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Club Fbass (thread 13)

#6,041
dingmel said:
A question for the AC Fretless owners out there. Has anyone tried LaBella Supersteps (from LaBella) with them? I understand that the Fbass exposed core strings are the same type of exposed core string made for them by LaBella, but they're not available where i'm from. Just wondering if those would work with the throughbody stringing that the AC uses. Also, has anyone tried LaBella tapewounds with the AC? Not sure if there are any tapewounds that can be used with throughbody basses.

Thanks!
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I am going to answer your questions in reverse. I have an AC classic with the black tapes and it's string through body so it works just fine. As far as the exposed cores from LaBella versus the F base brand, they really only differ a little bit in the gauges and if you can't get one I'm sure the other will be just fine.

I hope that helps...
 
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#6,042
If anyone in the San Francisco Bay Area hates inflation/international trade nonsense, and wants an outrageous in-person cash deal on a 2002 F-Bass BN5 before Sep. 25, please PM me.
Avoid the 20-24 month wait and almost $6K price I just got on F-Bass configurator!

Original owner, 2002 F-Bass BN5, nitro 3-tone sunburst over ash, maple neck/FB, no face dots/blocks.
2+3 headstock, and literally the best condition of any nitro-finished F-Bass I've seen in the last 5 years, some minor nicks/scratches/small cracks, but pickups and playing area are very clean...roll your own relic!

Was in my gigging rotation 2002-06, I now pull it out monthly, and bass lives in its Levy gigbag when not in my hands.
About 10 lbs. 5 oz. on a quite accurate baking scale a few years ago, but perfect balance, and we all know George F. says heavier Northern ash gives the tone he was going for.

Wee callouts for full disclosure:
- Neck volume pot is a bit scratchy and there is a little noise in tone/active-passive switch. I recently took it to my tech for a once-over, due to a miscommunication between front desk and electronics guy, they didn't replace as I requested. C'est la vie, I just have too much going on right now family-wise, and the shops I trust are booked 2 months out. Will apply a little DeOxit and replace battery.
- You can feel a slight raise in glue seam on front/side of body for the 2-piece body lamination, behind the bridge. Tech removed bridge and checked, no structural issues, and Marcel Furlanetto says this happens time to time on nitro basses and is not a worry. He also told me this era has a slimmer (front to back) neck profile and more asymmetrical carve than later BN5s.
- There is a crack within pearl on the headstock F logo, I believe it's always been like that.

A few pix, can take more/better for interested parties.

BN5_fullfront2.jpeg
BN5_head.jpeg
BN5_body.jpeg
BN5_bodyback.jpeg
 
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#6,043
greetings all, here’s a few pics of the BNF6 I acquired last night, 34” scale, 18mm string spacing, 9.3 lbs. I’m just the third owner, I bought it from the son of the guy who originally commissioned the bass in the mid 90s, for me the “Golden Era” of F Bass, back when I was a frequent visitor to the shop. I feel very fortunate to be only the third owner, usually a bass of this age has changed hands a few more times than that. it’s in terrific condition although the action is a bit high. I think it just needs a truss rod tweak, unfortunately none of the hex keys I have on hand are short enough to fit. the seller said that there are shims underneath the saddle so I’ll be talking a look at that later on and I can always remove the neck pickup if need be. I’ve reached out to Marcel to see if I can bring it by the shop to have it looked over.
 

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#6,045
fretless714 said:
I’ve heard back from Marcel, I’ll be taking it in next week for a setup. yay! it gives me time to decide on what strings to put on it, D’Addario nickel rounds, La Bella black tapes or TI flats. decisions, decisions…
Click to expand...

I like D’Addario black tapes on my BNF. That’s my suggestion :)

Except I don’t think they come in sets for 6 :(
 
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#6,049
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#6,050
Dave Hill said:
Have them throw a preamp in while you’re there!!!
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I’m not sure one would fit because of the control layout and the top-loaded output jack. I’ll ask while I’m there but honestly I’m perfectly happy with the way it sounds now! I suspect the pickups might be George’s hand wound singles with a dummy coil. that would fit the time frame.

maybe I can convince them to make me an F Boost pedal!
 
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#6,051
fretless714 said:
I’m not sure one would fit because of the control layout and the top-loaded output jack. I’ll ask while I’m there but honestly I’m perfectly happy with the way it sounds now! I suspect the pickups might be George’s hand wound singles with a dummy coil. that would fit the time frame.

maybe I can convince them to make me an F Boost pedal!
Click to expand...
Yeah they used to make a pre- amp stomp box but they discontinued it, I have a ‘99 , underneath the humbucker shells George was still using the split P type pickups, a more muscular sound to my ears.
 
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#6,052
jim nolte said:
Yeah they used to make a pre- amp stomp box but they discontinued it, I have a ‘99 , underneath the humbucker shells George was still using the split P type pickups, a more muscular sound to my ears.
Click to expand...
yeah I’m still kicking myself for not grabbing one of those when they were still available. talk about a lost opportunity…
 
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#6,055
back home strung up with La Bella tapes and now with a set of ebony knobs. attached is an interesting pic of the dummy coils located in the control cavity taken while it was being worked on. George said the serial number inside dates it to 1989 although he couldn't find any reference to this specific bass in his notes but he said he'll keep looking. pretty cool huh? :)
 

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#6,057
monsterthompson said:
I’ve seen a few older ones with the split P covers and wondered how they sounded. So they are more P-like and hum canceling?
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To my ear they are more P like, they hum cancel but obviously they have no coil selection option which is fine for me as I prefer a simple layout of controls, with too many options I can’t decide which ones I like best, one of the descriptions of the BN5 I I used to see was a “ Jazz Bass on Champagne “ instead of steroids, whenever I would see that I always thought that definitely doesn’t describe my bass, it has a big full sound, maybe a P bass on steroids, it still has the standard pre-amp though.
 
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