I've wanted a mini bass for ages but not a rubber stringed ukulele bass. I ordered a different mini bass recently, but returned it due to quality issues. No such issues with this Harley Benton Mini bass.
First impressions were very good, the proportions of the bass are great, and the pink finish is eye catching and well executed. I had wanted the green version, to match my JB-62CC, but they are out of stock. To be honest I think the pink just adds to the fun.
As previously mentioned the pink finish, on both the body and headstock, are well executed with no obvious flaws. The back of the neck has a smooth satin finish, while the fret ends have been dressed nicely with no sharp edges. The tuners and bridge, while basic and budget orientated, seem to do their jobs well. The three position string tree is a nice addition.
The HBZ passive pickups, along with the vol. vol. tone controls offer a range of usable tones.
There were a few minor issues with the bass when delivered, although all were rectified with a set up, something I would expect to do on any new bass irrespective of price point.
The neck pickup was too low, resulting in a slightly weak tone. I popped some extra foam under the pickup and adjusted the pickup heights to balance their outputs.
The action was a little high, even considering the lower tension of the short scale strings. After making adjustments at the bridge I have a low (1.75-2.25mm, G-E) action with no fret buzz. The intonation was also out, but easily sorted with adjustments at the bridge.
Playing wise it does require a bit of concentration to adapt to the 23" scale, but it doesn't take long. As you would expect with such a short scale, the bass hangs nicely on a strap without neck dive. With a slightly gentler technique I found drop D tuning playable.
It may be ideal for younger players, although the neck could be a bit wide for very small hands.
This is a fun, well made and totally functional bass.
