F-Bass BN5 5-String Bass, Roasted Birdseye Maple Fretboard, Antique Brown Burst

Player's Perspective

For today's bass enthusiasts, ergonomics, versatility, and reliability are all important qualities of a top-shelf instrument. After having played this beautiful example, we've found that these are qualities F-Bass has brought to the forefront with the 5-string BN5.

This bass immediately catches the eye with its classy vintage-modern aesthetics, combining the classic pairing of a sunburst-finished ash body and maple neck with the modern bass-building methods of today - a smooth antiqued take on the sunburst and a gorgeous roasted birdseye maple neck. The special black hardware adds an aggressive yet classy touch to the instrument.

In addition to the bass' handmade craftsmanship, the ergonomic improvements work a treat, from the easy-playing neck profile to the tweaked body shape that improves the weight distribution and balance of the instrument. Additionally, the slightly-longer 34.5" scale length to accommodate the low B string seems to feel no different tension-wise than a standard 34", but the low B remains tight and punchy in both feel and response, which we really like. The roasted maple neck serves a rather significant functional purpose beyond just looking pretty - the stability provided by the roasting process enables the instrument to be a capable road warrior with far less frequent tweaks to the setup. 

The versatile stacked single-coil pickups, which are individually fully hum-canceling, provide a rock-solid tonal foundation. The pickups work well and sound fantastic used together or individually. The neck growls powerfully while still being recording-friendly, while the bridge pickup stays tight, punchy and focused through any amp setting we tried. And if that wasn't enough, the extremely flexible active preamp can achieve any amount of tone-shaping you need. The controls also have the ability to split the pickups into true single-coils or bypass the active preamp if the song or vibe of the jam calls for it.

For a truly high-level instrument that looks good, feels good, and sounds good, this F-Bass BN5 is as good or better an option than anything else out there.

Item Specifics

The BN5 takes the five-string J-Bass platform to new heights. Handmade in Canada, the BN5 is a result of years of R&D to provide the greatest playing experience F-Bass can offer to the high-end player. The classic swamp ash body with an optimized new shape and smooth-feeling roasted birdseye maple fretboard are a tried-and-true combination of tonewoods, while the premium Gotoh and Hipshot hardware, custom-wound vintage-modern pickups and cutting-edge preamp bring out the best the instrument has to offer. This instrument also comes with Dunlop Dual Design strap locks installed.