I have the RB-414 which I completely gutted and installed new wiring, new pots, a Seymour Duncan humbucker for the neck pickup and a Bartolini humbucker for the bridge pickup. Also replaced the two 0.022 uF capacitors with a pair of 0.049 uF capacitors. And the icing on the cake, replaced the 3-way switch with a genuine Rickenbacker 3-way switch. Re-wired everything using a Les Paul wiring diagram. The bass now has improved punch along with an improvement at the high, mid-range and bottom end. Swapped out the stock tuning machines for a set of Grover tuning machines, and the difference is night and day. It's now the first of my five basses that I play on the regular.
Wow - sounds like you really know what you're doing and I get that this could be a really nice bass with a little work. I'd be really curious to know what the improvements cost you? Whilst i'm not up to carrying out this work myself - I know people I could ask - although that would be even more expense - so i guess I could have just bought a more expensive bass to start - ho hum😆
@@objayda Here's a cost breakdown (in 2023 U.S. Dollars): Grover Mini Bass Guitar tuning machines - $99 Seymour Duncan 250k pots (4 x $14) - $56 Bartolini 6RT Rickenbacker 4001 4-string bass ceramic bridge pickup - $152 Seymour Duncan SRB-1n Rickenbacker Humbucker neck pickup - $109 18-gauge wire kit (6 different color looms) - $15 Cloth Electrical tape (5-pack) - $14 Orange Drop Capacitors 0.47uf (pack of 2) - $6 Soldering Gun kit (with solder): $39 Total parts: $391 Harley Benton RB-414L Bass Guitar - $250 (purchased 4 years ago) Total: $641 Considering Rickenbacker basses are going for around $2,000 and up, $641 is quite the bargain. All-in-all Harley Bentons are an ideal modding platform for a reasonable cost. Should you choose to accept this mission, I hope the above information helps. Keep in mind prices may vary these days from last year. The success of this mod inspired me to mod my Ibanez SR300L bass with similar pots, capacitors, Grover tuning machines and wiring, except the pickups I soldered in are Seymour Duncan 1/4-pounder P/J pickups which vastly improved the sound and playability of the Ibanez.
@@dantesinfernopurgatory7826 That's pretty impressive - you're obviously very proficient at carrying out these type of mods and I'm guessing you really enjoy it :) Whilst i'd likely enjoy it too - it's not something I'd feel confident enough to do plus it would defeat the idea of having a bass i'm not overly precious about. I might look into the neck pick-up - so thanks for the info - it'll provide me with a starting point of what I might require. All the best.
Hi, the pickup you identify as "not great" is the bridge, not the neck as you point to. On mine I clipped the bridge pickup springs and added some foam underneath and now it's just as loud as the neck pickup and sounds great.
Whoops - you're right - how did I manage to muddle that up. Probably the reason I don't do many gear reviews :) Your fix sounds a really simple one I will have to try. I confess i've not got around to setting it up properly yet. Thanks for your comments - perhaps i'll put a note on the video below.
Another difference is that the Rick has a glossy fretboard whereas the HB is matte. I guess that’s another area where HB was able to shave off a few dollars in manufacturing costs.
While this IS a well made bass, its design flaws, make it hard to achieve a low playing action. The bridge needs replacement & the saddles need to be filed down to get it really playable! The vol difference between the 2 pick ups can be fixed by adjusting the height. RAISE the back 1 & lower the front 1! Apart from that, it IS a nice instrument, & is usable for sure! I have heard & PLAYED worse!
Is the bridge pickup quieter or louder than the neck? You mentioned the volume difference but not which is hotter (unless I missed it). What would you replace the neck pickup with?
It's the neck pick up that was quiet - ironically i think i referenced it wrong in the video. Someone recently suggested raising it which seems to have made a big difference - so i'll likely stick with it :)
I own that exact same harley benton and the sound difference between the two pickups is huge, neck one is like a boost. I also removed the pickup guard but I also added a ric style white plastic "spike?" to the headstock and it looks cool. Its an alright guitar, feels very soild. I have another harley benton jb-75 that is far superior and would highly reccomoned to people, my fender p bass sits on the wall now.
For the money - i was very impressed. I just fear that if i spend alot improving it - then it to will become to precious to take out on the road with me
@@Nuclearguru furthest I've tuned down is 1/2 step or drop d. Sounded ok for that. The neck pickup is a lot louder than the bridge pickup. I've gotten a harley benton JB-75 since which is ridiculously good value and a far nicer guitar for €169 so I don't really play the "Ric" anymore, or my fender p bass for that matter. But seriously check out that jb75,
I have a lefty HB RB414 in the burst colour scheme, yours seems to have the same problem as mine and that is the poorly aligned tuning pegs, my E string is offset towards the treble side quite a lot, it's the main reason mine is heading for the firewood pile, I just hate the sloppy design of the headstock layout that and the crappy electrics and the awful paintwork, the back has an uneven patchy look.
What is the weight of the HB? Does it balance w/o neck dive when sitting on one's knee? Is the neck thicker than a Rick? ~50 years ago I briefly had a Rick and the neck was too slim for comfort.
Hi - the HB is probably heavier than the Rick but it balances okay. The neck is much wider than the Rick - which i'm not so keen on - but I would say it is similar thickness. The Rick is obviously far superior - i just fancied having a cheap good looking bass for certain occasions when I didn't want to worry about looking after it all the time :)
@@karlsonkab51 I'm afraid you've only just made me aware of Glarry - so I couldn't comment on that. All I would say is that if the HB was my first bass then I would be very excited by it - especially it's good looks. However if you can afford to pay a bit more - then perhaps do so. I have a second hand Squier Precision - not expensive and it's amazing.
@@objayda That was a rhetorical question ;-) You can file the nut or the nut slots but saddles can be bought individually in different widths or you can buy long or short 'grub' screws to either raise or lower the saddle height(s) but you don't file saddles, good lord no ☺️ Excellent video, btw!
@@Ronno4691 I thought it might be 😆 I feel like Mel Smith in the famous Not The Nine O'Clock News Hi -Fi shop sketch. ua-cam.com/video/DvswW6M7bMo/v-deo.html As I say - i leave those things to the professionals - I just like to play the instruments. Glad you liked the video - if only our band videos would fly like that. Perhaps i'll have to do another one - i'm thinking of comparing my Rickenbacker to my Dyson Vacuum Cleaner - just to redress the balance of the channel 😂
Hiya - I confess i've not gotten round to doing any mods yet? There's a guy in the comments who has and he's listed all the parts he's used including the pick up - ( a Seymour Duncan humbucker for the neck pickup ) - so i'll likely follow his suggestion if I do go ahead.
C'mon man, your playing style doesn't exist! Five frets are more than enough for you. You talk like a pro but you play like an absolute beginner! I can buy the most expensive bass guitar, but, will it serve me when I can not play? A good bassist makes a bad bass sound good. A bad bassist makes a good bass sound crappy.
😂Actually i'm a songwriter - I don't profess to be a great musician which is why I don't believe I actually play much in the video - simply plug it in for a line check. There's plenty of great players out there who don't say a word and have probably never written a song in their life. Do please check out our catalogue on this channel. Thanks :)
Why doesn't Rickenbacker just get with it and manufacture budget models just like Fender and Gibson have done?? I love my Squire basses and Epiphone are superb instruments, and other companies make cheaper models, so it's about time that Rickenbacker got with the times.
I believe Rickenbacker is adamant about remaining an "All-American" guitar/bass manufacturer. I see your point though. A budget line would be nice. As it is, not only are they expensive, but are difficult to obtain in some countries, waiting times for orders are too long, their instruments have quality and design issues, and their customer service is atrocious.
I would argue that it's an hommage, I think "fake" is incorrect, it has a different body and horns shape and totally different headstock shape. It isn't trying to hide the fact that it's NOT a Rick! Also: Image, branding etc, is NOT the be all and end all of musical instruments. There are MANY instruments not made by the big brands that are awesome. Each to their own brother. Peace 👊
Hiya - indeed there is no comparison - but for under £200 - it's not a bad bass. Of course I'd much rather be using my Rick on stage - it certainly gets attention - however after putting it in a gig bag on the London Underground - i learnt the hard way that it doesn't travel well - plus i can never relax when i'm off stage. I expect i'll continue to risk it though 😆 Thanks for your comment 👍
@@natsterjam Indeed hommage is the right word - there are basses out there that blatantly stick the Rick badge on the headstock and I personally would steer clear. Whilst this is clearly never gonna touch the Rick - I do own a Squire Precision which I prefer to some Fenders I have tried - so definitely not the poor cousin. Thanks for your comment :)
This doesn’t look like peddling. This looks like a comparison. And “still peddling?” There’s only one video of them with a Harley Benton that I can see. So your complaining with all your emojis seems quite insane.
IF you can do the work yourself and save $$$$s into the bargain then upgrading the electrics (ie Potentiometer, selector switch and input jack), nice new pickups and tuners, fettling the frets, checking the neck relief, setting the intonation/saddle and pickup heights to the Rickenba, uh, "original" factory recommendations then you'd STILL have saved well over thousands of dollars ^_^
I have the RB-414 which I completely gutted and installed new wiring, new pots, a Seymour Duncan humbucker for the neck pickup and a Bartolini humbucker for the bridge pickup. Also replaced the two 0.022 uF capacitors with a pair of 0.049 uF capacitors. And the icing on the cake, replaced the 3-way switch with a genuine Rickenbacker 3-way switch. Re-wired everything using a Les Paul wiring diagram. The bass now has improved punch along with an improvement at the high, mid-range and bottom end. Swapped out the stock tuning machines for a set of Grover tuning machines, and the difference is night and day. It's now the first of my five basses that I play on the regular.
Wow - sounds like you really know what you're doing and I get that this could be a really nice bass with a little work. I'd be really curious to know what the improvements cost you? Whilst i'm not up to carrying out this work myself - I know people I could ask - although that would be even more expense - so i guess I could have just bought a more expensive bass to start - ho hum😆
@@objayda Here's a cost breakdown (in 2023 U.S. Dollars):
Grover Mini Bass Guitar tuning machines - $99
Seymour Duncan 250k pots (4 x $14) - $56
Bartolini 6RT Rickenbacker 4001 4-string bass ceramic bridge pickup - $152
Seymour Duncan SRB-1n Rickenbacker Humbucker neck pickup - $109
18-gauge wire kit (6 different color looms) - $15
Cloth Electrical tape (5-pack) - $14
Orange Drop Capacitors 0.47uf (pack of 2) - $6
Soldering Gun kit (with solder): $39
Total parts: $391
Harley Benton RB-414L Bass Guitar - $250 (purchased 4 years ago)
Total: $641
Considering Rickenbacker basses are going for around $2,000 and up, $641 is quite the bargain. All-in-all Harley Bentons are an ideal modding platform for a reasonable cost.
Should you choose to accept this mission, I hope the above information helps. Keep in mind prices may vary these days from last year.
The success of this mod inspired me to mod my Ibanez SR300L bass with similar pots, capacitors, Grover tuning machines and wiring, except the pickups I soldered in are Seymour Duncan 1/4-pounder P/J pickups which vastly improved the sound and playability of the Ibanez.
@@dantesinfernopurgatory7826 That's pretty impressive - you're obviously very proficient at carrying out these type of mods and I'm guessing you really enjoy it :) Whilst i'd likely enjoy it too - it's not something I'd feel confident enough to do plus it would defeat the idea of having a bass i'm not overly precious about. I might look into the neck pick-up - so thanks for the info - it'll provide me with a starting point of what I might require. All the best.
@@objayda Thanks, and all the best to you as well. Cheers!
Hi are you able to do demo video how it sounds now after those changes it’s very interesting mod. Best regards😊
Hi, the pickup you identify as "not great" is the bridge, not the neck as you point to. On mine I clipped the bridge pickup springs and added some foam underneath and now it's just as loud as the neck pickup and sounds great.
Whoops - you're right - how did I manage to muddle that up. Probably the reason I don't do many gear reviews :) Your fix sounds a really simple one I will have to try. I confess i've not got around to setting it up properly yet. Thanks for your comments - perhaps i'll put a note on the video below.
Another difference is that the Rick has a glossy fretboard whereas the HB is matte. I guess that’s another area where HB was able to shave off a few dollars in manufacturing costs.
Indeed - I think I was more concerned by the sharp frets - but they're probably an easy fix
While this IS a well made bass, its design flaws, make it hard to achieve a low playing action. The bridge needs replacement & the saddles need to be filed down to get it really playable!
The vol difference between the 2 pick ups can be fixed by adjusting the height. RAISE the back 1 & lower the front 1!
Apart from that, it IS a nice instrument, & is usable for sure!
I have heard & PLAYED worse!
Is the bridge pickup quieter or louder than the neck? You mentioned the volume difference but not which is hotter (unless I missed it). What would you replace the neck pickup with?
It's the neck pick up that was quiet - ironically i think i referenced it wrong in the video. Someone recently suggested raising it which seems to have made a big difference - so i'll likely stick with it :)
I don't get that pickup guard - they could have easily made it look less cheap. Other than that, looks like a great bargain to me!
Most people remove the pick up guard anyway - so they probably saved some costs. For £200 it is a bargain :)
I own that exact same harley benton and the sound difference between the two pickups is huge, neck one is like a boost. I also removed the pickup guard but I also added a ric style white plastic "spike?" to the headstock and it looks cool. Its an alright guitar, feels very soild. I have another harley benton jb-75 that is far superior and would highly reccomoned to people, my fender p bass sits on the wall now.
For the money - i was very impressed. I just fear that if i spend alot improving it - then it to will become to precious to take out on the road with me
How does it sound while tuning down? Im thinking of getting one and I play in C standard
@@Nuclearguru furthest I've tuned down is 1/2 step or drop d. Sounded ok for that. The neck pickup is a lot louder than the bridge pickup. I've gotten a harley benton JB-75 since which is ridiculously good value and a far nicer guitar for €169 so I don't really play the "Ric" anymore, or my fender p bass for that matter. But seriously check out that jb75,
@@Nuclearguru Gosh - i'm sure will be fine - guess you'll have to take your chances.
Brace Yerselves for the Ricky Fan backlash🫣!!
😂
I have a lefty HB RB414 in the burst colour scheme, yours seems to have the same problem as mine and that is the poorly aligned tuning pegs, my E string is offset towards the treble side quite a lot, it's the main reason mine is heading for the firewood pile, I just hate the sloppy design of the headstock layout that and the crappy electrics and the awful paintwork, the back has an uneven patchy look.
Bent-on. Is that a reference to the neck.
What is the weight of the HB? Does it balance w/o neck dive when sitting on one's knee? Is the neck thicker than a Rick? ~50 years ago I briefly had a Rick and the neck was too slim for comfort.
Hi - the HB is probably heavier than the Rick but it balances okay. The neck is much wider than the Rick - which i'm not so keen on - but I would say it is similar thickness. The Rick is obviously far superior - i just fancied having a cheap good looking bass for certain occasions when I didn't want to worry about looking after it all the time :)
@@objayda Many thanks for your time and detailed reply - would youy say its roughly about "Glarry Quality overall?
@@karlsonkab51 I'm afraid you've only just made me aware of Glarry - so I couldn't comment on that. All I would say is that if the HB was my first bass then I would be very excited by it - especially it's good looks. However if you can afford to pay a bit more - then perhaps do so. I have a second hand Squier Precision - not expensive and it's amazing.
Are the pickups in the exact same position? As the real rick?
Yes - pretty much. I've not thought to measure it - but i've never thought otherwise.
You don't file saddles down.
Do you?
Hi - i'm afraid I don't do much more than change strings and play the things - but i'm sure there's plenty of people out there who can help you :)
@@objayda That was a rhetorical question ;-) You can file the nut or the nut slots but saddles can be bought individually in different widths or you can buy long or short 'grub' screws to either raise or lower the saddle height(s) but you don't file saddles, good lord no ☺️ Excellent video, btw!
@@Ronno4691 I thought it might be 😆 I feel like Mel Smith in the famous Not The Nine O'Clock News Hi -Fi shop sketch. ua-cam.com/video/DvswW6M7bMo/v-deo.html
As I say - i leave those things to the professionals - I just like to play the instruments. Glad you liked the video - if only our band videos would fly like that. Perhaps i'll have to do another one - i'm thinking of comparing my Rickenbacker to my Dyson Vacuum Cleaner - just to redress the balance of the channel 😂
Hi what neck pickup did you use?
Hiya - I confess i've not gotten round to doing any mods yet? There's a guy in the comments who has and he's listed all the parts he's used including the pick up - ( a Seymour Duncan humbucker for the neck pickup ) - so i'll likely follow his suggestion if I do go ahead.
I'll take the real one.
That's if you can get one and you can afford it :) Mind you even the Harley Benton was a couple of months on order.
@@objayda Really?? I'd still rather have a real Rick.
Don’t forget the Firefly version of this bass!!!!
Buyer Beware!
Rickenbaker is much warmer and fatter in sound by a wide margin
C'mon man, your playing style doesn't exist! Five frets are more than enough for you. You talk like a pro but you play like an absolute beginner! I can buy the most expensive bass guitar, but, will it serve me when I can not play? A good bassist makes a bad bass sound good. A bad bassist makes a good bass sound crappy.
😂Actually i'm a songwriter - I don't profess to be a great musician which is why I don't believe I actually play much in the video - simply plug it in for a line check. There's plenty of great players out there who don't say a word and have probably never written a song in their life. Do please check out our catalogue on this channel. Thanks :)
Why doesn't Rickenbacker just get with it and manufacture budget models just like Fender and Gibson have done?? I love my Squire basses and Epiphone are superb instruments, and other companies make cheaper models, so it's about time that Rickenbacker got with the times.
You're right about Squire - I too love my Squire Precision
I believe Rickenbacker is adamant about remaining an "All-American" guitar/bass manufacturer. I see your point though. A budget line would be nice.
As it is, not only are they expensive, but are difficult to obtain in some countries, waiting times for orders are too long, their instruments have quality and design issues, and their customer service is atrocious.
Italia 20;14 suona di ,+.
There is no comparison, there is only the real one or fakes.
Who wants to be the be the player on stage with a fake ?
I would argue that it's an hommage, I think "fake" is incorrect, it has a different body and horns shape and totally different headstock shape. It isn't trying to hide the fact that it's NOT a Rick!
Also:
Image, branding etc, is NOT the be all and end all of musical instruments.
There are MANY instruments not made by the big brands that are awesome.
Each to their own brother.
Peace 👊
Hiya - indeed there is no comparison - but for under £200 - it's not a bad bass. Of course I'd much rather be using my Rick on stage - it certainly gets attention - however after putting it in a gig bag on the London Underground - i learnt the hard way that it doesn't travel well - plus i can never relax when i'm off stage. I expect i'll continue to risk it though 😆 Thanks for your comment 👍
I've never heard of an audience not enjoying themself due to there being a knock off instrument on stage.
@@natsterjam Indeed hommage is the right word - there are basses out there that blatantly stick the Rick badge on the headstock and I personally would steer clear. Whilst this is clearly never gonna touch the Rick - I do own a Squire Precision which I prefer to some Fenders I have tried - so definitely not the poor cousin. Thanks for your comment :)
@@xStabizorz very true 😆
Hb sounds and looks shit lets be honest here.
I think it looks pretty cool actually :)
😂🤣 I can't believe you guys are still peddling those Harley Benton piece of garbage basses. Wow! 😂🤣
This doesn’t look like peddling. This looks like a comparison.
And “still peddling?” There’s only one video of them with a Harley Benton that I can see.
So your complaining with all your emojis seems quite insane.
What was your experience with one? Been looking at them do to the price point
@@deadskinmask91
They're not built to last.
The finish fretwork and playability may be alright, but the hardware and electronics are horrible.
IF you can do the work yourself and save $$$$s into the bargain then upgrading the electrics (ie Potentiometer, selector switch and input jack), nice new pickups and tuners, fettling the frets, checking the neck relief, setting the intonation/saddle and pickup heights to the Rickenba, uh, "original" factory recommendations then you'd STILL have saved well over thousands of dollars ^_^