Harley Benton B-550 White Progressive Series

Bought this since I lacked a 5-string and wanted to try it out. I've had it for around a week now and I can't be more satisfied with what I got for the price. It looks great, plays really well and it's just all around an enjoyable instrument. I had an issue with the B-string giving of some rattling noises, but after restringing the noise issues disappeared. I heard that the active system drains the battery even if not plugged, that is not a big issue for me since I usually take the battery out while not in use, but that may be something to keep in mind for those of you considering this instrument.

All in all, I'm really glad I went with this one.

Helt enligt förväntningarna för ett sådant pass billigt instrument som ändå blivit så pass bra recenserat av andra. Den fungerar alldeles utmärkt till att lägga bas i projektstudion och har faktiskt använt den live en gång också (är dock gitarrist egentligen).
Det man kunde önskat sig var att det aktiva systemet gick ner i sparläge, alternativt att det fanns en av/på-switch för detta. Lämnar man batteriet i så suger det ut strömmen ganska snabbt. Ska sätta i en egen mini-switch för detta så småningom. Sammantaget så är det en fruktansvärt prisvärd bas!

Uppdatering: Läste nu om att lösningen på att få det aktiva systemet passivt när det inte används kanske är lättare än att sätta i en mini-switch. Enligt en recension på engelska här hos Thomann så kan det ev. handla om att löda om en kabel. Får se hur jag löser det.

Can you gig this bass? I am
clip above is the DI track from the digital desk at the venue, I've even left my playing mistakes and lax timing in. I was playing in passive mode with the blend centred, bass boosted and a slight cut on treble. That's right you can still boost the bass and cut the treble in passive mode. This is a fairly unique feature I feel.

I'm happy with the 5th (B) string in particular, listen to the clip, those low Cs and Ds really thunder, especially in the flesh through a decent amp. The B doesn't feel floppy.

As expected with dual buckers it's silent when you are not playing, no humming. I was pleasently suprised to see that the bass is also shielded at the factory too. Likewise everything has been grounded correctly too, I can touch the pickups and all other screw heads and fittings with no buzzing.

The tuning pegs keep the guitar in tune. I transport this bass in a soft gig bag and it's virtually always still in tune when I get it back out of the case.

I set this bass up to my liking with plenty of play left in the adjustments. I use plectrums as I don't have feeler gauges. I set the truss rod so I can just about get a 0.5mm under the 7th fret when the first fret is capoed and I fret the last fret (this is neck relief for those new to guitar setups). I set the action at the 12th fret to about 1.4mm (G string) to 2.1mm (B string). No annoying buzzes if I play lightly, I can get that fret buzz when digging in for rock and when slapping though. Access right up to the last fret isn't an issue. No neck dive to speak of really.

Cons: price considered there arn't really any to write home about. The neck pocket could be a little tighter, this is a visual thing though and I suspect it doesn't effect the tone much if at all. The blend knob isn't the nice 3 way smooth blend you might expect, it very much acts as a 3 way switch, don't expect to experiment with 25% neck PU and 75% bridge. It's either 100% neck, 50:50 or 100% bridge. This isn't a bad thing though. The 3 sounds are great especially when used with bass and treble EQ controls.

This has become my main player. It's light, easy to play and versatile. I also don't worry about leaving it in my car or unsupervised at the venue. All I needed to do was swap the strings (I use Dunlop Birght Nickels 45-125). You might get the odd person sneer because it's a no-name brand. Just wow them with your playing and groove and they'll come around.