Harley Benton JB-20 SB Standard Series

I own quite a few basses, from lower-end Ibanez 4 strings, to mid-end Brice 6 strings. However, I've never owned a jazz bass. I wanted something with some more punch to it, and I do quite enjoy how J basses look, but was entirely uninterested in paying for a Fender. I figured for under $200, I might as well take a gamble and try out one of these Harley Bentons I've been hearing about.

Since I've received this, I've rarely picked up anything else. The fretboard was a little dry looking, but everything looked very nice right out of the box. I was a little concerned about how it might travel in shipping since I didn't buy it alongside a hardbody case, but it survived the trip just fine. Packaging seemed sufficient to me.

The actual construction is a bit above what I'm used to at this price point. No sharp frets, back of the neck is perfectly smooth, the internal electronics appear to be properly set. I plug in and record through an Eleven Rack, and I notice a hearty amount of hiss whenever I plug in other basses, but this particular bass is nearly silent. Quite pleased.

As for actual tone; it's great. Quite huge and colorful on its own and sits in a mix very nicely. Slapping and plucking sound as they should; slappy and plucky. It's fairly light, so I can play with it for hours before feeling it resting on my neck or leg. To call it comfortable would be an understatement.

I have nothing but positive things to say about the instrument.

More than pleased with my purchase. I'll certainly be back for more.

This happens to be my second purchase of an instrument under the Harley Benton brand. I purchased a TE-20 (T-style Electric Guitar) last month and was very impressed, so I thought I would take my chances at the JB-20 with my main instrument in mind! This bass surprised me even more than my previous purchase with Harley Benton.

It came packaged very well, including a cable and all the necessary tools to make adjustments. I was a little worried initially, as my TE-20 had some fret buzz which needed taking care of, but this JB-20 had no such issues. The fret ends were perfect, and no playability issues were found by myself at least. The included cable is rubbish in my opinion, so I would recommend buying a better cable alongside this bass.

Comparing this to another beginner bass I have, a Stagg basic P-bass, it far outshines my first bass. It plays very nicely. The sound is very pleasant for such a cheap bass, although of course upgrading the pickups would be a nice upgrade one day. The finish is gorgeous, as my first sunburst style instrument it really caught my eye. You won't be disappointed by the finish at all in my opinion.

Here are some general thoughts:

Pro's
- Playability was perfect out of the box!
- Sunburst finish is very pretty.
- Very nice sound for such a cheap bass.
- Fret-ends are very smooth.
- Price!

Con's:
- Included cable is rubbish.
- Knobs/dials are a bit worse than on my TE-20, but they do the job.
- Stock strings aren't the best.
- The protective film was a pain to remove completely! (without disassembly)

In conclusion, this bass really blew me away in terms of quality. I think I'll be using this for some fun more than I expect. It's important to remember that not all JB-20's will be equal out of the box, so I would say I got quite lucky with the experience I had immediately (when comparing to my TE-20). A good setup would be something I would recommend, seeing as it isn't likely going to be perfect out of the box. I am still going to get this serviced, just to make sure everything is in the best shape it can be. I would highly recommend this bass however! Perfect if you're a beginner. Can't go wrong.