crazycloud

I want one of those. My singing teacher has one and I've picked it up briefly when there and it looks like a great piece of kit. I have an Artist Guitars NTL1 solidbody nylon which is close enough for me, at the moment, especially at 1/3 the cost of the Yamaha. Mine sits by my bed to practice, noodle and write on. I'm getting my recently replaced cell phone repaired to use as a recorder to write on as I won't take my mobile into that part of the house.

Maybe from your perspective they would, but it doesn't mean from Yamaha's POV they would. A small community online seldom translates to sales and the small number of older one's out there, doesn't add up to sales to me. If Yamaha did limited releases of say 500 units as a once off, they might sell, but it doesn't seem that's their market.

I think Yamaha have a range of designs they're happy with and simply changing them for a difference between this year and last, especially just finishes a la Fender, isn't worth it to them. They make so many different instruments they need to be rational about what will actually sell. For a trad looking bass like the BBs, white, black, blue, TS will sell consistently whereas sparkle pink, or even just a bright yellow will sell far less. I think the caramel TRBX605 is really pretty, but it's not 'traditional' and that alone would put off some buyer (just talking colour here). Yamaha's pianos and AGs are great (own / owned both), they are a known quantity and consistent and why change them?

2001 - 2005. In the Antipodes, that's just around the corner. Can't you go for a drive, or get on one of those weird vehicles that run on ribbons of steel and make a day of it, to try one out? In your hands is really the only way you'll know. Edit: What's return policy like in Blighty? Can't you try, not like and return? Even if you have to eat the return shipping it shouldn't be that big a loss.

Modes.

Shape can't be patented, only copyrighted and they lost that battle decades ago. Yup. PU type and position define the general characteristics of a P type to me, but sadly many will look and determine that a non-FSO is not a P even if they couldn't pick it blind from something else.

I'm not a fan of LEL's reviews for a number of reasons, so I don't give them much credence. The edge on the BTB isn't all that sharp, certainly not as bad as most slab sided basses and guitars. I ordered mine blind, new from a store about 1500km away with no return possible. Sometimes you just have to jump, and adapt. I can only offer the hope that you like them, especially how it feels ergonomically on you as I can't possibly know this far away if you will. I prefer the SRs over the BTB, but not by much and could happily play either exclusively. Don't listen to the squawkers online that deride the tone and tell you that you will need to change the electronics, as they sound fine and are just a bit bland, not having a specific character. It's a bit like someone telling you that this cake tastes horrible when it's coffee cake, and they don't like coffee. Not sure what else to say, but ask and I'll help if I can. PS: The 846v is 33" and 16.5mm spacing so it's an odd duck, but I'm not really fussy about all that as my fave 5 is 34" and 18mm and my newest 6 is 35.5 - 33.6 and 16.5mm (SRMS806) and I'm enjoying it a lot after getting it yesterday.

Now you need to learn about room modes...

I have an 846v (2020) and it's a great bass in all regards. I'm much more of an SR fan as I have several (note avatar) incl a new S/H one yesterday, but there are 3 BTBs I'd happily buy if one was local at a reasonable price even though I need another bass like a hole in the head. No, but I don't rest my forearm on the upper bout either.

I spent the 80s, and 90s playing my XL2, and if it had 2 more strings, I still would be. This. Unless you're tying to do an aesthetically authentic tribute band for a group that you need to look like, eg KISS, Beatles, then no one in the audience will notice or care what you're playing providing it's not too out there, eg Bootsy star bass in the Beatles band.

Doesn't Ca have a law in effect that unless property above $950 in value is stolen then the Police won't act on it? If it came from the dumpster then one could argue it was junk and of no value, even IF the Police were willing to do something. Which they won't be as they have far bigger issues on their plates. In the UK however, if the dumpster diver then made a FB post where someone's feelings were hurt... Remember what today's date is and what happened to Guido.

Looks fine to me, except for that PG, which isn't to my personal tastes, but I'd much rather that than 3TS and tort. If it works for you and does the job, then it seems like it's perfect to me. I had an OLP MM5 years ago (Bass VI style, Musicman Silhouette clone) that was fine sounding, stable and consistent, but I sold it off as I wasn't really using it. Then I bought the Ibanez SRC6 that's in my avatar. I really like the Ibby, but knowing what I do now, I'm not sure it was worth 3x the money. And the painted finish on the MM5 is much better than the Ibanez brown.

No.

A 6+6 would be nice.

Who cares? Leo did this, Leo would have done that... Irrelevant. He's one guy with his own set of opinions and was running commercial enterprises which will have materially affected design decisions (just look at what F and G make today!). His opinion of what he thought best at the time is not important compared to what I want in an instrument now. After all, I'm playing it and paying for it.