NBD: Heartfield DR5 (Fender)

[moon-bass]

Oh man, that is gorgeous! I love “woody” basses (see pics of my other ones below), but from what I’ve been able to find, Heartfield only offered it on the 6-stringers.

It's a sibling to G89507 on the DR page. Mine is serial # G89508!

 

[WayneP]

A lot of the more out-there ‘80s instruments remained readily available, and you had a number of builders heading in what seemed like very fresh directions. Kubicki and Parker come immediately to mind, but they weren’t alone.

Steinberger was another one. I had their lower-tier bass, the XP-2. Really liked it at the time.

You’d think at 30-40 years old, some of these would be “vintage” enough to garner reproductions! But I guess, most of them are no longer owned by their original innovators.

Regards,
Wayne A. Pflughaupt

Ecclesia: Unique Arrangements of Hymns, P&W Standards, and Original Tunes
Administrator, Pedulla Club #45
Administrator, Official Tobias Club #133
Fretless Club #943
Big Cabs Club #23
My Rig: Stage and FOH Friendly
My Basses

 

[moon-bass]

RE: pickups.

A friend has loaned me his DR5, and as I did some research, found the serial registry fan page. They indicate that EMG made these pickups.

Yup! From that page -

They all had active electronics and additional "Low Z Output". The Heartfield pickups were made by EMG and also used in Ibanez 886 basses. They are called IBZ LO-J6. They are split pole pickups and thus, like a Precision bass, hum-cancelling.

 

[WayneP]

The DR5 and 6 were some of the first 'off the rack', production fives and sixes. Between the Fujigen build quality and those big single coils, these were very useable at a time when multi-string basses were just beginning to become common as production, non-custom axes.

I’m sure you’re right. The abovementioned search for 1990 5-string basses (admittedly only as good as the search engine) only came up with two others from mass producers: A couple from Ibanez, and a Music Man. A search for sixers only came back with Ibanez.

I guess it makes sense that Ibanez was making them at that time, as I think they were Fujigen like the Heartfield.

Regards,
Wayne A. Pflughaupt

Ecclesia: Unique Arrangements of Hymns, P&W Standards, and Original Tunes
Administrator, Pedulla Club #45
Administrator, Official Tobias Club #133
Fretless Club #943
Big Cabs Club #23
My Rig: Stage and FOH Friendly
My Basses

 

[Matt Liebenau]

Great bass and I like the color. I built a multiscale 5 string with Heartfield pickups and pre. It sounds great. If I wasn’t building my own stuff I’d be on the lookout for a 5 and/or 6 string Heartfield.

 

[Bar Band Bassman]

I've had a white DR5 since they first came out. Was my main axe for years. For personal reasons it will be mine for life. I did lose the cap on one of my knobs! Would love to get a replacement (hint, hint...).

BBB

 

[rojo412]

Owned one of these and worked on a few and they are KILLER basses. Made incredibly well and an absolute joy to play. The pickups and preamp have a very clear and modern sound that is just amazing.
I've even gone so far as to seek out the pickups alone and build a bass around them, just for that sonic vibe and it definitely nailed it.
But just buying a Heartfield was way easier and very fulfilling.

Congrats on the new bass!

 

[Jason Bonilla]

NBD: Heartfield DR5 (Fender)

A month or so ago I was strolling through the ads on Marketplace and came across this bass. My first reaction was, “Heartfield? What is that?” The more I looked into it, the more I was intrigued with this unicorn, and ultimately decided I had to take it home. Picked it up for a mere $480. It does have a minor problem with the neck that needs sorting out, but it’s still playable.

It seems Heartfield was a joint effort between Fender and the venerable Fujigen company in Japan, and sold in the U.S. between 1989 and 1993. You can find the back story on the Heartfield Guitars web page (see the “Background” link on the left side). They were mid-to-upper tier products at the time, with the DR5 listing for $1100 (~$2500 today). The color is a nifty green “reverse burst,” as they called it. Weighs in at 9.8 lbs.

In the early 1990s there weren’t many 5-string basses on the market, and in general AFAIK the concept was still being sorted out, as far as determining what string spacing, neck sizes, etc. would work/sell best. This DR5 with 19mm string spacing strikes me as a bit “out there” for the time – doing a search on 1990 5-string basses got me only one hit that appears to have a neck that wide – a Tune Zi-III. Neck profile is flattish, a “must” for a wide neck. It’s also unusual in that it has a thin sheet of graphite between the fretboard and neck, ostensibly to eliminate dead spots. Works pretty well, but not 100% as there is still the typical note or two along the G string that don’t sustain as well as elsewhere.

Bridge doesn’t have a name on it, but it’s similar to what G&L uses (and I assume others). Not fond of the “through-hole” design, as it prevents use the old strings again if you change them. However, it was no problem getting proper intonation.

Tuners are unbranded “Made in Japan” Gotoh look-alikes. They work fine. I strung it up with a fresh set of DR 45-105 flats. As I understand, pickups are identical to what Fujigen had on Ibanez offerings of the era.

It came with typical numbered Fender knobs in black. Since I like my knobs to match the other hardware, I traded them out for some chrome Guyker knobs (see last picture). I like that they have position indicators.

The controls are really strange. The Pan knob works more like a switch: Move it off center either direction, and it gets a drastic change in tone. And it sounds the same from there all the way to the travel limit. The tone control is switched, with one side being a basic tapered treble reduction. The other position activates a filter where the frequency changes with the knob rotation. I haven’t found much use for it yet, but we’ll see. I’ve seen pages on the web where this set-up is claimed to be similar to something on Wal and Alembic basses. Popped the rear electronics cover, and more strangeness – never seen anything like it.

All in all, I think it’s kind of cool having a Fender product that isn’t an FSO! I’m taking it to band practice tomorrow for its first outing.

View attachment 7016243View attachment 7016244View attachment 7016245View attachment 7016246
View attachment 7016249View attachment 7016250
Regards,
Wayne A. Pflughaupt

Ecclesia: Unique Arrangements of Hymns, P&W Standards, and Original Tunes
Administrator, Pedulla Club #45
Administrator, Official Tobias Club #133
Fretless Club #943
Big Cabs Club #23
My Rig: Stage and FOH Friendly
My Basses

Nice congrats on that! I'm pretty sure these were also designed by the guy that makes Sugi basses in Japan as well, you can definitely see his finger prints on these, the Sugi Basses look like the ultimate mix between these hartfield basses and the Ibanez SR line which the same guy also designed.

 

[WayneP]

I've had a white DR5 since they first came out. Was my main axe for years. For personal reasons it will be mine for life. I did lose the cap on one of my knobs! Would love to get a replacement (hint, hint...).

BBB

One of mine had a missing cap too, but I haven’t tossed the other two yet. Send me a PM and I’ll be happy to mail them to you. Hopefully yours is the same as what's in the first pic I posted above.

Regards,
Wayne A. Pflughaupt

Ecclesia: Unique Arrangements of Hymns, P&W Standards, and Original Tunes
Administrator, Pedulla Club #45
Administrator, Official Tobias Club #133
Fretless Club #943
Big Cabs Club #23
My Rig: Stage and FOH Friendly
My Basses

 

[Iridescentone]

RE: pickups.

A friend has loaned me his DR5, and as I did some research, found the serial registry fan page. They indicate that EMG made these pickups.

That's what I was able to find, too....EMG singles on this DR4 below. Dunno who spec'd them, but evidently EMG built them. After reading through this thread I have a better understanding of how the controls are supposed to work. Haven't had a use for what appears to be a Lo-Z output jack (?). No exotic wood on this one but like others have noted, the build exudes quality at a glance. A pretty impressive sounding and playing bass to my ears. I wouldn't mind a fiver to match!

 

[WayneP]

Nice congrats on that! I'm pretty sure these were also designed by the guy that makes Sugi basses in Japan as well, you can definitely see his finger prints on these, the Sugi Basses look like the ultimate mix between these hartfield basses and the Ibanez SR line which the same guy also designed.

Boy, did you ever nail that! Sugi’s web site names Nick Sugimoto as the mastermind behind the brand, and his name appears on the Heartfield site’s “Background” page as being a member of the design team.

Regards,
Wayne A. Pflughaupt

Ecclesia: Unique Arrangements of Hymns, P&W Standards, and Original Tunes
Administrator, Pedulla Club #45
Administrator, Official Tobias Club #133
Fretless Club #943
Big Cabs Club #23
My Rig: Stage and FOH Friendly
My Basses

 

[moon-bass]

One of mine had a missing cap too, but I haven’t tossed the other two yet. Send me a PM and I’ll be happy to mail them to you. Hopefully yours is the same as what's in the first pic I posted above.

Regards,
Wayne A. Pflughaupt

Ecclesia: Unique Arrangements of Hymns, P&W Standards, and Original Tunes
Administrator, Pedulla Club #45
Administrator, Official Tobias Club #133
Fretless Club #943
Big Cabs Club #23
My Rig: Stage and FOH Friendly
My Basses

Hey, if @Bar Band Bassman doesn't need both caps, I could use the other one! I'll send yo $$ for shipping if needed!

 

[moon-bass]

Haven't had a use for what appears to be a Lo-Z output jack

Yes indeed! It's a low-Z output jack, same as on my Wal - plug directly into the board, no DI needed!

 

[B String]

I've tried to tell people about the DR5's for years. I was about to go on tour. Didn't want to bring my "special" bass out so Fender sent me out to the HUGE warehouse east of L.A. The guys brought out a number of basses. All good Fenders. They also brought out a DR5. It was a new item Fender was offering. It remains one of the most stable, well built basses I've owned. I've changed the pickups and preamp to Nordstrand. THIS BASS IS A KILLER! Stable, well balanced and plays like a dream. Aging and having short fingers keeps me from playing as much but I still love it. Glad to see these Japanese made basses are getting the love.

 

[WayneP]

Welp – took the DR5 out to band practice last night, and holy smoke! It sounds amazing with the Genzler BA12 I have at the church! Much better than with the Barefaced Baby 2 Gen III I use at the house.

Serious midrange “bite,” comparable to my Tobias Killer B. I’ve always felt the Killer got its aggressive sound from the pickups sitting closer to the bridge than a lot of basses (or at least my other ones). The DR5 gets that forward quality with the pickups located about the same locations as my other basses that sound more mellow. And it’s getting the “bite” with flatwound strings, not roundwound!

On top of that, the low end is insane! My church rig includes a subwoofer, and I think this bass may generate more low end then my Pedulla Thunderbass! The only bad thing, since there’s no bass tone control, the only remedy (if someone feels it’s too much) is to pan to the bridge pickup, or use the amp rig’s tone controls. (I typically do my tone adjustments from the instrument.)

Curiously, it seems to have a bit of built-in compression. My rack includes a vintage dbx 160X compressor. These days the only thing I use it for is its level meter, to make sure my house output is consistent from one week (and bass) to the next.

Typically with my other basses, the meter peaks higher as I move to lower (pitch) strings, with the B string giving the “hottest” meter reading, and the G-string the lowest. With the DR5, the meter reading is very consistent across the board, even with the B string. Very peculiar. If there is some on-board compression, it would account for a minor problem I’ve noticed, more string-ringing than I’m used to seeing (my string-dampening technique is not the best).

All in all, I’m really impressed! Best $500 I ever spent!

Regards,
Wayne A. Pflughaupt

Ecclesia: Unique Arrangements of Hymns, P&W Standards, and Original Tunes
Administrator, Pedulla Club #45
Administrator, Official Tobias Club #133
Fretless Club #943
Big Cabs Club #23
My Rig: Stage and FOH Friendly
My Basses

 

[shirojiro]

I’m sure you’re right. The abovementioned search for 1990 5-string basses (admittedly only as good as the search engine) only came up with two others from mass producers: A couple from Ibanez, and a Music Man. A search for sixers only came back with Ibanez.

I guess it makes sense that Ibanez was making them at that time, as I think they were Fujigen like the Heartfield.

Regards,
Wayne A. Pflughaupt

Ecclesia: Unique Arrangements of Hymns, P&W Standards, and Original Tunes
Administrator, Pedulla Club #45
Administrator, Official Tobias Club #133
Fretless Club #943
Big Cabs Club #23
My Rig: Stage and FOH Friendly
My Basses

When I was shopping for mine in 1991, I had a Hohner B2V 5 string Steinberger copy.

I bought my DR5 at EU Wurlitzer in Boston. I was choosing between a Fender Jazz 5 string and a Yamaha BB at the time. The Fender B string was not nearly as good as the Heartfield or the Yamaha. I chose the Heartfield because the neck felt better to me, and I got a better burpy Jazz bass tone from it.

At least in Boston, 5 string basses were pretty popular at that time. I saw them often at gigs and shows.

I remember jamming at Wallys and having a guy show up with a fender Jazz 5 string that looked like it had no finish. He tried my DR5 and commented on how nice it was to play and how good the B string sounded.

 

[TriumphRider99]

For anyone interested, there's a very cool DR Heartfield 5 string on Reverb, going for a mere $529 plus shipping. Here's the link.

Upon further inspection, the bass is no longer stock. The preamp was replaced with an Aguilar. Also, the truss rod is at the end of its rotation. Those two things might explain the low price, but stock ones cost WAY more these days.

 

[moon-bass]

For anyone interested, there's a very cool DR Heartfield 5 string on Reverb, going for a mere $529 plus shipping. Here's the link.

Upon further inspection, the bass is no longer stock. The preamp was replaced with an Aguilar. Also, the truss rod is at the end of its rotation. Those two things might explain the low price, but stock ones cost WAY more these days.

Atomic Music is a great store as well, I've bought quite a few things from them ...

 

[TriumphRider99]

Atomic Music is a great store as well, I've bought quite a few things from them ...

I like the fact that they are honest and forthcoming in their descriptions. It's too bad that someone changed out the preamp. I could deal with the truss rod issue, but where in the world would you ever find an original preamp? It's too bad people modify basses and end up making them worse, although it could be that the original preamp fried. We unfortunately will never know.

 

[WayneP]

For anyone interested, there's a very cool DR Heartfield 5 string on Reverb, going for a mere $529 plus shipping. Here's the link.

Upon further inspection, the bass is no longer stock. The preamp was replaced with an Aguilar. Also, the truss rod is at the end of its rotation.

I wonder if that’s a common problem. My truss rod seems to be maxed out, too. I’m hoping my luthier can do something about it when I get the bass to him about the neck.

Regards,
Wayne A. Pflughaupt

Ecclesia: Unique Arrangements of Hymns, P&W Standards, and Original Tunes
Administrator, Pedulla Club #45
Administrator, Official Tobias Club #133
Fretless Club #943
Big Cabs Club #23
My Rig: Stage and FOH Friendly
My Basses