thomann Harley Benton Bass Guitar Kit P-Style User manual

Bass Guitar Kit P-Style
Electric Bass Kit
User Manual

Thomann GmbH
Hans-Thomann-Straße 1
96138 Burgebrach
Germany
Telephone: [phone]
Internet: www.thomann.de
05.10.2023, ID: 194896

Table of contents
1 General information.............................................................................................................. 5
1.1 Symbols and signal words........................................................................................... 5
2 Safety instructions................................................................................................................. 6
3 Scope of delivery..................................................................................................................... 7
4 Assembly instructions.......................................................................................................... 8
4.1 Cut the headstock to size............................................................................................. 8
4.2 Painting the body and neck........................................................................................ 8
4.3 Mounting the tuners...................................................................................................... 9
4.4 Mounting the string retainer.................................................................................... 10
4.5 Mounting the bass guitar neck................................................................................ 11
4.6 Wiring the potentiometers, pickups and switches........................................... 12
4.7 Mounting the pickguard............................................................................................ 14
4.8 Mounting the bridge................................................................................................... 15
4.9 Mounting the strap buttons..................................................................................... 16
4.10 Strings, neck relief, string height and pickups................................................. 17
5 Protecting the environment........................................................................................... 20
Table of contents
Bass Guitar Kit P-Style 3
Electric Bass Kit

4Bass Guitar Kit P-Style
Electric Bass Kit

1 General information
This document contains important instructions for the safe operation of the product.
Read and follow the safety instructions and all other instructions. Keep the document
for future reference. Make sure that it is available to all those using the product. If you
sell the product to another user, be sure that they also receive this document.
Our products and documentation are subject to a process of continuous develop‐
ment. They are therefore subject to change. Please refer to the latest version of the
documentation, which is ready for download under www.thomann.de.
1.1 Symbols and signal words
In this section you will nd an overview of the meaning of symbols and signal words
that are used in this document.
Signal word Meaning
DANGER! This combination of symbol and signal word indicates
an immediate dangerous situation that will result in
death or serious injury if it is not avoided.
CAUTION! This combination of symbol and signal word indicates
a possible dangerous situation that can result in minor
injury if it is not avoided.
Warning signs Type of danger
Warning – danger zone.
General information
Bass Guitar Kit P-Style 5
Electric Bass Kit

2 Safety instructions
DANGER!
Risk of injury and choking hazard for children!
Children can suocate on packaging material and small parts. Children
can injure themselves when handling the product.
Never allow children to play with the packaging material and the
product.
Always store packaging material out of the reach of babies and small
children. Always dispose of packaging material properly when it is not in
use.
Never allow children to use the product without supervision.
Keep small parts away from children and make sure that the product
does not shed any small parts that children could play with.
CAUTION!
Risk of cuts to the hands from sharp edges during assembly!
Tools, screws and components can have sharp edges that can cause
cuts during assembly.
Pay attention to sharp edges when assembling and screwing the indi‐
vidual parts. Wear protective gloves if necessary.
Safety instructions
6Bass Guitar Kit P-Style
Electric Bass Kit

3 Scope of delivery
Thank you for buying this electric bass guitar kit. All wooden parts, hardware and
electrical components are contained in this package.
The following gure shows the individual components of the delivery.
The assembly is described in detail in the following sections.
Scope of delivery
Bass Guitar Kit P-Style 7
Electric Bass Kit

4 Assembly instructions
Provide the following tools and materials for the assembly of the bass guitar:
nPhillips screwdriver
nRubber mallet
nRing spanner
nPliers
nPaint and accessories
nNeedle le
nSandpaper
It is important to paint the body and neck before assembly.
Always wear a dust mask when applying spray paint.
4.1 Cut the headstock to size
Cut the headstock to your desired shape using a suitable saw. Ensure you leave su‐
cient space between the cutting edge and the holes for the tuners to maintain sta‐
bility. The tuners' retaining rings should be used as a reference here.
After cutting, smooth the cutting edge with sandpaper or a suitable le.
4.2 Painting the body and neck
The solid wood of the bass guitar body is sealed and prepared for various types of
lacquer coating. A wide variety of nishes can be procured from DIY, timber and
automotive outlets in aerosol cans making nishing straightforward without
requiring specialist skills.
The rst step is to check the t of the body to neck joint. These parts are machined
from high-grade tone woods to ensure optimum alignment. However, wood is a nat‐
ural material that changes its shape slightly over time. If the neck is too tight in the
cutout on the body, you can rework the t with a sharp chisel or sandpaper. Please
keep in mind that the coating of lacquer will make the neck t a little more tightly
into the cutout.
Before coating the body, ensure that all surfaces are clean and free of dirt and dust.
Carry out all painting work in a well-ventilated, dust-free environment. Considered
and careful working is the key factor for ensuring a satisfactory result. It is highly rec‐
ommended that you rst try out the colour and technique on a dierent piece of
wood.
Paint the body edges rst and let them dry. If the edges are dry, continue with the
front and back. Through layered, successive application you can achieve a uniform
coating structure. If you notice surface irregularities, wait until the paint has dried
completely. Correct them with ne sandpaper (e.g. 800+) before you continue
painting. Apply three or more layers for full coverage.
Hang the painted body to dry in a dry, dust-free and preferably sunlight-protected
area using a wire or hook in the recess for the bass guitar neck.
Wait another two to three days until the paint is fully cured. Polish or burnish the
body until it meets your expectations. Take care not to bu too vigorously as this
may remove the nish.
Useful tools and materials
Painting the body
Assembly instructions
8Bass Guitar Kit P-Style
Electric Bass Kit

The bass guitar neck is sealed with a thin layer of matt lacquer before delivery and is
ready to use. If you still want to treat the neck with coloured or clear lacquer, proceed
as described below.
Carefully mask o the ngerboard and all frets before painting. Make sure that all sur‐
faces are free of dust and dirt. Carry out all painting work in a well-ventilated, dust-
free environment.
For the neck, use a clear or slightly tinted wood paint of good quality. Start on the
front and at the edges of the headstock. Apply a thin layer evenly, let it dry and
repeat the process two or three times. If you notice surface irregularities, wait until
the paint has dried completely. Correct them with ne sandpaper (e.g. 800+) before
you continue painting.
Once the headstock has dried, place the neck on the ngerboard and paint the back
of the neck as described.
Wait another two to three days until the paint is fully cured. Polish or burnish the
neck until it meets your expectations. Take care not to bu too vigorously as this may
remove the nish.
4.3 Mounting the tuners
From the front side of the headstock, insert the four sleeves for the tuners into the
holes provided.
Painting the neck
Assembly instructions
Bass Guitar Kit P-Style 9
Electric Bass Kit

From the rear side of the headstock, insert the tuners into the holes provided. Align
the tuners so that the tuning pins are vertical to the upper edge of the headstock.
As illustrated, fasten the tuners in this position with the screws provided.
4.4 Mounting the string retainer
Screw the string retainer to the front of the headstock in the holes provided next to
the tuners.
Ensure the string retainer can still move freely. It will be secured by the tension of the
strings.
Assembly instructions
10 Bass Guitar Kit P-Style
Electric Bass Kit

4.5 Mounting the bass guitar neck
Place the body on a suitable working surface. Use a soft pad in order to avoid
damage to the surface. Insert the neck into the neck cutout. If necessary, use a sharp
chisel or sandpaper to adjust it. Be very careful when removing material. The neck
should be rmly seated and under no circumstances should there be too much play
in the cutout!
Turn the bass guitar over and position the neck plate over the four screw holes at the
rear of the body, then screw the four wood screws provided through the neck plate,
body and pilot holes in the neck until everything ts tightly.
Assembly instructions
Bass Guitar Kit P-Style 11
Electric Bass Kit

4.6 Wiring the potentiometers, pickups and switches
The pickups, potentiometers and jack socket are wired using connectors.
Push a spring onto each of the screws on the pickups.
Screw the pickups into the recess in the bass guitar body using the supplied screws.
Assembly instructions
12 Bass Guitar Kit P-Style
Electric Bass Kit

Run the cable for earthing the strings (stripped, without connectors) through the
channel in the recess for the potentiometers and into the hole on the front.
Pull the cable out of the hole far enough to ensure sucient contact with the met‐
allic surface when the bridge is installed. Earthing the strings reduces noise (hum‐
ming).
Assembly instructions
Bass Guitar Kit P-Style 13
Electric Bass Kit

Connect the connector to the connector for the potentiometers and output jack
which is mounted on the pickguard.
4.7 Mounting the pickguard
First, adjust the width of the cutout for the bass guitar neck on the pickguard with a
needle le and/or sandpaper. Then position the pickguard over the front of the body
so that the pickups and all the wires are seated in the correct recesses. Screw the
pickguard onto the body using the screws provided as shown in the picture below.
Assembly instructions
14 Bass Guitar Kit P-Style
Electric Bass Kit

4.8 Mounting the bridge
Place the body on a suitable working surface. Use a soft pad in order to avoid
damage to the surface.
Ensure the bridge is aligned with the pre-drilled screw holes. Attach the bridge using
the supplied screws.
Assembly instructions
Bass Guitar Kit P-Style 15
Electric Bass Kit

4.9 Mounting the strap buttons
Screw the strap buttons into the pre-drilled holes in the body as shown.
Assembly instructions
16 Bass Guitar Kit P-Style
Electric Bass Kit

4.10 Strings, neck relief, string height and pickups
The strings are threaded from the bridge towards the neck over the corresponding
saddle. Wrap the string end around the tuner several times and pull each string
hand-tight at rst. Be sure that each string is in the correct position on the saddle and
in the correct string retainer.
Then tune each string in turn to the correct pitch. You can using a tuner or a pitch
pipe as a reference. Please note that the string tension will still drift and the bass
guitar will need to be retuned a few times before the strings are played in.
Stringing the bass guitar
Assembly instructions
Bass Guitar Kit P-Style 17
Electric Bass Kit

The neck is equipped with a steel truss rod that can be used to adjust the relief to
your preferences.
After tuning the strings, check the relief by pressing on the low E string at the rst
and twelfth fret. The closer the string is to the ngerboard at the sixth fret, the more
noise (buzz) will be audible when the bass guitar is played.
Adjust the neck relief using an appropriate Allen key as follows:
nTurn the truss bar clockwise to increase tension. The neck will become straighter,
even convex in extreme cases. The string will be closer to the ngerboard, is
easier to fret, but will buzz more during playing.
nTurn the truss bar counterclockwise to decrease tension. The neck will respond
more to the string tension and become correspondingly more concave. The
string will be farther from the ngerboard, be somewhat harder to fret, but will
cause less or no noise during playing.
Adjust the truss bar only by about a quarter turn per setting, then retune all the
strings to the correct pitch and check the neck relief again after a short time. Repeat
this process until the desired neck relief is reached.
Once the neck has the desired relief, you can use the screws for each saddle to adjust
the string position to suit your taste. Here, too, the lower the strings, the easier they
are to fret, but they will buzz more easily when the bass guitar is played.
Adjusting the neck relief
Adjusting the position of the strings
Assembly instructions
18 Bass Guitar Kit P-Style
Electric Bass Kit

After adjusting string position, you can check the octaves of the bass guitar and read‐
just if necessary. Tune all the strings to the correct pitch, gently touch the rst string
right above the twelfth fret and then pick the string. The harmonic you hear (at the
12th fret) must be the same pitch as the picked string at the 12th fret). If the pitch of
the two notes diers, adjust the saddle for this string back (tone too high) or forth
(tone too low) on the bridge. Listen carefully and adjust gently until the two notes
match. Alternatively, you can also adjust the octaves with a tuner. In this case, the
pitch of the tone at the 12th fret must be the same as the unfretted string, but one
octave higher.
The pickups should be set so that all the strings sound equally loud when played.
Adjust the height of the pickups by using the lateral adjustment screws and listening
to the sound. The minimum distance between each string and its pickup is two milli‐
metres. The greater the distance between the string and pickup, the quieter the
string will sound.
Adjusting the pickups
Assembly instructions
Bass Guitar Kit P-Style 19
Electric Bass Kit

5 Protecting the environment
For the transport and protective packaging, environmentally friendly materials have
been chosen that can be supplied to normal recycling.
Ensure that plastic bags, packaging, etc. are properly disposed of.
Do not just dispose of these materials with your normal household waste, but make
sure that they are collected for recycling. Please follow the notes and markings on
the packaging.
This product is subject to the European Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment
Directive (WEEE) in its currently valid version. Do not dispose with your normal
household waste.
Dispose of this device through an approved waste disposal rm or through your local
waste facility. When discarding the device, comply with the rules and regulations
that apply in your country. If in doubt, consult your local waste disposal facility.
Disposal of the packaging material
Disposal of your old device
Protecting the environment
20 Bass Guitar Kit P-Style
Electric Bass Kit