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Not this one in particular but I have with two others. Also had the chance to demo both at the Fbass factory a bunch of times.
I’m assuming you’re trying to navigate the tonal difference?
BNs are 60s position and for the most part are built with Ash bodies or at least an Ash tone block. That has a specific tone. I think best paired with a Macassar ebony fretboard. The VFs offer a more vintage tone with the traditional Fender style pickups.
The Fbass preamp is extremely transparent with low noise.
My personal preference is the VF series over the BN. And I’ve owned BNs for a period of 12 years and have owned various BNs recently too. You really can’t go wrong with either but it’s all about what you want.
The single coil mode on a BN is wondrous!
But if you prefer to have no dual coil tone and prefer pure single coils or humcancelling split coil J pups, the VF is there for you. It’s really subjective.
Body styles are different too.
Totally appreciate the detailed comparison. Thats exactly what I was curious about. I’ve got a BN5 Standard and Deluxe. I’ve considered the VF models but I think I’m probably set for a while, but I do like knowing why someone has a preference.
Yep, save yourself the “rabbit hole” of figuring that out by letting go of what you have. You’ve got two great basses and if you enjoy them, keep ‘em!
I plugged the new BN5 into my DAW for the first time. I ran through a few simple songs with just drum loops accompanying. I used a Nordy Starlifter to go in the interface’s line-in and bypass the interface preamp (I’ve had some concerns with how colored it can be, particularly in the lows), and I ran out to my headphones. I found a few sweet spots depending on the sampled kit I was using. The waveforms looked nice and consistent/uniform as long as my playing wasn’t wobbly (which it can be). I tried the Starlifter voiced settings and I liked where the Vintage one got me with a little EQ.
Premium boutique bass plays and sounds great. In other news, the sky is blue and water is wet
Premium boutique bass plays and sounds great. In other news, the sky is blue and water is wet
Interesting F Bass listing on Reverb. I’m unfamiliar with this model and the listing has few details. It looks like it might be an early BN5. Anyone here familiar?
I might have a guess as to who the previous owner is based on the listing location and stickers on the headstock.
I might have a guess as to who the previous owner is based on the listing location and stickers on the headstock.
I got a reply from Marcel. The purple finish on mine is simply a purple fade. He mentioned this could’ve been done in an “ultra matte” which is less “satin” than the standard matte.
Yep, the 3-on-the-bass-side, 2-on-the-treble-side layout was changed in the late '90s iirc. Looks like a passive model, I don't know what the switch is for.
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My understanding per Marcel is that the amount of labor is too great for the payoff in tonal change:
"We feel similar compression and sustain can be had with the right bridge and wood combo. We’re finding it more and more difficult to justify the high cost and added lead-time of neck-through construction."
@Dave Hill
I got some time in with the BN5 Standard and Deluxe last night. Nothing too scientific, but I did plug each of them in and practiced along to some drum machine beats, even adding some mono synth sequences. I ran each bass direct into my Mackie Mix 8 and everything out through DT 770 Pro headphones.
The Deluxe had a wider variety of tones, and all were pretty useful and familiar. No surprise here since it has two pickups with the ability to run each of them as Single Coil or HB in parallel or HB in series, and the ability to mix/blend. However, the tones were a bit “plain” compared to the Standard. The Standard had some extra character and personality that made it more fun to play. There was more warmth and growl with the Standard. The Deluxe in single coil was nice but it wasn’t as nice, and boosting the treble when running only the bridge or neck as a single brought in some hiss I wasn’t hearing with the Standard.
This was just a quick and dirty assessment using only kick samples and bass. I was curious how they compared in a bare bones way. Both are lovely, and I have ideas for how I want to use each of them. But to answer the inevitable question- if I had to pick one - I might take the Standard over the Deluxe. It could just be the “new” factor, but it struck me as being more fun to play without really thinking about why.
I got some time in with the BN5 Standard and Deluxe last night. Nothing too scientific, but I did plug each of them in and practiced along to some drum machine beats, even adding some mono synth sequences. I ran each bass direct into my Mackie Mix 8 and everything out through DT 770 Pro headphones.
The Deluxe had a wider variety of tones, and all were pretty useful and familiar. No surprise here since it has two pickups with the ability to run each of them as Single Coil or HB in parallel or HB in series, and the ability to mix/blend. However, the tones were a bit “plain” compared to the Standard. The Standard had some extra character and personality that made it more fun to play. There was more warmth and growl with the Standard. The Deluxe in single coil was nice but it wasn’t as nice, and boosting the treble when running only the bridge or neck as a single brought in some hiss I wasn’t hearing with the Standard.
This was just a quick and dirty assessment using only kick samples and bass. I was curious how they compared in a bare bones way. Both are lovely, and I have ideas for how I want to use each of them. But to answer the inevitable question- if I had to pick one - I might take the Standard over the Deluxe. It could just be the “new” factor, but it struck me as being more fun to play without really thinking about why.
Late to the party, not sure why I didn’t see these posts sooner, will just blame it on the new TB and be done with it.
I’ve never had that “chorusing” effect with the F Bass strings, did have it on a Sadowsky E string that wasn’t tapered or exposed core, but only when played open, all the fretted notes were fine. I tried loosening and re-seating it in the nut/re-wrapping it on the post, and pushing down at the bridge saddle to make sure it was on there right, but no dice. I still have it, will eventually try it with another set (although Sadowsky singles are hard to get and I don’t want to waste a whole set).
I had a dead E string in an F Bass set right out of the packaging, could tell when I unwrapped it that it was floppy compared to the other string, was dull and lifeless when I got it on the bass. As usual, Marcel was quick to respond and sent a replacement right away (I also bought some more strings while I was at it, to make it worth shipping
).
Thanks for this. I’ve never tried a Deluxe, but I’ve tried other basses with similar pickup switching options.
I’m not surprised by you initial impressions, which are really formative. The standard ash/maple BN5 is, imho, one of the greatest basses ever. I feel that George perfected that design after a lot of trial and error with incremental changes. Everything that came later; fancy tops, the VF line, and the Deluxe package, were all “compromises” made for marketing and sales purposes.
To top it all off, for a long time, they were an absolute bargain for a hand-made instrument. A classic sound with modern design improvements and a sexy but not over the top aesthetic. If it were me…I’d dump the Deluxe so I didn’t even have to worry about not playing it in favor of the standard. Lol
Well. I do have an ebony board on my Standard and as much as I wanted a maple one I wasn’t going to wait for one when I saw the Puce Moose… or the Suave Mauve… or whatever you want to call the one I picked up
I doubt I’ll dump the Deluxe. It will get played and it does a few things the Standard can’t. I’m toying with converting one of them to EADGC tuning, or even piccolo. I’m currently leaning towards converting the Deluxe, but I suspect I might need to tweak the pickup height a bit. That’s an awful lot of magnets to be that close to skinny strings.
A vulgar display of power. My lighting could be better and the gloss vs matte finishes makes it tricky to get a good representation on my iPhone with an overhead light.
- Apr 3, 2003
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- Editor-in-Chief, Bass Gear Magazine
Just picked up a BN5FL… wow!!
It is strung with rounds now but I am considering replacing them with flats.
Any suggestions from BNFL owners out there as to what flats you would recommend and why?
Photos to come
It is strung with rounds now but I am considering replacing them with flats.
Any suggestions from BNFL owners out there as to what flats you would recommend and why?
Photos to come
I’ve already found a home for the AC5! I’ve owned a few of them and love the design, I’d love to try a BNF (I owned on for 12 years) or a VF in fretless. The Pink VF is listed in our classifieds too, getting second thoughts! I just love demo’ing basses and it’s always fun taking an Fbass for a test drive!
