# I need a cheap bass for recording only [UK/Lefty]



## mnemonic (Jul 1, 2013)

And I know nothing about bass  

So I just decided to get back into recording as I've not recorded anything in like 3 years, but I'm missing one of the fundamental requirements for a good mix: a bass. 

I used to use my roommates Brice 6 string (rondo) back when I lived in the US and it was nice (but upside down), but its about 3,000 miles away now. 

I'm looking for something (very) cheap that can get the job done, I'm not looking for pro quality, obviously. These two are the cheapest I've found but I can't find any reviews for them;

Harley Benton JB-20 SB LH - Thomann UK

Harley Benton PB-20BK LH Standard Series - Thomann UK

Anyone have any experience with Harley Benton gear? 
Is it worth a damn?
Is the p-bass or jazz bass setup better for recording metal (I've mostly done clean in the past but I would like to try distorted bass again) 
I'll be tuning it to Bb if that makes a difference. 

My only requirements are;
-left handed 
-available in UK 
-as cheap as possible
-makes bass noises

Cheers dudes!


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## Wings of Obsidian (Jul 1, 2013)

See here is the thing I have had with aftermarket products and aftermarket names like this......if you don't recognize them, odds are that the quality is not good. I mean, cheap, shitty aftermarket products.

For the price, I would recommend at least looking into a legitimate Squire or Fender bass.

But, hunt around and look at local used gear. You can find such amazing deals on some stuff. (I watched a very nice bass go for $89 in store locally a few days back.) And since you are looking for something for recording metal, maybe you could find a more "metal" bass (in terms of looks and sound).

P-bass versus J-bass. I just created a thread on here (Fave Pickup Config) under the Bass Section here. P-bass thumps and the J-bass growls. P-bass is for more rock-oriented playing, but the J-bass is more flexible with more versatility. Try to find something with the "best of both worlds" P/J pickup configuration. Also, you can find some really dirt-cheap basses with humbuckers. Find one with like a humbucker near the bridge (to fatten things up and flesh out the pickup in front of it) and either a J-pickup or a P-pickup near the neck. Even more versatile combination.


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## mnemonic (Jul 1, 2013)

Cheers thanks for the info! 

Upon further reading, Harley Benton appears to be the in-house brand of Thomann, which I guess explains the lack of info online. I'm sure someone here must have tried one of the lower end ones though. 

I am keeping my eye out for used gear, but damn lefty stuff is always hard to come by. Hard to sell too 

I did see the pickups thread, good read! It's kind of surprising how traditional basses seem to be, people still using p-bass and jazz bass setups for such a multitude of genres.


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## Andromalia (Jul 2, 2013)

I'd discourage getting anything Harly Benton as far as instruments are concerned. They may be cheap stuff for beginners, but they're not cheap stuff for people who have a bit more XP under their belt. Bought a smi hollow from them once just for giggles at 80&#8364;, well, it wasn't even worth them. Square frets, not even a truss rod, hardware was veeeery bad and it held tune for a good 15 seconds.

I agree with a Squier either precision or Jazz for cheap but still decent equipment. Plus, it's likely you can find a truckload of them used.


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