Club Fbass (Part 4)

[Tom7]

Originally Posted by mstott25

Wow, my kids would love to live there! That is awesome.

[Laughing!]One day, while the family was bringing groceries into the house, doors were left open and a black bear wandered into the house. My wife opened a door and the bear stood up to avoid being hit by it and they were staring at each other face to face for a few seconds before she gathered up enough wits to step back and shut the door.

While everyone waited for the bear to leave the way it came, my sons went upstairs, out the window and on to the roof to take photos as it left the house.

Another tried camcording it, but accidentally put the camcorder in night mode, so it came out all green.

[Tom7]

New page! Time for a photo and a video clip or two!

Here's Greg playing his BN6.

I don't think I know this guy, but I do admire his bass!

[Tom7]

Speaking of sharing clips...

If George were to ever do a fretless electric upright that sounds just like an acoustic, THIS is the person I'd like to see him get to make it her signature bass. I can't get enough of this:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZNw46j0nNOs&feature=fvw

[felicidade1]

Hi guys! I'm own a BNF5 for the last 12 months and have loved the instrument to death. I have been running the bass in single coil mode exclusively because I always find the hum-canceling mode too thin to my ears (perhaps that's due to the fact that the single coils sound so good!). Can someone offer some great advice on how to use the hum-canceling mode?

Also, for fretless users- what are your favorite EQ settings? I recently started setting my EQs flat and using only the master tone control- it sounds fabulous.

[thndrstk6]

I've compared the EQ all the way up with the volume down and the EQ off with the
volume up. I found that the more preamp you use the thicker the tone gets. So if you
want a thicker sound turn the EQ up some and lower the tone knob to round off the sound
then boost the volume knobs a bit and you should have a thicker sound. That's my
experience any ways.

I set my EQ about half way up and the tone knob all the way up. I have the hum
canceling on and the pickups active. I also set my volume knobs about half way up too.
Sometimes I boost the highs a bit to cut through or I'll back off on the tone knobs to
get a more focused tone but that's about it.

BTW if you want a club number you have to show a picture of your Fbass. Even if you
don't want a club number it would be cool to see your BNF5. Thanks.

[puff father]

Originally Posted by Tom7

Speaking of sharing clips...

If George were to ever do a fretless electric upright that sounds just like an acoustic, THIS is the person I'd like to see him get to make it her signature bass. I can't get enough of this:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZNw46j0nNOs&feature=fvw

Amazing skills!

No slam on electric basses, especially F's but, IMO (of course) nothing sounds like an upright but an upright. Not really. They just have "it". Love it.

Al

[p0k]

Originally Posted by thndrstk6

I've compared the EQ all the way up with the volume down and the EQ off with the
volume up. I found that the more preamp you use the thicker the tone gets. So if you
want a thicker sound turn the EQ up some and lower the tone knob to round off the sound
then boost the volume knobs a bit and you should have a thicker sound. That's my
experience any ways.

I set my EQ about half way up and the tone knob all the way up. I have the hum
canceling on and the pickups active. I also set my volume knobs about half way up too.
Sometimes I boost the highs a bit to cut through or I'll back off on the tone knobs to
get a more focused tone but that's about it.

BTW if you want a club number you have to show a picture of your Fbass. Even if you
don't want a club number it would be cool to see your BNF5. Thanks.

Is there some reason you keep yoru volume knobs so low? I always thought you were supposed to keep them pretty high so that the maximum signal got passed through? is that only for passive basses?

[thndrstk6]

I've just found a sweet spot with my volumes half way. I find it's the same on all my
basses. All my basses are active. I recently found out that Steve Bailey does this too.
That's why he has the kill switch on his new bass, so he doesn't always have to find the
sweet spot every time he want's to start playing.

I notice that the tone of the bass is different if your basses volume is up and your
amp's is down compared to your bass's volume is down and your amp's is up. Also if
you need to boost or cut a little when playing live, you won't have to walk over to your
amp if your volume is half way up on your bass.

If the theory of there being less signal with the volumes down is true then I guess I like
the sound of my bass with less signal. Also if instruments were made to be played only
with the volumes on full then why do we even have volume knobs?

[p0k]

Originally Posted by thndrstk6

I've just found a sweet spot with my volumes half way. I find it's the same on all my
basses. All my basses are active. I recently found out that Steve Bailey does this too.
That's why he has the kill switch on his new bass, so he doesn't always have to find the
sweet spot every time he want's to start playing.

I notice that the tone of the bass is different if your basses volume is up and your
amp's is down compared to your bass's volume is down and your amp's is up. Also if
you need to boost or cut a little when playing live, you won't have to walk over to your
amp if your volume is half way up on your bass.

If the theory of there being less signal with the volumes down is true then I guess I like
the sound of my bass with less signal. Also if instruments were made to be played only
with the volumes on full then why do we even have volume knobs?

Good point I usually don't have mine up all the way...probably about 75% or so. I just had someone tell me that recently so I was curious what you guys thought. Also, I haven't had a bass with the Vol/Vol set up in a long time so I think something in my mind tells me I shoudl haev them cranked like a passive fender

[Tom7]

Originally Posted by felicidade1

Hi guys! I'm own a BNF5 for the last 12 months and have loved the instrument to death. I have been running the bass in single coil mode exclusively because I always find the hum-canceling mode too thin to my ears (perhaps that's due to the fact that the single coils sound so good!). Can someone offer some great advice on how to use the hum-canceling mode?

Also, for fretless users- what are your favorite EQ settings? I recently started setting my EQs flat and using only the master tone control- it sounds fabulous.

Post a photo so we can give you a number.

[Tom7]

Originally Posted by puff father

Amazing skills!

No slam on electric basses, especially F's but, IMO (of course) nothing sounds like an upright but an upright. Not really. They just have "it". Love it.

Al

I hear you, Al.

I've seen Esperanza play a fretless, oversized, acoustic bass guitar. In fact, it looked just like the one you see Alain Caron playing from time to time. When you can play an upright that well, why would you play a guitar style acoustic?

I'm thinking she isn't always up for transporting that upright and might like a better option if one were available, but who knows.

[felicidade1]

Alright then. Here's my BNF5.

And thanks Thndrstk6 for your interesting input. I never thought that it's alright to not have maximum volume on basses.

[thndrstk6]

Very nice BNF!

No problem. I use to think the same way. I'm finding more and more that it's
pretty common amongst players to play without full bass pre-amp volume.

[felicidade1]

Ok, I tried thndrstk6's suggestion- dialled up my EQ, lower my volume to 75% and cut back my Tone and wow- I now know what I've been missing. F Bass' preamp really shines through- I can hear that it's really working beautifully. My lows seems to be thicker on the BNF5 now.

Moreover, this allow my amp (Markbass LMII) to work harder since the gain and master are now set higher.

Best of all, hum-canceling mode doesn't sound bad at all.

Now, there are new sonic possibilities for me- and amazingly, the idea behind it is so simple!

Thank you! Thank you!

[thndrstk6]

Very cool!

I guess it's like having headroom in your bass's pre-amp. Basses or amps just sound
different (bad IMO) when they are turned up all the way. Of course if you have your bass
turned down you will need to compensate by turning up your amp so it's important to have
a fair amount of amp headroom too.

[thndrstk6]

Tom7, here you go:

[p0k]

Do you guys know where I can buy the black fender style knobs for my VF5? I thin I might like the look of my bass better if it had all black knobs.

[Bass Junkie]

2 weeks and counting!

[felicidade1]

Originally Posted by p0k

Do you guys know where I can buy the black fender style knobs for my VF5? I thin I might like the look of my bass better if it had all black knobs.

I actually requested to have all black knobs for my Ash/Maple VF5 that should be ready in 2 weeks time. I also like the look instead of the standard 3 black/3 chrome knobs config. Why don't you just contact F Bass directly? You'll have a perfect match.

[felicidade1]

Originally Posted by Bass Junkie

2 weeks and counting!

The wait is really painful- so near yet so far...