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Show us your F-Bass

#61
adrian garcia said:
1. actually , F basses , when you think about it, are a bargain. They sell for less than many boutique basses and when you consider all the goodies, like matching pup covers and control cavity plates, etc... you realize that you are getting a lot or craftsmanship for the $ -
but the bottom line is the TONE and playability. I have yet to paly a bass that had tone i liked BETTER... as much but different? maybe... but not BETTER.. at any price.... ANY price.

2. Jared, the difference is very subtle, but i think i hear it. I have commented to myself about it when i pick a 100% ash F bass as opposed to one with a top-
yes, Maple is a tonewood, and i have played all maple basses.. not my thing. I know you are not a big Ash guy. That's one of the beautiful things about everyone being different. I seriously doubt i will ever own a fretted bass that is not Ash again--that is my voice. Also , the thinner the top, the less the difference, This is why George F has gone with ultra thin tops, so there is less interruption of HIS formula, which is obviously Ash and Maple ( neck ) - if he did not believe the top had an effect, i suspect he might not go thru the trouble since the tops are carved and it is much easier to carve a thick top than a thin one, because if you carve too far?
you expose the ash body.
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All good points! I didn't mean what I said as an argument, but yeah I agree that thinner tops are used to minimize their effect on tone. I was just wondering out loud if it was really that noticeable where it was consistent. You have certainly played far more F's than I so I'll definitely take your word for it. You're right I'm not huge on ash, but I'm still quite jealous about your forthcoming basses.
:scowl:
 
#62
mashed potatoes said:
oh my, those are some of the most beautiful basses i have ever seen :eek:

i don't suppose they go cheap, eh? :(
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I've priced out a couple custom orders, and they're very well priced. You're still going to eat a lot of dough on this one, but at least you're going to get an absolutely phenomenal bass out of it :P.
 
#66
A! you dawg! You are finally getting that Mac topped F. That is one b-e-a-u-tee-ful bass. I think that I'm about as big of a Macassar ho as you. :eek:

I think that this BN5 might have to go on the top of my envy list. I get FIRST DIBBS when you decide to sell it, please.
 
#67
This bass is a pretty killer player- and dosent look bad either....

I wanted to add that in all the back to back real time testing I've done with topped and non topped FBasses I think there is a difference- non topped Fs have just a little more edge and openess to my ears...its not "better", its just more of what I'm looking for in an ash/maple combo. The topped basses have their own character too- maby some may prefer it, and, the difference is slight increasing as you use heavier /denser top woods. My engineer says the above bass is his favorite..the ash is dense and on the heavier side, the ambrosia is hard- puts some oomph in the mids and made the bass a little more compressed overall..which can be seen as a benefit too. I love using it for anything.

Even with the effect minimalized with the thinner top width, I think a different kind of wood laminated on another will not resonate in the same way as just a one or two piece of the same kind..."seems" to be the case here anyways.

Mitch
 
#68
adrian garcia said:
1. actually , F basses , when you think about it, are a bargain. They sell for less than many boutique basses and when you consider all the goodies, like matching pup covers and control cavity plates, etc... you realize that you are getting a lot or craftsmanship for the $ -
but the bottom line is the TONE and playability. I have yet to paly a bass that had tone i liked BETTER... as much but different? maybe... but not BETTER.. at any price.... ANY price.

2. Jared, the difference is very subtle, but i think i hear it. I have commented to myself about it when i pick a 100% ash F bass as opposed to one with a top-
yes, Maple is a tonewood, and i have played all maple basses.. not my thing. I know you are not a big Ash guy. That's one of the beautiful things about everyone being different. I seriously doubt i will ever own a fretted bass that is not Ash again--that is my voice. Also , the thinner the top, the less the difference, This is why George F has gone with ultra thin tops, so there is less interruption of HIS formula, which is obviously Ash and Maple ( neck ) - if he did not believe the top had an effect, i suspect he might not go thru the trouble since the tops are carved and it is much easier to carve a thick top than a thin one, because if you carve too far?
you expose the ash body.
Click to expand...

Adrian, has had all Ash bodied BN5's as well as Maple topped BN5's in 'da house' with both basses having Master Vol/Blend controls. So all things were equal with the exception of the Ash versus Maple/Ash. In order for me to truly compare, I would need to switch my Ash/Maple over to Vol/Vol. Then the only differences are the wood. For what it's worth, I have heard from another F Bass dealer that he believes the All Ash F-Basses have a slight, yet noticeable advantage in tone.

The other thing that comes to mind regarding the maple topped BN5 basses is this; Even though the maple top is exceptionally thin, that accent line on the bass is actually a thin layer of wood glued between the Ash Body and the top isn't it? If so, that presents more glue, and another layer of wood to factor into the equation. Just thinking out loud. Does anyone know if that accent line is actually another wood layer between the top and the Ash body?

PS: In any event, both my F Basses are STUNNING performers. I just happen to favor one a little more sonically. Surprisingly, it's the ALL ASH Tobacco Burst F-Bass over my exotic quilt maple top. Who knew? What a luxurious back-up bass my Quilt Maple top F Bass is! Gary
 
#69
basses55 said:
This bass is a pretty killer player- and dosent look bad either....

I wanted to add that in all the back to back real time testing I've done with topped and non topped FBasses I think there is a difference- non topped Fs have just a little more edge and openess to my ears...its not "better", its just more of what I'm looking for in an ash/maple combo. The topped basses have their own character too- maby some may prefer it, and, the difference is slight increasing as you use heavier /denser top woods. My engineer says the above bass is his favorite..the ash is dense and on the heavier side, the ambrosia is hard- puts some oomph in the mids and made the bass a little more compressed overall..which can be seen as a benefit too. I love using it for anything.

Even with the effect minimalized with the thinner top width, I think a different kind of wood laminated on another will not resonate in the same way as just a one or two piece of the same kind..."seems" to be the case here anyways.

Mitch
Click to expand...

Hey Mitch. Everytime I see your Ambrosia topped F-Bass I get all teary eyed! Yourt bass is STUNNING my friend! One of my all time favorites! ... Ya Show off! (and thanks for posting)
 
#70
Well Gary ..both of us may have FBass envy...yours are both beautiful. That quilt is probebly in my top 5 Fbass list....!
 
#71
Hey All!

This is my BN4...George F. said it was made around 95-96. Figured maple top, macassar ebony fingerboard, gold hardware, and a custom made clear pickguard that protects the heel of the neck from chipping (as I slap quite a bit).

When I bought it used, it had EMG pickups and an EMG preamp. I have since changed this to Seymour Duncan Bassline pickups and George's 6 knob preamp system (vol/vol). He said that the Basslines pickups sound very very close to his custom soapbar pickups. Obviously, the matched soapbar pickups would be aesthetically nicer...I'm happy and think the tones coming from this bass sound awesome.

Cheers! :)
 
#73
Hey gfab333, :)

Sorry for the delay in posting. What you see there is indeed a clear pickguard! It's custom made by George Furlanetto (I live about an hour away from his workshop). I had it installed after the paint was chipping off around the heel of the neck and George had to strip and refinish that area. I wanted to make sure that area is protected, so he made the pickguard/slapguard. 2 holes were drilled into the bass to fasten it with screws. He said it is made of bulletproof material and extremely sturdy. This was about 1 1/2 years ago, and it cost $80 Canadian. You can see the figured maple finish underneath. I have seen this pickguard as well on Alain Caron's main fretted bass for live work.

I tried to post an attachment of what it looks like close up to no avail. If anyone is interested in seeing what it looks like close up, PM me and give me your email address and I'll send you a pic. Personally, I would recommend getting one of these if you slap a fair bit as it really protects the body and you can still see the finish underneath.

Hope this helps! :bassist:
 
#74
adrian garcia said:
oh, you've seen mine- its butt ugly and looks like someone threw up on it....
Link Removed
Click to expand...


where can i sign up for a "butt ugly" bass then? the ugliness obviously means there will be a discount right?

:D

edit: also, is it just me or is anyone else dying to see an Fbass version of a single cut? his designs are so elegant and smooth, i think he would design a killer single cut!
 
#75
DEFELDUS said:
where can i sign up for a "butt ugly" bass then? the ugliness obviously means there will be a discount right?

:D

edit: also, is it just me or is anyone else dying to see an Fbass version of a single cut? his designs are so elegant and smooth, i think he would design a killer single cut!
Click to expand...

Yes!
But George Furlanetto will never make a single cut F!
He told us that on the F Bass forum! Simply because he took time to find his formula, to find his design and that a single cut F doesn't fit with his formula!
That's the deal....

Vince
 
#76
CanadaBass said:
...
I tried to post an attachment of what it looks like close up to no avail. If anyone is interested in seeing what it looks like close up, PM me and give me your email address and I'll send you a pic.
...
QUOTE]

Hey, what about seeing it in person? I'm in K-W, and usually show up to jam at The Still on Wednesday nights - you could do a few tunes!

:)
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