Harley Benton DB02-BK Electric Double Bass

Od jakiegoś czasu rozglądałem się za kontrabasem. Jestem gitarzystą basowym z kilkunastoletnim stażem, ale kontrabas od zawsze był w planach. Niestety na razie nie chciałem wersji akustycznej.
Długo się zastanawiałem, który wybrać. Pod uwagę brałem również NS Design WAW 4c oraz Ibanez UB-804.
Wybrałem ostatecznie ten instrument. Powody poniżej:
1.) Chciałem się przekonać czy to dla mnie i ostatecznie nie chciałem wydawać większych pieniędzy. Tym bardziej, że o ile NS Design miał dobre opinie to już Ibanez nie do końca.
2.) Chciałem instrument bez markerów progów, bo to może mi utrudnić w przyszłości przejście na wersję akustyczną, HB ma takie markery ale jedynie z boku. Zupełnie mi to nie przeszkadza.
3) Bardzo fajnym pomysłem jest wyjście na słuchawki.
Po zamówieniu instrument przyszedł kurierem. Thomann dobrze go zabezpieczył na czas transportu.
A teraz coś o jego walorach.
Instrument wykonany bardzo dobrze - jestem bardzo miło zaskoczony. Podstrunnica ma poprawny radius a pozostałe elementy są solidnie wykonane.
Brzmienie naprawdę dobre. Miałem okazję być u kolegi kontrabasisty, który na co dzień gra na kontrabasie akustycznym i też był bardzo zaskoczony zarówno jakością jak i brzmieniem.
Podsumowując instrument spełnił moje oczekiwania. Brzmi ładnie, jest dobrze wykonany. Struny, które założono są dobrej jakości i ładnie brzmią. Instrument trzyma strój i naprawdę mogę go polecić osobom, które chcą zacząć swoją przygodę z kontrabasem.
Jedyny minus to chyba tylko pokrowiec. Jest marnej jakości i lepiej z nim nie spacerować jak będzie deszcz padał.
Teraz wiem, że czeka mnie zakup kontrabasu akustycznego ;)

The bass is nice and well made in general. It certainly is very easy to transport, which is a huge plus (especially compared to an acoustic double bass). The sound is nice and full, although don't expect it to sound like a double bass, especially in the higher registers/thumb position, where it sounds somewhat like a fretless electric.

I bought it to see if I could even make it on the double bass and it certainly did its job: I bought an acoustic DB shortly after. I still use this one for crowded jam sessions, rehearsals or late-night practice: I prefer the acoustic but this is so much more convenient and for the price sounds well enough. And the possibility of connecting your headphones straight to the bass is simply great. Also, the gig bag and bow are a nice touch (although the bow broke after a month).

A few things to keep in mind, though:
* it's much closer to your body and much more vertical than a double bass, so getting a good left-hand technique is tricky and playing arco (especially german bow) is quite a challenge.
* moreover, it's very light: when you press down on the strings (instead of squeezing the neck), the endpin can pop off the ground, causing an embarrassing slide of the whole bass (been there).
* there are dots on the side of the neck, which is incredibly helpful at first but can give you a bad habit of looking at your left hand
* in general, the bass feels quite wobbly and light, you can lift it off the ground by shifting up the neck.

When I'm practicing with this one I'm putting the endpin in the corner between the wall and the floor -- sounds stupid but prevents the bass from sliding and lets me use my left hand correctly ;)

But for this kind of money, I doubt you'll get anything better. The NS design basses are... weird. The Yamahas are closer to an acoustic DB but in a whole different price range.

I've wanted to play double bass almost my entire life. Having played fretless bass on and off for about a decade, I figured it was time to take the plunge and settled on this. Mainly due to the cool looking scroll headstock, as opposed to the sort of ugly square ones on the 2 or 3 other entry level EUBs on the market.

This is my first EUB so I don't have much of a frame of reference. However the fit and finish seem solid, the neck is nice and actually quite comfortable (not as thick as I was anticipating) and it sounds as I imagine an electric upright should sound. For an entry level instrument, I find it sounds quite smooth and warm. It has "that" sound that just sings and oozes cool. The sound it produces just makes me want to continue playing. The tone controls allow you to dial in some extra low end if desired. Action arrived a little high for my liking, I will look into adjusting. Still, having literally never played this instrument before in my life, this particular EUB is making learning an enjoyable experience.

There's a bow also, to unleash some shuddering low end drones, but I'm really here for the cool cat fingerstyle. Oh yeah, and it sounds killer through a chorus pedal!

I have been playing electric bass a long time and always loved the sound color of the double bass. Since an authentic double bass is too big for my car (and quite expensive), and since I didn't know if playing it would be too difficult for me, I opted for this Harley Benton. I haven't regretted it for a moment. I love the way you can plug in headphones for practicing without bothering anyone with your off-tune playing. In the mean time I learned to play it better and sometimes I'm even pleased with my own playing. It wasn't as difficult as I thought it would be. The only criticism I have about this bass is that in the higher regions it sounds more like a fretless electric, but still I think it is good fun playing it. Good price-quality and definitely recommend.