Show Full Spec Comparison
| Harley Benton Enhanced MJ-4MN | Fender Troy Sanders Precision Bass | |
|---|---|---|
| General | ||
| Brand: | Harley Benton | Fender |
| Year: | 2021 | 2023 |
| Configuration: | HS | PJ |
| Strings: | 4 | 4 |
| Made in: | Indonesia | United States |
| Series: | Pro | Precision Bass |
| Colors: | Natural | Burst |
| Left-Handed Version: | No | No |
| Body | ||
| Type: | Solid Body | Solid Body |
| Body Material: | Swamp Ash | Alder |
| Bridge: | WSC SK4 | 4-Saddle HiMass Vintage (String-Through-Body or Top-Load) |
| Neck | ||
| Neck Joint: | Bolt-On | Bolt-On |
| Tuners: | WSC JB45 machine heads | Standard Open-Gear |
| Fretboard: | Maple | Slab Rosewood |
| Neck Material: | Maple | Maple |
| Decoration: | Black blocks | White Pearloid Blocks with Custom Mastodon Inlay at 12th Fret |
| Scale Size: | 34" | 34" |
| Shape: | Bass Modern "C" | Custom '70s Precision Bass |
| Frets: | 22 Medium Stainless Steel | 20 Medium Jumbo Nickel Silver |
| Fretboard Radius: | 14" | 9.5" |
| Nut: | Black Tusq XL | Synthetic Bone |
| Nut Width: | 39mm (1.535'') | 41.3mm (1.625'') |
| Electronics | ||
| Bridge Pickups: | Roswell MFR4 ferrite (Humbucker / Passive) | Fender Custom Troy Sanders Single-Coil Jazz Bass (Single Coil / Passive) |
| Middle Pickup: | Roswell JM-4A Ferrite (Single Coil / Passive) | Fender Custom Troy Sanders Split-Coil Precision Bass (Single Coil / Passive) |
| Neck Pickup: | ||
| Switch: | 0 Way | 3 Way |
| Knobs: | Dome | Dome |
| Pickup Mods: | Coil Split | None |
| Volume Controls: | 2 | 1 |
| Tone Controls: | 2 | 0 |
| Hardware | ||
| Strap Lock: | No | No |
| Hardware Color: | Chrome | Chrome |
Reasons to Get
Harley Benton Enhanced MJ-4MN over Fender Troy Sanders Precision Bass
Reasons to Get
Fender Troy Sanders Precision Bass over Harley Benton Enhanced MJ-4MN
Other Key Differences
Harley Benton Enhanced MJ-4MN vs Fender Troy Sanders Precision Bass
Shared Features
Harley Benton Enhanced MJ-4MN vs Fender Troy Sanders Precision Bass
Common Strengths
- High-Quality Nut
- Top Pickup Brand
- Expensive Wood
- Active/Passive Preamp
Common Weaknesses
- Neck-Through Build
- Weight Relief
- Retainer Bar
- Compound Radius Fretboard
- Luminescent Sidedots
- Strap Lock
- 21:1 Tuner Ratio
Price History Comparison
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Hand Size Comfortability
And after taking into account the scale length, nut width, neck profile and fretboard radius, we can conclude that the Fender Troy Sanders Precision Bass favors large hands more than the Harley Benton Enhanced MJ-4MN.
Harley Benton Enhanced MJ-4MN:
Fender Troy Sanders Precision Bass:
Beginner Friendliness
The Fender Troy Sanders Precision Bass meets 4 out of our 6 criteria items for beginner friendliness, while the Harley Benton Enhanced MJ-4MN meets only 3. This takes into account the type of frets, scale length, nut width, bridge type, fretboard radius, and neck profile to determine the easiest combination for new players.
New Player Friendliness
Harley Benton Enhanced MJ-4MN- Comfortable shape
- Tall frets
- Comfortable neck
- Comfortable fretboard
- Narrow nut
- Short scale
New Player Friendliness
Fender Troy Sanders Precision Bass- Comfortable shape
- Comfortable fretboard
- Tall frets
- Comfortable neck
- Narrow nut
- Short scale
Sound Quality Comparison
The wood used in an electric guitar or bass is not as important to determine the final tone. However, some people prefer specific wood types, so we'll take a look at those first. Then, we'll take a look at the electronics to determine the versatility and sound quality of each instrument.
Woods Used in Both
Maple is one of the most popular necks for good reasons. It is a strong wood that is relatively cheap to make and looks beautiful. The highest quality maple is the hardest that comes from North America. Find out more about Maple.
Woods Used in the Harley Benton Enhanced MJ-4MN
Ash is a type of wood that Fender used almost exclusively in the 50s, and it's still used by many brands. It's a dense wood with a light color that works well for a transparent, natural finish because of its beautiful patterns. In terms of sound, it's known for emphasizing the mid and high frequencies, but with strong low end. Find out more about Ash.
Woods Used in the Fender Troy Sanders Precision Bass
Rosewood is an almost purple-looking wood that is used mainly for fretboards since it's heavy, rare, and expensive. It's sometimes used on acoustic guitar bodies to create stronger warm tones. Find out more about Rosewood.
Alder is the most popular wood that Fender uses in most of their guitars nowadays. Even though they say it's because of its balanced tone with an emphasis in the upper midrange, it probably is because it isn't too expensive, and it's also pretty lightweight—more than Mahogany. Find out more about Alder.
Winner: Tie.
Pickup Configuration
The Harley Benton Enhanced MJ-4MN has an HS configuration while the Fender Troy Sanders Precision Bass has PJ pickups.
An HS configuration gives you a bridge pickup with a lot of output for playing distortion parts, but you'll also have the bright sound of a Tele or Strat neck pickup for your clean tones.
On the other hand, A PJ bass offers a versatile tonal range by combining the warm, punchy sound of a Precision-style (P-style) pickup with the brighter, more articulate tones of a Jazz-style (J-style) pickup. This makes it a great choice for those seeking tonal flexibility.
Pickups Quality
Both come with very good pickups from at least one of the specialized brands in the market. With pickups like these, you probably won't need an upgrade anytime soon.
However, the Fender Troy Sanders Precision Bass has a slight sound quality advantage when taking into account other factors like the type of pickups, magnet, position, etc.
Both use Passive pickups. This is what's used for most music genres. They have a regular output and will serve you for both high-gain and clean tones. The alternative (Active pickups) offer a higher output that is mostly used for heavy music.
Preamp Circuit
A preamp in an electric bass functions as an electronic circuit that acts as an interface between the bass's pickups and the amplifier. Its main purpose is to amplify and customize the bass's initial signal before it reaches the amplifier, offering enhanced control over factors like tone, volume, and sound attributes. Preamps typically come equipped with tone adjustments, equalization options, and sometimes built-in effects, empowering bass players to fine-tune their sound to suit their personal preferences and the musical environment.
Both basses have a Active/Passive preamp.
Active/Passive: This type of circuit combines both passive and active electronics in one instrument. This versatile setup allows the player to switch between passive and active modes, providing a wide range of tonal options. In passive mode, the bass relies on traditional passive pickups and tone controls for a warm and organic sound. In active mode, the onboard preamp circuit is engaged, offering enhanced EQ shaping capabilities and sometimes a signal boost. This flexibility caters to a broader spectrum of musical styles and playing preferences, as it allows the bassist to switch between the classic, vintage tone of passive operation and the more versatile and finely tuned active mode, all within the same instrument.
Winner: Fender Troy Sanders Precision Bass.
Versatility Comparison
Some instruments offer you more ways to explore your creativity than others. Below you'll find how both compare when it comes to versatility.
Switch Options
The Fender Troy Sanders Precision Bass gives you 3 switch options while the Harley Benton Enhanced MJ-4MN gives you 0. This means that the Fender Troy Sanders Precision Bass gives you more options to find the right pickup combination for the type of sound you want to achieve
Only the Harley Benton Enhanced MJ-4MN comes with some kind of pickup modification: Coil Split.
Coil Split lets you disconnect one of the pickup coils. When used with humbuckers, it turns them into single-coil with lower output and cleaner tone.
When evaluating versatility, we also take into consideration bridge and neck joint type, number of frets, switch options, amount of pickups and more.
Winner: Harley Benton Enhanced MJ-4MN.
Final Sound Quality Scores
Build Quality Comparison
When it comes to build quality, we like to take into account everything used to build the instrument. This includes materials, hardware and the quality control expected depending on the country where it was built. Let's see how the Harley Benton Enhanced MJ-4MN compares to the Fender Troy Sanders Precision Bass.
Country of Origin
The manufacturing country can tell a lot about the build quality of an instrument. The Harley Benton Enhanced MJ-4MN is built in Indonesia while the Fender Troy Sanders Precision Bass is made in United States.
Indonesia is becoming the most popular country for guitar building because they can make good instruments for a low price. Some people think that they're 'the new China' when it comes to build quality. But the truth is that Indonesian guitars are more consistent, although Chinese quality has improved a lot in the last few years.
The United States is considered one of the best electric guitar manufacturers in the world. A guitar made in this country is supposed to have world-class quality control. Nowadays, guitars made in other countries can beat some of the ones made in the US, but most of the time, this country offers the best you can get. Of course, that comes at a price.
Winner: Fender Troy Sanders Precision Bass
Nut Material
If you want your bass to stay in tune and sound good, you need a well cut nut. Nut quality can be inconsistent even when comparing two copies of the same model. The best way to make sure you're nut will be well done is by getting a nut made by an expert company like TUSQ or Micarta.
The Harley Benton Enhanced MJ-4MN has a Black Tusq XL nut. TUSQ nuts are usually the highest quality you can get. Black TUSQs are made from a special slippery material that helps the strings get back to its original position (one of the keys to tune stability).
On the other hand, the Fender Troy Sanders Precision Bass comes with a Synthetic Bone nut. Bone is the best natural material for guitar nuts. However, its tonal properties can be inconsistent. That's the problem that synthetic bone fixes. This is much better than using a plastic nut because the nut is more slippery—which helps with tuning stability—, and it gives your open strings rich harmonics.
Winner: Tie.
Fret Material
Most fret wire is made of nickel silver. This material eventually wears down after a lot of use and most instruments end up needing a complete fret replacement. However, some expensive models come with stainless steel frets. This is what you should aim for if you can afford it.
In this comparison, the Harley Benton Enhanced MJ-4MN is the only one that has stainless steel frets. These frets will basically last for the entire life of the bass. They will never need polishing nor replacement. And not only that, but some people also notice that bending and vibratos are much easier to perform when they upgrade to stainless steel.
Winner: Harley Benton Enhanced MJ-4MN.
Tuners
Both come with regular tuners. The Harley Benton Enhanced MJ-4MN's are WSC JB45 machine heads while the Fender Troy Sanders Precision Bass's are Standard Open-Gear
Winner: Tie.
Neck Joint
Contrary to popular belief, the difference in sustain and tone that some neck joints give to a bass is simply unperceivable—if they're all well built. However, some of them do have advantages over the others.
Both have a Bolt-On neck joint. This neck is joined to the body by 4 bolts that you can simply unscrew. This allows you to replace the neck or take it off for travel. It's the most common and cheapest way to build a guitar.
Winner: Tie.
Here is the list of features that were considered when choosing the winner in the Features subcategory:
Harley Benton Enhanced MJ-4MN
- Stainless Steel Frets
- Expensive Wood
- Black Tusq XL Nut
- Top Brand Pickups
- Coil Split Pickups
- Active/Passive Preamp
- No Locking Tuners
- Made in Indonesia
- No Neck-Through Build
- No Weight Relief
- No Luminescent Inlay
- No Compound Radius Fretboard
- No 21:1 Tuner Ratio
- No Retainer Bar
- No Strap Lock
Fender Troy Sanders Precision Bass
- Made in United States
- Expensive Wood
- Synthetic Bone Nut
- Top Brand Pickups
- Active/Passive Preamp
- Cheap Fret Wire (NS)
- No Locking Tuners
- No Neck-Through Build
- No Push Knob or Extra Switch Option
- No Weight Relief
- No Luminescent Inlay
- No Compound Radius Fretboard
- No 21:1 Tuner Ratio
- No Retainer Bar
- No Strap Lock
Final Build Quality Scores
Playability Comparison
Let's now compare their playability. Bear in mind that the instrument will feel different depending on your hand size and play style. That's why you should always test before buying. But if you can't or want a second opinion on it, we can still take a look at each of the important measurements of the instrument for you. This way, we can predict how easy a bass might be to play, or how different it will feel compared to the other.
Remember that, even though the difference might seem small, every inch counts when it comes to feeling of the instrument in your hands. Any variation can completely change how comfortable a bass feels in your hands.
Nut Width
The nut width will affect the separation between strings at the nut. In this comparison, the Fender Troy Sanders Precision Bass has the wider nut with 41.3mm (1.625'') vs 39mm (1.535''). This is a 2.3mm (0.09'') difference
This means that it will be more difficult to do bar chords on the Fender Troy Sanders Precision Bass, especially closer to the nut. However, it's also easier to play without muting strings accidently. This favors people with big hands.
Scale Length
The scale length is one of the things that influences playability the most. This is the distance between the nut and the bridge and will affect everything from low action allowance, difficulty to perform bends, fret separation, and even tone.
In this case, both have a scale length of 34".
This is a scale used for baritones and guitars with more than 6 strings. Since the scale is so long, the tension of the strings will be higher. This means that bending will require a lot more strength than with a shorter scale. However, it also allows you to use really low tunings without causing fret buzz and without needing to increase your string gauge too much.
Lastly, remember that you can also affect the tension of the strings by changing your string gauge. You can use a thicker gauge for more tension and a lighter one for less tension.
Neck Profile
No single neck shape is better than others. However, most people tend to prefer a thinner necks because it doesn't get in their way when playing fast and most hand sizes can adapt to it pretty well. However, some people still prefer thicker necks for a better grip, especially if they have big hands.
Both the Harley Benton Enhanced MJ-4MN and the Fender Troy Sanders Precision Bass have a C-shaped neck. This is what you'll find in most modern guitars. Most people feel like the thickness of a C neck is simply the less intrusive one for playing fast, while at the same time allowing you to grab the neck easily for resting if you want to.
Fretboard Radius
Most bass fretboards are not flat; they usually have a curve or arc across their width. A curved fretboard will make it easier to perform chords without muting strings, while a flatter one will make it easier to play single notes, which is good for bending and soloing in general. The best fretboards have a compound radius that varies across the fingerboard, but they're not common since they take a lot more work to build.
In this case, the Fender Troy Sanders Precision Bass's fingerboard radius is smaller, which means it's more curved than the Harley Benton Enhanced MJ-4MN's. This extra arc will make playing chords easier in this model. You won't be as likely to mute the strings, especially if you have big hands. However, playing single notes and bending will be easier on the Harley Benton Enhanced MJ-4MN.
Fret Size
The Fender Troy Sanders Precision Bass has Medium Jumbo frets, which should be taller than the Harley Benton Enhanced MJ-4MN's Medium frets.
Some people prefer taller frets because they result in more sustain since the strings get pressed cleanly without interference from the fretboard. However, if they're too tall—like Jumbo frets—, you might change the pitch of the strings accidentally if you press too hard because you won't be touching the fretboard with your fingers. This is also why some guitarists with a heavy grip prefer smaller frets. They like to feel the fingerboard to avoid pressing down too hard and getting out of pitch.
