F-Bass BN5

2007 Canadian made F Bass BN5 five string fretted bass. 22 frets, one piece ash body with a maple neck and finger board. Proprietary F Bass soap bar pickups with humbucking or single-coil switching,volume,volume,tone configuration,and active/passive operation. P Blue burst finish Hipshot bridge, and I believe the tuners are Gotoh. 34.5" scale and came with a Gator hardshell case.

This bass sounds amazing, the best bass I have ever played. It has a great full range sound with just the pickups all the way up and no boost going on. From there you can get just about any sound you want by favouring one of the pickups, or adding a little mid-range boost.

I play hard rock and metal music, and this bass cuts through and sounds great. I was really surprised because I've heard so many people say that this bass isn't overly aggressive sounding. I have an Ibanez BTB with the F Bass preamp in it - and it isn't even in the same ball park as this bass. I don't know if it's George Furlanetto's custom pickups, the woods he chooses or some secret mojo that blends everything all together but this bass seriously puts the Ibanez to shame.
George is a genius as far as I'm concerned. I wasn't originally a fan of the volume, volume setup - but hearing is believing. The amount of nuances you can get out of the bass with a slight turn of either volume know is definitely noticeable. Then when you factor in the tone control - it's game over. As others have mentioned, it works at all times whether you're in passive or active mode, and it's great if you want to roll off the brightness without reaching for your amp.
I think you can get just about any sound with this bass, if not - you're not trying hard enough.

I live close to the factory, and the bass was delivered comfortably by car to my home while being cradled in the high quality Gator hardshell case (with a brief stop over at the dealers shop www.ultimatebasses.ca) - so needless to say it was in great shape by the time I got my hands on it. The bass was in tune, and set-up to perfection. Everything was solid and sounding great, even unplugged. These F Basses sure look pretty when you see them online, but when you hold it in your hands you can appreciate how solid and substantial they feel - ain't nothing flimsy on this puppy!
I'm not saying the bass is heavy either - while it must weigh somewhere in the 10lb neighbourhood (sorry, I haven't weighed it) it's balanced so well that it hasn't bothered me at all. The neck and fretboard are a joy to navigate - I feel like the flood gates of creativity are thrown wide open with the bass, like I can play anything I feel like without the instrument holding me back.

I've had the bass for about 15 months now, and it rarely needs to be tuned. The hardware is top notch and should easily last a life time. I love the wood pickup and control cavity covers, and even the stylized "F" logo on the back of the tuners. I would use this bass at a gig without a backup EASILY - but I wouldn't let it out of my sight for an instant!

The finish gets a lot of criticism, but I haven't had any issues without it - except one. I wanted to take a peek into the control cavity and had a hard time removing the cover. Silly me, I used a finger nail to attempt to pry it loose and a small chip came off the finish. I believe the finish is nitro, and I've heard that George now offers a sturdier version - I'm not sure if it was before or after I got mine. Anyway - that's a slight flaw in the bass, but I don't mind having my bass age with me over time. Also worth noting - I've had no problems on the working end of the bass - namely the finish on and around the pick up covers - keep your nails and other pointy objects away from this bass and you should be fine!

George Furlanetto stands behind his products, and having a lifetime warranty on materials and construction gives a lot of peace of mind. It's a big part of the reason why I can justify spending this much on a bass guitar. I'm a short drive away from George so I know that if there are any problems, I can just pop in.

I don't expect to need to call George on any warranty issues - the bass is a tank and sounds amazing, but I have met George in the past (when he installed the F Bass preamp in my Ibanez) and he was a great person to deal with, so I don't think there are any issues in that regard.

I've been playing bass guitar for about 18 years now, and in that time I've had six other basses go through my hands: a 4 string P-bass no name copy, an Ibanez X-serious 4 string, an Ibanez SDGR 1205 5 string bass, a Spector 5 string, a Washburn AB-10 4 string electric/acoustic bass and an Ibanez BTB505. None of these were in the same league as this F Bass, but I'm here to tell you that you're not just paying for a name on a headstock, the BN5 makes the best of these seem like I was playing a brick instead of an instrument.
My rig is a Trace Elliot AH400SMX into a Trace 4x10 cabinet with horn - I've used it since 1998 and the BN5 sounds so good that I'm hearing new sides to my amp that I never noticed before! It's almost like getting a new amp! I took my time getting this bass, I've been admiring F Basses from afar since 2000, and then in 2004 got the preamp in my Ibanez installed and somehow lasted until 2006 without even playing one. Once I did I knew that I had to have one and it finally arrived in fall 2007 - no regrets, no buyers remorse, for me this bass lived up to all the greatness I've heard about it - which is no small feat! I'm not saying this bass is for everyone, but I'm glad I took my time and waited for the real thing, for me the F Bass is my bass nirvana!
If it was lost or stolen I'd go insane - definitely would get my hands on another even if I had to go used on Ebay. I love everything about it, but first and fore most - it's the tone. The tone was such an eye-opener for me, since I spent the better part of my early years buying basses solely on their looks (big mistake). As good as the F Bass BN5 looks - it sounds even better. Then the bass feels as if its a part of me, so this is my ultimate bass for sure.
I think George Furlanetto should be commended for having a vision and creating a bass with its own look and sound, while borrowing the essentials from the book of Fender. George brought modern refinements to the Fender recipe and produced a masterpiece. He also made sure that the bass fits and feels great, and has a toolbox worth of features that apply in the real-world of gigs and recording. The electronics don't guzzle batteries, and you simply can't make this bass sound bad. I thank George for standing his ground on his choice of finishes, I love that he chooses tone over looks (hard to believe when you see how dead-sexy the F Bass is!) - others were complaining about the nitro finish, but he wouldn't switch until he could come up with something else that was more durable without sacrificing the tone! There's a man with some integrity!
Also - many slagged George for not offering a hardshell case, I was actually looking forward to getting a gig bag and lo-and-behold, mine came in a hardshell case! The dealer I purchased the bass from chose it, and I opted to keep it (once I saw how nice it was) but was told that George now offers the gig bag, the hardshell case, and a sort of gig-bag case (for lack of a better word) that isn't quite as durable as the Gator hardshell case. George is listening, and he's not afraid to make a change for the better.
Can you get away with spending less money on a bass? Sure, but you'll never know what hit you if you give one of these basses a try. I find I don't need to hunt for the right tone anymore, now I can choose any of a number of fantastic sounds by adjusting perhaps one knob, switching techniques, or moving my right hand closer to or further from the bridge. Thanks George and all the crew at F Bass for making me this killer bass, and thanks to Dave at Ultimate Basses for making my dream bass a reality!
If you want to check out another spin on this review, you can visit this link http://bassguitarrocks.com/2007/12/f-bass-bn5-review-part-1-2/ I plan to get some video footage of the bass in action soon, check it out.

Medium weight ash body with enhanced grain. Natural with black grain and black hardware. The bridge is a hipshot style "B" and the tuners are Gotoh, I believe. Scale length is 34.5 inches, 22 frets, and maple fingerboard. You all know this bass, right? If you really want to know more go to http://www.fbass.com. These basses are beautiful to behold in person.

Came with nice F Bass gig bag, wrenches, warranty registration, and literature. Bass Central, from whom I purchased this bass, included two sets of F-Bass strings.

The bass arrived with dead strings. I was surprised, but not disappointed with F Bass, as it was clear to me that this bass had been displayed in store. I put on a brand new set of F Bass strings, adjusted the truss rod, and then made some slight adjustments to the bridge saddles. I have done these sorts of adjustments before, but I decided to email F Bass to ask how they do their string height measurements. George Furlanetto suggested that I not forget that feel is an important factor in set up, and that I don't need to go strictly by the number on my plastic ruler. Good advice. A few more adjustments had this bass playing really nicely.

I have seen on the web where people have claimed that they either could or could not get a Marcus sound from their BN-5s. My EBS HD-350 is in the shop so I will have to reserve judgment. I do find, though, that I get an excellent slapped tone. Some have commented that there is too much space between the body and the strings. I can see how this would be a concern, especially if you are used to playing a Fender-style bass. Personally, I do not find playability to be an issue, while slapping or playing finger style--and I love the string spacing. Love it. Also, the thickness of the neck, not to be confused with the width, is a bit more than I'm used to. However, the neck is not uncomfortable, and in my opinion it makes this bass feel more like a legitimate stringed instrument. The 34.5" scale length feels normal, and the "B" string sound great. I also own a Dingwall and have therefore grown used to hearing a strong "B" string. I do not, however, think that scale length is the only factor in getting a good "B" string response as I own a 34" scale 5-string Fender copy that also has a solid "B" string. Still, the extended scale length probably helps.

The sound of this bass was really surprising because looking at it you would expect it to sound like what the astronauts play. Not so. It sounds very Fender-like, in my opinion. Very organic. You do, however, get quite a bit more tweakability with the BN-5 than with a stock Fender. There is a veritable sm??rg??sbord of tone-twiddling at your fingertips with the treble, mid, and bass boosts, as well as the passive tone control and bypass knob. One thing worth noting, however, is that the controls have a somewhat muted affect on the overall tone. No mid-range honk. No boominess that you would expect when boosting some bass controls. Maybe a little hiss with both trebles knobs all the way up, but not bad at all. According to the F-Bass literature, boosting treble, mid, and bass on the F-Bass preamp will not raise the overall signal level. Very clever.

No flaws that I can find. Set-up was okay, but I expected I would need to make a few adjustmenst. Overall, I was very happy.

Seems quite sturdy, although I don't advise being a dumb *** with it. If you are still a dumb ***, buy a cluncker.

The gig bag is nice, but it is not as nice as my Pro Tec case. I would put this bass in my Pro Tec case if I were unsure of the amount of abuse it might be subjected to in transit. If I'm going to a local gig, the F Bass gig bag is just fine.

My one interaction with F Bass was quite satisfactory. Other F Bass owners seem to be quite happy with the customer support.

This bass is exactly what I thought it would be, and with the U.S. dollar tanking I bought it before the F Bass prices increase (i.e., I bought it at Bass Central's "old" price).

I have one minor gripe, which I mentioned to George Furlanetto, and that is I would like to see the tops of the pickup covers more closely match the radius of the fingerboard. In my opinion, it would be preferable if all the strings were the same distance away from the tops of the pickup covers. I notice that there is less room when you want really want "dig in" to the middle strings because they are slightly closer to the tops of the pickups. This is most noticeable when resting your thumb on the rear pickup.

All and all, though, this bass is what I wanted and expected.

I have the BN5 ; maple neck, sunburst finish, 22 fretts, la bella strings on the bass, gig bag, and a shirt for which I couldn't give less a f%?* about.(Rather get a set of ernie ball...)If I'm not mistaken, it was made this year (2006)

Amazing instrument!! So far so good (only had it for 1 month)...I was affraid it would be one of those basses that sounds fantastic when you r playing it by yourself, and not as good when played in a band setting. I have a few basses, and this one is the most versatile ; Great for slapping,(even too punchy sometimes), more discrete when played finger style, but still present and cuts nicelly through the mix...Use it with a Mesa Boogie Walkabout, and 2 cabs (SWR 4x10 an eden 2x10) Everything was flat! Didn t need to boost the mids or anything...and I had a sound I ve been lookig for for a long time.The only thing, and it s not really a bad thing, is that the slapping tone is very "fusion" like. Which is cool, but might be a bit much if you want something a little more subtle...
It s like buying a jazz bass with an amazing B string! It s huge, it s deep, and it is very equal to the rest of the strings....

The action was amazing when tried at the store, but Canada being Canada, the cold weather did a great job, my bass is now buzzing a lot, and the intonation is not great. But it s understandable, and I get a free set up at the store (Archambault) where I bought it...
The bass loooks and feel great though!

When paying that much for an instrument, you take extra care of it. I m sure it will last long, I have other basses better suited for scratches and blues gigs...

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The good : already been said

The bad : Gig bag for a 3500$ bass?!?
When the tone knob (or bridge pick up knob) is raised (in passive or humbucker mode), too much volume is lost. Almost half the gain is gone!! I guess it s the way it works. But realisticaly, when your playing live (unless having a volume pedal)you have to adjust your settings without relying on going passive during the show... it s a bummer cause the passive ton is nice too!
Didn't change the battery yet, but it s going to be a pain in the ass compare to my music man....too bad there is no compartment and that you have to unscrew the back plate..But , a wiser man then myself previously said that it would of ruined the beautiful back of the instrument. Very true!
Overall ; Amazing, amazing, amazing job!!! I don t regret a penny spend on this bass!!!Broke but happy....

Made in 2004 in Canada, eh? <p>

My BN-5 has all of the usual technical specs, which you can read about below, or at www.fbass.com. George Furlanetto builds just about everything on these instruments, except for the hardware (Gotoh tuners, Hipshot bridge, strap buttons). Everything else, from the pickups he winds to the preamps he builds to the exquisite hand-lathed ebony knobs he turns, are 100% his own.<p>

This particular bass is graced with a flamed/quilted maple top finished in a glorious amber sunburst. A unique feature is the hand-shaved flame maple binding that runs all the way around the body and headstock. You can see my baby by visiting www.thegrooveshoppe.com, and checking out the "Groove Louvre" (click on the Mona Lisa). She's the first F-Bass to make it into this gallery of extraordinary basses.<p>

The compound radius neck is a wonder. It's really noticable if you're playing above the seventh fret on your high strings. Feels like a Strat neck up there, very thin and fast.<p>

I'll be talking about the electronics below, which I believe give the bass all the useful "features" anyone would ever really need. I'm dinging George one point for the gig bag. It's an OK bag (Levy's), but really, a $3500 hand-built instrument deserves a hard case. I was going to ding another point for the lack of a separate battery compartment (you have to unscrew the whole control cover to access batteries), but when I look at the bass, I think this might have been intentional. George matches the grain perfectly on the control cover, it's obvious that he's concerned about the aesthetics of the back of the instrument as well as the front. So maybe he didn't want a plastic battery hatch messing up the smooth look. That's cool.

I play praise and worship (which means everything from rock to country to gospel to funk to Celtic to reggae, we have a very open-minded music director), and also do some "adult contemporary" loungy club things on occasion. I also attend a regular blues jam, and dabble in dub style in my home studio.<p>

I am running the bass straight into an Eden CXC112 with an Eden D212XLT extension cab. This gives me 420 watts into three 12" speakers (both the cab and the combo are ported, the cab has a tweeter as well). What can I say? I like twelves.

I think what I've always been looking for in my 30+ years of bass playing is a high-tech, feature-rich custom five string bass that sounds like and old Fender. I never expected this quest would last so many years and result in so many disappointments, because it seems like a no-brainer. But the problem with most five-strings, at least for my style of playing (95% finger style), is that the electronics are just too hi-fi. I love the neck on a Ken Smith, but the sound is simply too hyper and brittle for my taste. Also, I find that a lot of high-end basses have too many knobs and switches... it's too easy to lose that sound you love, or accidently switch in a tone that's not really usable in a real-world setting.<p>

What George Furlanetto has done with the BN-5 is create a five-string bass that is incapable of producing a bad sound. The electronics are unconventional: while you have the usual volume pot for each pickup, the EQ section features bass-middle-high boost only (no cut) and a master tone control, that doubles as a passive switch when pulled out. What this means in practical use is that it's really tough to honk up the naturally gorgeous tone of the instrument with stupid EQ settings.<p>

If you start with both pickups up full, the EQ flat (all the way counter-clockwise), and the master tone full open, you get the "natural" sound of the bass. It is, quite frankly, the sweetest, richest, warmest, most singing tone I have ever heard out of a bass guitar, period. String-to-string volume is dead even (including the low B, which miraculously sounds like it's part of the same instrument), and the tone and sustain continue all the way up the neck, with no dead spots on the ebony fingerboard. From this point, you can just roll the master tone knob back like a passive Jazz bass, and go from bright and snappy to very dark and thumpy. With the master tone all the way down and the bridge pickup rolled back a bit, you can nail that Robbie Shakespeare tone with ease.<p>

The active EQ section can help you overcome problems with a particular venue, or just allow you to set yourself differently in the mix. All of the frequency ranges and overlap of EQ bands are incredibly musical. The mid control is especially sweet... it's in the lower end of the midrange, so it allows you more projection in the mix while still retaining the sound of a BASS (no nasal goose-honk here... man, if there's one trend in bass preamps that I HATE, it's the mid-boost that helps you "cut through the mix" by making your bass sound like a kazoo). The high EQ boost will allow you to get a snare-like snap into your slap sound if you're into that... of course if you go full clockwise and have the master tone wide open, you will introduce a bit of hiss (worth noting here that this is the ONLY setting where you'll hear anything like noise coming out of this instrument). The bass EQ allows you to roar like thunder; at full crank, it's just huge.<p>

Overall, the bass works best with a very light hand on the EQ settings, unless you are deliberately going for a particular effect. I have always seen my role as a bass player as a supporting role, so I like to help prop everything up without ever drawing undue attention. You CAN do the Victor Wooten thing with this bass, but you can probably do it better with a Fodera. While I have utmost respect for

As near to perfection as one can come when working with a natural substance like wood. Finish is brilliant (man, that COLOR!), everything is absolutely clean and straight and flush and, well, perfect. The pickup covers are wood, cut from the flame maple top and matched perfectly with the grain and flame. Now THAT'S attention to detail!<p>

Action came set low, to my liking for finger style... serious slappers would probably want to raise it a bit. I'm dinging one point for the intonation, which was off by quite a bit. Thankfully, fifteen minutes with a tuner and a small phillips head screwdriver put that right.

I've only had it a few weeks. But it's obvious that the materials are all first-rate. George's web site has photos of guys playing older F basses (10+ years). They're all smiling.

Haven't spoken with George personally, but he's got a reputation for being a real pro when it comes to his customer relations. I'm going to call him one of these days just to thank him for building such an amazing instrument.

I've been playing bass and guitar for over thirty years. My other basses are a Pedulla Pentabuzz, a Rick Turner Renaissance fretless five, and a Fender-made Ashbory fretless with silicone rubber strings (fun!). The BN-5 is my only fretted bass. My amp rig is Eden.<p>

Something I wish I had asked before buying the bass? "George, could you make me a matching fretless? And can I get a two-for-one deal?"<p>

Obviously, I have a rider on my homeowner's insurance for my instruments. If you don't have your gear insured, call your agent today. Seriously, then you don't have to worry about the whole "if it were stolen" scenario. But yeah, I'd take the insurance check and send it directly to George and ask him to make me another, no question.<p>

What I love: the tone, the feel, the tone, the looks, the tone, the fit and finish, and the tone. Oh yeah, and the tone. What I hate: nothing. Favorite feature: that would be the tone.<p>

If you're reading this review, I'm guessing you are seriously considering dropping a significant chunk of cash for a custom bass. Good for you. You will probably want to compare all the top dogs as I did: MTD, Fodera, Mike Lull, Zon, Elrick, Roscoe, Pedulla, Sadowsky, Lakland. Heck, I even played a $6000 Ritter (made me nervous!). Everybody's got a different sound in their head, and some people are going to pick up a Modulus and find their bliss. All of these instruments are outstanding in their own way... if I could own one of each, I would! I'd simply recommend that if you're looking at instruments in the $3-5k price range, you should go out of your way to play an F bass before you commit to anything else. George Furlanetto has accomplished a remarkable thing with his basses, giving players all of the high-tech and high-zoot luxury of a custom bass, while still retaining a good dose of the familiar feel and sound of industry stalwart Fender basses. It's an investment, to be sure. But it's an instrument you can commit to for life. I'm personally looking forward to spending more time practicing, and less time worrying about finding and keeping my tone. The BN-5 is definitely a keeper. You can bury me with this baby!

Ok, this is by far the best bass I have ever played. When I was looking to purchase a bass recently, I played almost every high-end bass in Los Angeles and ended up purchasing this bass. It was not cheap, but I was looking for a great low B-string representation. It was the only bass that delivered the goods. There are awesojme 4 string basses for less money, but you HAVE to pay for that 5th string.

My only beef is that it is 22 frets instead of 24.

Incredible. This bass cuts through a mix well, is very clear, warm, and balanced Great for recording direct- no amp needed, just plug into the board.

If you can beleive this, for practicing, my BN5 sounds fantastic plugged directly into a Yamaha MSP5 powered monitor which is ordinarily used for recording.

This bass makes any amp sound decent. Never thought you would hear that one.

Looks f-ing great.

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This bass has changed my whole perspective on music. I am a guitar player by nature, but after getting this beast, I am playing way more bass than guitar, and this bass prompted me to take lessons with the great Bunny Brunel.

I have had this bass for almost 2 years. The Canadian made F-Bass oozes with features right out of the high-qulity gig bag! My bass in particular has a hard ash body finished in black with a 1-piece maple neck and thinner fret wire (22 frets) than what George Furlanetto normally uses. The pickups are some kind of passive custom soapbars (I believe they are made by Duncan/Basslines) and a custom F-Bass preamp that has V-V-T (passive)-B boost-M boost-T boost, the preamp sounds killer but I never use any setting other than the EQ turned all the way. I don't think the preamp is as versatile as my Benavente Vortex 5 but it does sound awesome. The knobs are made of wood (looks like Ebony). The other hardware is first rate all the way, Hipshot B-bridge (on practically every high end bass out there), Hipshot ultra-light tuners finished in brushed silver (sharp), and a bone nut. Absolutely stunning to look at..Gorgeous!

When I first got this bass, I was scared when I picked it up. My first though was "my God what have I done paying this much for a bass"....till I plugged it in. It sounds killer and I mean KILLER! As I mentioned, I only use the EQ with the knobs turned all the way but it cuts through any mix and the "B" string is to die for, period! I haven't found a better combination of woods than good old Ash and Maple. Yeah, you could say it's "Marcus" but it goes beyond that tone-wise. I think it's got a better finger-style tone actually than slap sound. This bass kicks in the studio and goes to tape/disk very well. Live, it fits like a glove in terms of comfort and the balance and weight is perfect (my bass is 9 lbs).

Ok, here is the thing for me..this is not a great slap bass and I don't care where you heard it was (if you did). Anyone used to slapping on a jazz bass with a pickgard (maybe most of us) will not slap happilly on this bass. The string spacing is great but there is too much space between the stings and the body for serious slapping. It's fine if you just do the octave-disco thing. My Benavente Vortex 5 is hands down, a better slap bass. The neck shape/feel is great but a little rounder than my Benavente Vortex 5. I prefer the faster feel of my Benavente Vortex but the F-Bass still feels great and is easy to play. Everything else on the F-Bass is perfect though! Clearly one of the best looking, sounding and playing (for the most part) basses out there. An 8 just because of the slap factor..

This bass has been awesome in the studio and live. To date, I have only had to adjust the bass one time (I live in Colorado, so that's good).. If I was on a desert island would this be my one bass? Yes, but I would have to stop slapping and just play fingerstyle. Still, this bass is a machine and worth the $$ (although I didn't know this till I plugged it in and then recorded with it)..

Iv'e e-mailed and spoken with Georgeand he is great to deal with. He cares very much about opinions and feedback when it comes to his work. A great listener too because I had a lot to tell him when I talked to him....(he asked me what I liked about the bass).

I have been playing for 15 plus years and have probably too much gear. My F-Bass has been used with Eden, Trace Elliot, Tech 21, Fender,etc and it performs no matter what I plug into. I did a lot of research before buying and relied heavily upon my research as I did not have a way to play an F-Bass prior to buying one. Other than the slap-factor, I am really happy with this bass. I have another 5-string for slapping so I'm still very happy with my F-bass purchase. Ist it the bass that will do everything? I've heard many testify that it is, I personally feel it falls short of being the "one" bass but it barely falls short, I'll put it that way. Worth the money....yes but slap it before you say you love it... :o)

My F Bass is a custom ordered Fretted BN5. I received it in March 2004. Mine was built in Ontario, Canada by Geroge Furlanetto (Mr. F). It is a Standard configuration Fretted BN5. The only modification I chose was a Master Volume/Pick-up blend control opposed to two volume controls, one for each pick-up. It has Master Volume, blend, passive tone control. (There is an active/passive switch on a push pull pot) There are also active bass, mid and treble controls (boost only). The Pick ups are Switchable between single coil and dual coil humbucking with a push pull pot on the volume control. The pickups are handmade by F Bass.

Mine has a Quilt Maple top that is AMAZING! I got to choose the wood from George's stock. My BN5 has a Caramelburst Gloss Finish, Swamp Ash Body with enhanced grain, black accent line separating the top from the Body. George also used the accent line at the headstock as well as on the pickups. The detail is stunning. The fingerboard is Birdseye Maple and has incedible figuring and an almost cinnamon coloring to it. It's amazing with the Caramelburst finish of the bass.
The neck is 3 piece quarter sawn Maple. Tuners are Gotoh and they are very smooth and stay in tune forever! The BN5 comes with a Gig bag that is the plushest and best padded gig bag I've ever used. Some have complained that a bass this pricey should come with a case. I personally love this gig bag and think it is incredibly secure.

I play all styles from funk,R&B, blues, Jazz and Classic Rock. This bass does it all! What I wanted was a bass that could cut through the mix and this bass has it in spades. This bass also has the most magic Marcus Miller slap and fingerstyle 70's Fender Jazz Bass tone. Truly this is a super Jazz. But way better. The neck is comfy and the strings are well spaced. The active bass, mid and treble tone controls are useful all the way up and down their boostable range.
The humbucking sound is wonderful but for me, the best magic and mojo of this bass is in Single Coil mode. It's like adding a turbo charger! The sound of the bass is rich, with a brilliant Piano like low B string. There is so much character in the sound of the bass. you can hear the wood, but it can also almost sound like a hi-fi bass, but while retaining the outstanding vintage fullness thoughout the frequency range. The B string is simply mind blowing in the tonality that it delivers all the way down to its lowest note. The bass can sound bright and brilliant, to vintage sounding to warm and dark. All depends on how you set the preamp controls. Simply the BEST preamp I've ever used. I've used EMG's, Bartolini and Aguilar Preamps too! They are great in their own ways, but the F Bass Preamp is simply exceptional. I would give the tone and verstatillity of this bass a 20+.

When it arrived, it came from Cold, wet Ontario Canada through my dealer in Las Vegas to my home in Tucson, AZ. So there was a little bit of a fret buzz as things had shifted from the "plays like butter" action it was configured for at the factory. quick Truss rod adjustment and it has settled in to its new climate and remains stable after a month. So far so good.

Teh fit and finish of the bass was Expert A+++ Master Class. Fret work is the single best I have ever seen.

Time will tell. I've only had it a month. But it sure stays in tune for a week at a time. I did a gig, then went to rehearsal the next day and it was right on the mark still. So far, the bass seems to hold its tune better than any bass I've ever owned. The strap buttons have a very wide flange which helps to insure the bass is not coming off the strap. Love the Bridge and the Tuners. Hardware choices are top notch.

George Furlanetto responded to every single email I sent. And havign ordered the bass, I had a lot of questions and even made a couple changes from the original order. George was so professional and courteous. I could not have asked for a better experience other than the time it took to complete. It seems there is a lot more awareness and interest in F Basses lately, so it took 6 months from date of order until I recceived the bass. Was it worth the wait? I am overwhelmingly happy and joyous. pleased!

I've been playing for over 30 years. I play through a Bergantino HT322 Cabinet with an Ashdown ABM500 EVO head. I also own a Modulus Quantum 5 with EMG's. This is my Desert Island bass. If I were stranded on a Deserted Islanded and could have only one bass, this is the bass I would take. Well, maybe I'd choose one with inflatable pontoons so I could float back to civilization and jam with others. But aside from that, this is my number one Bass! I have owned a pristine Roscoe LG3005, Modulus Quantum, Fender Jazz. I've played Ken Smith's, MTD's, Fodera, Warrior, Hanewinkel, Celinder, Tobias, Spector and more. F Bass is my choice. This is the perfect bass for me. It is what I wanted for a long long time. If you love Marcus Miller's tone, this bass nails it. But it has a lot of other sounds as well. It is versatile, great sounding, cuts through the mix in a badn setting while keeping great tone. It feels great and is well balanced, and beyond nice looking. It is stunning! Love the body shape! I am extremely pleased.

Features as shown @ http://www.fbass.com/specs.htm
This is the fretted, laquered, BN5 model, black (striking against the maple neck).
Came with a LOVERLY Levy's bag (made for the bass?), with the F Bass logo.
It has all the features it needs to be the perfect instrument (for me). Really.

This bass can do anything, I think. The only things it HASN'T done for me is stuff I haven't thought of, or stuff that is beyond my personal envelope. I play funk/jazz fingerstyle, both "techno" influenced driving lines (modified to a jazzier style), ballady melodic-oriented lines, arpegiations. It does dark great, gets bright great, and played with a high right hand and lots of flesh sounds very acoustic in its own way. Handles chordal stuff well, everything seems to resonate AND seperately freakishly well. After 5 years owning this thing I still get woozy thinking about it. I played every other bass in this range, and I MIGHT have gone with a Sadowsky 5 string instead, maybe... but probably not. Even played active, the instrument is very woody and natural if you have any clue about how to play it. Marcus Miller once said something like 'find a bass and commit to it,' and I took the risk with this bass. I have NEVER regretted this relationship, not once, no matter how hard I've pushed it.

I bought her used, I am the second owner to my knowledge. It was still ridiculously beautiful. The neck joint is a work of art, as are the angles of the body. The neck seems to have grown out of my hand in some mystical way seconds before I walked into the shop to play it. George Furlanetto stands behind these instrumenst ABSOLUTELY, responds immediately to questions no matter how many previous owners the bass has had. If anything on one of these basses is less than perfect, I wouldn't be surprised to see him show up at your house to fix it himself, based on my interactions with him...

The bass is elegant, ergonomic AND SOLID. It honestly doesn't seem to age...

I love George Furlanetto. Really. I'd pay full price for the right F Bass WITHOUT the warranty. Um... if I could...
Ask them a question, and they will read your mind and answer questions you forgot to ask.
I'm not kidding, these guys are the best.
Mine was used so I don't really know much about the warranty, though.

I've been playing bass for around 12 years, the rest of my life has been guitar and piano (+ other keyboards).
If anything at all happened to this bass I'd be in therapy the rest of my life.
I love the way this bass looks, feels, plays, inspires, speaks and asks for more.
The only thing I could imagine asking in addition is for it to stay up the rest of the night and write its own lines. (Even though it comes close to doing that now.)

Year made: 2000 in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada
22 Frets, 5 string. Body is solid Swamp Ash
Controls are: neck volume, bridge volume, tone + 3 band active Eq. Also has coil split + preamp onn/off.
Pick-ups are H/H made by F-Bass
Active electronics
Body is solid Swamp Ash. Neck is 3 piece hard rock maple with maple fingerboard.
Finish is translucent Magenta Ceruse on body, Neck is oiled Maple.
Bridge style is quick change Hipshot Chrome.
Tuners are Gotoh chrome
Neck scale is 34.5
Came with a very nice gig bag.

I'm giving this a 9 only 'cause of the gig bag. It's a fairly pricey bass, the only option for a hard case is a large road case on wheels. Too big and too pricey for my needs.

Sound suits my style very well. Lots of options there. I play a couple of different styles, mostly in the funk to Jazz continuum, some harder rock stuff. It cuts thru a band very well. Amps I use are: '70's Fender Bassman 100 tube, Traynor Bassmaster all tube and SWR SM-400S thru 2 Carvin 4x10 cabs. There is so much you can do with the tone, it's hard to not be happy with this bass. The only thing that's a stretch is a real growly Jaco sound... after all, it is a fretted bass. The limited recording I've done with this bass sounds really good. Very flat response. Needs little compression.
I've heard that Seymour Duncan will be making pickups on the future models... interested to seee what that will be like.

I bought it used, set up was not very good. I have heard that these come set up really spiffy from the factory. As far as fit and finish, I have 2 other higher end basses (an Alembic, a made in Chicago Hamer Cruise 5) and the F-Bass is a really beautiful piece. I wanted a thumb rest (there is not really a good place to rest your thumb when playing finger style) and called the factory. George himself answered the phone, made me a custom thumb rest that fits really well. Fretwork is very good. Neck adjustment seems reliable. Did it once, it held the adjustment well. My only negative comment is that the output is not very high. I guess that's why they made amps with volume controls, tho.

The tones you can get out of this bass are amazing. Great slap tones, really nice finger-style tones. Put it thru a tube amp and it's really nice. I heard one played thru a small Ashdown combo that sounded really awesome.

This bass is very solid. I would use it on gigs with no back up. One nice thing is being able to use it without the preamp in case the battery dies. My other active basses do not have that feature and are unusable without batteries.

Finish is really good. Hardware is as good as anything I've seen.

I think the warranty is lifetime for materials and labor. I called a couple of times to have questions answered, talked to and emailed George, response was excellant.

Been playing since the 1970's with a 12 year hiatus. Have several other basses and guitars (Alembic Elan, Hamer USA 2Tek Cruise 5, Gibson Howard Roberts, G&L Legacy and a couple of others). I'd definately get another if lost or stolen. This bass is really hard to beat. The clarity of the tone is amazing. It really cuts thru a band without being overly loud. The 3 band EQ is really nice 'cause you can get whatever you want. One great feature is the bass control knob. I hate having an overly loud bottom end. You can easily cut down on the boom with this.

It's a really great bass and easy to play. Feels a lot like a Jazz but a much better piece all the way around. Very tough and reliable road-worthy instrument.

The F bass are made in Canada, Ontario. It is handcraft. There is 22 frets and 5 strings. The body is made of ash, cerise. My neck is a rosewood.

The sound is beautilfull for slap and pop

I am the third owner and it is in a good condition.

Garanty all the life

Very good bas, but $$$

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!