Show Full Spec Comparison
| Harley Benton MM-85A | Squier Affinity Series Jazz Bass | |
|---|---|---|
| General | ||
| Brand: | Harley Benton | Fender Squier |
| Year: | 2021 | 2021 |
| Configuration: | HH | SS |
| Strings: | 5 | 4 |
| Made in: | China | Indonesia |
| Series: | Deluxe | Affinity |
| Colors: | Sunburst | Sunburst, Black, Pink, Gray |
| Left-Handed Version: | No | No |
| Body | ||
| Type: | Solid Body | Solid Body |
| Body Material: | Basswood Body | Poplar |
| Bridge: | DLX diecast | 4-Saddle Standard |
| Neck | ||
| Neck Joint: | Bolt-On | Bolt-On |
| Tuners: | DLX vintage style machine heads | Vintage-Style |
| Fretboard: | Maple | Maple |
| Neck Material: | Maple | Maple |
| Decoration: | Black Dot | |
| Scale Size: | 34" | 34" |
| Shape: | Bass D | Bass C Shape |
| Frets: | 24 Medium Nickel Silver | 20 Medium Jumbo Nickel Silver |
| Fretboard Radius: | 13.78" | 9.5" |
| Nut: | Plastic | Synthetic Bone |
| Nut Width: | 45mm (1.772'') | 38.1mm (1.5'') |
| Electronics | ||
| Bridge Pickups: | Roswell MFR5 (Humbucker / Passive) | Ceramic Single-Coil Jazz Bass (Single Coil / Passive) |
| Middle Pickup: | ||
| Neck Pickup: | Roswell MFR5 (Humbucker / Passive) | Ceramic Single-Coil Jazz Bass (Single Coil / Passive) |
| Switch: | 5 Way | 0 Way |
| Knobs: | Dome | Dome |
| Pickup Mods: | Coil Split | None |
| Volume Controls: | 1 | 2 |
| Tone Controls: | 3 | 1 |
| Hardware | ||
| Strap Lock: | No | No |
| Hardware Color: | Chrome | Chrome |
Show Diagrams Comparison
Reasons to Get
Harley Benton MM-85A over Squier Affinity Series Jazz Bass
Reasons to Get
Fender Squier Affinity Series Jazz Bass over Harley Benton MM-85A
Other Key Differences
Harley Benton MM-85A vs Squier Affinity Series Jazz Bass
Shared Features
Harley Benton MM-85A vs Squier Affinity Series Jazz Bass
Common Weaknesses
- Neck-Through Build
- Weight Relief
- Retainer Bar
- High-Quality Frets
- Compound Radius Fretboard
- Luminescent Sidedots
- Strap Lock
- Expensive Wood
- 21:1 Tuner Ratio
- Active/Passive Preamp
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 Squier Affinity Series Jazz Bass favors large hands more than the Harley Benton MM-85A.
Harley Benton MM-85A:
Fender Squier Affinity Series Jazz Bass:
Beginner Friendliness
The Fender Squier Affinity Series Jazz Bass meets 4 out of our 6 criteria items for beginner friendliness, while the Harley Benton MM-85A 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 MM-85A- Comfortable shape
- Tall frets
- Comfortable neck
- Comfortable fretboard
- Narrow nut
- Short scale
New Player Friendliness
Fender Squier Affinity Series Jazz 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 MM-85A
Basswood is a lightweight type of wood that isn't as expensive as other popular choices for guitar building. It gives more power to the mid-range frequencies. Its color can vary from pale white to light brown. Find out more about Basswood.
Woods Used in the Fender Squier Affinity Series Jazz Bass
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: Tie.
Pickup Configuration
The Harley Benton MM-85A has an HH configuration while the Fender Squier Affinity Series Jazz Bass has SS pickups.
Double Humbucker (HH) is the choice for people who want a fuller, more round sound with tons of mids and lows. Humbuckers also get rid of the hum noise that plague single-coil pickups. They can work out for almost any genre going from Djent to even Jazz.
On the other hand, 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.
Pickups Quality
The Harley Benton MM-85A has pickups from a more specialized brand than the Fender Squier Affinity Series Jazz Bass. Its pickups should simply give you a better, fuller sound, although it all depends on what type of music you're going to play. We recommend these pickups for Hard Rock and similar genres.
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 MM-85A's preamp is Active while the Fender Squier Affinity Series Jazz Bass'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: Harley Benton MM-85A.
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 Harley Benton MM-85A gives you 5 switch options while the Fender Squier Affinity Series Jazz Bass gives you 0. This means that the Harley Benton MM-85A gives you more options to find the right pickup combination for the type of sound you want to achieve
Only the Harley Benton MM-85A 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 MM-85A.
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 MM-85A compares to the Fender Squier Affinity Series Jazz Bass.
Country of Origin
The manufacturing country can tell a lot about the build quality of an instrument. The Harley Benton MM-85A is built in China while the Fender Squier Affinity Series Jazz Bass 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 Affinity Series Jazz 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 MM-85A 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 Affinity Series Jazz 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: Fender Squier Affinity Series Jazz Bass.
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 MM-85A's are DLX vintage style machine heads while the Fender Squier Affinity Series Jazz Bass'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.
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 MM-85A
- Top Brand Pickups
- Coil Split Pickups
- Active Preamp
- Cheap Fret Wire (NS)
- No Locking Tuners
- Made in China
- No Expensive Woods
- No High-Quality Nut
- 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 Squier Affinity Series Jazz Bass
- Synthetic 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 MM-85A has the wider nut with 45mm (1.772'') vs 38.1mm (1.5''). This is a 6.9mm (0.272'') difference
This means that it will be more difficult to do bar chords on the Harley Benton MM-85A, 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.
In this case, both have different neck shapes:
The Harley Benton MM-85A has a D type of neck. This is a thin and flat neck that is made for playing fast. If you prefer a neck that doesn't get in your way when soloing, this is the shape you should use. Guitarists that prefer to have a bit more grip won't like this type of neck.
The Fender Squier Affinity Series Jazz Bass, on the other hand, has a C 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 Affinity Series Jazz Bass's fingerboard radius is smaller, which means it's more curved than the Harley Benton MM-85A'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 MM-85A.
Fret Size
The Fender Squier Affinity Series Jazz Bass has Medium Jumbo frets, which should be taller than the Harley Benton MM-85A'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.
