F Bass BNF5

As for special features of the easiest is to go on the side of F Bass.
This is one of 98 BNF5 bought used in the U.S. in 2012 (in a state 'mint').

UTILIZATION

I do not have much to say. For me the handle F is the one I préferre. Point bar.
I try but I have not found anything better.

Access to acute is very good even if the use of the boxes above 25 rotations always acrobatics digital except the rope G.

The interface is really well thought ... It is just right on this instrument.

SOUNDS

I wanted to spent the fretless for many years with her in the head a very precise: an avalanche of medium with Growl and many other mwah, a serious and precise set that allows it to remain very strong in a mix with a pinch of 'to cut in the acute larre.
The sound is tinny but wish to (very) dynamic, with a nice attack that out of the mix and specific (what B).
I am a fan to 100%.

So I found it: my 'son'-on an Avalon U5 - it's something like 80% bridge pickup, neck pickup 10%, passive tone between 0 and 60%. For EQ I often add the medium (see lot) a few acute and rarely serious.

In the end, that's exactly what I wanted: a sound that I like and I can very easily modeled dry playing near the bridge, or perched high on top of the handle for a more 'bass' without touching anything ... The total growing to have everything under your fingers.

A sound that allows me to do as all the pieces normally performed at the hooped with my fretless - knowing that I did not slap.

In short, I no longer use the shrink. Not at all actually.

AC on the piezo of the phrases are great singing ... Definitely too good and better than BNF in this register. But there is not that in general a game so I deliberately low préferré "4x4" able to go anywhere rather than a Ferrari that runs on that circuit.

OVERALL OPINION

I am fulfilled and I have only one desire: to sell my shrink (sic) to offer me one second BNF but 6 strings this time.

I'm totally fan of the game fretless.
How much freedom on the handle - just the same as riding motorcycles compared to cars!
What economy of fatigue after several hours compared to a shrink in the same context!

And also I find an unlined fretless bass so much prettier than a shrink, so most "fénimine".

I redo the choice of a fretless bass F without hesitation.
The only question is how many strings ... 5-string aficionados far I let myself sorely tempted by a 6.

- Made in Lower Canada (Ontario) by G. Furlanetto and his team.

- Features: My BNF5 has a particular configuration of the body because the wings are made of mahogany, while in standard version is ash. The center of the body is flamed maple. The varnish is brushed while in general it's brilliant. Otherwise the other standard features are: 28 round boxes with marks on the wafer (super practical and aesthetic) and small pearl inserts very discreet about the key, pitch 34.5 and mechanical configuration (2 +3) for a If better definition of serious and sustain, maple neck, satin finish, ebony fingerboard / easels only (Hipshot A) and mechanical (Gotoh) are not manufactured by Furlanetto, it is possible to pass the strings through the body or put them in standard configuration / gap between the strings at the bridge: 19 mm / 1 volume + tone by passive microwave (which also works in assets) humbucker that can move in simple, 3-band preamp (acute / med / low) that can bypass / Here, I hope I have not forgotten

- Comes with gig bag F.

- Finish: Superb! The buttons are made of ebony, very pleasant to the touch and stylish micro caches assorted wood in the central part of the body in curly maple. The lid of the cavity where the electronics are attached to wooden mahogany wings. There is not a piece of plastic visible. It takes a piece of wood, a true gem!


UTILIZATION

- The handle: I have not found better, and it's not for lack of trying bass (Fodera Emperor / YC and Noguera Expression Plus Deluxe / Yamaha TRB / Sadowsky / Ken Smith / Ibanez Gary Willis / Fender Jazz Bass / Godin A5/Zon Sonus 5 string). The neck is perfect, very well designed because there are still 28 boxes and I've seen where there is low incentive to play because other areas are inaccessible. There is not the case, all areas (both serious and acute) are easily accessible. The satin finish provides ease of movement. The notch gives access easily to the 26th fret. Then you have to play the hand and fingers to access the two remaining boxes.

- The interface is terrible. We put the bass and it locks automatically from my body. It's not like the jazz bass all the time who are "fleeting". The gap of 19mm between the strings is perfect for my medium sized hands. 20 mm is too much for me.

- Weight: it is a bit heavy because it uses the mahogany wood is dense. But the choice of wood is desired. It allows, according to G. Furlanetto, to have a little more than medium ash swamps. That's what I wanted. We will not blame the maker of being responsible for the density of a wood!

SOUNDS

- Sound. Very subjective and without end! I'll explain what I like and then tell her how she responds. For me the reference is Pastorius fretless sound! So I was looking for a sound in the registry, typed "jazz bass", but with a sound very musical, more defined, and 5 strings. I also wanted the bass has a more "woody" (wood) as the Americans say, softer, while remaining as "vintage" a good old jazz bass. Finally, I wanted this bass has a lot of attack and "mwah" (but that depends mostly settings of the string height). This bass completely satisfies my expectations. It has a woody sound, at once sweet, but a lot of attack, very well defined (it is sometimes weak cetain fretless who lose definition and attack). This bass goes beyond my initial expectations in the sense that this bass has such versatility that it can also get closer to a bass sound (see review on this shared pEJiPe versatility with the fretted version: the BN5 ). It's terrible because walkings can sound very bass and you can juggle with his Pastorius. I could see such versatility in F.

- I use this bass with an EBS Drome 12 "systematically neutral configuration.

- I use this bass very often configuration bridge pickup to neck pickup and 100% below 30%. I play a lot of passive tone, even if I did not put much (less than 25%), I consider it essential that button in the register "jazz bass".

- The pre-amp, awesome, less versatile than a Fodera preamp that can add or remove from the high / low / medium, but remains in the same register. The preamp F offers only boost the frequency. He is not here to change / correct the sound of the bass. It is not embellish its liabilities, but there to "amplify" the signal by adjusting the passive frequency we wish to highlight. It thus adds even more versatility to this bass. Ideal for home studio (direct connection to the audio capture card). What's great is that when the active preamp with knobs high / medium / low to zero, the liabilities remain unchanged! It was not the case with my old Noguera Expression Plus Deluxe fretless that changed (denatured) completely from its liabilities and increased the level of activating the preamp gain, even though the bass and treble preamp were zero.



OVERALL OPINION

- I have this low since 2006. I wanted to sell this bass last year because I did not play more. And then I told myself: "If one day you leave it on bass, what do you redeem?" And there I saw no other lower than the F BNF5. I tried several fretless (Noguera Expression Plus Deluxe / Noguera YC fretless semi acoustic / fretless TRB5P Yamaha / Ibanez Gary Willis Fretless / Godin A5 fretless / Zon Sonus 5), but none of them meets all my requirements in terms of sound, ergonomics, finish and look. The only one who could get close subject to change is the YC semi-acoustic, but rather it is compared to a Fbass AC5/Leduc U-bass that are on another level (distance from the Pastorius with his the piezo and the hollow body).

- Secondly, in terms of price, it is expensive indeed (takes a little over $ 3,000 for a standard new Fretless, mine cost $ 3.250), but must see what you purchase. Noguera YC a fretless 5-string (with magnetic pickups) will cost not far from 3000 €. Fodera sells many of its low between $ 5,000 and $ 10,000! F maintains a reputation for expensive coffee which is somewhat dated. It was indeed the case some years ago, but the appreciation of the euro now up F in a very good value for money. Also take into account an important factor. In all luthiers, making the price difference between 2 basses of the same model is the level of options that affect the sound (electronic / micro / wood) and finishing. In F, if you take a BN5 or BNF5 or AC5, and what differentiates the price low, it is essentially the finish. All BN5/BNF5 standard have the same sound, have a 3-band preamp have the same microphones, have a passive tone, have the same wood. Even the minimum level of finish exceeds supply of many luthiers. Indeed, standard config, we have ebony buttons, the microphone cover and the cover of the cavity of the preamp are made of wood cut from the body (gives a very smooth).

- F warrants its lifetime low, the bass was bought new or used. For the VAS and questions, Furlanetto is very accessible (he advised me before I bought the BNF5).

- In conclusion, I can only recommend the F (BNF5 but BN5). They are low to very high quality, we feel that Furlanetto reflected on every detail to improve the quality of its low, the concept of "super / hyper jazz bass" is reached with the BNF and BN series. You take the good sides of jazz bass (sound) and improves the rest. For proof of my complete satisfaction, please note that I initially bought an F BN5 who showered me. It is with this fretless purchased thereafter. I only have 2 basses, and they are F.