Harley Benton JB22-Set 2

I spent several weeks playing the Harley Benton B-450 QTB from the Progressive series and running it through the small HB-20B combo included in the Bundle 1 package to get a full picture of what the set delivers for the money. I approached the gear as a working player looking for a playable, versatile 4-string that could cover practice, home-recording and occasional small-gig duty - and to see whether the bundle as a whole is a sensible buy for a beginner or budget-conscious player.

First Impressions

Out of the case the B-450 QTB looks the part - a quilted translucent black top with a high-gloss finish that actually photographs better than many basses twice its price, and the Tai-Chi inlays give it a distinctive look without shouting. The neck felt solid and nicely finished at the nut, and the 24-fret long scale layout gives a modern, playable range right away - I got into comfortable fingerstyle and pick work fast. The included HB-20B amp is tiny but useful - it powers up cleanly for practice, has useful controls and an aux-in and headphones output, but it quickly revealed its limits when I tried to push it for anything beyond bedroom levels.

Design & Features

The B-450 pairs an alder body with a bolt-on Canadian maple neck and a dark wood fingerboard, and it ships with a pair of humbucking pickups wired into an active preamp with push-pull volume for switching between active and passive operation. The control layout - balance, volume (with push-pull), bass and treble - is straightforward and useful on the fly. The hardware is black and unobtrusive, the machine heads are diecast and held tune well in my sessions, and the string spacing and nut width felt familiar and comfortable for most playing styles.

Playability & Usability

Playability is one of the B-450's strongest points - the modern D neck profile and the long 864 mm scale felt balanced across different playing positions and the 24 frets open up a higher range without reaching for uncomfortable stretches. I found the fretwork mostly smooth after a quick check; a small saddle and setup tweak improved action and intonation for my playing style. Switching between active and passive tones via the push-pull is immediate and practical on stage or in the studio, and the balance control makes blending the two humbuckers intuitive when chasing anything from round jazz tones to tighter rock sounds.

Electronics & Tone

The two humbuckers plus active preamp give the B-450 a wide tonal palette - in passive mode you get a thick, traditional voiced humbucking character, and engaging the active electronics adds clarity and extra bottom when you need it. I liked using the treble and bass pots to carve per-note articulation for slap and funk lines, and the pickup blend can move the voice from rounded neck tones to a brighter bridge character. For recording through a DI or into a modest interface the bass tracked very cleanly; when I pushed the HB-20B, the amp colored the sound quickly and revealed the amp's limitations rather than any real weakness in the bass itself.

Real-World Experience

I used the bass for home rehearsals, short recording runs and a couple of practice sessions with a drummer at low volume - it handled all of these well and the active/passive flexibility was genuinely useful when tracking. The HB-20B is competent for bedroom practice, podcasting or headphone use, but the 8-inch speaker and 20-watt rating meant I quickly ran out of usable headroom when attempting to play with others - it’s a practice amp, not a gig amp. Setup matters - on the example I had a quick saddle/intonation adjustment and a small truss-rod tweak to reach my preferred string height, and that brought the instrument into excellent playing shape.

The Trade-Offs

For the price you see a lot of value but also a few compromises - finish and fit-and-finish can vary between individual instruments, and some players report higher action or QC quirks that will need attention. The electronics are versatile but not boutique - the active preamp gives useful tonal range but won’t replace higher-end electronics in nuance. The HB-20B amp is a pragmatic inclusion for beginners but if you plan to rehearse with a band you should budget for a larger, better cabinet or go DI for recording.

Final Verdict

All told, the B-450 QTB is a surprisingly complete bass for the money - it nails the look, playability and tonal flexibility that many players want when starting out or adding a reliable secondary instrument. The bundle's HB-20B amp is useful for practice and getting started, but treat it as a convenience rather than a long-term amp solution. If you want a versatile, punchy 4-string with modern range and the option to play active or passive, this is a solid buy - just be prepared to do a basic setup and, if you need louder stage volume, plan an amp upgrade.

I picked up the Harley Benton B-450 Black Bundle 1 to see if a budget, full-scale package could be a real everyday player rather than just a novelty starter kit - I wanted a bass that felt balanced, sounded useful across styles, and included a usable practice amp. My experience was that the instrument itself is the standout of the package: well voiced, comfortable for long sessions, and more refined than I expected for the price.

First Impressions

Out of the case the bass looked better than the pictures suggested - the black high-gloss finish is even and the hardware felt solid at first touch, which gave me confidence before I even tuned it up. The neck was noticeably slim and playable, the fretwork required only a touch of filing at the ends on my sample, and switching the push/pull active/passive system felt positive and practical for quick tone shifts.

Build Quality & Features

The B-450 follows a conventional, player-friendly recipe: an alder body, bolt-on Canadian maple neck with a modern D profile, and a black walnut fretboard with 24 frets and Tai-Chi inlays. Important numbers line up with what I checked - a 34" (864 mm) scale, 42 mm nut width, a 350 mm fretboard radius, and dual-action truss rod - and those measurements translate to a comfortable, predictable playing geometry for most players. The electronics are two humbucking pickups fed to an active preamp with a push/pull volume that drops you into passive mode, plus balance, bass and treble controls - I found the controls smooth and functional with a usable sweep from warm and rounded in passive to more articulate and defined in active. The included HB-20B practice amp in the bundle is compact and serviceable for bedroom practice, though prospective buyers outside 230 V territories should note the amp's voltage spec.

Playability & Comfort

Where the B-450 really won me over was how easily I could sit down and play for hour-long sessions without shoulder or hand fatigue - the bass is relatively light and well balanced, and the slim neck profile made fingering fast lines and chordal work pleasantly straightforward. The fretboard radius and nut width are comfortable for both fingerstyle and pick work, and intonation was generally good after I adjusted string height and tuned saddles; however, players with very small hands may still prefer a short-scale instrument. The diecast tuners kept tuning stable through normal practice and me experimenting with alternate tunings.

Real-World Experience

I used the B-450 across a few styles - indie pop, bluesy rock, and some funkier, slap-adjacent grooves - and the dual-humbucker setup plus the active/passive option gave me surprising tonal range. In passive mode the bass is warm and round, great for supporting a band mix; flipping the preamp on tightens the low end and brings out more mid clarity, which helped cut through a busy rehearsal mix. The stock strings were playable but somewhat dull compared to my favorite sets, so I quickly swapped to a brighter set to suit my taste; after that the bass sounded noticeably more present.

The Trade-Offs

There are a few compromises to acknowledge - the bundled amp is useful for practice but not for anything larger than a small room, and I experienced the usual budget-package caveats like stock strings that are fine for starting out but worth replacing, and occasional minor finish or setup inconsistencies from unit to unit. If you expect boutique-level finish or a pro-stage amp, this bundle won't replace those, but you get an instrument core that competes well above its price and an amp that will get you started.

Final Verdict

For the money the Harley Benton B-450 Black Bundle 1 delivers one of the better-value full-scale bass experiences I have tried; the bass itself is the star with trustworthy hardware, a comfortable neck, and flexible electronics, while the included amp is a modest but handy practice partner. I recommend this bundle for beginners who want a full-scale, long-term playable instrument without breaking the bank, and for more experienced players looking for a low-cost backup or project bass to modify.