Enjoy the benefits of a premium membership!
Upgrade Account
-
TalkBass has been independent since 1998. Add your voice.
Create a free account to reply to discussions, view embedded media, and browse with fewer display ads.
Join free Log in
Want zero display ads or expanded classifieds tools? Compare plans.
- Status
Haven't seen a fretless VF...I've been kicking around the idea of a VF-4, but, I'd have to get rid of my BNF5, and i'm not sure I could do that.
- Apr 29, 2003
- 9,077
- 9,796
- Disclosures
- Contributor- Bass Musician Magazine | Marketing Manager- Trickfish Amplification
just ran across this vid after a friend reccomended Snarky Puppy to me. Dude is killin on a BN5. And theres another bass player on stage with an Alleva!
Speaking of VF5s, I gigged my alder and rosewood VF5 for the first time yesterday.
I got a last minute call to sub for another bass player in his regular band who couldn't make the gig. The band played 70s covers and old country music, so I left my BN6 behind and brought the VF5 and my AC6, and played through the other guy's rig.
I don't think I understood my VF5 well until that gig. In my bandroom at home, I always thought of it as a Sadowsky like tone, but hearing it that night, especially through that Kustum rig, it was the most vintage sounding bass I had played since I started playing again. And I'm talking serious time warp, and I adjusted the rig to bring out that pants flapping, chest rattling, meat and potatoes but with PLENTY of character bass tone that provides the low foundation of the song is the reason we get called for gigs in the first place.
The way a bass sounds, its tone, always affects my choices as I play. Granted, in these particular songs there wasn't a lot of latitude anyway for variation, but hearing that strong, thick, vintage tone definitely altered my playing choices, and I tried to bring that character out even more with my hands.
At any rate, I got a LOT of compliments during breaks, and people coming up to ask me questions about my basses. A couple of guys in particular were bassists and were VERY interested in my basses for their tone and look. Of course, I didn't hold back letting them know how superior these Fbasses are to what they currently had, and hearing what they were hearing, they agreed.
The band, of course, noticed the difference too, and (I'm sure they were just being polite) said I should just replace their bassplayer full time.
A side note, the drummer was trying to pick up on my wife all night. She was totally creeped out by it; he kept trying even after he figured out she was my wife.
Aside from that, it was a great time, and I really think of my VF5 differently now. Thanks again, George and Donovan, for the GREAT bass.
I got a last minute call to sub for another bass player in his regular band who couldn't make the gig. The band played 70s covers and old country music, so I left my BN6 behind and brought the VF5 and my AC6, and played through the other guy's rig.
I don't think I understood my VF5 well until that gig. In my bandroom at home, I always thought of it as a Sadowsky like tone, but hearing it that night, especially through that Kustum rig, it was the most vintage sounding bass I had played since I started playing again. And I'm talking serious time warp, and I adjusted the rig to bring out that pants flapping, chest rattling, meat and potatoes but with PLENTY of character bass tone that provides the low foundation of the song is the reason we get called for gigs in the first place.
The way a bass sounds, its tone, always affects my choices as I play. Granted, in these particular songs there wasn't a lot of latitude anyway for variation, but hearing that strong, thick, vintage tone definitely altered my playing choices, and I tried to bring that character out even more with my hands.
At any rate, I got a LOT of compliments during breaks, and people coming up to ask me questions about my basses. A couple of guys in particular were bassists and were VERY interested in my basses for their tone and look. Of course, I didn't hold back letting them know how superior these Fbasses are to what they currently had, and hearing what they were hearing, they agreed.
The band, of course, noticed the difference too, and (I'm sure they were just being polite) said I should just replace their bassplayer full time.
A side note, the drummer was trying to pick up on my wife all night. She was totally creeped out by it; he kept trying even after he figured out she was my wife.
Aside from that, it was a great time, and I really think of my VF5 differently now. Thanks again, George and Donovan, for the GREAT bass.
THAT has risen to the top of my "Here, listen to this to see what a BN5 sounds like" videos. Thanks!
BTW, one of the things I really like about this video is how much the bass player playing the Coppolo seems to be enjoying the bassist playing the BN5. Cool stuff.
- Apr 29, 2003
- 9,077
- 9,796
- Disclosures
- Contributor- Bass Musician Magazine | Marketing Manager- Trickfish Amplification
Yeah, that vid is not helping my BN5 gas...... Come to think of it, its not helping my Alleva gas either!
Side note: Has anyone here tried DR Black Beauties on their F? I put a set on my BN6 and after some serious getting used to, I really like them.. The high C (and G to some extent) is not as taught as I would like it to be, but I really like the chewy midrange complexity of these strings on my BN6. Anyone else tried em? I know alot of folks don't really dig these, but they've been great for my applications.
Side note #2: just swapped out my aluminum B style for a brass A style.. Wow, what a difference! Can't say better or worse yet, but definitely a major shift in attack and sustain, it fattened it up pretty nicely.
Not at all. Then again, there are other gigs where I would have definitely missed my BN5.
What I'm saying is this bass was a perfect match for both the LOOK and the SOUND of the music this band played.
The BN5 would definitely have sounded great as well, but its modern look wouldn't have been as good of a visual fit as the VF5 for this gig I think. It would have stuck out.
BTW, I had the AC6 so I could do some songs that I wanted an upright acoustic sound for, a tone which this bass really can approximate in a very nice way.
How does everyone find the string spacing of th BN5, especially at the nut? I played a few and it seems a bit cramped down there.
I like the string spacing. I always like Jazz bass spacing at the nut and I find the BN5 to be Jazz-like comfortable for me both at the nut and bridge.
Wow, I just checked out the "available basses" on the F-Bass site. I gotta assume those are list prices? The price on the sunburst BN4 is breathtaking...didn't realize these basses are that expensive now.
the bn4's have custom pricing. i guess he maybe doesnt like building them. he does that with blocks and binding. "if you pay me this much money, i guess ill build it."
the bn4's have custom pricing. i guess he maybe doesnt like building them. i does that with blocks and binding. "if you pay me this much money, i guess ill build it."
It isn't just the BN4, that was kind of a shock, but it looks like new F-Basses on the site are starting at around $4800 (VF-5 included). I am not saying they're overpriced and more power to George, I don't care, I just didn't realize where they start and am curious if this is street or list. I guess the little world I live in where I think everything is 3k is not reality.
They sell enough BN4s to make the price fair, but I guess people will pay what people will pay in the end.
Those are list prices. The VF5s have custom paint which is like a $650 upcharge, list of course. Which again, I think is outrageous.
Those are list prices. The VF5s have custom paint which is like a $650 upcharge, list of course. Which again, I think is outrageous.
Yeah, those are list prices. Getting a new VF4/5, (or BN for that matter) for around 3k is definately a reality. Add a top or other options, and the price gets pretty "un-real" real quick.
That's about right (the 3k) which is very reasonable, but their upcharges are killers.
OK, cool.
It was kinda hard to tell from the site... I'm not critical of the prices one way or the other, I just felt like rip van winkle...woke up one day and everything is 30% pricier.
- Aug 25, 2001
- 1,260
- 0
- Disclosures
- Owner - FretSpot.com; Vice President - Springfield Music
Tom7: Glad you got to gig the VF5! I'm always a believer in that an instrument or amp will really prove it's value on the gig. The dynamics involved in an ensemble, and the tonal tapestry involved changes the environment completely versus a home audition...
And as others have said regarding the pricing for FBass - generally the price mentioned is retail. You can generally knock off 25% from there to get the "street" price.
And as others have said regarding the pricing for FBass - generally the price mentioned is retail. You can generally knock off 25% from there to get the "street" price.
- Status
