Harley Benton JB20 vs JB75

alvynmcq

I am currently looking for a bass, I will be using it for recording in the house and that sort of thing, but my son has also expressed an interest lately in bass playing so with that in mind I have been looking at the HB jazz basses as the neck should be slightly smaller (I have small hands as well).

Anyone convince me one way or the other about them? I have read about the 75 being "heavy", not sure how weighty they are though.

Open to other suggestions as well, max budget is £200

thanks

Rich210

I' m not sure about the Harley Benton stuff, but I've recently picked up a revelation guitar and I'm very impressed and have seen their Jazz version for under £200 secondhand. 

Funkfingers

alvynmcq said:

... jazz basses as the neck should be slightly smaller (I have small hands as well).

Traditional spec Jazz Bass necks are "smaller" in the sense that they are narrower across the nut. Some Precision-inspired necks are also offered in this width.

alvynmcq said:

bass ... for recording in the house

The dual single coil pickups of the Jazz Bass design are prone to hum and RF interference. They only come close to hum-cancelling when both turned up to maximum. The things that interferes best with these single coil pickups are dimmer light switches and computer monitors.

alvynmcq said:

not sure how weighty they are though.

Wood density varies. The light 'n' pretty stuff tends to be set aside for expensive instruments. The only way to test a H-B before buying it is to try it on a strap.

alvynmcq said:

Open to other suggestions as well, max budget is £200

Pre-owned Sire and Squier spring to mind. Yamaha and Ibanez make some excellent beginner-to-intermediate level instruments. These tend to be undervalued on the secondhand market. Somebody on here listed an Overwater/Tanglewood Aspiration Bass last year. If that is unavailable, I have one that I am considering selling.

alvynmcq

After this it looks like I am going to pull the trigger on a Talman short scale

Andyjr1515

alvynmcq said:

After this it looks like I am going to pull the trigger on a Talman short scale

I think Talman basses are superb bang for the buck...

Harley Bentons are also stunning value for money but they can, indeed, be very heavy.

Teyeplayer

I’ve the hb75. It’s a nice bass for very little money and works fine for home recording and the odd jam. It’s heavy though, no idea of the exact weight but it’s substantially more than any of my other guitars.