Show Full Spec Comparison
| Harley Benton HBZ-2005 | Squier Classic Vibe Bass VI | |
|---|---|---|
| General | ||
| Brand: | Harley Benton | Fender Squier |
| Year: | 2023 | 2021 |
| Configuration: | SS | SSS |
| Strings: | 5 | 6 |
| Made in: | China | Indonesia |
| Series: | Deluxe | Classic Vibe |
| Colors: | Natural | Sunburst, Black |
| Left-Handed Version: | No | No |
| Body | ||
| Type: | Solid Body | Solid Body |
| Body Material: | Mahogany | Poplar |
| Bridge: | Fixed | 6-Saddle Vintage-Style with Non-Locking Floating Vibrato |
| Neck | ||
| Neck Joint: | Neck-Through | Bolt-On |
| Tuners: | Die-Cast Machine Heads | Vintage-Style |
| Fretboard: | Black Walnut | Indian Laurel |
| Neck Material: | Maple, Nato | Maple |
| Decoration: | Oval mother-of-pearl inserts | White Pearloid Block |
| Scale Size: | 34" | 30" |
| Shape: | Bass C | Bass C Shape |
| Frets: | 24 Medium Nickel Silver | 21 Narrow Tall Nickel Silver |
| Fretboard Radius: | 12" | 9.5" |
| Nut: | Plastic | Bone |
| Nut Width: | 45mm (1.772'') | 42.8mm (1.685'') |
| Electronics | ||
| Bridge Pickups: | ceramic bar single coil (Single Coil / Passive) | Fender Designed Alnico Single-Coil (Single Coil / Passive) |
| Middle Pickup: | Fender Designed Alnico Single-Coil (Single Coil / Passive) | |
| Neck Pickup: | ceramic bar single coil (Single Coil / Passive) | Fender Designed Alnico Single-Coil (Single Coil / Passive) |
| Switch: | 0 Way | 3 Way |
| Knobs: | Dome | Dome |
| Pickup Mods: | None | None |
| Volume Controls: | 2 | 1 |
| Tone Controls: | 2 | 1 |
| Hardware | ||
| Strap Lock: | No | No |
| Hardware Color: | Black | Chrome |
Show Diagrams Comparison
Reasons to Get
Harley Benton HBZ-2005 over Squier Classic Vibe Bass VI
Reasons to Get
Fender Squier Classic Vibe Bass VI over Harley Benton HBZ-2005
Other Key Differences
Harley Benton HBZ-2005 vs Squier Classic Vibe Bass VI
Shared Features
Harley Benton HBZ-2005 vs Squier Classic Vibe Bass VI
Common Weaknesses
- Pickup Alter Switch/Knob
- Weight Relief
- Retainer Bar
- High-Quality Frets
- Compound Radius Fretboard
- Luminescent Sidedots
- Strap Lock
- Top Pickup Brand
- 21:1 Tuner Ratio
- Active/Passive Preamp
Price History Comparison
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Hand Size Comfortability
After taking into account the scale length, nut width, neck profile and fretboard radius, we can conclude that both favor small hands .
Harley Benton HBZ-2005:
Fender Squier Classic Vibe Bass VI:
Beginner Friendliness
The Fender Squier Classic Vibe Bass VI meets 6 out of our 6 criteria items for beginner friendliness, while the Harley Benton HBZ-2005 meets only 2. 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 HBZ-2005- Tall frets
- Comfortable neck
- Comfortable shape
- Comfortable fretboard
- Narrow nut
- Short scale
New Player Friendliness
Fender Squier Classic Vibe Bass VI- Comfortable shape
- Comfortable fretboard
- Tall frets
- Narrow nut
- Short scale
- Comfortable neck
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 HBZ-2005
It's a hard wood with a chocolate color that is often used to give an elegant finish. Since it's quite expensive and rare, it's mostly used for guitar tops. Find out more about Walnut.
Mahogany is a fairly rare wood nowadays. It's used mostly for bodies due to its relatively lightweight. Gibson popularized it with their Les Paul guitars during their golden years, so this wood has a lot of good reputation behind it. The most expensive type comes from South America and it's still used by Gibson even today. Find out more about Mahogany.
Woods Used in the Fender Squier Classic Vibe Bass VI
There are many types of Laurel, but East Indian is the most common for guitar building. Its color can vary from dark to light brown with black lines. Many people find its tonality similar to Rosewood, which favors the warmer frequencies. Find out more about Laurel.
Poplar is a cheaper and heavier alternative to Alder wood. It terms of tone, it emphasizes the low-end and has cutting mids. It's relatively soft compared to most body woods. Find out more about Poplar.
Winner: Harley Benton HBZ-2005.
Pickup Configuration
The Harley Benton HBZ-2005 has an SS configuration while the Fender Squier Classic Vibe Bass VI has SSS pickups.
SS is the classic Telecaster configuration. It's used mainly for playing clean or with low-gain distortion, and it's very popular for the country genre because of their brightness. It doesn't give you as much versatility as a Strat SSS configuration, but you might like the cleaner look of a guitar body with fewer pickups.
On the other hand, SSS is perfect for players who like to play clean. The definition you get between notes and the crispiness is unmatched by most other configurations. You can still use it for distortion, but you won't get the same kind of output and power compared to a humbucker, and the hum they produce also makes them less adequate for high gain.
Pickups Quality
None of these use a specialized pickup brand for their pickups. Some of the best guitars on the market come with pickups from brands like EMG, Seymour Duncan, DiMarzio, etc. You might want to replace your pickups eventually if you want to get the best sound out of any of these instruments.
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.
The Harley Benton HBZ-2005's preamp is Active while the Fender Squier Classic Vibe Bass VI's is Passive.
Active: Unlike passive basses, which rely solely on passive pickups and tone controls, active preamps require a power source, typically a 9-volt battery, to operate. The active preamp offers several advantages, including the ability to boost or cut specific frequencies, resulting in a more versatile and customizable tonal palette. Active basses are favored in genres where precise tonal sculpting and extended tonal options are essential, such as jazz fusion or progressive rock. However, they do require occasional battery replacement or recharging to ensure optimal performance.
Passive: A bass with a passive preamp lacks an onboard electronic circuit for tone shaping and signal boosting. Instead, it relies solely on passive pickups and basic tone controls, typically consisting of volume and tone knobs. Passive preamps don't require an external power source like batteries, making them low-maintenance and dependable. While they offer a simpler and more straightforward tonal character, passive basses are appreciated for their warm and vintage sound, often favored in genres like classic rock, blues, and funk. They are an excellent choice for musicians who value the simplicity and timeless appeal of their instrument's tone without the need for active electronic components.
Winner: Tie.
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 Squier Classic Vibe Bass VI gives you 3 switch options while the Harley Benton HBZ-2005 gives you 0. This means that the Fender Squier Classic Vibe Bass VI gives you more options to find the right pickup combination for the type of sound you want to achieve
Neither of them come with some kind of coil split or pickup mod option. This makes both lacking in terms of versatility.
When evaluating versatility, we also take into consideration bridge and neck joint type, number of frets, switch options, amount of pickups and more.
Winner: Fender Squier Classic Vibe Bass VI.
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 HBZ-2005 compares to the Fender Squier Classic Vibe Bass VI.
Country of Origin
The manufacturing country can tell a lot about the build quality of an instrument. The Harley Benton HBZ-2005 is built in China while the Fender Squier Classic Vibe Bass VI is made in Indonesia.
China has a bad reputation when it comes to building quality. However, times have changed and now respectable brands use China's cheap labor to build good instruments for a lower price. Don't discount a guitar only because it was built in China, but also expect more quality from countries like Korea.
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.
Winner: Fender Squier Classic Vibe Bass VI
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 HBZ-2005 has a Plastic nut. This is a low-quality nut that you might want to consider upgrading soon. Bone and TUSQ nuts are the best for guitars with a fixed or simple tremolo bridge.
On the other hand, the Fender Squier Classic Vibe Bass VI comes with a Bone nut. It's a type of nut found in high-quality instruments. They sound similar to Ivory since they give a lot of sustain and a bright sound (at least when striking open strings). The only problem they can run into is that you may get a bone piece that simply doesn't sound as well as others because that's just how natural materials are.
Winner: Fender Squier Classic Vibe Bass VI.
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.
Unfortunately, none of them come with stainless steel frets.
Winner: Tie.
Tuners
Both come with regular tuners. The Harley Benton HBZ-2005's are Die-Cast Machine Heads while the Fender Squier Classic Vibe Bass VI's are Vintage-Style
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.
The Harley Benton HBZ-2005 has a Neck-Through neck joint. This neck is a lot more resistant and lets builders give the neck joint a more comfortable shape for soloing at the upper frets. The disadvantage is that they're more expensive and that if you damage your neck, you can't simply replace it like with bolt-on necks.
On the other hand, the Fender Squier Classic Vibe Bass VI comes with 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: Harley Benton HBZ-2005.
Here is the list of features that were considered when choosing the winner in the Features subcategory:
Harley Benton HBZ-2005
- Expensive Wood
- Neck-Through Build
- Active Preamp
- Cheap Fret Wire (NS)
- No Locking Tuners
- Made in China
- No High-Quality Nut
- No Top Brand Pickups
- 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
Fender Squier Classic Vibe Bass VI
- Bone Nut
- Cheap Fret Wire (NS)
- No Locking Tuners
- Made in Indonesia
- No Expensive Woods
- No Top Brand Pickups
- No Neck-Through Build
- No Push Knob or Extra Switch Option
- No Weight Relief
- No Luminescent Inlay
- No Active Preamp
- 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 Harley Benton HBZ-2005 has the wider nut with 45mm (1.772'') vs 42.8mm (1.685''). This is a 2.2mm (0.087'') difference
This means that it will be more difficult to do bar chords on the Harley Benton HBZ-2005, 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.
The Harley Benton HBZ-2005 has the longest scale: 34". The Fender Squier Classic Vibe Bass VI is only 30" long. This is a 4'' (101.6mm) scale length difference.
This longer scale means that the strings need more tension to get in tune. This is good if you want to avoid fret buzz, which can happen when the strings are too loose and touch the frets while vibrating. This is especially important when playing in lower tunings. This will also let you reduce the gap between fretboard and strings (low action) to make them easier to press down. However, this higher tension will also make it harder to perform bends and vibratos as the strings will feel stiffer.
This also means that the frets have a longer separation between each other, so this will make it harder for people with smaller hands when playing some chord positions.
Another characteristic of a longer scale is that it makes the bass sound 'snappier' or brighter. This is due to the extra separation between harmonics and overtones produced by the tension. This influences tone more than any other factor (except the pickups).
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 HBZ-2005 and the Fender Squier Classic Vibe Bass VI 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 Squier Classic Vibe Bass VI's fingerboard radius is smaller, which means it's more curved than the Harley Benton HBZ-2005'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 HBZ-2005.
Fret Size
The Fender Squier Classic Vibe Bass VI has Narrow Tall frets, which should be taller than the Harley Benton HBZ-2005'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.
