AttitudeCastle Posted April 10, 2011 Share Posted April 10, 2011 Billy Sheehan? Yamaha have him on board! I LOVE Yamaha basses, never played a bad one, and i feel they have buckets of character in the way they play and sound, where as fenders (minus a few!) sound and feel a little bland to me personally BUT i see why so many people swear by Fender! They are still great and the Mainstay of the guitar/bass world. The TRB5 II and TRB6 II are the greatest basses i've ever felt, i wasn't hugely keen on the tone but my tone is funny and naff anyway but they felt like they were worth every penny on the price tag! The RBX range are awesome, look awesome (to me!) and sound awesome! (to me!) But discontinuing the 774 and 775 was a poor decision, that was when John Myung started playing the Bongo, and then they lost a few other artists, Troy Sanders from Mastodon the only one that i can remember off the top of my head. The 775/775 looked even better and played and sounded even better! The TRBs are fantastic and i'm currently saving for a TRB1006, also played a few of the BB2000 and BB3000 re-issues, along side the BB414s and BB424 they have all had the feel of quality. And i rate the RBX170 and 270J as some of the best Started intruments/Budget instruments on the market! They are having trouble breaking into the Guitar/Bass world properly, and i see the same thing in the orchestral world! Yamaha is a name no one discredits, but no one goes "Oh wow! You play a Yamaha!" Though (much like Ibanez) are willing to do and try anything which really helps them grow as a company, i would go on a Trombone based example rant but i'll resist Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RhysP Posted April 10, 2011 Share Posted April 10, 2011 [quote name='parker_muse' post='1194100' date='Apr 9 2011, 09:59 PM']....Yet Yamaha have been around for 30 years......[/quote] Quite a bit longer than that actually! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stingrayPete1977 Posted April 10, 2011 Share Posted April 10, 2011 [quote name='Vibrating G String' post='1194341' date='Apr 10 2011, 10:08 AM']In the US buying Japanese is considered un patriotic. Though it's more China these days but they Japanese stigma is still very strong.[/quote] Many US players have been playing Ibanez though so Im not so sure? Vai, Satch etc etc and in the bass world lots of the very heavy bands have been trashing Ibanez'zzz (Ibanaii?) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Doddy Posted April 10, 2011 Share Posted April 10, 2011 There is a reason why Will Lee often uses a Yamaha in the studio. There are loads of photos floating around of him playing a purpleburst with gold hardware Yamaha in favour of his Sadowsky. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lorne Posted April 10, 2011 Share Posted April 10, 2011 I wouldn't swap my Yamaha's for a F**nder or G**son either, in fact I wouldn't have swapped the Attitude LTD (That gave me no end of problems) for one either Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mog Posted April 10, 2011 Share Posted April 10, 2011 I dont think its a matter of being under rated. IMO it comes down to what is portrayed in the media (Fender, Gibson, Ampeg etc.), and a lack of availability. Theres not many stores who stock a wide range of Yamaha basses in comparsion to Fender et. al. Most musicians I know have had a Yamaha somewhere along the line. Many go on to buy the usual brand names but usually they will keep the Yamaha also because they know exactly what it can do. The same could be said of Hohner and Aria. Both companies used to produce instruments that were just as good as Fender or Gibson but fell away because they couldnt compete with the marketing of the larger companies. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DaveB Posted April 10, 2011 Share Posted April 10, 2011 [quote name='4 Strings' post='1194174' date='Apr 9 2011, 11:47 PM']Apart from snobbishness, I would add blandness. I've never played a bad one either (haven't played many I'll admit) and heard only good reports but ... what is there to attract? Seems rather characterless somehow.[/quote] Any more bland than another Fender P-bass??? [quote name='benebass' post='1194311' date='Apr 10 2011, 09:13 AM']I've always thought that the fact that Yamaha haven't diversified with branding has stopped them from being accepted as a pro instrument by some. Fender have Squier, Gibson have Epiphone etc., but a Yamaha's always a Yamaha whether it's a RBX or a TRB. I think this does put some people off taking the higher end stuff seriously. Personally, I think they make consistently decent instruments at every price level, but can see how they are perceived as being a bit safe by some. Funnily enough, I had a SBV for a while & although it looked a bit mad, I thought it sounded more like a traditional Jazz than a lot of modern Fenders... Cheers, B.[/quote] I think it comes down to experience. When I went out to buy a 5 string I settled on an RBX375 as all the other (new) basses I tried up up around my £600 budget didn't feel or sound as nice, nice looking instrument as well. That was 18 months ago and it has just broken for the 4th time. It was a good instrument when it worked but this has put me off Yamaha now. I know the more expensive gear will be better quality but my first bass was a £120 squire p-bass and that still works fine 12 years later. A £320 Yamaha breaks four times in 18 months along crap customer service stops me being a Yamaha customer again. The Billy Sheehan signature has always appealed to get at some point but I don't think so now. When i've got some spart cash one day I'll rip all the electronics out and start again on this bass. On the save for a decent 5 string now, looking at Warwick Infinity or a Roscoe as this has put me off cheap gear completely. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DaveB Posted April 10, 2011 Share Posted April 10, 2011 [quote name='Lorne' post='1194483' date='Apr 10 2011, 12:14 PM']in fact I wouldn't have swapped the Attitude LTD (That gave me no end of problems) for one either[/quote] Ok this has definatly cemented my decision now. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
parker_muse Posted April 10, 2011 Author Share Posted April 10, 2011 This topic has certainly cemented what i think about Yamahas! Just need people to buy some things so i can get that tasty TRB 1004... Tom Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stingrayPete1977 Posted April 10, 2011 Share Posted April 10, 2011 The Yamaha Attitude at manchester BassDay last year was falling to bits! If I had been in charge I would of hid it away until a better example could of been found not good when Billy Sheehan is stood 8 foot away from it is it? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mog Posted April 10, 2011 Share Posted April 10, 2011 [attachment=77104:1_023_02...BG5_blue.jpg] [attachment=77103:yamaha_amber.jpg] [attachment=77102:20100924_1060508.jpg] [attachment=77105:5996.jpg] Dunno about bland. These are some of the finest looking basses I've seen. Sound wise they're great too. I'll take stock Yamahammer pups any day. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AttitudeCastle Posted April 10, 2011 Share Posted April 10, 2011 [quote name='DaveB' post='1194487' date='Apr 10 2011, 12:19 PM']Any more bland than another Fender P-bass??? I think it comes down to experience. When I went out to buy a 5 string I settled on an RBX375 as all the other (new) basses I tried up up around my £600 budget didn't feel or sound as nice, nice looking instrument as well. That was 18 months ago and it has just broken for the 4th time. It was a good instrument when it worked but this has put me off Yamaha now. I know the more expensive gear will be better quality but my first bass was a £120 squire p-bass and that still works fine 12 years later. A £320 Yamaha breaks four times in 18 months along crap customer service stops me being a Yamaha customer again. The Billy Sheehan signature has always appealed to get at some point but I don't think so now. When i've got some spart cash one day I'll rip all the electronics out and start again on this bass. On the save for a decent 5 string now, looking at Warwick Infinity or a Roscoe as this has put me off cheap gear completely.[/quote] Who were you dealing with? I've always found Yamaha customer service amazing! And all my Yamaha stuff has seemed bomb proof And that sounds Horrible about that Attitude at the show! What was wrong with it? Mine is solid as a rock, though the neck is MASSIVE, same as the Fender Steve Harris, but with custom "width" along the neck Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomBassmonkey Posted April 10, 2011 Share Posted April 10, 2011 While I know that Yammies are good value, well made instruments, they've never inspired me. I find them dull or ugly to look at and they somehow feel cheap (while I recognise they are well made, there's just something about them that doesn't feel that way in my hands) to play. I've been tempted to take the plunge on a couple of the TRBs that have been floating around recently but I couldn't make myself do it in the end. It might just be me, I have the same thing with some other highly rated basses like the Ibanez SRs, even the prestige ones somehow look cheap and boring to me and when I've played them they've never made me think "wow". I've probably just not found on that suits me yet, I thought the same thing about Fenders for years then I had a go on a MIM Jazz in a shop a while back and it blew me away, I ended up getting a Jazz (not a Fender, admittedly) and I love it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Len_derby Posted April 10, 2011 Share Posted April 10, 2011 AAArrrrgg. This thread has just given me terrible GAS for another Yamaha. I don't think anyone's mentioned fretless, so I'll just put my oar in for the BBN4F I've got. Black, and strung with Rotosound Tru-bass black nylon coated flats it looks and sounds the Dog's Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DaveB Posted April 10, 2011 Share Posted April 10, 2011 [quote name='AttitudeCastle' post='1194534' date='Apr 10 2011, 01:06 PM']Who were you dealing with? I've always found Yamaha customer service amazing! And all my Yamaha stuff has seemed bomb proof [/quote] The repair department when it got sent back from a local music shop, they gave me such bull sh*t excuses and fobbed me off. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AttitudeCastle Posted April 10, 2011 Share Posted April 10, 2011 [quote name='DaveB' post='1194572' date='Apr 10 2011, 01:37 PM']The repair department when it got sent back from a local music shop, they gave me such bull sh*t excuses and fobbed me off.[/quote] What did they say? Thats a fair reason! I was on the phone with the repair guys just to talk about some older models and how they delt with repairs! Maybe i was just lucky, who knows! And yeah Thom, i get the opposite if you know what i mean? Minus the flattish tone of the Ibanez's i get blown away by Yamahas and the most expensive Srs but that unimpressed feel with Fenders! So as always, its another horses for courses situation! We've got the same taste in Amps and Warwicks though Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lorne Posted April 10, 2011 Share Posted April 10, 2011 Another -1 for Yamaha's "Attitude" from the warranty or spares department, on both a LTD Attitude and RBX 6JM, but it's wayyyyyyyyyy tooo long to type Doesn't mean the basses are sh*te though Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TRBboy Posted April 10, 2011 Share Posted April 10, 2011 M[quote name='parker_muse' post='1194100' date='Apr 9 2011, 09:59 PM']When you think of great basses - its always the classics that come to mind. Fenders, Gibsons, G+L, Musicman etc etc. Yet Yamaha have been around for 30 years and always seem the 'geeky brother' of the bass world. I'd never really sat down and had a go on a yammy until a few weeks ago, and i've now played a BB424 and a TRB1004. Both basses were beautiful, sounded smooth (piano tone, so even compared to Fenders i've played) and moreover built like tanks. I've never sat down with something that felt that 'solid'. Now i have major GAS for tom's TRB 1004 on here. What do Yamaha have to do to break into the top tier of bassy conciousness?[/quote] I sold Tom the TRB and I miss it badly! I don't regret buying my Sandberg, I just wish I hadn't had to sell the Yammy to get it. They are awesome, awesome basses and versatile too. Worked just as well for metal gigs as it did for playing at panto! I used to find the 35" scale nice, especially for drop tuning, because the strings still retained a nice amount of tension. Let me know if you buy it, I want to know where it is for when I can afford to buy it back! I've always been a massive Yamaha fan, and have owned quite a few. The quality of components and construction, even on the cheapest models is always perfect, and they are well thought out. I think that a lot of people, subconciously or not, want to feel that their new purchase has boosted their status, and therefore their ego. At the end of the day, if you're buying a bass for the name or the looks, you're buying it for the wrong reasons IMO. For me, feel is most important, followed by sound, and if it looks nice that's a bonus. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomBassmonkey Posted April 10, 2011 Share Posted April 10, 2011 [quote name='AttitudeCastle' post='1194595' date='Apr 10 2011, 01:56 PM']We've got the same taste in Amps and Warwicks though [/quote] True, that. Though sadly my Warwick's been moved on now. I miss it but considering the basses I have as options on the table at the moment, I don't regret it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DaveB Posted April 10, 2011 Share Posted April 10, 2011 [quote name='AttitudeCastle' post='1194595' date='Apr 10 2011, 01:56 PM']What did they say? Thats a fair reason! I was on the phone with the repair guys just to talk about some older models and how they delt with repairs![/quote] Well the first time I lost all sound from instrument, sent it back they replaced something but wouldn't say what but I didn't care as it now worked. Then when it got back I got a massive buzzing when I touched the pickups. Sent it back again, they blamed on me using coated strings which is total bollocks as I used the same strings before it went to them the first time and never had that issue. They refused to hear other wise. At the same time it came back the jack barrel was now knackered. I spent £80 getting a guy to replace the jack barrel and put a lacquer over both pickups to sort out the blatant earthing problem. That fixed that. Then the jack barrel has broken again (I accept this is something I could have done) Now the pickups are giving off a very wierd sound which sounds like an echo/ chorus. [quote name='TRBboy' post='1194637' date='Apr 10 2011, 02:33 PM']The quality of components and construction, even on the cheapest models is always perfect, and they are well thought out.[/quote] Simply put, no it isn't else I wouldn't of had any problems. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DaveB Posted April 10, 2011 Share Posted April 10, 2011 Should also mention as well as the buzzing the first time it came back it also drank a 9v battery in a few hours! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AttitudeCastle Posted April 10, 2011 Share Posted April 10, 2011 Well i encourage you all to try Yamaha again! All my expericences have been semi-recently, as in, in the last few years (2/3) and i've only heard good things about Yamaha and thei service, so maybe they decided to clean things up? Glad your Happy with your Sandberg though! Bet it sounds a killer through the 2001 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stingrayPete1977 Posted April 10, 2011 Share Posted April 10, 2011 [quote name='AttitudeCastle' post='1194534' date='Apr 10 2011, 01:06 PM']Who were you dealing with? And that sounds Horrible about that Attitude at the show! What was wrong with it? Mine is solid as a rock, though the neck is MASSIVE, same as the Fender Steve Harris, but with custom "width" along the neck[/quote] The pots were all loose, One of the jack sockets was playing up, The pups were a bit loose in there housings. The pots were the main issue surely someone could of tightened them up out the back? Terrible. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
captainhaddock Posted April 10, 2011 Share Posted April 10, 2011 I own a pair of trb`s a 1004 and a 1006 and in my opinion they are some of he nicest basses I have ever owned! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Machines Posted April 10, 2011 Share Posted April 10, 2011 I have an RBX775 and have previously had a BB614. They do make very good instruments, the playability and sound is there, but what I struggle to find in them is a little soul. All of their instruments have codenumbers instead of names, this for me can make them a little sterile in character. Of course there's plenty of other manufacturers doing the same thing, but I think Yamaha could do with giving their instruments some more inspiring names to help with the image. It's the same with a lot of Japanese sports bikes/cars... GT-R, 370Z, MX-5, YZF, CBR, GSR etc... all soulless. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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