I'm currently plaing an MTD 535-24 as my main bass, and it's a keeper. I've been wanting to try other 535's with different wood combos too. I saw a few used 535's and BN5's for sale on ebay and other places. An F bass has been on my GAS list for a while, so what do you recommend? I've never played one but I dig the tone I heard on a few clips. For reference, I play gospel, funk, and R&B.
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MTD 535 vs F-Bass BN5
- Thread starter rick1906
- Start date
Peter Lufrano
Blues. and nothing but the Blues.
Hi,
My BN5 is my favorite playing bass these days. Try one and see what YOUR hands and ears think. That is what matters the most!
My BN5 is my favorite playing bass these days. Try one and see what YOUR hands and ears think. That is what matters the most!
What wood combination is your 535? I haven't tried many F basses, but as of now I can't say I'm a fan. My 535, on the other hand, has brought more smiles to my face than any other bass I've owned or tried.
Okay, that's basically the same combination I have (burl maple top instead of spalted). This combination is perfect for me, but I went ahead and ordered up an ash/walnut,ash/maple combination after hearing so many great things about that combo. With any bass it really is going to just depend on you. It doesn't matter what anyone else has to say (unless it is concerning build quality or customer support). The key is to try stuff out and see what is right for you.
IMO for gospel, funk and R&B an F bass BN5 or VF5 would be a great bass. My bias is that I have a BN5 and it's the finest instrument I have ever laid my hands on. I have had it for three years now and I am still floored by pretty much everything about it. But that's me...
If you can get your hands on one I definitely recommend that you play it. You may love it. Mine really shines when I am playing with a band. All my band mates have commented about it never being lost in the mix. Every note is heard, even the wrong ones!
There are more clips and totally biased opinions over at the Club F bass thread. C'mon in and visit.
Al
If you can get your hands on one I definitely recommend that you play it. You may love it. Mine really shines when I am playing with a band. All my band mates have commented about it never being lost in the mix. Every note is heard, even the wrong ones!
There are more clips and totally biased opinions over at the Club F bass thread. C'mon in and visit.
Al
Tom7
I'm so bright, my mom called me son! ;-)
Some clips that maybe you haven't yet heard:
Pappabrax BN5:
slap clip
finger style
finger style with strumming
Here is one of my favorite BN5 clips on youtube, showing how well it sits in a mix: Snarky Puppy plays live at Gezellig in 2008.
Thomas Haung doing Teen Town on a fretted BN5 with the bridge pickup favored (a la Jaco).
And speaking of Jaco, in case an Fbass VF5 may interest you instead:
Edmond Gilmore VF5 over Weather Report's Havana. BTW, on this clip, Edmond used Cubebass to mix out Jaco's bass, so you are mostly hearing his VF5.
Anyway, BN5s are fantastic for funk, gospel and R&B both in terms of tone, and look, and they have really nice playability. MTDs are certainly good too, but Fbass BN5s are the most most versatile basses I've played. It's not likely you'd regret giving one a go.
Coincidentally, my MTD 535-24 and my BN-5 are both buckeye burl tops on ash. They are quite different tonally. The MTD has that characteristic treble snap, kind of naturally mid-scooped. Great for slapping. The F Bass is mellower and somewhat more versatile. It's got a warmer, fuller tone than the MTD. The F Bass came with volume/volume/tone controls, to which I am not used, so I took it down to Top Gear and had Dan Altilio convert it to volume/blend/tone. Now I just love it to death.
I own an Fbass BN6 and have played a few BN5s, BN6s, and VF5s. I would highly, highly
recommend an Fbass. They are amazing!
Every time I pick it up I feel more lucky to have it. Try an Fbass before you decide.
recommend an Fbass. They are amazing!
Every time I pick it up I feel more lucky to have it. Try an Fbass before you decide.
My two main playing basses are a 535 and a BN5. In the continuum of basses between vintage and modern, a 535 is pretty far to the modern end, while a BN5 is somewhat toward the vintage end. This is mainly a function of the pickups and electronics.
The 535 has a clarity and pureness of tone that dominates the sound to me. Keep in mind my bass is solid myrtle burl and wenge/wenge, so it is not a typical 535. I believe most 535s have a little bit more grind/snarl/compression, whatever you want to call it, but the Barts and the preamp are certainly designed to give a clear, bright, snappy, kind of solid state sounding tone. The wood changes the subtleties of that tone. I find that the EQ changes the fundamental character of the bass, but also I find that you can't go too far on the boost side without things getting a little squirrely. Cutting EQ is effective (and almost a must for treble with brand new strings), but I mainly boost only the bass EQ a little to get more bottom as needed.
The BN5 has what I would describe as a warm, rounded tone. Not quite fuzz but a bit of color. The preamp comes across as very clean in terms of noise and transparency of the pickup sound, but there is a warmth to the sound coming out of the bass that suggests a warm tube amp. Compared to a typical JJ configuration (Fender or a number of derivatives), the bass is a bit polite, not quite as rough or snappy, but with EQ you can dial quite a bit more personality into the sound. The preamp beats the 535 preamp in spades. It takes a bit to come to grips with the Vol-Vol configuration, but the quality of tones and usability of the EQ is remarkable. It is truly a player's bass in terms of having 3-band active EQ and passive tone knob, the ability to switch to humbucker mode (which I would only do if RF noise were a problem in a room), and the ability to toggle active/passive, where passive works even with dead batteries. (The 535 is no go without batteries.)
Other key considerations include 1) 35" scale for the 535 vs. 34.5" for the BN5, 2) neck contour, with both narrower than most 5-strings at the nut, neither particularly thin or chunky in terms of depth, but with the 535 a little flatter and asymmetric compared to the BN5 (a little rounder), 3) the way the basses hang is quite different, with the 535 the most comfortable fitting bass I've played (great back contour to fit around your torso) and the BN5 designed to minimize the reach to the nut (neck built more into the body, 4) finishes - I think most 535s look better than most BN5s, but either can be had with exquisite tops, and finally 5) price - you can get into a basic BN5 cheaper than a basic 535, but the options on a BN5 drive the price as high or higher.
Hope this is all helpful info. You can't go wrong with either. On the other hand, if I were in a metal or hard rock band, I don't think either of these would be at the top of my list. These cover just about all the other bases very well. Fit and finish on both are spectacular, and both are easy to set up very well. My 535 feels a little more handmade than my BN5 (probably due to the wenge and the asymmetric neck) and is slightly better intonated from top to bottom, as close to flawless as a bass can be. My BN5 feels perfect up and down the neck and is similar to a Sadowsky feel in that the design is essentially "perfected jazz bass."
The 535 has a clarity and pureness of tone that dominates the sound to me. Keep in mind my bass is solid myrtle burl and wenge/wenge, so it is not a typical 535. I believe most 535s have a little bit more grind/snarl/compression, whatever you want to call it, but the Barts and the preamp are certainly designed to give a clear, bright, snappy, kind of solid state sounding tone. The wood changes the subtleties of that tone. I find that the EQ changes the fundamental character of the bass, but also I find that you can't go too far on the boost side without things getting a little squirrely. Cutting EQ is effective (and almost a must for treble with brand new strings), but I mainly boost only the bass EQ a little to get more bottom as needed.
The BN5 has what I would describe as a warm, rounded tone. Not quite fuzz but a bit of color. The preamp comes across as very clean in terms of noise and transparency of the pickup sound, but there is a warmth to the sound coming out of the bass that suggests a warm tube amp. Compared to a typical JJ configuration (Fender or a number of derivatives), the bass is a bit polite, not quite as rough or snappy, but with EQ you can dial quite a bit more personality into the sound. The preamp beats the 535 preamp in spades. It takes a bit to come to grips with the Vol-Vol configuration, but the quality of tones and usability of the EQ is remarkable. It is truly a player's bass in terms of having 3-band active EQ and passive tone knob, the ability to switch to humbucker mode (which I would only do if RF noise were a problem in a room), and the ability to toggle active/passive, where passive works even with dead batteries. (The 535 is no go without batteries.)
Other key considerations include 1) 35" scale for the 535 vs. 34.5" for the BN5, 2) neck contour, with both narrower than most 5-strings at the nut, neither particularly thin or chunky in terms of depth, but with the 535 a little flatter and asymmetric compared to the BN5 (a little rounder), 3) the way the basses hang is quite different, with the 535 the most comfortable fitting bass I've played (great back contour to fit around your torso) and the BN5 designed to minimize the reach to the nut (neck built more into the body, 4) finishes - I think most 535s look better than most BN5s, but either can be had with exquisite tops, and finally 5) price - you can get into a basic BN5 cheaper than a basic 535, but the options on a BN5 drive the price as high or higher.
Hope this is all helpful info. You can't go wrong with either. On the other hand, if I were in a metal or hard rock band, I don't think either of these would be at the top of my list. These cover just about all the other bases very well. Fit and finish on both are spectacular, and both are easy to set up very well. My 535 feels a little more handmade than my BN5 (probably due to the wenge and the asymmetric neck) and is slightly better intonated from top to bottom, as close to flawless as a bass can be. My BN5 feels perfect up and down the neck and is similar to a Sadowsky feel in that the design is essentially "perfected jazz bass."
Tom7
I'm so bright, my mom called me son! ;-)
Wow, pocket... GREAT post!
Granted I'm not as familiar with 535s, but as you said, BN5s can definitely look nice as well...
[Invalid or Expired Link Removed]
Granted I'm not as familiar with 535s, but as you said, BN5s can definitely look nice as well...
[Invalid or Expired Link Removed]
I find the BN5 a bit warmer and closer to the traditional bass tone than the MTD.
Listen to this BN5 in action:
Fingerstyle around 4:30"
Listen to this BN5 in action:
Fingerstyle around 4:30"
Tom7
I'm so bright, my mom called me son! ;-)
One of my favorite Fbass clips on youtube for sure, I have both of David Hughes albums and they are WAY worth getting... but it is a BN6.
Still, it gives people a great idea what the Fbass BN serious sounds like, doesn't it?
Dude, that's what I ordered from Mike. Should be here around Jan or Feb.
Tom7
I'm so bright, my mom called me son! ;-)
I think he is looking at a BN5 though, so I'm not sure if searching BN6es will be as informative as searching for BN5 clips.
There are a few threads on TB that are mainly photos of MTD basses. I swore off ever looking at those threads again because they are bad for my budget, marriage, and general well being. The variety of amazing tops, colors, and woods on MTD basses is a feast for the eyes. That they play well is in some ways a bonus.
Start here:
http://www.talkbass.com/forum/showthread.php?t=364518
Start here:
http://www.talkbass.com/forum/showthread.php?t=364518
Tom7
I'm so bright, my mom called me son! ;-)
- Apr 3, 2003
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I'll have to update that photo when I get my latest 535 (Mike and I are finalizing the final pieces). I sold the myrtle-top 535, and I traded the non-Marilyn redwood-top 535 for a killer ash/walnut/maple/maple 535.
Pocketmonster, that was a phenomenal 535 vs BN5 comparison! I strongly agree with most of what you said. I differ only in the regard that I do think that you can rock out with either of these, especially MTD. Most of my gigging is in a classic to modern to hard rock band, and played fingerstyle over the neck pickup, I get some killer rock tones (IME/IMHO, and YMMV, of course). My ash/maple/wenge/wenge 435 and 535 are especially good at cranking out a clear and articulate, yet full and powerful rock tone. My BN5 can get pretty close with some EQ-ing (and I agree that the F bass EQ is one of the best in the business), and for some reason my BN4 seems even better suited to rock-n-roll than my BN5. But they are smoother than my MTD's for sure.
Again, Pocket, you really said it well!
Tom.
