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Club Fbass (Part 4)

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#201
Tom7 said:
Yes, we are totally cool, but actually, I wasn't trying to call anyone out, but was just teasing the way I would my sons.

When I was your age the basses I pined for was an Alembic just like Stanley Clark, and a fretless Fender Jazz, just like (of course) Jaco.

It would be HARD to be a young bass player these days; so many truly distinct and yet great choices.
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But even harder to be one whos main influences are Victor, Tal, and Janek.. None of whom play nicely affordable basses!

How many 16 year olds blare Jazz in there car instead of Kanye? :D
 
#202
chris.gotfunk said:
Hey all. I am hoping to be a soon owner of an Fbass. Someone is chirping nicely in my ear about getting a VF5 and I really want a BN5. So, if I play my cards right with my financial advisor.... wife.... we just may make this happen and I can be a proud papa of two F's. :hyper:
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Let us know if there is anything we can do to help.

Here's a clip of some guy playing some VF5, and here's another one.

The sound quality in this clip of a VF5 isn't as good, but the playing quality is, well, a notch or two better. :smug:

And here's a great BN5 slap clip.

Speaking as a guy who has both a VF5 and a BN5, I can tell you (and her) that there are real advantages to having both.

First, tonally they are not the same. The tones are great, truly, but there is a significant enough difference to make having each very nice for covering basses.

Second, I love that the knob controls and the preamp are the same. This is really nice as you go from bass to bass; you don't have to make mistakes or hesitate as you tweak trying to remember, "What does what on this bass again?"

Third, it's nice to have the tuning pegs the same as well. It's a small thing, but even now as I switch from bass to bass (non Fbasses), I can occasionally grab and turn the wrong peg. The standardization from having so many basses the same (I have an AC6, BN5, BN5 and a VF5) makes switching between basses as smooth as it can be, while getting a different look and sound with each change.
 
#203
J. Crawford said:
But even harder to be one whos main influences are Victor, Tal, and Janek.. None of whom play nicely affordable basses!

How many 16 year olds blare Jazz in there car instead of Kanye? :D
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Wow, good point.

In my day there were great choices, but much fewer I'd guess.

There were fewer television stations, much fewer radio stations (in Sitka, Alaska where I grew up, we had just two and both were A.M.), and while there were plenty of musicians around to influence us, many of the most influential played a Fender Jazz (Jaco Pastorious, Marcus Miller, Verdine White, Geddy Lee, Timothy B. Schmidt, Paul Jackson, etc.)
 
#204
Wow, thanks for the advice and taking the time to find those clips for me. I really appreciate it. I really would like to get one of each. I would like to do the VF5 in alder with rosewood, then the BN5 in ash and maple. This way, I have two total different tones covered. But, the Fretspot has a really killer looking VF5 in ash/maple that is calling my name. I think it would be redundant to have a VF5 and BN5 in both ash/maple. Ohhh, what to do what to do????:confused:

Tom7 said:
Let us know if there is anything we can do to help.

Here's a clip of some guy playing some VF5, and here's another one.

The sound quality in this clip of a VF5 isn't as good, but the playing quality is, well, a notch or two better. :smug:

And here's a great BN5 slap clip.

Speaking as a guy who has both a VF5 and a BN5, I can tell you (and her) that there are real advantages to having both.

First, tonally they are not the same. The tones are great, truly, but there is a significant enough difference to make having each very nice for covering basses.

Second, I love that the knob controls and the preamp are the same. This is really nice as you go from bass to bass; you don't have to make mistakes or hesitate as you tweak trying to remember, "What does what on this bass again?"

Third, it's nice to have the tuning pegs the same as well. It's a small thing, but even now as I switch from bass to bass (non Fbasses), I can occasionally grab and turn the wrong peg. The standardization from having so many basses the same (I have an AC6, BN5, BN5 and a VF5) makes switching between basses as smooth as it can be, while getting a different look and sound with each change.
Click to expand...
 
#205
Here are a couple pics of my incoming BN5... I should have it Thursday or Friday. It's been around TB so y'all might recognize it.
Apparently it's fairly worn from years on the road and the finish has checking all over... But I actually think it might be cool since the ceruse finish looks distressed anyway... Like a boutique relic thing... We'll see how she looks in person.

fbass-3.jpg
fbass-5.gif

*Pics are from the original sale thread back in Dec. 08 by TB'er BassDepot, I examined closely and this should be the exact bass I'm getting.
 
#206
chris.gotfunk said:
I would like to do the VF5 in alder with rosewood, then the BN5 in ash and maple. This way, I have two total different tones covered. But, the Fretspot has a really killer looking VF5 in ash/maple that is calling my name. I think it would be redundant to have a VF5 and BN5 in both ash/maple.
Click to expand...

First of all, it's impossible to have too many F Basses thus making them redundant. The only thing that would be redundant in owning several F Basses would be any OTHER bass in your collection. :D

2nd, the tonal difference in the design of the BN and VF series is probably more significant than the wood choices (where's KJung on this to back me up? :)
 
#207
Congrats on the bass. I love that ceruse finish!!! That thing is beast!!!

YCBass said:
Here are a couple pics of my incoming BN5... I should have it Thursday or Friday. It's been around TB so y'all might recognize it.
Apparently it's fairly worn from years on the road and the finish has checking all over... But I actually think it might be cool since the ceruse finish looks distressed anyway... Like a boutique relic thing... We'll see how she looks in person.

fbass-3.jpg
fbass-5.gif

*Pics are from the original sale thread back in Dec. 08 by TB'er BassDepot, I examined closely and this should be the exact bass I'm getting.
Click to expand...
 
#208
chris.gotfunk said:
... I really would like to get one of each. I would like to do the VF5 in alder with rosewood, then the BN5 in ash and maple. This way, I have two total different tones covered. But, the Fretspot has a really killer looking VF5 in ash/maple that is calling my name. I think it would be redundant to have a VF5 and BN5 in both ash/maple. Ohhh, what to do what to do????:confused:
Click to expand...
I think you are doing the right thing in wanting "two totally different tones covered," but in the Fbass world, that might not be as black and white as having one bass alder+rosewood and the other ash+maple.

It isn't just a matter of woods; the third component of those vibes is pickup placement. The alder+rosewood combination usually has their pickups in the "60s position," and the ash+maple combination usually has their pickups in the "70s position." The pickup placement definitely contributes to the sonic soup of those basses.

As you know, BN5s are 34.5 inches in scale. Because they are not the same length as a 60s or a 70s Jazz bass, then strictly speaking there is no "70s position" or "60s position" for BN5s. However, the pickup placement for BN5s is RELATIVELY the 60s position, even though they are ash and maple. Many believe the uncommon pickup placement with that scale length and wood combination is a key ingredient to the "secret sauce" that makes BN5s such stand out basses in terms of tone.

==> Which is a long winded way of saying that due to pickup placement, an ash and maple BN5 would not necessarily be the sonic Yin to an alder and rosewood VF5, because both basses have their pickups (relatively) in the 60s position.

I should do more to help by recording my ash and maple BN5 and rosewood and alder VF5 for you to see, but my TC Electronic audio interface has gone toe up, so I can't do a good job of it, and I don't have a lot of time either for that matter.

So, for want of a better clip, [Invalid or Expired Link Removed]. After I did it, I regretted it because this quick and dirty (and cheap) clip doesn't do the bass justice, but, well, it's what I have on hand.

For a BN5 sample, below is a clip that Dave Hughes has on his website. By the way, every Fbass guy should have Dave's two albums, they are great, including the fretless work he has on them. Anyway, [Invalid or Expired Link Removed].

It's a horrible way to compare because they were not recorded at all the same, but still you can tell that tonally, they are quite different.

But not as different as they would be if the ash and maple BN5 had its pickups in the 70s position like the VF5 you are considering.

[Invalid or Expired Link Removed] I made just after I got my VF5. I chose a Marcus riff on purpose because everyone knows that bass and so it would help serve as a reference point. In one ear is a slap riff, in the other ear is a finger style riff, so you can use your balance to more closely check out one or the other tone. Sample #2 is an ash and maple BN5, and sample #3 is an alder and rosewood VF5. They are different for sure, but not night and day.

All that said though, (and that was a lot to say), if I had it to do all over again, I would definitely still get an ash and maple BN5 and a alder and rosewood VF5 again... and then perhaps get an ash and maple VF5 at some point in the future, what is what I've been considering.

There is something about the alder and rosewood VF5s...

Nathan East, known for his excellent tone as well as playing, makes a comment at the end of this clip on how great the VF5 sounds. "It's a beautiful sound!" he says. It caught his attention, and it catches attention of band mates and everyone else every time I bring them out.

By all means consider and buy an ash and maple VF5, like I said, I plan on it someday, but don't miss out on getting an alder and rosewood too. :bassist:
 
#209
Wow! Thank you! That is some really good reference info. I am sold on the ash/maple VF5. I just spoke with my financial advisor and got approval to go ahead and snag it. So, I am pretty stoked... :hyper:

For some reason, especially based on your review I still think I will also order a BN5 in ash/maple as well. I love the humbucking/coil tap option. Not to mention the great matching pickup and control cavity covers that just make these basses so elegant and sophisticated. The only thing I am trying to decide on would be what color. I really like the brown burst, but I would LOVE to have an all white (albeit a trans white) bass. I play in a funk/hiphop cover band and the all white thing would be soo nasty.

Thanks again and I hope to have some pics of the VF5 for you soon. I have to wait a couple of weeks to send payment, but it will happen.
 
#211
Tom7 said:
Nice. Are you getting the black VF5? Or the "naked" one?
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I am going with the....... naked :eek: one! That white pearloid over ash body just looks damn sexy! I am hoping the "naked" will actually work on girls at my shows...... okay. Maybe not. But I can wish right? :D

Donovan has been great to me. I have been asking a lot of questions and he responds very quick. I look forward to ordering my BN5 with him as well. But, the BN5 won't be for at least a few more months. I will need to gather more funds once I get this one. The good news is that I should be covering for my friend in his band which will net me $200/gig. So, if I can cover about 3-4 gigs, that will be a good start. Plus, it will give me time to make my final decision about the specs.
 
#217
YCBass said:
Missed the FedEx truck today, grrrr!!!! And they said the station closes to the public before the driver gets back so I can't come get it and have to wait til tomorrow... Man this sucks!
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Oh wow I hate that.

They really need to rethink that part of their business, you know that? I mean, does it make ANY SENSE at all to design and build a multimillion (billion?) dollar infrastructure to get you parcels quickly, only to have you cooling your jets due to their 19th century office hours?

I've had a lot of problems in the past with that very thing, and I would think that the courier that solves this first and best would have an edge over the other guys, you know? And like when web tracking came on and they all flocked to it, when one improves missed parcel pickup, the others will have to follow suit.
 
#219
Tom7 said:
Donovan's made another great youtube clip guys. Check it out.

His purpose for the clip is to demonstrate 3 portable amp heads: the Genz Benz Shuttle 6.0, the Ibanez Promeathan and the TC Electronic RH450...
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I just have one strong criticism on this shootout. It looks like he's using a lot of EQ on each one. Seems to me that's about the worst way to really compare the amps. I'd think it'd be way more effective to FIRST play them all "flat" (no boost or cut on any EQ of any kind) and THEN go and push sliders and spin knobs for a "my favorite settings" comparison kinda' thing.

That said, I do like the rest of his methodology tho... get them all set up and ready to go so all you do is move the cable from one to another so the previous sound is still fresh in your mind when you hear the next. Kudos on that.
 
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