In terms of features, this bass is great: the mythical PH configuration, with active electronics, swamp ash body, high-mass bridge, and nice extras like 0th fret, string tree, and easy truss rod adjustment.
The build is mostly fine. The hump at the neck joint is really noticeable, the bridge alignment is a bit off, and the neck has a tendency to dive. Despite the neck dive, I still find the neck to be a bit too thick for me, and I wish the body had a steeper curve, as I really feel the edge of the body when I play in the seating position. It is also a very heavy bass, and your back will let you know that very quickly.
Quality control is what you'd expect from Harley Benton, which is to say it leaves a lot to be desired. As I was taking the bass out of the box, two of the pot covers fell off because they were not glued. Very easy fix with strips of tin foil, but not a great first impression. The fret work is alright, but the split coil pickup could use some extra padding, the tuners are very rough and don't rotate well. The pickups hiss in some configurations, and after many adjustments, I still can't get them to sound good.
And yet, despite the above flaws, some of which are just a matter of ergonomics and personal preference, the value on offer is incredible! If you're interested in a Sandberg California VM but don't feel like parting with 2,000€, this is a great purchase. If you are willing to put in some work yourself, or pay for luthier services, this bass is a really good starting point for some mods and upgrades. Just don't expect it to be perfect out of the box, because you'd be rolling some karmic dice on QC.
