Harley Benton introduces sub-$400 Marquess range of 4- and 5-string bass guitars
The affordable instrument specialist sets its sights on delivering low-end tones fit for royalty at a budget price point
After recently releasing the semi-cut Aelous and headless Dullahan electric guitars, Harley Benton has expanded its bass guitar range with the all-new royalty-inspired Marquess lineup.
Playing with the regal theme, the brand has boldly declared its lofty ambitions for the new models, which it claims deliver "a sound, feel and look that's fit for kings and queens of the bass guitar".
Arriving as four- and five-string iterations, the sub-$400 Marquess basses all feature an angular sungkai body with flame maple top, as well as five-piece maple/padauk neck.
The bolt-on neck features a modern-C profile, and is paired with an amaranth fingerboard that comes equipped with 24 Jumbo frets. Each bass also boasts a 16” fretboard radius, black graphite nut, and JinHo JB-150 die cast tuners.
Other universal appointments include a Sung-II bridge – a BB007 HT for the four-strings and BB008 HT for the five-strings – and a tone control layout featuring two volume controls, a bass boost/cut and a treble boost/cut.
Despite the identical control system, each model sports a different set of pickups. The four-strings feature a G&B JB bridge and G&B PB neck, while the five-strings boast two G&B Soapbar 5ST Epoxy covered pickups.
Each model is available in a choice of three colorways – Blue Stain, Black Stain and Sunburst Stain.
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The four-string and five-string Marquess models are available now for $304 and $355, respectively.
For more information, head over to Harley Benton.
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Matt is a Senior Staff Writer, writing for Guitar World, Guitarist and Total Guitar. He has a Masters in the guitar, a degree in history, and has spent the last 16 years playing everything from blues and jazz to indie and pop. When he’s not combining his passion for writing and music during his day job, Matt records for a number of UK-based bands and songwriters as a session musician.
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