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Update: Sold the BN5, now to start thinking about details before I contact anyone to discuss a custom order. Thanks again for all the help.
yay! what a fun thing to do spec-ing a custom bass
please tell us how you going to go with your custom.
Just got pics back from Marcel about my custom BNF6'xer ("WALLACE")!!!!...this will be the first "ash" neck through bass!!!....This has all the makings of another masterpiece from George / Marcel and the staff at FBASS!!!!
So Stoked!!!
So Stoked!!!
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Beautiful man, good for you. If you are going BnF6 (and i believe i have the best of them all
I would consider addinf piezos to it, just a thought.... I will probably sending mine for an upgrade one day soonyay! what a fun thing to do spec-ing a custom bass
please tell us how you going to go with your custom.
Will do once I figure it out. I've been down this road before a couple of times so know the drill - just want to make sure before I even start the process.
Seriously, that is a beautiful top!
Hey guys,
So a few weeks ago I decided I wanted to try a different pre-amp with my VF5. I found that especially around the 5th fret of the E string that the bass was a bit muddy when recorded. So I switched out the pre-amp to a Sadowsky. My thought was that the F-Bass pre-amp was developed for the pickups found in the BN series. Also, I found the mid boost didnt really help the sound. The results have been quite pleasant. The bass has opened up. It's punchier and clearer. At some point, when the madness of school dies down, I will try to get some sound or video clips up.
So a few weeks ago I decided I wanted to try a different pre-amp with my VF5. I found that especially around the 5th fret of the E string that the bass was a bit muddy when recorded. So I switched out the pre-amp to a Sadowsky. My thought was that the F-Bass pre-amp was developed for the pickups found in the BN series. Also, I found the mid boost didnt really help the sound. The results have been quite pleasant. The bass has opened up. It's punchier and clearer. At some point, when the madness of school dies down, I will try to get some sound or video clips up.
Sort of related..?
I was recording some bass parts with my band the other day (eclectic Mr. Bungle-type silliness). For some tunes I had used my Nordstrand P/J active and VP5. We tried the VF5 for one song, and although it sounded amazing solo, the pitch definition seemed to get lost in the mix. We didn't have much time at that point, so I didn't experiment much with the controls. We ended up trying the blend somewhat to the neck pickup, with bass and treble controls boosted a bit. I was trying for an active P-bass kind of vibe. In the mix, it felt like the lows were too low, kind of below where you can really hear the pitch, more into the "feeling" the bass range. In the interest of saving time, we went back to the Nordy P/J, which filled out the low mids without the excessive extreme low end.
Now, this was the first time I have played the VF5 outside my practice room. On jazz-type basses I normally edge toward the bridge pickup and boost mids. That's how I play at home. This time I went with the "boost low and high" thing because so many people seem to like it. Maybe I should have gone with my instincts on that. But I have to say, I was disappointed that the bass didn't seem to cut through, since I would like to be able to use all the tones on the bass without getting lost in the mix. All equipment used was excellent, I believe I was going through a Neve channel and perhaps a high-end compressor.
I love the bass in my practice room, and plan to try it live etc. with a few different settings, but any advice would be helpful.
For the record, I owned a nyc Sadowsky, and never really got along with the "no mids" eq scheme. In that case also, the neck pickup just didn't seem to cut. Is it me???
Also, I feel the mid control on the VF5 really does add something, and doesn't get honky or boomy even when cranked.
The fingerboard is Guatemalan Rosewood!!!
The top and body is Walnut....hand picked by George!!!
Thanks guys for all the kind words...but I couldn't of done this without all the help from George and Marcel and the staff at FBASS!!!
Wildwest
I do love the piezo systems on the FBASS's ...but I have it on my AC6 already...I wanted this bass to be a little more low fi...aggressive, gritty with a lot of articulate depth, but still retain warmth!
I attached a pic of Odin (AC6) with Piezo's
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I know there are already several active conversations going on right now, but I was wondering if any of you guys have tried flats on your BN basses. If so, what were your thoughts.
Just put a set of Dr. Flats on? The tone is very mellow and warm with great lows. I'm don't slap so I'm not missing the strings noise that round produce. I'll be using flat on my BN5 for as long as I own it. I play in church and it fell right in with the drums and keybroad player.
Cool, thanks. I may give it a shot. Mine as the older split coil pickups and I wonder how close to the pbass tone I can get with flats and favoring the neck pickup.
Odin, of course, this is Thor's younger brother. Along with the AC6 i have a BNf6 and while I absolutely love the sound there are days that i miss a 10% of piezo sound into the mix, to bring a 'crystal' layer of sound above the infinite warmth the bass produces as it is. Think about it, just a suggestion. I wish you end as enchanted with your bnf6 as I was. I believe is the best instrument i have, ever had, will ever have.
That why I went with flats, I started on a Fender P with flats and my BN5 sound so so close. You'll like it.
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