“The PB-62 continues our tradition of delivering outstanding price-to-performance value, and a fresh take on a classic theme”: Vintage mojo from a $180 beginner bass guitar? Meet the Harley Benton PB-62

Harley Benton has expanded its Vintage Series range of bass guitars with PB-62, a single-pickup four-string that leaves little doubt as to the inspiration behind its design.

The clue is in the name, PB-62, which let’s just say is a nod to, say, the Fender Precision Bass (from 1962!?) – it makes no claims to be a vintage replica, but nonetheless the inspiration of Fender’s O.G. classic writ large in its design, and that makes it a compelling option for the beginner bassist.

Harley Benton is offering these in Olympic White, Sunburst and Black finishes, and there is a left-handed option in Black too. The price tag says theses are cheap bass guitars but they sure photograph well.

That 3-ply tortoiseshell pickguard looks the bee’s knees on the Black and Sunburst models, and who doesn’t warm to the sight of a mint green ‘guard on an Olympic White instrument.

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They are also as player-friendly a beginner bass as you could find. The drive is simple. One Roswell PBA Alnico V pickup, with controls for volume and tone.

We might not have an active preamp plus blend controls, all mod cons, but this simple setup is a pretty versatile proposition. Harley Benton says “jazz, blues, punk, or heavy metal” and that checks out. Just plug in and play.

The build is ergonomically forgiving, with Harley Benton applying some contouring to the solid basswood body, which also will help take some of the weight out of the instrument.

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We’ve got a full-length 34” scale, with 12” radius laurel fingerboards as standard. These generic dimensions – 43mm nut width, 20mm string spacing at the priceThe bolt-on necks are caramelised Canadian hard rock maple, with that baking procedure giving them something of a vintage tint – again, the vibe is ’62.

You can see that nice tint on the headstock of the Sunburst model. The other two have matching headstocks. Key details include 20 frets, dot inlays, a graphite nut, a four-saddle B401 CR bridge with brass saddles, and matching chrome CB01-CR open-gear tuners.

And perhaps the most key detail for every beginner bass is the price. These retail on Thomann for just £136/$180 and are available now. For more details, head over to Harley Benton.

In other Harley Benton guitars news, the budget gear giant's DIY Kit Challenge is now officially open. Build your own guitar (or bass or ukulele) out of one of Harley Benton's DIY kits, share it on social media, and you could win Thomann vouchers.