For sale FS/FT: FBass BNF5 fretless

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Up on the block is my blue BNF5 unlined fretless. Swamp ash body [amended, Marshall reckons she's maple/alder - the light weight fooled me], ebony fingerboard and knobs; ebony bridge upgrade; dates from 1999. 34.5" scale, 19mm spacing. Passive, with pull-up for single coil. Light and resonant, typical Furlanetto monster, comes in FBass gigbag. Asking $1800 USD plus actual shipping from 98281 (I'm currently in Canada but I'll drive down and ship from Point Roberts WA to make things easier). Trade items I'm interested in are below.

The Marilyn Monroe shots here will give you the general impression (there are also some soundclips interspersed in the comment thread).

F%20Bass%20front.jpg

F%20Bass%20back.jpg


Condition is good but not mint - obviously well-played, with some player wear over the neck pickup and some swirlys, but not abused.

Linked here are some shots in pretty unflattering lighting close up for the wear condition. In case it's not obvious from the photos, that's the grain of the ebony you see on the fingerboard, not wear. They're the same shots smperry provided when he sold it to me early this year, and it's in the same condition (it's hardly been gigged since). But although I appreciated (and am reciprocating) his full disclosure, when I got the bass I was very pleasantly surprised by the condition; the deep blue just glows and that's all you see from three feet away.

Selling because I'm afraid I just can't adjust to unlined fretless after this many years.

I'd prefer a cash sale, but I might consider the right trade. Although I'm really raising money for some studio purchases, a really good lightweight jobbing 5-string fretted to fit the "J Bass" part of my needs might be of interest. I'm looking for a fat tone machine - I prefer more traditional J-bass stylings (although I'm not looking for a Fender). It's going to be a well-loved player's axe; I don't really care if it's got mojo or swirlies (would it be sick of me to say I'd actually *prefer* it rather than worry every time I took it out of its case?) if the tone and weight are right.

Things that might interest me straight across would be lightweight fretted 5'ers - Sadowsky or Atelier Z or Nordy or LEJ or equivalent. If we're talking cash plus trade, something more modest like the right Lakland JoBo might do the trick (or perhaps a plain-Jane Ren RB5FL). Also on the wishlist are a Shuttle 6.0 and a good gigbag - even better, a double gigbag - so if you have 'em as potential pot-sweeteners, let me know.

Comments

CH Design

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Apr 25, 2007
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Why did this have to come up now? If I had the cash, this would be on it's way to Ontario. Free Bump for a great bass.
 
Jul 15, 2007
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Vancouver BC, Canada
Thanks for the bump, she really is a stunner - it's a pity you can't do it, I'd love to bypass the hassle of taking her down to Point Roberts to ship in the US.
 

smperry

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I can vouch for this bass and for Kerry. They're both great!
 
Jul 15, 2007
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Vancouver BC, Canada
It was a pleasure dealing with you, and it's been great fun having her here; if my life was "studio only" she'd be staying (the tracks I've cut with her sound stupidly good). But my live work is making other demands on me right now.

Here's a soundclip of her in action - it's just a very rough and unmixed demo we did a few months ago, but because there's not much EQ or compression or other processing (some reverb added near the middle of the song) it gets the raw sound of the bass across nicely.

Well-Placed Arrow
 

smakbass

Smakkin basses for 25 years..
Aug 6, 2002
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Thats a Beauty Kerry I dont think you had that when I was over.....Shame you have to move her...I like lines as well though had LM make me a nice 5er......I am going to forward this thread to a friend though he might be all over it.
 

kesslari

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Dec 21, 2007
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Disclosures
Lark in the Morning Instructional Videos; Audix Microphones
Frightfully nice bass.
Wow.

For the record, what's the scale length and string spacing?
 
Jul 15, 2007
832
2,992
Vancouver BC, Canada
I'd imagine she'd be George's standard 34.5" string spacing. Spacing is 19mm (76mm between B and G string cores anyway).

[correction, I just did the measurement with calipers; 76mm or 3" core-to-core at the bridge.]
 

Tom7

I'm so bright, my mom called me son! ;-)
Jan 31, 2000
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Eagle River, Alaska
www.pittmans.net
... Here's a soundclip of her in action - it's just a very rough and unmixed demo we did a few months ago, but because there's not much EQ or compression or other processing (some reverb added near the middle of the song) it gets the raw sound of the bass across nicely.

Well-Placed Arrow

I LOVE that song! Bass and all I just LOVE it!

If it were a 6 string, I'd be all over this. As it is, I'm considering it. Do you know what year it is?
 
Jul 15, 2007
832
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Vancouver BC, Canada
Thats a Beauty Kerry I dont think you had that when I was over...

I think it came in just after. Remember how we were joking about the FBass on consignment at Long & McQuade, the one where the dog had chewed the horn off? Obviously this isn't that bass, but the seed of FBass ownership was replanted (I used to play a BN6 back in the day) :D

...had LM make me a nice 5er...

Nice, that'll make you happy. We talked Rene into getting a Mollerup, Lawrence is very happy to be building one for him (actually, we're all happy!)

...I am going to forward this thread to a friend though he might be all over it.

Thanks, that would be great! See ya on the scene - by the way, did you hear about the project LM, Rene and I are doing with Fito Garcia, a bass ensemble playing groove Latin stuff? Lots of fun, we'll be doing the Cellar in the new year.
 

smperry

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Kerry, I think the body is maple/alder by the way.
 

Tom7

I'm so bright, my mom called me son! ;-)
Jan 31, 2000
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Eagle River, Alaska
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I was able to find the answer to my question: 1999.

With Fbasses, the year it was built is the last 2 digits of the serial number.

They look and sound like F-bass strings as well, is that right?
 
Jul 15, 2007
832
2,992
Vancouver BC, Canada
I LOVE that song! Bass and all I just LOVE it!

Oh jeez, tell me the tone sucks, I'm *so* going to be regretting letting this go :D But it's for a greater good.

Seriously great song, performed by my buddy Gary Westcott on gtr and vox, me on bass and (minimalist) drum programming, just hacking around in an untreated back room on a weekend visit until the studio gets finished in January.
 
It was a pleasure dealing with you, and it's been great fun having her here; if my life was "studio only" she'd be staying (the tracks I've cut with her sound stupidly good). But my live work is making other demands on me right now.

Here's a soundclip of her in action - it's just a very rough and unmixed demo we did a few months ago, but because there's not much EQ or compression or other processing (some reverb added near the middle of the song) it gets the raw sound of the bass across nicely.

Well-Placed Arrow

Not to steal the thread, but who was the singer on well placed arrow? Please don't take this the wrong way, but he sounded like the singer (whose name escapes me,) who did Wreck of the Edmond Fitzgerald. Amazing likeness, to my ears at least. I hope that is taken as the compliment it was intended to be.
 

Tom7

I'm so bright, my mom called me son! ;-)
Jan 31, 2000
6,222
965
Eagle River, Alaska
www.pittmans.net
Oh jeez, tell me the tone sucks, I'm *so* going to be regretting letting this go :D But it's for a greater good.

No can do. That is a very interesting combination... alder, neck through, ebony bridge, ebony fingerboard, maple neck and George's pickups.

Seriously great song, performed by my buddy Gary Westcott on gtr and vox, me on bass and (minimalist) drum programming, just hacking around in an untreated back room on a weekend visit until the studio gets finished in January.
So the strings are pretty old then, huh? That's really cool too. That bass tone really fits well with that acoustic guitar.

I'm so into the music I can't even make myself listen to the lyrics yet. Love it!
 

smperry

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that Marshall had on it; Super Steps, perhaps?

Edited to add - you are correct sir, those are indeed the digits; 1999 it is.

Yes, on the strings and the date. The Labella Supersteps are the same as the F-Bass ones, except the gauge of one string is slightly different (the B IIRC?). They really suit the bass.

Kerry recorded Well-Placed Arrow right after getting the bass. That shows you how easy it is to get a great sound out of the bass.

M
 
Jul 15, 2007
832
2,992
Vancouver BC, Canada
... Kerry recorded Well-Placed Arrow right after getting the bass. That shows you how easy it is to get a great sound out of the bass...

I believe it was two days after, with very little time to "noodle" and get used to it; it arrived on Friday and we recorded that on Sunday. Like most good jazz-bass inspired designs, it leverages some very old instincts.

After listening again and picking it up, I'm starting to wonder if I should just look at having Laurence Mollerup line the neck... noooooo, need preamps for studio! Must not keep, must not!
 

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