Fender vs. Sire vs. Squier vs. Harley Benton - Ultimate 50s P Bass Comparison With Bass Giveaway!

Which bass impressed you the most in this video?

  • Total voters
    87
  • Poll closed .
Bassprofessor

Bassprofessor

Mar 26, 2021
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#1


Hello my fellow lowenderettes and lowenders,

my comparison video is now finished and uploaded. The results are pretty interesting!
But mind you: Such reviews are always subjective and altough all basses are sounding good, I do like some more than others. But if YOU would rate them in another order: So be it! You won't be wrong! :)
I tried to make good sound samples so you will get a great impression of each of those basses.

Now may you enjoy that comparison and always stay well and creative!

-Robert

P.S. watch out for the special giveaway at the beginning of the video! ;)
 
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#2
Hmmm, electronics issues on the Sire, that's surprising to me, and disappointing. I liked the tone the best, I think, though yeah, low signal means less "balls" so I hope they get that fixed. I've read reports that the pickup is hum cancelling, but also reports that it isn't, so I've got to get that cleared up. I wasn't surprised to Fender won overall, it should, given the price differential.
 
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#4
Blackjac97 said:
The bass that impressed me the most was the Harley Benton, given its price point and how phat and hot it sounded!

I thought the sire sounded very good. The squier and fender sounded most classisc to me.

I would buy either the Fender or the Squier though, as that classic headstock shape is an important part of the '51 P for me.
Click to expand...
Yeah the Harley Benton kills it in the "bang for the buck" category here, definitely a great value, especially for starters. But me, if I get anything (don't need another bass lol), it'd be the Sire. Have 5 already, love 'em all, but no gen 2 yet, and the D5 is just so tempting, other than those worrisome electronics issues on the review bass. Wonder if that was a fluke or representative of all of them (had read elsewhere the sc pickup seemed to be silent, but not here).
 
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#6
@Bassprofessor

Hi Robert.

I've some experience with 3 of these basses . Played a few Squiers, owned many Harley Benton PB-50s and have a Paisley MIJ Fender reissue. I agree with most of your points though not all :D

For instance I prefer the satin finish of the PB-50 neck to high gloss . The weight of the Squiers did not bother me either , my own pine slab body is much heavier . Some folks have this notion that pine = light . Not all pines are equal :laugh:

Personally I'd reverse positions 1 & 2.

The Paisley finish on my Fender is a joy to behold but my PB-50s see 90% of the playing :)

Any way kudos to you for taking the time to make the video and showing folks they don't need to drop big money for a single coil P-bass.

J-Mags said:
I love the look of the Harley Benton, and it sounded good too, if a bit generic.
Click to expand...
That's single coil P-basses , they all sound roughly the same.
 
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#7
kodiakblair said:
@Bassprofessor

Hi Robert.

I've some experience with 3 of these basses . Played a few Squiers, owned many Harley Benton PB-50s and have a Paisley MIJ Fender reissue. I agree with most of your points though not all :D

For instance I prefer the satin finish of the PB-50 neck to high gloss . The weight of the Squiers did not bother me either , my own pine slab body is much heavier . Some folks have this notion that pine = light . Not all pines are equal :laugh:

Personally I'd reverse positions 1 & 2.

The Paisley finish on my Fender is a joy to behold but my PB-50s see 90% of the playing :)

Any way kudos to you for taking the time to make the video and showing folks they don't need to drop big money for a single coil P-bass.

That's single coil P-basses , they all sound roughly the same.
Click to expand...

I think the Fender and the Squier have a bit of something familiar in the mids.
 
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#9
J-Mags said:
I think the Fender and the Squier have a bit of something familiar in the mids.
Click to expand...
What's not touched on in the video is the pole pieces.

The Harley Benton uses the same massive slugs as Duncan QP's , they affect the initial attack. The earlier PB-50s had Wilkinson pickups with standard slugs for more traditional tone.

bholder said:
the Sire is the darkest tone of the 4.
Click to expand...
Quite pronounced wasn't it. Wonder if it was the cap/potentiometer tolerances ?
 
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#14
Honestly I liked them all. They all sound like a p-bass.

I voted Squier because I think it has the most Vintage sounds and looks out of the bunch. Bummer about the neck though!

The HB is a great deal, but they’re challenging to find (as is the Sire). The neck is a deal breaker for me though.

The sire has a retro-modern vibe which I do dig as well, sounded sweet, but no good about the electronics.

The fender sounds great but personally I think it has too much clarity for a “vintage” instrument. Would make a great all purpose p-bass though.

Squire
Sire
Fender MIJ
HB
 
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#17
bholder said:
Hmmm, electronics issues on the Sire, that's surprising to me, and disappointing. I liked the tone the best, I think, though yeah, low signal means less "balls" so I hope they get that fixed. I've read reports that the pickup is hum cancelling, but also reports that it isn't, so I've got to get that cleared up. I wasn't surprised to Fender won overall, it should, given the price differential.
Click to expand...
Thanks for your comment. The problem from the Sire stems from a wire which is soldered to the wrong lug. That fixes the noise problem, but I noticed that after the video. And I am not alone with that issue. I already informed Sire.

I like that the reactions to this video is cery varied, with some saying Fender "wins", but others say Sire, Squier, Benton.
That is a good sign and an achievement for an simple construction.
 
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#18
Blackjac97 said:
The bass that impressed me the most was the Harley Benton, given its price point and how phat and hot it sounded!

I thought the sire sounded very good. The squier and fender sounded most classisc to me.

I would buy either the Fender or the Squier though, as that classic headstock shape is an important part of the '51 P for me.
Click to expand...
Thanks for your thoughts! It5funny hiw they all built almost the same, but are sounding so different :)
 
#19
bholder said:
Yeah the Harley Benton kills it in the "bang for the buck" category here, definitely a great value, especially for starters. But me, if I get anything (don't need another bass lol), it'd be the Sire. Have 5 already, love 'em all, but no gen 2 yet, and the D5 is just so tempting, other than those worrisome electronics issues on the review bass. Wonder if that was a fluke or representative of all of them (had read elsewhere the sc pickup seemed to be silent, but not here).
Click to expand...
Another very big reviewer had the exact same issue were a wire Was soldered to the wrong lug. It's an easy fix, but a strange mistake.
 
#20
Bassprofessor said:
Thanks for your comment. The problem from the Sire stems from a wire which is soldered to the wrong lug. That fixes the noise problem, but I noticed that after the video. And I am not alone with that issue. I already informed Sire.

I like that the reactions to this video is cery varied, with some saying Fender "wins", but others say Sire, Squier, Benton.
That is a good sign and an achievement for an simple construction.
Click to expand...
Cool, thanks for getting it fixed "in process" so others won't have it. :thumbsup:
 
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