- Fretless
- Y
EDIT 2/20/23: Back on the market again. Having a tough time letting this one go, but it's time.
EDIT: I pulled it from sale early in the year, but it's back on the market (again). Sadly my gigs call for a more mid-forward modern sound than this bass produces, and I can't justify keeping it for practice. Price dropped again, too.
Gorgeous, good shape mid-90s BNF5 -- the most "organic" and "woody"-feeling, playing, and sounding bass that I've ever owned. Black/Turquoise Ceruse, with ebony bridge with piezo under-bridge pickup (see my additional commentary below), and also regular Fbass pickups with active preamp. Strung B-G with exposed-core Fbass-brand strings. 19mm string spacing. Obligatory weight measurement: 9lb 8oz (I don't like heavy basses, but this one wears lighter than the stat would suggest).
From George Furlanetto:
George Furlanetto said:
The ebony fingerboard has a small amount of wear. Sits on a strap and balances so very well, and the long upper horn allows easier access to the first few frets than ANYTHING I've ever played. Satin finish on the back of the neck. With the combination of pickup types and the 3-band active EQ, there are a wide variety of tones available, from somewhat-burpy J-bass to warm upright, though I'd say that vintage-type tones are more readily coaxed than is modern "deep-sizzle" or "mid-forward bark." Good mwah, sustain and "note swell." And again, it is a 34" scale, though it actually feels smaller yet to me (I also have a 34.5" fretless FBass, and the difference between the two seems more substantial than half-an-inch).
It's been played, and it shows. There are a few chips in the finish at the top of the headstock, and a few small dings in the body (one at the edge of the bridge pickup, and one along the edge of the body) which are photographed in the pictures below. The finish is a bit swirled, but not scratched. There is some light chipping of the finish along the edges of the pickup covers, and a small finish chip at the edge of the nut on the B-string side of the neck. There is also a crack in one of the wood knobs, though it does not affect its function. I've tried to photograph everything that someone might want to know about so that there are no surprises, but I would be happy to take additional photos or answer specific questions by request.
I've only owned this bass for about six months (EDIT: it's coming up on two years) and thought that I could fit it in well with the loud rock-with-horns band that I'm in, but it's not working the way that I thought it would, and I have other fretless basses that "speak" better in a cluttered mix. I do love to play this bass, though, and it will be enormously missed.
Bass plays well and is setup for medium action. Recent string change with Fbass exposed-core strings. Includes functional-but-tired gig bag. Priced to move.
Note regarding the piezos: This bass did not originally ship with a piezo; someone added it at some point. I was confused by Low Class's comment at first, but having found out more about FBass piezos it makes more sense.
Here is the thread from when I purchased it:
Fbass BNF 5 Mid 90's with Ebony Bridge and Piezo
Price includes shipping east of the Mississippi.
