The Yamaha BB mega-thread

[Cuzzie]

@dannybuoy Didn’t you know passive basses are a backward step into pre-historic territory 

[bigsmokebass]

Think he's a lover of the BBNE2 with the strictly active EQ. Good bass but got to love a passive one too ✌🏻

@Al Krow definitely try it before you buy. Might not even feel good in your hands, let alone the sound of the pickups. On the flip side, might sound perfect the way it is ✌🏻

[krispn]

Yambassador Krow

I’ve maybe mentioned this before with access to the parametric eq on the Stomp you could ‘recreate’ the on-board preamps of all the major after market manufacturers if you know the set points of their preamps. Then a patch could be made with eq only and saved as per each unit i.e. ‘East Uni-Pre’ etc. Or alternatively in snapshot mode you could save the same basic eq but have the mid set point differently so you have access to perhaps a 250Hz or 440Hz or 700Hz bump with a few dB’s boost already applied and have these names to a particular bass so on a gig you have instant access to the boosted eq. Snapshot mode is very clever!

Based on what you already like and use it should be a pretty straightforward exercise to set up a boost at 700Hz on a eq patch - a quick a/b test should let you hear how close the two sound and off you go! So for example if you Yamaha PJ benefited from some bass cut or mid boost or you Ibanez sounds better with some high mids tamed just a/b until it’s there and Bingo!

The more elegant solution is of course to buy a new bass, buy a new preamp, pay to (have the cavity potential dug out) fit said pre and use it at the occasional wedding gig.

Banter aside I found the Stomp eq and basic tube preamp to be really useful in getting a great time right off the bat. Snapshot mode enables slight tweaks to suit a different room, different bass etc. if one is happy with the core sound. 

[Cuzzie]

Or enlarge the cavity, pop the stomp inside the bass, then things can be tweaked on the fly with no dead time between songs

[Al Krow]

26 minutes ago, krispn said:

Yambassador Krow

Haha - love it! 

Going on my epitaph together with 'generally apathetic'.

Edited April 20, 2019 by Al Krow

[Al Krow]

1 hour ago, dannybuoy said:

This is why you should stick to passive basses Al. If I'm not happy with my preamp I just use a different pedal and don't have to concern myself with what will fit inside my bass!

 

27 minutes ago, krispn said:

I’ve maybe mentioned this before with access to the parametric eq on the Stomp you could ‘recreate’ the on-board preamps of all the major after market manufacturers if you know the set points of their preamps. Then a patch could be made with eq only and saved as per each unit i.e. ‘East Uni-Pre’ etc. Or alternatively in snapshot mode you could save the same basic eq but have the mid set point differently so you have access to perhaps a 250Hz or 440Hz or 700Hz bump with a few dB’s boost already applied and have these names to a particular bass so on a gig you have instant access to the boosted eq. Snapshot mode is very clever!

Based on what you already like and use it should be a pretty straightforward exercise to set up a boost at 700Hz on a eq patch - a quick a/b test should let you hear how close the two sound and off you go! So for example if you Yamaha PJ benefited from some bass cut or mid boost or you Ibanez sounds better with some high mids tamed just a/b until it’s there and Bingo!

The more elegant solution is of course to buy a new bass, buy a new preamp, pay to (have the cavity potential dug out) fit said pre and use it at the occasional wedding gig.

Banter aside I found the Stomp eq and basic tube preamp to be really useful in getting a great time right off the bat. Snapshot mode enables slight tweaks to suit a different room, different bass etc. if one is happy with the core sound. 

Yup - getting a programmable pre-amp with a setting for each bass I'm using does sound like a good way forward, although less tweakable on the fly, as the Cuzz entirely correctly notes. Helix Stomp, for sure.

Fortunately my post Stone Age (and also post Stone Roses) active basses all have 3 band EQ and they do work well for me.

I appreciate some may question my lack of a decent Attitude here.

[Cuzzie]

55 minutes ago, Al Krow said:

 

Yup - getting a programmable pre-amp with a setting for each bass I'm using does sound like a good way forward, although less tweakable on the fly, as the Cuzz entirely correctly notes. Helix Stomp, for sure.

Fortunately my post Stone Age (and also post Stone Roses) active basses all have 3 band EQ and they do work well for me.

I appreciate some may question my lack of a decent Attitude here.

Yep, having different EQ’s/set ups even for the same bass at the push of a button, instead of twiddling dials to find the ‘sweet spot’ can take an immense amount of time.....

[krispn]

Your epitaph would be more fitting if it read

"You can lead a horse to water but you can't make it program a Stomp!"

 

[Al Krow]

32 minutes ago, krispn said:

Your epitaph would be more fitting if it read

"You can lead a horse to water but you can't make it program a Stomp!"

Haha! (Except I've avoided horses as well. Apparently 4 times deadlier than motorbikes in terms of serious injuries). 

58 minutes ago, Cuzzie said:

Yep, having different EQ’s/set ups even for the same bass at the push of a button, instead of twiddling dials to find the ‘sweet spot’ can take an immense amount of time.....

When you play more than one gig a year, get back to me on that. 

Edited April 20, 2019 by Al Krow

[Al Krow]

On a more serious note: being able to tweak EQ knobs beats presets on a Stomp, every time, when you have several gigging basses plus a couple of different cabs and here's the killer point: different venues and three different band line ups. 

Try programming that on a Stomp! 

[Cuzzie]

28 minutes ago, Al Krow said:

Haha! (Except I've avoided horses as well. Apparently 4 times deadlier than motorbikes in terms of serious injuries). 

When you play more than one gig a year, get back to me on that. 

I forgot you knew exactly what I did and what my gear is, you must remind of your stuff again, not sure I’ve seen it.......

Of course you could be honing your craft and sound or perpetuating errors we’ll never know

[Al Krow]

6 minutes ago, Cuzzie said:

I forgot you knew exactly what I did and what my gear is, you must remind of your stuff again, not sure I’ve seen it.......

Of course you could be honing your craft and sound or perpetuating errors we’ll never know

Haha, you must be getting old if you're forgetting so quickly. 

But seriously Cuzzie, correct me if I'm wrong on any of the following: you play your basses almost exclusively in passive mode, you don't own a Yammy bass and you're not actively gigging?

So dishing out advice to someone who's doing the opposite on all three counts would seem a bit odd to me. 

[krispn]

1 hour ago, Al Krow said:

On a more serious note: being able to tweak EQ knobs beats presets on a Stomp, every time, when you have several gigging basses plus a couple of different cabs and here's the killer point: different venues and three different band line ups. 

Try programming that on a Stomp! 

Couple of button presses and you have you sound set up for that room. You're effectively tweaking an eq knob just not on the bass  - exact same principle just a different interface. You may find one more intuitive than the other but its the same thing at the end of the day.

One could easily program that on a Stomp.... if one knew how

 

All in all I shall concede it's a moot point as you have very clear goals abot your gigging set up - however as someone who gigs frequently, has used the same gear (active Yamaha bass and a Stomp), tweaking on the fly with the band in a live setting I feel qualified to offer the above opinions and it's not really that complicated. If you can use an eq then you're laughing. It's just giving yourself tie to get used to the interface which is easy! Line 6 pride themselves on a good clear manuals too.

Also let's not pretend active pre-amps in a bass are 'new tech'  Recall the joyous transition from passive to active - think how wonderful the transition from active to full control of your eq and not bound by the old technology of fixed eq points and having to change batteries! Yuk!

 

Edited April 20, 2019 by krispn
Y'know just becasue..

[Cuzzie]

54 minutes ago, Al Krow said:

Haha, you must be getting old if you're forgetting so quickly. 

But seriously Cuzzie, correct me if I'm wrong on any of the following: you play your basses almost exclusively in passive mode, you don't own a Yammy bass and you're not actively gigging?

So dishing out advice to someone who's doing the opposite on all three counts would seem a bit odd to me. 

Here’s a question for you - what’s the difference between an active bass and a passive bass really, especially considering there may be pre-amps used after the actual bass. Is there much of a difference between a passive bass and external pre-amp and an active bass and internal pre-amp except twiddling knobs on the bass or on a pedal with potentially more powerful parameters? Pretty sure it took myself or another couple chaps I know wiping your nose that a bass you owned worked in both active an passive mode - forgot that now makes you the don on all proceedings active in the bass world

Is owning a Yammy bass a pre-requisite to be on the thread? One could argue that although you ‘own’ a lot of stuff, the amount of use it gets you may as well not, so maybe you shouldn’t be on those threads (I love the amount of patches and tips you’ve uploaded to the Future Impact and Helix treads by the way - stellar work) or even considering advice on your myriad of ‘creative’ things. FYI had a fiddle around and helped to repair a Yammy bass recently.

Gigging - yep, you gig more than me 👏🏿. I’ll ask your advice on how best to set the EQ flat if I need it.

When you stop copy pasting and regurgitating other peoples opinions often incorrectly, and form some of your own that aren’t reading a spec sheet, happy for you to toddle back.

Otherwise - yes dear....

[Al Krow]

On 20/04/2019 at 13:50, Cuzzie said:

Here’s a question for you - what’s the difference between an active bass and a passive bass really, especially considering there may be pre-amps used after the actual bass. Is there much of a difference between a passive bass and external pre-amp and an active bass and internal pre-amp except twiddling knobs on the bass or on a pedal with potentially more powerful parameters? Pretty sure it took myself or another couple chaps I know wiping your nose that a bass you owned worked in both active an passive mode - forgot that now makes you the don on all proceedings active in the bass world

Is owning a Yammy bass a pre-requisite to be on the thread? One could argue that although you ‘own’ a lot of stuff, the amount of use it gets you may as well not, so maybe you shouldn’t be on those threads (I love the amount of patches and tips you’ve uploaded to the Future Impact and Helix treads by the way - stellar work) or even considering advice on your myriad of ‘creative’ things. FYI had a fiddle around and helped to repair a Yammy bass recently.

Gigging - yep, you gig more than me 👏🏿. I’ll ask your advice on how best to set the EQ flat if I need it.

When you stop copy pasting and regurgitating other peoples opinions often incorrectly, and form some of your own that aren’t reading a spec sheet, happy for you to toddle back.

Otherwise - yes dear....

Be nice to Cuzzie. Be nice to Cuzzie. Be nice to Cuzzie. Be nice to Cuzzie... 

Edited April 24, 2019 by Al Krow
It's be nice to Cuzzie day.

[Cuzzie]

Apologies I got mixed up, thought this was an open forum called Basschat, I must have stumbled onto Baschat 

but if your banter is weak......

34 minutes ago, Al Krow said:

Ok let me spell this out Cuzzie in words you may understand (although I'm losing count of the number of times I've said this now): when I'm looking for advice from you, I'll ask. In the meantime, please feel free to sort out other folk's bass lives; you're not enriching mine. 

 

[bigsmokebass]

@Cuzzie 

[Cuzzie]

Cuzzie Care is also defunct

[Cuzzie]

Cuzzie Care is also defunct

[AndyTravis]

Back on topic then chaps?

Tony Kanal (one of my faves) has been playing one or two odd BB’s

Turns out Yamaha renovate and modify old ones for him...weird, they could just make new...

[bigsmokebass]

5 minutes ago, AndyTravis said:

Back on topic then chaps?

Tony Kanal (one of my faves) has been playing one or two odd BB’s

Turns out Yamaha renovate and modify old ones for him...weird, they could just make new...

Not the only one who enjoys collecting Yamaha's and modding them 😋 

[AndyTravis]

14 minutes ago, bigsmokebass said:

Not the only one who enjoys collecting Yamaha's and modding them 😋 

He’s a tasty player. Love the Dreamcar one, mithered him on Instagram for a bit about it - it’s in his house and doesn’t come out often.

[AndyTravis]

And @Al Krow this is up for sale in Liverpool.

 

[dannybuoy]

And it's white and gold!

Aren't these 16mm string spacing at the bridge rather than 18mm on modern 5 string BBs? That would probably be a deal breaker for me, OK for pick playing, but I prefer a bit more space otherwise.

[AndyTravis]

1 minute ago, dannybuoy said:

And it's white and gold!

Aren't these 16mm string spacing at the bridge rather than 18mm on modern 5 string BBs? That would probably be a deal breaker for me, OK for pick playing, but I prefer a bit more space otherwise.

Yeah, quite tight - I think there were some with wider spacing, but these are steinberger 5 skinny...