NBD - i finally succumbed to 5 string GAS

[Number6]

So as i work all around London for the last few days i've had to walk through Central London and always walk down Denmark St if i get a chance to see what's basses are on show. A couple of days back i noticed in Wunjo's window a Pewter coloured Yamaha TRBX 305.....anyway today i finally decided to give the 5 a whirl having never played one before in my life.

First up i tried a 4 string TRBX 504 as i was still putting off picking up a 5 stringer.....but finally i did and wow what an array of sounds this Yamaha has. The active electrics with five position switch, bass and treble and pup balance give a really wide range of sounds from this instrument. I had a good look over it and first impressions are it looks very well made with a comfortable neck and not too heavy at all.

Tom & Tom were very helpful as always even saying to me that if i don't get on with the 5 string that i could bring it back and they'd order in the 4 for me. Wunjo's really are on the button when it comes to customer service.

The bass seems great and i am going to persevere with 5 strings, i am also now a Yamaha owner which is more or less the same as joining a secret society lol.

Wish me luck......

[mr zed]

Good luck

[miles'tone]

Good luck indeed!
I moved over to a 5 string earlier this year myself and I'm loving it. I just wish I'd got one about 3 bands ago!

Enjoy, and happy NBD!

[Bass_Guardian]

Pics?

[Number6]

Not the best pics i'm affraid.

Pewter colour is nice and i like the body shape. The balance of the bass feels good

[Annoying Twit]

Really nice colour. And everything else.

[thebassist]

Wow that is really, really nice. Congratulations!

[stingrayPete1977]

Cool, I think ebs freak has one the same?

[CamdenRob]

I really think those yamahas trbxs look the business... I love the ergo bodies and those pickups looks great too.

[visog]

Looks like a great bass. Enjoy.

1 more string works so well for bass in terms of how scales and modes fold out over the lower strings.

So much potential for adding those thirds below to make boring triads into a gorgeous tetra-chord 7th.

Key difference is YOUR psychology so get practising those scales over all the strings.

P.S. I my experience Yamaha basses are built like tanks so you're on a journey with this one!

[merlin]

nice bass,want one now.

[Number6]

I have been practicing on it and love it already.....loads of sounds for different styles of play via the controls and switch. The balance seems very good and the overall quality seems impressive.

Thanks for comments guys.

Paul

[dave_bass5]

Nice one, I almost got one a couple of months ago. I ended up with a TRBX505 instead, which for me offered things the 305 doesn't, but played the same.
I was going to sell mine as I'm not sure I really need 5 strings, and I do prefer Jazz basses, but everytime I pick it up I change my mind.
I'll never love mine completely, but I do enjoy playing it, and even more looking at it.

Edited December 13, 2014 by dave_bass5

[krispn]

Paul congrats - having tried to dip the toe into 5'er land a few times when it finally clicked for me was when I stopped trying to throw in the lower notes and basically started to play all my normal parts using the b string notes as my root notes i.e. using the G on the B string in l pace of the E string sort of thing and basically taking all my originals band stuff and moving it 'along and down' where possible to again us the B string. Once I switched my mindset as Visog said I feel that the 5 has actually opened up the fretboard.

I'd bought the 5 primarily for my originals band but actually use it exclusively now. My one other snippet of advice is play the 5 exclusively for a good month or so, don't go back the 4 string no matter how tempting - persevere with it and you'll not look back

[patrikmarky]

Good luck mate ..I moved on to a fiver about 3 years ago ...best thing I ever did ..took a little while ..though I would say I'm pretty
Awfull on 4s now ...I had trbx505 loved the array of sounds and for the money they put a lot of £1000.00 bass's to Shame just wish I'd got black one instead of white ;(..

[dave_bass5]

I was all set to get ether black or white. In the end I went for the brown one.
Normally I'd go for black, and it looked rather nice in the shop, but the White also looked stunning in the flesh. I couldn't decide so I went for a colour I'd never normally go for.

[Number6]

Thanks ALL

This is the first Yamaha i've ever had (apart from a FS1E 50cc motorbike lol) and i am really taken back by the build quality which for the money is excellent 👍

[stingrayPete1977]

All my Yamahas have been two wheeled ones too, but all their basses I've tried have been great except one which strangely was the yamaha stands show piece Billy Sheehan at the bass day a few years ago which was a bit of a fail imo!

5 strings is the correct number imo

[dave_bass5]

All my previous Yamaha encounters were either Keyboards or drum machines. I'd never played a Yamaha bass before this one.
Before seeing the TRBX range I had looked briefly at thier other basses in this sort of price range, but most had that horrible pickup surround that makes them look like a Woolworths bass from the 70's.

[Number6]

My first rehearsal tomorrow with the 5....i'm getting the hang of it slowly but surely. Really like the Yamaha, it's the first Yam i've owned and i can see me looking at other basses in their range in the future.....

Yam Gas.....😨

[DiMarco]

I remember having a hard time to keep the B from ringing when playing my first fiver many years ago.
Having a tight sounding low B is really nice though and nowadays I have to think creative when playing a four string as I incorporate the low B string in my playing a lot, even when playing from E or higher.

[Number6]

Well i rehearsed tonight with the Yam 5'er and all went well.....it is now fully welcomed into my bass collection. Oh and it has a really great feel and sound to it.

So far i'd definitely recommend the Yamaha TRBX 305 👍

[Delberthot]

I played 5s and 6s for about 15 years before going back to a 4 again but I've just bought myself a BB425 which should be delivered today.

I've just joined another wedding/function band after 18 months in a rock band and every time we play Get Lucky I really wish I had that B. Anything higher than that I don't bother about as I have a D tuner on the Precision.

I did have a TRB6-II fretless which doubled as an ironing board. Man that neck was wide.

Always loved the old BB4000 & 5000 so that's part of the reason I went with the 425. Plus I like the idea of the hot output from the pickups and minimal controls

[thebassist]

I went from 4-strings straight to a 6-string and I've played it exclusively since buying it up until a few days ago when I played a 4-string again. The 4-strings actually feel a little bit like toys now

Edited December 28, 2014 by thebassist

[Delberthot]

[quote name='thebassist' timestamp='1419337900' post='2638855']
I went from 4-strings straight to a 6-string and I've played it exlusively since buying it up until a few days ago when I played a 4-string again. The 4-strings actually feel a little bit like toys now
[/quote]

The first time I picked up a 4 again the neck felt like I was holding a pencil in comparison to the 6, especially the Yamaha