Harley Benton Enhanced MJ-5EB Lake Blue

I picked this bass up in July of 2019. The price was quite reasonable. When I received it, I did a basic setup and practiced with it. I took it to rehearsal and played through my Genzler amp, It sounded pretty good. My plan was to play it stock and do some upgrades in a few months.

Took it to the gig the next night and started the show with it. In the middle of the first song it started this high pitch screeching sound. So I cut the highs and tried to put as much bottom into it as possible. No luck, So switched it to passive mode and the screech went away. I had to play in passive mode the whole gig. It's a good thing I have a quality amp that I could compensate for the loss of the preamp.

I was planning to due a few upgrades on the bass, so I went ahead and ordered a Bartolini HR-4.7APJ/918 Pre-Wired Harness. I had it installed at my local music store.

Now this bass is one of my main basses. With the stock Rosewill pickups combined with the Bart preamp. It steps the game up on this bass. For good measure I had the music shop do full setup on it as well. The improved preamp puts this bass on par with some of the top high end basses.

If you purchase this bass be prepared for a few issues and the cost of some upgrades. But if you can handle that, this will be good instrument for a very long time.

Purchased this bass a few years ago and also 4 string version and I gotta say these guitars are amazing to play!
I have small collection of bass guitars 20 to be exact and Ive had and played about every brand there is. My 4 string enhanced is my new go to bass over my American Fender Jazz. Not only can you get way more different tones, but the playability and feel is that of a higher end bass. So to say like everyone else that for the price you get a solid bass, this is not the case. You get an absolute quality bass guitar regardless of price! I don't know Thomann is putting these guitars out at this price point, but keep it up and hopefully soon these guitars will be seen for the quality that they really are! Highly recommend these bass guitars to anyone!

I had already read a lot about the specifications and watched many reviews of this bass, but nothing compares to the moment it comes out of the box.

The blue colour simply exploded as soon as the plastic was removed, and all the details came to life. The weight, finish, colours, string action, fretwork, fittings... EVERYTHING WAS PERFECT!

However, after a small issue with one of the pots, the support team was very understanding and quickly helped me resolve the problem. Because of that, I can say without a shadow of a doubt that this bass is worth more than the asking price. It is a budget-friendly bass today, but in a few years I am sure it will compete with the big players and become as expensive as it was born to be.

Man… I’m just gonna say it — this bass absolutely exceeded my expectations!

The playability right out of the box is damn good. The action was already nice and low, the neck feels great in my hands, and this thing is just incredibly comfortable to play. No fighting the instrument, no major setup needed — just pick it up and PLAY.

And the TONE?!

This bass has a BIG, clear, punchy sound with plenty of growl, articulation, and character. Whether I’m playing fingerstyle or getting into some slap, it responds exactly how I want it to. The notes are clear, the lows have authority, and it has enough bite and presence to cut through without sounding harsh.

What really surprised me is how this bass performs compared to instruments that cost significantly more.

I own several other well-known, name-brand basses, and honestly… this Harley Benton has become one of my go-to basses. That says a LOT.
The Enhanced MJ-5EB is one of those instruments where you pick it up expecting a good bass and end up thinking, “Damn… why didn't I buy this sooner?”

Excellent playability.
Excellent feel.
Excellent tone.
Low action.
Great response.

And an overall level of quality that seriously punches above its price point.
Harley Benton absolutely nailed this one.

If you're on the fence about getting one, I'm telling you from a player's perspective — DON'T SLEEP ON THIS BASS.

This ain't just a good bass for the money.
This is just a DAMN GOOD BASS. Period.