red. I fell in love with it. It's so beautiful and it sounds so much better than an 200€ Bass.
This is the best video I've saeen on this topic. I like an old school bottom end bass sound in the style of John Paul Jones (Led Zeppelin) Leon WIlkinson (Lynyrd Skynyrd) Roger Waters (Pink Floyd), and I needed one for at home recording and playing out occasionally. For me, the one bass that excels at the tones I use and has the quality is the SQUIER. Great video.🎸🎸🎸🎸🎸🎸🎸🎸🎸🎸🎸🎸🎸🎸🎸🎸🎸🎸🎸🎸🎸🎸🎸🎸🎸
Man, this guy is killing it!! + the rating is on point
Thanks for this material.
It’s possibly asking too much to squeeze this in but as a follow up perhaps. The same selection of bases reviewed but with two or three layers of fine tuning and tweaks.
Layer 1 review after new strings, tweaking the neck truss, adjusting the pick-up height.
Layer 2 review after doing a more detailed cleanup of frets and so on.
Layer 3 replacing hardware. (Drop in options, real work options etc)
In doing all this the perspective buyer can then know what to expect 1.on opening the box. 2 after getting into some small improvements, 3 the possibilities for taking the main unit to its highest level over time and as skills and interest allow and progress.
I’m hoping the each unit would be mostly a reflection of the respective manufacturers general kit so another style from the same manufacture would have a mostly similar tweaking, fine tuning, and upgrade path.
There you go. Enough to keep anyone busy for a while if it’s interesting for you
Thanks again for the material.
The problem that i have with what you're doing is that your playing makes them all sound so damn good.
I was actually quite surprised at how nice the Cort sounded. I didn't think it had a lot of high end but it had a nice meaty mid range with a little bit of growl and a smooth low end.
what an awesome video. Thank you SO much for taking the time to do this!
Lots of people seem to agree that the Ibanez had the best overall sound. Yet because it's the highest price it scored lowest on your point system.
I wonder if you're putting too much weight on the price when it comes to total value. Because if you ask me, most people would be willing to pay an extra $50 to get a significantly nicer sound. Plus the fact that many people buy their instruments used from other resellers. Maybe suggest adjusting the numbers. Possibly making the perfect sound score worth more than just 5 points, since the way the bass sounds is probably a more important metric.
I do agree however with the outcome of the Harley Benton having the best sound for the money.
This is the BEST bass review on TH-cam! and with the best playing ... Great Work!
I agree that rating them straight out of the box makes sense if you assume a beginner is buying these, but I would like to see how they all compare once they've had a standard setup and a new set of strings, because the cheap strings that come on some cheap instruments are really terrible. My local music shop charges $70 for a setup, but only $40 for a setup on a brand new instrument. I would also encourage anyone thinking of starting out on bass or guitar to consider learning how to do a setup yourself, it's really not that hard and there are plenty of TH-cam videos to show you what to do.
This video alone gets you a follow. Excellent content. I literally just purchased the Glarry to mod (since I want a p sound) so I'm hoping to increase the scores of the low points you've described.
Best shootout I ever seen of the economy basses!!great display of features,and I seen over 50 videos or more and I'm also a pro basses too.
Extremely interesting. Thanks for sharing.
And also: your superlative playing prove that a good bassist will make any (playable) bass sound good.
Strange the Glarry was so bad. My pro Gib bass was great out of the box. The intonation was perfect, the finish is good, it's weight and balance is right and it stays in tune no problem. The frets are perfect and all I did was buy some decent strings and lower the action a bit. For £82 it's brilliant!👏
i was too distracted by the magnificent playing to focus on the different instruments, incredible!
First time I’ve landed on your channel. Excellent playing, maybe the best I’ve heard on TH-cam. I commend you on your rating system, although you may want to consider squaring the score - as it is, people might choose a Glarry for its perceived outstanding value when a little more money would buy a much better instrument. Also, you may want to discuss the relative difficulty of addressing various points. Anyone can easily learn to set intonation and even string height, yet the bass can lose more points for those than for bad frets which are much more difficult for a beginner to remedy. Great systematic ranking though.
thank you! this was one of the most indepth reviews i've ever seen!
I got the Harley Benton based on Nate’s review. Very nice bass for the money. Sounds and looks good. Just one adjustment to the scores. The Harley Benton is more of a 224 due to the price once you factor in the shipping costs. It’s about $75 to ship from Germany. So it cost me $205 I love Harley Bentons now and I figured out if you buy two guitars the shipping stays the same. Now do budget Jazz Basses Nate
I bought the Glarry for an upgrade project while stuck at home due to the virus. I planned to improve many of the areas that fell short in your test. Firstly, the body I ordered has the same finish as yours. It is highly polished and smooth with no dings or imperfections, The neck came tightly bolted to the body. The tuners and bridge were of decent quality. However I replaced the bridge with a slightly heavier one. This was not necessary, but I had planned to change it from the start. I sanded down the neck to make it thinner and and finished it with Tung oil. I installed GFS hot overwound pickups and Quick Plug electronics for an easy upgrade. A few of the frets were high, so I ground and polished them. I also filed and smoothed the fret ends. Lastly, I gently filed one nut slot and put on a set of flat wound strings. What I ended up with was a better sounding, better playing instrument that I have already taken to several open microphone events.
One of the best comparison videos I have ever seen. Thank you for making this. INSTANT SUB FROM ME!!! Best wishes.
I never got more satisfied with a voice reveal. Your voice is the best bass out of all these. 👌👌
My opinion is that the Squier sounded best, followed by the Cort. Which one you choose would depend on preference/style, with the Squier being better for rock, vintage soul/funk, etc. and the Cort being better for metal, modern funk/R&B, and modern pop.
The Harley Benton would be next on my list, followed by Ibanez, with Glary coming in last.
I listened to the first comparison blind, then watched the others after I realized the sounds were so different that it didn't really matter if I knew which was which.
i bought the ibanez one, not only it plays really good but it is extremelly versatile. you can play metal, funk, rock or jazz it doesnt matter it will sound, feel and looks good among the rest of the band.
That Harley Benton just sounds so good, right up my alley....especially for that price. The Cort had a unique sound....not a fan, but when you ran it with that green distortion, was a real good tone.
Hey man pretty cool to see you play through all the different styles and sounds,... I just put money down on a late 90s model 4 string and idk what it was about it when I first set my eyes on it at a guitar store and there were 5 others and they looked good also but before I noticed it was an Ibanez bass I didn't even care at the moment what the brand was, all I knew in my mind was it was meant for me and I hadn't even reached up to unhook it from it's stand and handled or played it yet.. I hadn't played in over 15 years and never knew if I'd ever get back into it again but once I walked in and looked down the line of the guitars and bass that were there only one caught my attention and it's weird but I put it back and told the owner maybe I'd come back sometime if it was still there.. I left and got about a mile away and I immediately made a u-turn and went straight back to that guitar store and put half down on it because the feel of the bass in my hands and it's like being reunited with a long lost friend and it's like a good drug that you enjoy being hooked on 💯😎
Ibanez, Squier and Cort sounded pretty good. Benton sounded OK, the Glarry not so much, but still, for the price they'd make great modding platforms.
Truly excellent comparison video. Your playing got me excited to play bass too. Good job.
now, best bases if you can afford some tweaks and if you find one with a good finish in the shelf:
#1 - Ibanez
#2 - Squier/Cort
#3 - It doesn't really matter
The Squier and Cort both come out the same Cor-Tek doors.