Harley Benton PJ-5 SBK Deluxe Series

This is my first experience with harley benton instruments and thomann in general and om glad to say that I am pleasantly surprised.

The bass feels quite sturdy and well built. It did have some small cosmetic issues on the finish but nothing major at all.
No fret sprout (frets also feel fine)
The knobs feel okay. Not scratchy or anything like that.
The tuners aren't the best but they absolutely get the job done.
I keep this bass in drop a and it has stayed like that since I got it.
The picks sound fine,. not great, not bad. At least with a clean tone.
I feel like the p-bass pick is the stronger of the two. Alot more low end.
BUT with a bit of drive this bass sounds huge.

The finish on this bass looks very cool but it does feel very fragile and prone to scratches and the like.

But overall I am more than pleased with this for the time being

I just received a brand new PJ-5 SBK Deluxe directly from Thomann. Below are my observations after initially unpacking from the box.

CONS: 1. The neck was horribly bowed and the action was ridiculously high, however with work on the truss rod I finally got the action to a decent height. This is pretty much typical with any new bass shipped from a ling distance, especially during summer. Once action was lowered it played great
Biggest complaint was the nut being plastic. For a few dollars more it could have had a bone nut. And I hate to say the nut actually popped off the neck when I removed the strings to adjust the truss rod. This probably due to the high temperatures during shipment. I will be swapping out the cheap plastic nut for a bone nut.

PROS: 1. After I got the bass set up finished, I plugged it into my amp and this bass sounds phenomenal! I expected the pickups to be weak because it's an inexpensive bass but I was really wrong. They really kick and have great tone!
2. It is a beautiful bass! I love the satin black finish especially on the back of the neck. Extremely smooth and fast. No shiny lacquer for sweaty hand to stick to. And the blood red pickguard really sets the bass off.
3. This model used to have a basswood body. It is now made with poplar wood which is an great improvement.
4. No fret sprout! None! Frets dressed very well out of the box with the exception of one fret being a tiny bit rough on the upper end.

Were there some issues out of the box? Yeah, but show me a bass that is perfect right out of the box. Once set up and adjusted correctly, this bass is as good as any Squier or MIM Fender!
I highly recommend!!

My first 5 string and I couldn't be happier!

Set up was fine out of the box, no sharp fret edges or anything. Action is good and the neck smooth and accessible up to the highest fret. The P pickup purrs but has some bite if needed and J adds more clarity if you want it.

Build quality is very good and the finish is perfect. The B string is pretty solid, certainly good enough for gigging.

All in all I'm delighted with my first 5 string.