Harley Benton PJ-5 SBK Deluxe Series

5-String Electric Bass

Body: Poplar
Bolt-on neck: Maple
Fingerboard: Roseacer
Dot fingerboard inlays
Neck profile: Modern C
Double action truss rod
Nut width: 45 mm
Scale: 864 mm
Frets: 20
Pickup: J-Style Single Coil (bridge) und P-Style Split Coil (middle)
2 volume controls
1 tone control
Black hardware
PJ-style machine heads
Strings: D'Addario EXL .045 - .130
Colour: Matt black

30-Day Money-Back Guarantee

3-Year Thomann Warranty

Available since June 2022
Item number 518504
Sales Unit 1 piece(s)
Colour Black
Body Poplar
Neck Maple
Fretboard Roseacer
Frets 20
Scale Longscale
Pickup System PJ
Elektronic Passive
Incl. Case No
Incl. Gigbag No

155 €

All prices incl. VAT

Sales Rank

in 5-String P-Basses

Bundles & offers

Harley Benton PJ-5 SBK Deluxe Series Bundle

175 €

Harley Benton PJ-5 SBK Deluxe Series w/Bag

176 €

Harley Benton PJ-5 SBK Deluxe Series Bundle

255 €

Powerful combination on a budget

Harley Benton Deluxe series PJ-5 SBK 5-string electric bass guitar, front view

At first glance, the Harley Benton PJ-5 SBK Deluxe looks like a typical "P-style" five-string bass thanks to its classic design, which includes an poplar body with a matt black finish that continues on the neck as well as an elegant fingerboard made from dark baked maple called "roseacer" – an authentic-looking alternative to endangered rosewood, which is now protected by conservation law. The most stand-out feature of the PJ-5 SBK Deluxe is certainly its combination of pickups: As the letters "PJ" in the name suggest, this bass combines the very best of both worlds - a P-style "split" pickup and a J-style "bar" pickup (both single coils) which together offer an incredibly wide tonal range at an unbeatable price.

Harley Benton J-style five-string bass pickups

P-style design with an extra pickup

The Harley Benton PJ-5 SBK Deluxe duplicates the playing feel of a conventional P-style five-string bass, but it adds a little extra in terms of hardware, with dedicated volume controls for each of the two pickups. The combination of a P-style and a J-style pickup gives bassists that classic, growly mid-range Rock sound from the former while adding a twangy and punchy high end from the latter, which makes for a particularly powerful and assertive tone. Players who want to bring in even more variation can also use the passive tone control to create a more muffled, vintage-style sound. The versatile tonal qualities of the Harley Benton PJ-5 SBK Deluxe are perfectly complemented by a set of specially designed chrome-plated machine heads that are much smaller than the classic P-style ones, which eliminates that annoying neck-heaviness that is characteristic of many similar basses.

A bargain for more than just beginners

Budget-conscious bassists of all levels would be well-advised to take a closer look at the Harley Benton PJ-5 SBK, which offers a wide range of tonal options at an extremely affordable price - perfect for beginners who are eager to get into playing a five-string bass and spend countless hours practising. Players will love the neck's modern C-profile, which fits the hand perfectly and makes playing even more comfortable. But the Harley Benton PJ-5 SBK Deluxe is not just an instrument for absolute beginners: Its attractive price tag and low B-string also make it an interesting option for guitarists looking to try their hand at playing the bass, so they can easily jam along for fun or even stand in on bass if necessary.

About Harley Benton

Since 1998, the Harley Benton brand has been catering for the needs of numerous guitarists and bassists. In addition to an extensive range of stringed instruments, Thomann's house brand also offers a wide choice of amplifiers, speakers, effect pedals, and other accessories. In total, the range includes over 1,500 products. Built by established names in the industry, all Harley Benton products combine quality and reliability at attractive and affordable prices. The continuous expansion of the range ensures that Harley Benton always provides new, exciting, and innovative products that keep players perfectly in tune with the musical world, day after day.

Rear view of Harley Benton electric bass guitar with bolt-on neck

The best of both worlds

The Harley Benton PJ-5 SBK Deluxe is the ideal instrument not only for beginners who want to enter the five-string world but also for professional players who need a versatile backup bass. This reliable all-rounder will feel at home in just about any situation and allow bands of all genres to cover almost every musical style with ease. Whether a bassist wants to play more modern Rock sounds with powerful mids on an instrument that has the looks to match, or try out quieter retro sounds with twangy highs – the exceptionally priced Harley Benton PJ-5 SBK Deluxe can do it all thanks to its special combination of P-style and J-style pickups and an extra low B-string.

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100 Customer ratings

5 62 Customers 4 31 Customers 3 6 Customers 2 0 Customers 1 1 Customer

4.5 / 5

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Review guidelines

78 Reviews

Pleasantly surprised

Joeysha 22.08.2022

This is my first experience with harley benton instruments and thomann in general and om glad to say that I am pleasantly surprised.

The bass feels quite sturdy and well built. It did have some small cosmetic issues on the finish but nothing major at all.
No fret sprout (frets also feel fine)
The knobs feel okay. Not scratchy or anything like that.
The tuners aren't the best but they absolutely get the job done.
I keep this bass in drop a and it has stayed like that since I got it.
The picks sound fine,. not great, not bad. At least with a clean tone.
I feel like the p-bass pick is the stronger of the two. Alot more low end.
BUT with a bit of drive this bass sounds huge.

The finish on this bass looks very cool but it does feel very fragile and prone to scratches and the like.

But overall I am more than pleased with this for the time being

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Received Bad setup

Bassazz 27.06.2025

I just received a brand new PJ-5 SBK Deluxe directly from Thomann. Below are my observations after initially unpacking from the box.

CONS: 1. The neck was horribly bowed and the action was ridiculously high, however with work on the truss rod I finally got the action to a decent height. This is pretty much typical with any new bass shipped from a ling distance, especially during summer. Once action was lowered it played great
Biggest complaint was the nut being plastic. For a few dollars more it could have had a bone nut. And I hate to say the nut actually popped off the neck when I removed the strings to adjust the truss rod. This probably due to the high temperatures during shipment. I will be swapping out the cheap plastic nut for a bone nut.

PROS: 1. After I got the bass set up finished, I plugged it into my amp and this bass sounds phenomenal! I expected the pickups to be weak because it's an inexpensive bass but I was really wrong. They really kick and have great tone!
2. It is a beautiful bass! I love the satin black finish especially on the back of the neck. Extremely smooth and fast. No shiny lacquer for sweaty hand to stick to. And the blood red pickguard really sets the bass off.
3. This model used to have a basswood body. It is now made with poplar wood which is an great improvement.
4. No fret sprout! None! Frets dressed very well out of the box with the exception of one fret being a tiny bit rough on the upper end.

Were there some issues out of the box? Yeah, but show me a bass that is perfect right out of the box. Once set up and adjusted correctly, this bass is as good as any Squier or MIM Fender!
I highly recommend!!

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Sound and Feel is Expensive

SleakGeek 27.08.2022

This instrument will shock you!
Worth way more than your paying!
I had basic setup done as I usually do!
This my 5th Harley Benton and I already have my eye on one more !!
Great investment and instruments!

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Perfect introduction to 5 string bass!

CoveredInSound 17.10.2022

My first 5 string and I couldn't be happier!

Set up was fine out of the box, no sharp fret edges or anything. Action is good and the neck smooth and accessible up to the highest fret. The P pickup purrs but has some bite if needed and J adds more clarity if you want it.

Build quality is very good and the finish is perfect. The B string is pretty solid, certainly good enough for gigging.

All in all I'm delighted with my first 5 string.

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Harley Benton PJ-5 SBK Deluxe Series

5-String Electric Bass