As you guys know, I cannot play right now, so I've been trying to decide if it would be worth it to send out my BN5 and VF5 to you so you can A/B them for a couple of weeks if you wanted.
The shipping both ways though... that would probably be in the neighborhood of $350 to $400... probably not practical.
Here's a photo of some of my Fbasses, my Alleva Coppolo Custom, and my Fodera Yin Yang:
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[Invalid or Expired Link Removed]. The bass samples follow the photo from left to right. Actually, the photo follows the bass samples, since I just took this photo this morning, but anyway...
In one ear is a familiar slap riff. I chose this Marcus riff so that it could easily be compared to that gold standard for tone. In the other ear is a finger style riff, so you could, if you wanted to, solo the finger style tone and cut out the slap to check out each bass.
Samples 2 and 3 would show you the BN5 and the VF5.
Some people describe the tone of the BN5 as "Marcus on champagne," inferring that it is smooth and tame.
That's not my experience with my BN5.
With noise canceling engaged, then yes, that is exactly how I would describe my BN5's tone. However with the bass in single coil mode, I find its character more aggressive.
The VF5 doesn't have a noise canceling, humbucking mode. It is always single coil.
I am surprised, but I can notice the slight difference in scale length, the BN5 being a half inch longer, but I pretty much only notice it when I have just switched between the two. Seconds after playing, that perception vanishes.
Both basses are cut a bit different from Sadowsky / Alleva Coppolo / Fender bodies, and as a result, fret access is much nicer, as is the balance on the strap.
I find my BN5 is more versatile, tonally speaking, but my VF5 goes where my BN5 can't. I like having both.
The wider pickups of the BN5 make it so I can get away with playing it without a finger ramp. I have half of a finger ramp on my VF5 (George is completing the part between the bridge and the bridge pickup still).
I know this is a bit dumb, but I am comforted by the presence of a pick guard on the VF5. I know that in time, I will scratch up the finish near my G string on my BN5, and have considered stringing it EADGC instead of BEADG to help stave off that dreaded day.
Let's see, can I think of anything else to tell you about the two?
Without a doubt, the VF5 has a more vintage, Fender tone, more so than I understood until recently when I played it through someone else's rig. The BN5 goes there (70s), but does have a bit more modern of a voice.
The tastiest BN5 work I have on CDs is by David Hughes, who often plays bass for Dave Benoit. Get Dave Hughes' two CDs, and you won't sleep until you own a BN5.
Then again, the VF5 is the current buzz bass, winning a few awards from the likes of Bass Gear Magazine, and a lot of very high profile bass players such as Hadrien Feraud and Dominique DiPiazza are being seeing playing VF5s now.
Both are good choices for sure.
