Harley Benton JB-20 SB LH

Electric Bass

Left hand model
Body: Poplar
Bolt-on neck: Maple
Fretboard: Amaranth
Dot fretboard inlays
Neck profile: Modern C
20 Frets
Scale: 864 mm
Nut width: 38 mm
Double action truss rod
Pickups: 2 JB style single coils
2 Volume knobs and 1 tone knob
Hardware: Chrome
Classic JB-style machine heads
Ex-factory string thickness: .045" - .105"
Colour: 3-Tone sunburst high gloss

30-Day Money-Back Guarantee

3-Year Thomann Warranty

Available since October 2011

Item number 266355

Sales Unit 1 piece(s)

Colour Sunburst

Soundboard Hard Wood

Neck Canadian Maple

Fretboard Amaranth

Frets 21

Scale Longscale

Pickup System JJ

Elektronic Passive

Incl. Case No

Incl. Gigbag No

£91

Including VAT; Excluding £10 shipping

Sales Rank

in 4-String Lefthanded Basses

Bundles & offers

Harley Benton JB-20 SB LH Bundle

£171

Create your own bundle

starting from £179

Up to 8% discount

Affordable classic

The Harley Benton JB-20 LH is a four-string "J-style" bass that is especially interesting for left-handed bassists who prefer the look and sound of a classic, but don't want to spend a fortune on it. In terms of design and features, the JB-20 is based on the well-known American model from the 60s and already offers amazing sonic flexibility with two pickups and passive electronics. A simple bass with no battery and no limitations at a price that won't break the bank.

Reduced to the limit

A poplar body, a maple neck, and an amaranth fingerboard are the basis of the Harley Benton JB-20. Just like the original, it has a bolt-on neck design, which ensures a sound with plenty of attack. 20 frets offer enough space for basslines of all kinds and the neck itself, which is 38mm wide at the nut and features a C profile, promises an instantly familiar, comfortable playing feel. Two pickups and passive electronics with a volume control for each pickup and a master tone control have always been part of the "JB" signature sound, and the JB-20 is no exception. That's all it takes to make musical history, but it's not only the sound that counts: So do the instrument's looks. The JB-20's design, finish, vintage-style machine heads, and pickguard all contribute to its authentic appearance, and the Three-Tone Sunburst finish gives it a modern yet understated appearence.

Great sound at an affordable price

The Harley Benton JB-20 is clearly aimed at musicians who are price-conscious but still want to get their hands on the look, feel, and sound of a classic. Stylistically, the JB-20 cannot be squeezed into just one category. In terms of sound, it is at home everywhere - from Pop, Rock, Funk, and Soul to R&B and Jazz - thanks to its two pickups. Beginners looking to find out whether playing the bass is something they enjoy will be particularly pleased with the low price, as will musicians who would like to acquire a decent bass as a second instrument.

About Harley Benton

Since 1998, the Harley Benton brand has been catering for the needs of numerous guitarists and bassists. In addition to an extensive range of stringed instruments, Thomann's house brand also offers a wide choice of amplifiers, speakers, effect pedals, and other accessories. In total, the range includes over 1,500 products. Built by established names in the industry, all Harley Benton products combine quality and reliability at attractive and affordable prices. The continuous expansion of the range ensures that Harley Benton always provides new, exciting, and innovative products that keep players perfectly in tune with the musical world, day after day.

Well-equipped for all situations

As already mentioned, the JB-20 offers a wide range of sounds thanks to its two pickups. The bridge pickup delivers punchy mids and the necessary definition for precise fingerstyle lines, while the neck pickup adds the punch and the low end for powerful Rock, Blues, or Soul grooves. Both pickups together offer the typical all-round sound for every possible situation. Thanks to its attractive price, the Harley Benton JB-20 is also perfectly suitable as a second bass. Harley Benton also offers matching bass amplifiers, which are a practical, cost-effective add-on, especially since the bass is also available as a bundle with all the necessary accessories.

56 Customer ratings

5 29 Customers 4 19 Customers 3 4 Customers 2 4 Customers 1 0 Customers

4.3 / 5

features

sound

quality

Review guidelines

42 Reviews

Surprising great bass guitar

Happy D 29.12.2019

I mainly sing and play acoustic guitar but always fancied having a go with bass and play at my local jam nights. Didn’t want to spend a lot of money just in case it didn’t work out so I went for the cheaper HB bass.

Got to say I am super pleased with the bass. It’s really, really nice! It looks great and plays remarkably well. Sounds great through the amp so I am very happy. It did need a little truss rod adjustment and a small set up out of the box, but hey so did my £700 Taylor acoustic when it was new! Half a turn on the truss rod and oil on the neck and we were good to go.

If you are thinking of buying a lefty bass don’t even hesitate it’s great! I think I will have the P bass next :)

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SLAP the LIKE button if you're a lefty bassist

LeftySlapper 08.12.2021

A fantastic budget bass for someone like me, a left-handed guitarist who wanted to pick up a bass to SLAPP when the feeling strikes.

I can't imagine being able to pick up a legitimate musical instrument for less than this price. Like any guitar off the shelf, it needed a setup. But I am into that sort of thing and was able to get this bass to play the way I needed it to play in around 10 minutes after fixing the following:

High action at the first fret. Sanded the nut down a tiny bit.
Found three high frets. Leveled them.
Followed this with a typical setup of desired action and relief; set the intonation. It plays and sounds great!

The pickups aren't amazing, but again, this is a $93 bass. I would never have thought I could have purchased an instrument of this quality for less than $100. If you are a tinkerer and know basic guitar setup concepts, you'll have no problem setting this up the way you like it. If you aren't picky, then you'll probably have an even better time.

There's no way I could have gotten something like this, as a lefty, at this price. I wouldn't hesitate at all to recommend this to my fellow southpaw SLAPPERS.

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Another result from Harley Benton!

southpawpete 22.05.2017

I'd been contemplating picking up a bass for a while, but left handed options are limited, especially at the budget price end. Having already purchased a stunning CST-24 I knew they could put out a quality instrument, so I took a gamble on this JB-20 ... and I haven?t been disappointed.

There?s one tiny flaw on the instrument in that the neck is not properly aligned, with the G string much closer to the edge of the fretboard than the E. However, whilst its visible it doesn?t affect playability at all.

Other than that, the bass is solidly put together, holds tuning well, and sounds (to my ignorant ears!) pretty damn good. The finish is flawless on my example and everything hold together very well.

In all, a crazy amount of instrument for a crazy price!

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Rufus O' 19.03.2022

I started playing bass around last year and found it incredibly difficult to find a bass that was not only left handed but also affordable in case I decided I didn't really want it, and the JB-20 is the perfect fit for that. It's affordable, it's rather comfortable to wear with a strap and it's got a great sound to it, however it is a budget bass, so don't expect it to be a lifelong purchase. The bottom pickups are not completely aligned to the strings, you can see little gaps in the body where the shape was cut out and (with my model at least) the A string buzzes because the bridge is slightly loose, but then again it is just a starting bass. Overall I feel like it was a good buy and you should consider yourself if you want a decent sounding Jazz bass

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Harley Benton JB-20 SB LH

Electric Bass