Watch It First
Short scale basses get a bad rap. People assume “small” means “toy,” and toy means “bad tone.”
The Harley Benton PB-Shorty exists specifically to prove that assumption wrong – and at this price, it’s basically a no-brainer.
I’ve spent a good chunk of time with one, and honestly? It’s one of the most fun basses I’ve played in ages.
What Even Is a Shorty Bass
Short scale means the string length runs 762mm instead of the usual 864mm long scale you’ll find on a P-Bass or Jazz Bass.
That shorter scale means lower string tension, easier reach across frets, and a body small enough to fit in guitar-sized gig bags.
The PB-Shorty takes that concept and wraps it in classic P-Bass styling – poplar body, maple neck, laurel fretboard, split-coil pickup. Nothing exotic, everything familiar.
Build Quality for the Money
This thing has sold over a thousand units on Thomann with a 4.3-star average, and once you pick one up you get why.
The finish is glossy black, clean edges, no obvious tooling marks. For a bass at this price point that’s honestly impressive.
Fretwork is tidy. No sharp edges, no fret sprout poking your hand while you’re sliding up the neck.
The tuners and hardware are basic chrome stuff, nothing fancy, but they do their job without drama.
How It Plays
This is where the short scale really sells itself. If you’ve got smaller hands, or you’re coming from guitar rather than bass, the reduced reach is genuinely transformative.
Chords and stretches that feel like a workout on a long-scale bass become almost trivial here.
The neck profile is a Modern C shape – comfortable, not too chunky, easy for beginners to wrap a hand around.
- 19 frets, which is on the low side, so if you like playing way up the neck you’ll hit the end fast
- Action out of the box is decent but not perfect – a home setup helps a lot
- Balance on a strap is excellent thanks to the light poplar body
Setting It Up
Out of the box, mine had a bit more buzz on the low E than I’d like. A quick truss rod adjustment and raising the bridge saddles a hair sorted it completely.
Nothing unusual there – budget basses almost always benefit from a proper setup before they show what they can really do.
The Tone
Split-coil P-Bass pickup means you get that classic thump. Warm, round, unmistakably P-Bass.
Because it’s passive – just one volume, one tone knob – there’s no fancy EQ shaping here. What you hear is what you get, and honestly, that’s part of the charm.
It’s not going to give you aggressive slap tone or hi-fi clarity. That’s not the assignment. The assignment is classic thump, and it delivers that in spades.
Play it through a tube amp and it gets genuinely lovely – warm, rounded, a little vintage in character despite being a brand new instrument.
Who Should Buy This
Travelling musicians, for one. This thing fits in cases meant for guitars, which makes touring logistics so much easier.
Guitarists who dabble in bass for home recording will love it too – the reduced reach means you’re not fighting muscle memory built on 6-string necks.
Anyone with smaller hands who’s found regular long-scale basses uncomfortable. This genuinely solves that problem.
If you want something closer to a traditional long-scale J-style feel, our review of the Harley Benton JB-75MN covers Harley Benton’s other budget option, and it’s worth a read if you’re deciding between P and J tone.
Comparing feel and value, the Squier Classic Vibe 60s Precision Bass is the long-scale, more premium alternative if your budget allows a step up.
For an even more road-worn vintage vibe on a P-style body, check our thoughts on the Fender Vintera II Road Worn 60s Precision Bass – completely different price bracket, but useful context.
If short scale specifically is the draw, the Höfner Shorty Bass is another great option worth cross-shopping – different tone character entirely, but the same size-friendly philosophy.
And if you’re brand new to bass and want the easiest possible entry point, we covered the Squier Sonic Bronco Bass too – another short scale worth a look.
The Niggles
Nineteen frets is limiting if you like soloing up high. Most players won’t care, but it’s worth knowing going in.
The stock strings are budget-grade and will probably want replacing sooner rather than later – they don’t hold tuning stability amazingly well long term.
No case or gigbag included, so budget an extra purchase if you need one.
None of this is surprising at this price, and none of it stops the bass from being genuinely fun to play.
Specs at a Glance
- Short scale electric bass guitar
- Body: Poplar
- Neck: Bolt-on maple
- Fingerboard: Laurel, dot inlays
- Neck profile: Modern C
- Frets: 19
- Scale: 762mm (30 inch)
- Nut width: 42mm
- Pickup: PB-style split coil
- Electronics: Passive, 1 volume, 1 tone
- Hardware: Chrome
- Strings: .040-.095
Final Verdict
The Harley Benton PB-Shorty isn’t trying to be a flagship instrument. It’s trying to be an accessible, fun, portable bass that sounds like a real P-Bass should – and it nails that brief completely.
For the price, this is one of the easiest recommendations in Harley Benton’s entire catalog. It’s sold over a thousand units for a reason, and IMO the reason is simple: it just works.
If short scale intrigues you at all, or you just want a genuinely solid backup or travel bass that doesn’t sound like a toy, this is the one to grab. FYI – keep a spare set of strings on hand, you’ll want to swap them eventually.
