Congrats on a beautiful bass! I've found so far it's a full, warm and punchy tone recording and live and has a strong fundamental in the bottom end from the ash. With the dual wood approach I've not really had a bass quite like this.
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My PJ is a really early one, but my favourite sound is just the P soloed.
I usually use it passive, but use the preamp if the situation requires it.
I've A/B'ed the above with my friend's 61 and 66 Fender Ps and I was delighted, not to mention a little surprised, that I objectively preferred the sound of my F!
I know it may sound like a silly thing to say, but it sounds more P than the above, completely stock Fenders.
I usually use it passive, but use the preamp if the situation requires it.
I've A/B'ed the above with my friend's 61 and 66 Fender Ps and I was delighted, not to mention a little surprised, that I objectively preferred the sound of my F!
I know it may sound like a silly thing to say, but it sounds more P than the above, completely stock Fenders.
The one I played sounded close but not exactly. I found that it was a bit more subtle in the upper midrange. Not bad, It just depends on what you're looking for. Also it depends on how refined your ears are as well what character of the sound you're looking for. For my money, if I were looking for a pbass sound, I would buy a pbass.
You and me both! But then we wouldn't have an excuse to buy more basses!!!
I spent part of last night moving back and forth between the VF-PJ with the P pick solo'd, and my Honey Badger-equipped P-bass. Verdict: the VF sounds like a P. It stands to reason: the P pick-up is in the sweet spot, the materials are similar, etc. The difference is that VF sounds a bit sweeter, which I attributed mostly to the blend of woods used in the body.
However, in my view, the really brilliance of a PJ comes through when you start playing with the volume ratios of each pickup. Even both pickups matched at 80% volume has a different character than both pickups at 100%...
F bass does it again... what a wonderful bass. Light, great tone, beautiful finish, best gig bag ever, and wicked good customer service. I'm hooked. I'd been waiting a couple of weeks for CITES to do their thing and it arrived today. There isn't enough I can say about how much fun these are to play. Pretty sure this is e new #1.
- Apr 3, 2003
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- Editor-in-Chief, Bass Gear Magazine
- Apr 29, 2003
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- Contributor- Bass Musician Magazine | Marketing Manager- Trickfish Amplification
+1thats the one! My favorite blue bass ever
I wonder if the colors pop more on Northern Ash, which I think Toms bass is (?). Is Northern a little "whiter"?
- Apr 3, 2003
- 35,515
- 19,941
- Disclosures
- Editor-in-Chief, Bass Gear Magazine
A few weeks ago I posted in the strings forum about the type of strings on my BN6. I didn't think they were F Bass strings as they were not exposed core as I thought all of the F Bass strings were. No one seemed to come up with the type of strings. A few things were tossed about, but I could only match 2 of 3 criteria to complete the match. Right length, no 6 string option from the manufacturer or vice versa etc... I didn't give it any further thought and resigned myself to changing the strings to a brand I know I like and going through the setup process. Until I got the VF5 yesterday. The strings seem to be the same make of string. Much brighter as they are new, but otherwise almost identical. The other post with photos is here... String ID... and the only photos I have of the VF5 are above. Thoughts?
Yeah I'm pretty sure I remember earlier posts in this thread talking about how the BNs come stock with F-bass strings, the VFs come with DRs.
There are a lot of models of DR - what criteria were you using to identify them?
Edit: fat beams come in 6 string sets
There are a lot of models of DR - what criteria were you using to identify them?
Edit: fat beams come in 6 string sets
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George told me what was on it, and actually shipped the bass with the empty DR box, I guess to confirm.
BNs come with custom La Bella super steps, VFs come with DRs Fat Beam steels on ash maple 70s basses, and nickels on alder maple 60 s basses. The few alder / maple basses not sure what is on them but I'm guessing steels cause of the maple,board. I just played one of these in a VF p bass with steels yesterday at the shop.
Marcel replied to my e-mail re: strings. Did I mention that they have awesome customer service!
Here's what he said...
"Our BNs and fretlesses are strung up with our exposed core strings as standard, though our VF’s get full-cores. We use DR Steel Fat Beams on builds with Maple fingerboards and DR Nickel Low Riders on ones with Rosewood….medium .45 gauge. So your VF was strung up with the latter.
The strings on the White BN6 do indeed look like the DR Steel Fat Beams."
I'm tempted to try a set of their custom exposed core strings in my BN6, but at the moment it sounds so good, I don't want to touch it. My biggest problem today is that I want to play them at the gig tonight, but it's outside and they aren't going there. I know, first world problem.
These are my favorite basses by far. If you've tried one, you know and if you haven't, you should.
Here's what he said...
"Our BNs and fretlesses are strung up with our exposed core strings as standard, though our VF’s get full-cores. We use DR Steel Fat Beams on builds with Maple fingerboards and DR Nickel Low Riders on ones with Rosewood….medium .45 gauge. So your VF was strung up with the latter.
The strings on the White BN6 do indeed look like the DR Steel Fat Beams."
I'm tempted to try a set of their custom exposed core strings in my BN6, but at the moment it sounds so good, I don't want to touch it. My biggest problem today is that I want to play them at the gig tonight, but it's outside and they aren't going there. I know, first world problem.
These are my favorite basses by far. If you've tried one, you know and if you haven't, you should.
