Harley Benton MB-5 SB Deluxe Series with DIY replica of a 70's Music Man Stingray preamp

[@Mq333]

Thanks a lot for this video. I'm guitar player, but I wanted to buy a bass for recording myself. I'm electronic engineer too, so when I saw this video, I choose Benton MB-5, I bougth it and I built in the Stingray preamp as you did it. Benton was need some nut filing, and sharp frets filing, and all the setup, but after this and after electronic instalation, this is a wonderfull instrument. The most work requires drilling a cavity for the battery. All the work took me about a week, but I did even a cavity cover inspired by original Stingray, and it looks like original now. I'm very glad to have this bass, so thank you very much one more time 🙂

[@dennisgosens9085]

Hi Mq, Did you use the schematics + partslist from Baja, in the link down below in one of the replies? Very nice that i could be of any help and inspiration for your MB-5 project👌😉

[@Mq333]

@@dennisgosens9085 Yes, I used Baja schematic with corrected C7 value 10uF near the output. I built it all from the elements I found in my drawers. So I used TL071, 100p instead of 120p, 470p instead of 500p, and 2n2 instead of 1n8. But I measured few elements, and I selected nearest values I could found. Actually I think it doesn't matter, because it fits in some tolerance borders but I did it for my peace of mind. Anyway, the bass sounds great for me. Greatings, Mariusz from Poland 🙂

[@dennisgosens9085]

Hi Mariusz, Cool! The Bassguitar itself is a very good quality instrument.......and indeed, sometimes it needs a bit of work here and there, but i think that's inherent to the price........ I had three Harley Benton basses: the MB-5 SB Deluxe Series, the JB-75 BK Vintage Series Jazz Bass and a PJ-74 VW Deluxe Series Precision Bass, though the fretwork was good, i gave them al a fretdress job....... I took the JB-75 Jazz Bass appart, because it was too heavy, and used the neck on my PJ-74 Precision Bass...... See link here: kzbin.info/www/bejne/qXmolnd_Z9SHhZo

[@Mq333]

@@dennisgosens9085 Nice! And yes, I think the quality of HB basses is very good. I have my MB-5 in the same colors as yours. I like sunburst, and I didn't have any guitars in this colour earlier. I like maple neck with maple fingerboard too. All my guitars has dark fretboards, so I decided this is good bass for me. Earlier I saw black finished HB. It looks good to me too, but I don't trust masked wood when I don't know what is inside in such cheap guitar. In my HB I see the wood of the neck and it is good quality. I see the wood of the body too, and it is good quality too. I cut the battery cavity, and the wood is very nice and solid inside. In my particular bass the frets was very good leveled, so I could set low string action. Only frets endings was sharp, but I filed them slightly and polished them, so now the neck is very comfortable for me. I play guitars since 30 years. I have higher models of Jackson and Ibanez guitars, and in my opinion this HB bass after some cosmetic work is not much worse of them. Ofcorse in the future I can change the machineheads for better, and nut for better, maybe bridge. But hey: it all works ok for now, and I don't need do anything with this for now. I think HB guitars and basses are good base for upgrading if someone like to play upgrading. I like to tinker with the equipment and modify it, so for me this is great. And remember the price - this is the cheapest 5-string bass I think, and the quality is as in the standard playable and comfortable instruments. Maybe if I would play a shows on bass, then I would consider to buy better instrument. But I only play in home, and I need the bass for recording bass parts for my guitars riffs, so I needed sound as it is now, and I don't need anything more.

[@dennisgosens9085]

That's funny, I played bass guitar from age 15 to 17, then in 1989 i switched to guitar, and i stil play, professional and have my own band, wich i started in 2008....... See link: kzbin.info/aero/PLe7f1n-8fbphaVaFjU_vOhDfEy85hu5lp In juni 2020 i picked bass playing up again and bought the HB MB-5 as my first bass guitar......... The reason why i bought this bass, was the stringspacing (16mm) after 30+ years of only playing guitar, i thought that normal bass stringspacing would be to wide....... Now i almost always play my HB PJ Bass, wich has 19mm stringspacing..... I had to get used to it, but now i can easily switch between bass and guitar...... I also like to customize my gear...... A part from my Ampeg PF500 Portaflex bass amp, i customized both speakercabinets..... They are both restored, the Hartke 210 Transporter cab is fitted with a telescope handle and cornerwheels on the back and fitted with Eden XST speakers (by Eminence) i can use it as a 2 × 10" 300Watt @ 8 Ohm set with my Ampeg PF500 Portaflex....... My first secondhand cab that i bought in 2020 is the Ashdown MAG 410T speakercabinet, wich is restored aswel and fitted with new handles, new plastic corners and also, same as the 210 cab, fitted with Eden XST speakers (by Eminence) And the 4 × 10" cab can also be use by itself, with my Ampeg PF500 Portaflex as a 300Watt @ 8 Ohm set...... But I also can use both cabs as a 500Watt @ 4 Ohm set...... See link: kzbin.info/www/bejne/sJy2nYitbL6KeM0 For guitar i use a Fender Blues Junior USA (1997) and a Fender Hot Rod Deville 212 USA (1996) and two Fender Mexico Strats and a (mildly upgraded) Harley Benton DC Junior for slide guitar😁😉

[@superkycs97]

sounds great! 🧨🧨

[@jgi666]

Good work! Is it very heavy? Do you know how much it weighs?

[@dennisgosens9085]

Hi, To answer your question, the bass is on the heavy side, it weights 4.3 Kilo's😉

[@donaldswan1587]

I guess you had to route out the body for a battery compartment?

[@dennisgosens9085]

Yep, i used a router, that work the best..... A chissel gives a rougher result😉

[@donaldswan1587]

Haha, I guess so 😄

[@incommunito]

fat nice tone...is that a 140-euro bass from thomann with a replaced preamp? (how was the original preamp btw, and how do you like the neck? thanks in advance!)

[@dennisgosens9085]

Original there was no preamp in the Harley Benton MB-5, it was passive with volume, volume, tone, so you could use the coils of the humbucker seperately...... The pickup was already wired in parallel, so it sounded almost like a 70's Music Man Stingray........ The neck is solid, but very nice..... And it weights in at 4.3 KG = 9.47 lb

[@martinschneider8780]

sounds great!! do you hear any diference when the EQ is flat compared to when it was passive?

[@dennisgosens9085]

With the EQ flat it sounds like the original passive Harley Benton MB-5......

[@martinschneider8780]

@@dennisgosens9085 thats cool, I'm thinking about getting the Harley Benton MM-84A, do you think its a smart buy?

[@hellizeo]

@@martinschneider8780 it's harley benton, so yes

[@donaldswan1587]

Did you keep the stock pickup? If so did you parallel wire the 2 coils? Or series?

[@dennisgosens9085]

Hi Donald, I kept the original ceramic pickup and wired it parallel, like in the pre Ernie Ball Music Man Stingray basses from 1976-1982😉

[@donaldswan1587]

Awesome, thank you so much for that info. Youve inspired me into giving it a go!@@dennisgosens9085

[@marcoagius6926]

can you do Jaco tones on this beauty?

[@dennisgosens9085]

I think this is more "Pino" style😁😉

[@marcoagius6926]

@@dennisgosens9085 great!👌👍

[@ebert812]

Very cool! Do you have a schematic/link for the preamp?

[@dennisgosens9085]

Hi EG, www.google.nl/imgres?imgurl=external-preview.redd.it/eAj1LI20ix2Ir3e8d2hDEvA1Hne9YKorRsl_pnoWGKw.jpg?width%3D640%26crop%3Dsmart%26auto%3Dwebp%26s%3Daae8046d27b7d8f26529fcbdc6f5c0d384a95494&imgrefurl=www.reddit.com/r/diypedals/comments/9x1wcm/stingray_bass_eqpreamp_is_c3_1uf_simply_being/&tbnid=g0IFF365ljlv1M&vet=1&docid=zFpG5bYMR9F6YM&w=640&h=625&itg=1&source=sh/x/im

[@JCK363]

Do you have a link for the preamp you used?

[@dennisgosens9085]

www.lolnba.top/ProductDetail.aspx?iid=255063109&pr=63.88 It includes a partslist aswel😉

[@JCK363]

@@dennisgosens9085thank you ! The link shows pictures of the pre-amp but there are size options, and comments that make it appear. The item is shoes? 🤔

[@dennisgosens9085]

@@JCK363 You only need the picture, there is a template if you want to etsh your own circuitboard, top left..... The diagram in colour, on the bottem shows where all the components go, under the diagram is the partslist...... I don't know if it goes in size 11😂🤣😅

[@JCK363]

@@dennisgosens9085 I’ll check it out again. Thank you!

[@dennisgosens9085]

@@JCK363 this is another link, same diagram: imgur.com/gW7cu57.jpg Hope this link is better😉

[@remylanca9599]

It is a heavy bass?? The weight?

[@dennisgosens9085]

Hi Remy, It's around 4,3 kilo's, so not one of the light weights, but not to heavy either😉

[@BR-ip5pz]

Sounds like a stingray to me

[@dennisgosens9085]

Thank you😁 The preamp is a DIY replica of a 70's Music Man Stingray preamp, i build it with a friend...... Still very happy with it😉