NBD Harley Benton PJ-5 HTR Deluxe Series Just In Time !

topcat2069

topcat2069

Dec 2, 2007
2,169
422
4,911
Cathedral City Ca.
#1
Here it is......

I lowered the action, adjusted the truss rod to get the action I like .... and put on the inlay stickers !
The neck is thick but by no means uncomfortable. The pickups have a low output and were adjusted very low (far from the strings) I tried to raise them but the pickup screw springs are kinda not so good. The Bass plays great and at 8.13 lbs, is a very reasonable weight. The hardware is to be expected on a Bass in this price range, not the best but the tuners and bridge work well enough that an upgrade would cost more than the Bass did. (though there may be upgrades in the future)

Crappy cell phone picts.
20161217_113758-jpg.jpg

20161217_113813-jpg.jpg
20161217_113826-jpg.jpg
20161217_113838-jpg.jpg


Oh yeah.... the Bass sounds like a PJ ...the P pickup, for all practical purposes sounds like a P, and the Jazz pickup like a Jazz. all in all a GREAT buy.

Oh Yeah, I forgot this: https://www.thomann.de/intl/harley_benton_hot_rod_5_bass.htm

Last edited: Yesterday at 7:54 AM
 
Last edited:
  • Like
Reactions: andruca, Starflyer59, Alembiccucurbit and 2 others
#4
topcat2069 said:
Time and money will decide when I get to do the up grades.... but so far these:

NEW Omega 5 STRING Badass Bass II Style Bridge for Fender Precision Jazz Chrome | eBay

and VVT
Passive Harness - Best Bass Gear
Click to expand...

IME there's nothing wrong with the HB bent plate bridge. I have a P kit and altho' in the beginning I had this prejudice against the type of bridge (and HB's quality in particular) it's perfectly resonating with the bridge as is.

Been eyeing this bass for so long. But reviews are too "subjective" regarding some specs. Can I abuse your kindness asking for a couple of measurements? I'd love to know both the thickness of the neck (front to back, at frets 1 and 12) and also what's the string spacing at the bridge. Also, what's your impression on its low B? Loved to read it's a mere 8lb :thumbsup: Thanks in advance. And rock this bass to death.
 
  • Like
Reactions: topcat2069
#6
Without calipers, just a tape, I guess-tamate, aprox. 3/4 inch at the 1st fret and maybe 1" at the 12th fret (give or take a 1/6th or 32nd of an inch at either measurement. ..... The B string is solid, I've played both 34" and 35" and this is comparable to the better B strings. You could get a larger B ( I believe this one is a 130 ) but it came strung with D'Addario XL , which is my brand, so they stay. The Thickness of the neck is a big part of why the B string sounds so good (IMHO) and is very comfortable. Since I don't play out anymore, I can't really say about gig length playing, but, (if I had my chops back) I don't think the thickness would interfere. I will say,(and this is so totally 80/90s) but it feels like a mans Bass..... that is about the only way I can describe it (a nice female with larger hands might find this Bass easy to play also).... for the price, with a professional personal setup , unless you can do that sort of thing, and reasonable expectations, this Bass is a winner.

Oh Yeah... strings at the bridge seem about 18 or 18.5 mm

So far, the only upgrades I'm thinking are (the bridge is fine) to replace the wiring with a Vol. Bal. and Tone, maybe replace the nut and install a Fender double Jazz (like the Am. Deluxe P Bass from 1997) at the bridge.

like this:

bigDSCN0002.jpg


Based on the information on this page
Demystifying Fender Neck Sizes Based On Letter Designations | eBass
I believe the neck profile is a U shape
 
Last edited:
  • Like
Reactions: andruca and Alembiccucurbit
#7
Thanx for the info. I'm into narrow string spacing really (16mm on my Stingray 5s, 17mm on my Maruszczyk Jake 5a+) so I'd most probably replace the bridge with one of these cheapos. I do my own setups and am deeply into modding stuff since I got that kit a year ago and don't mind the "intervention". I've even rewired the coil tap on my Maruszczyk several times and am about to reverse the pickup on one of my Stingrays to be able to select the neckside coil when single coil is toggled. With time I'd even do the reverse P mod to this PJ-5 (would have to make a new pickguard, which I already did for the same mod on my P kit).
 
  • Like
Reactions: topcat2069
#9
No longer available in the US because of the rosewood fretboard and CITES regulations. I was waiting until after my budget recovered a bit from the holidays and waited too long.
Thoman's page for this says:
"We're sorry!
This product cannot be sent to the country of your choice or may not be operated there.
Please choose another product or country of delivery."
Bummer. I hope they come up with an sll maple neck soon!
 
#13
I read the Reverb article. I knew what was coming, but satisfying GAS (twice) during the holidays is a recipe for marital disharmony to say the least...

...the first was a Black Friday sale on the Monoprice 15 watt tube amp for $148. Couldn't pass that one up.
 
  • Like
Reactions: topcat2069
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top Bottom
Back