Head to head
ESP B-204DX Black Burst vs Harley Benton MV-4JB Plus BassTheWorld
The verdict
The ESP B-204DX Black Burst comes out ahead overall — 80 to 62 on our estimated score.
Estimated from specs & owner reviews — a starting point, not a substitute for playing both.
ESP B-204DX Black Burst wins on
- Better build (87 vs 58)
- Better playability (81 vs 70)
- Better sound (68 vs 60)
- Better value (83 vs 60)
- Lower price ($549 vs $871)
Harley Benton MV-4JB Plus BassTheWorld wins on
No standout advantage.
Scorecard
| Metric | B-204DX Black Burst | MV-4JB Plus BassTheWorld |
|---|---|---|
| Overall | 80 | 62 |
| Build | 87 | 58 |
| Playability | 81 | 70 |
| Sound | 68 | 60 |
| Value | 83 | 60 |
Full specifications
| Spec | B-204DX Black Burst | MV-4JB Plus BassTheWorld |
|---|---|---|
| Brand | ESP | Harley Benton |
| Type | Bass | Bass |
| Years | — | — |
| Country | JP | — |
| Body wood | Poplar | American alder |
| Neck wood | Roasted Maple | Caramelised Canadian flamed hard rock maple with roseacer skunk stripe |
| Fretboard | Rosewood | Rosewood |
| Strings | 4 | 4 |
| Frets | 24 | — |
| Scale | 34" | 34" |
| Pickups | ESP SB-4N / ESP SB-4B | 2 hand-wound Kloppmann JB-61 Alnico 5 single coils (middle and bridge) |
| Rating | — | — |
| Price | $549 | $871 |
| Bridge | LTD DB-4 | — |
| Bridge pickup | ESP SB-4B | — |
| Case | B BASS FORM FIT CASE | — |
| Case Included | N | — |
| Construction | Bolt-On | — |
| Controls | Volume/Balance/Bass/Treble | — |
| Finish | Black Burst | Burgundy Mist |
| Fretboard radius | 400mm | 305 mm (12") |
| Hardware | Black | — |
| Neck pickup | ESP SB-4N | — |
| Neck profile | Thin U | Modern soft D - thickness at 1st fret: 21 mm, at 12th fret: 23 mm |
| Nut | Molded | — |
| Nut width | 40mm | 38 mm (1.49") |
| Scale length | 34" | 864 mm (34") |
| Strap Button | Standard | — |
| Tuners | LTD | — |
| Gotoh Gb11w 4 Machine Heads With 20 | — | 1 gear ratio |
| String Spacing | — | 19 mm |