F-Bass BN5

My BN5 is a 2000 model I recieved in August of this year. It features a 34.5 inch scale, Ash body, flamed maple top to die for, burst finish, figured 3 piece maple neck, and a blemishless 22 fret maple finger board. The bass sports custom F bass 3 band preamp, 2 wood / finish matching pickups, black Gotoh machines, Hipshot bridge and wooden knobs. I opted for the double gig back option as I also own a BNF5

I play jazz, funk, and progressive jazz/rock. This bass fits all bills with ease. Once I figured out the pre amp. I can make this baby sound like almost anything I want through my Alembic F1X pre-amp, QSC power amp, and SWR Goliath and Goliath Jr cabinets. I have yet to play this bass out on a gig but based (no pun intended) on how it sounds compared to some of my other basses it will cut through any studio or live mix with ease.

My bass shipped from Canada to Maryland to Texas in the middle of the summer and needed no tweeks to the truss when I got it. Everything was perfect. All joints are tight. There is not a flaw in the finish. and the action is quick. Feels like my '75 Jazz with an extra string.

I must say however, I wish the folks at FBass would get around to offering a matchng head stock and a better way to access and secure the pre amp battery

This bass is solid. But then again what would you expect from a +3000 retail handmade instrument. All componets / hardware are Mercedes grade. The finish is thick and should hold up for years. My "F" BNF5 has been going strong since '92. I expect the same from my BN5.

I rate FBass / Guitar Clinic's customer support a "20". I bought my first BNF5 in 1991 used from a store in Toronto. The details are too awful and too long to get into here. Anyway's being displeased with the bass and not being able to return it to the merchant I bought it from. I contacted George Furlenato at his shop for some help. I'll be boiled in oil if George did not offer to take that bass off my hands. And,for a little extra cash George sent me a spank brand new custom quilted maple body, 5 piece neck through BNF5. Just to have a satisfied "F" bass owner. By the way that BNF5 is the best looking bass I have ever seen.

When building my BN5 George's staff kept me up to date on it construction. I have had great follow - up after the sale. Mind you I did not buy the BN5 from the manufacturer.

I have been playing bass for 26 years. I own or have owned Fender, Tobias (Nashville), ESP, Roscoe, and Godin. I am a strong F Bass supporter. "F" is real hard to beat as for features, tone, construction, and cust. support for the money. The one thing I really love is that there are not a lot of them around. Also, I like the fact that for the money spent I have a real hand crafted instrument verses the popular high dollar mass produced instrument. This bass rates with Fodera, Smith, MTD, and Warrior Without the price tags that go with its' classmates

I own a recently made FBass BN5 model made in Canada. It's a 22 fret, 34 1/2" scale fretted 5 string bass with a laquered all swamp ash body, maple neck and fretboard. It comes with two custom hand wound FBass pickups that are stacked but can also go single coil. They are housed in wooden "soapbar" covers that are cut out from the body to match the grain pattern. The controls are two volumes and a passive tone(like a Jazz bass)plus the back pickup volume knob doubles as a humbucker/single coil selector. In active mode, the bass has additional treble, mid, and bass controls. The bass comes with Hipshot hardware, is strung with La Bella Super Step taper core strings and comes with a gig bag.

The BN5 sounds warm, woody and "natural" with the choice of going either to an older more traditional tone (in passive single-coil), or sculpting the tone for a more "modern" brighter sound (in active mode either single coil or humbucking). I found the tones , no matter what you would reasonably do on the preamp, ever to be too thin or harsh. The active tone controls are superbly "musical" at all settings and the basic fat, warm, and natural sound of the bass is never lost. The tone controls are boost only. The combination of the swamp ash body and the maple neck and fretboard helps to give the bass a great attack and tight bottom end that works well for both slap and finger techniques. While the humbucking setting eliminates any noise or hum- especially if using only the back pickup- I prefer single coil. The difference in punch, fatness, and "growl" for me is significant. I have to say though, that the pickups in humbucking mode sound perfectly fine. I play all styles and do alot of recording and this bass would be great for any situation either live or in the studio. It has the most usable natural tones than any other 5st I've played or owned.

The bass was set up very well right from the shop. The action was low without fret buzz and the pickups were adjusted right for the overall design of the bass. There were no flaws in the construction and fretwork that I could see. It has a super tight deep set-in bolt on neck that has remained very stable and reliable. I only had to adjust it once as the humidity has increased over the spring- something that is not uncommon. This is a hand made bass and it is obvious that the manufacturer takes great care in the quality of the construction, finish, and set up. I honestly have no complaints.

I have done mostly studio work with it but I can tell you after owning many well built high end basses that this one is more than solid enough to take consistent hard gigging. The hardware is first rate, the laquered finish is not too "thin" and feels very durable. The neck joint is like a rock and the battery lasts. I have no hesitation in taking this bass into any situation.

The guys at FBass are very friendly, professional, knowledgable, and care about the customer's concerns. Every time I've talked to them about my purchase, either before delivery or after, they have been all of the above.

I've been playing bass for 27 years and currently own several Jazz Basses. This bass, far and away, is the closest match to my Jazzes in a 5st and even alot more. The single coil option, natural sounding tone controls, and passive tone control feature help make this true. The body shape is not another Jazz Bass style copy but original to FBass and is both classic and modern at the same time. The playability of the neck is superb and the 34 1/2" scale gives it a traditional feel yet with a tight solid B string. The best of both worlds. Since my bias is towards J basses, someone who has to have a P bass sound or an "exotic" wood bass with a more exaggerated midrange and a glossier "sheen" may want to check out some other basses. But they should give this one a drive anyways. A first class professional instrument in every department, and a bargain considering you probebly wont have to shell out another nickel or loose another dime looking for yet another bass.

I purchased my F-Bass directly from the maker, as his shop is close to me. I have done business with George Furlanetto for years, and have been very happy about the relationship. This is my third F-Bass.
The BN-6 is a 35" scale, six-string, with pre-amp, and two soap-bar style pickups. The pickups are custom-made by F-Bass, and the covers are made of the same wood that is used for the body. The body is swamp ash, and mine had a flamed-maple top with a lovely see-through purple finish. The 24-fret neck is 3-piece, quarter-sawn maple, with a pau-ferro fingerboard. The neck is a bolt-on. Oh, and it's pretty light, and with the long horn design, well-balanced. Real easy on the system.
Tuners are Gotoh, and the bridge is a Hip-Shot. A gig-bag, and adjustment tools are included.

Well, this thing sounds great. Not only does it sound great, but it sounds great in as many different ways as you want to tweak the knobs. I play in a rock band, a country rock band, and a jazz-fusion band (hey, you've got to make a living!), and this bass is at home in all of them. I use this bass with a GK 800RB, bi-amped through an SWR 2-10, and a Hartke 1-15. The bass is dead-quiet, and we play lots of rooms with very questionable wiring. You can do just about anything, and the B-string is just thundering, warm, deep. She is strung with Labella Super-Steps, which only have the core passing over the bridge, which makes for very fine intonation. Depending on how you twiddle the knobs, this bass can produce most tones you could ever need, and boy, do I need lots of tones.

This is an expensive instrument, and you expect it to be made right. Fortunately, I found this to be very true. Factory setup was very good, and although I made some adjustments ( I am VERY picky in my setup), factory specs would be good for most players. One thing that impressed me was quality of workmanship in general. The pickup covers, and cover plate for the electronics are made from the same wood as the body, and all are carefully grain-matched. This must take some work! Fretwork was near flawless, as was hardware installation.
Action was set up at what I would call low-medium. I adjusted it even lower, and guess what?no buzzes! You can really fly on this thing. All in all, quality and price are in balance.

I play this bass live every week. Because it is so flexible in terms of sound, range, and is so easy to play, I use it almost exclusively, considering that I don't always have the room on stage for 4 or 5 basses. Everything is holding up well after nearly 2 years. I have worn the finish somewhat at my favourite thumb position on the body, but I have done that with every bass I have ever owned. I also had a strap button loosen off on me, but a shot of crazy glue, and a re-tighten seems to have solved the problem. This this is build to last, as my older F-Basses can attest. I have never had to adjust the truss rod, after settling on a string gauge. Although, the time I did, it was relatively simple, and the correct wrench for the adjustment is provided with the bass.
I usually use this as my only bass on a gig, and it doesn't worry me.

F-Bass offers a lifetime limited warranty on their basses. I have never had to have any of my F-Basses in for warranty service, so I can't say anything about that. But, as I live close to the factory, I have my basses serviced there (fret dresses, etc.), and the service and workmanship is as it is on the basses, excellent, if not cheap.

I have been playing bass for about 25 years now, and am a firm F-Bass convert. I also have a fretless 4-String F-Bass, a fretted 4-string F-Bass, and an original 1960 stacked-pot Fender Jazz Bass. And a couple others. I do know my way around the bass. The F-Bass is simple. It is an extremely well-made professional instrument, designed for heavy-duty use, with excellent sound and playability. For that, you pay a lot. These are very expensive instruments, but you get what you pay for. For those who are looking at spending a lot, and are looking for something to last a lifetime, consider the F-Bass. I will be back, looking for my next bass, a six-string fretless!