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The Yamaha BB mega-thread


Al Krow

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25 minutes ago, Al Krow said:

@sykilz that vintage white is just lovely and the lighter fretboard wood works really well in terms of complementing the finish - I actually think I prefer it to the darker fretboard on my (also vintage white) BB 1025. Out of interest, what's the weight of yours?

From memory it’s about 8 1/2 pounds, not too bad, but I did fit it with hipshot lightweight tuners when gigging it so it balanced better, now it’s a home bass the extra weight isn’t a problem. It’s not overly heavy compared to some P/ Jazzes or even other BBs

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1 minute ago, dannybuoy said:

I haven't weighed either of them @Al Krow, but I can tell you my 415 was a hell of a lot lighter than my 1025X! At least 1lb less, probably more like 2!

That is amazingly light - I think @gobasserk was saying something similar.

Having said that my 1025 is only 9.4 lbs and definitely feels lighter to wear than my NE2 and P35 which both weigh in at a fulsome 10.2 lbs

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I guess they must have used different and more dense woods in the "2" series than in the earlier "1" series.

They also went down the laminated neck route in the "2" series from a single piece neck in the "1" series - which may have had some impact on overall weight?

Edited by Al Krow
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They are both alder bodies, but wood can vary from batch to batch, I might have been really lucky with my 415. The neck was a bit fatter on my 1025X, then factor in a bigger bridge, ferrules, scratchplate, control plate, metal nut and knobs, it all adds up!

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4 minutes ago, sykilz said:

The tuners saved me over 6 ounces, which considering it’s weight that’s at the far end of the neck, is well worth the money IMO. Sitting down...not so much, but wearing on a strap for 3 hours it was a good investment.

Yup, good shout. And certainly with a 5er would also reduce any tendency to neck dive.

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Just weighed the above pictured 414, and it’s a hairs breadth below 9 lbs, so the weight I remembered with the Hipshots of about 8 1/2 lbs ( with an approx 6 oz saving ) was about right. Certainly not a beast of a bass, but the sound is bloody huge 😉

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Can't remember if there was any change in the pups / electronics between the 414/5 and 424/5 (I'm kinda thinking not).

But I totally get what you're saying about the sound being huge on these basses. The 425 is the most ridiculously punchy passive bass I've played. It's kinda like a Ford Mustang. The 1025, by comparison, is more refined / a bit less kick-you-in-the-stomach than the 425. I guess more of a Jaguar XFS, but certainly not bland 😀

Edited by Al Krow
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Playing covers I mostly just used the P pickup because that gave a big open but punchy tone with two loud guitars it sat nicely underneath them in the mix, but for some songs I went with both pups and you could really get an awesome Duff McKagan tone which I loved. With some creative eq on the amp you could even get a Geddy Lee-ish tone. 👍

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3 minutes ago, AndyTravis said:

theres a beautiful black 414 on eBay - collection only from Northampton 

https://rover.ebay.com/rover/0/0/0?mpre=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.ebay.co.uk%2Fulk%2Fitm%2F264339571896

That is a really good price. The case by itself must be worth around £70 so he's effectively selling a BB 414 for £120.

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So here the results:  

BB1000MA: 8,48lb

BB414:         8,48lb

BB3000MA: 8,93lb

It proves me right that I thought they all were very similar concerning the weight. Funny that 414 and 1000 are 100% equal. Too bad I did not weigh the 1024 last year. 

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So we've got to the 2000th post on this thread! 🥂 🍺🍸🍹🍻

I.R.A. / Initial Response Acceleration

Much vaunted and Yamaha charge a lot of money for doing it, but does it actually do anything? Here's what Yammy have to say about it:

"If you've ever played another guitarist's instrument and not been able to get the same sound, it's probably because you are playing a different style than what the guitar is used to. After playing the same guitar for years, the guitar adapts to the guitarist's playing style. It takes time for a new guitar to adapt to your own way of playing. Stress found between parts like finish, woods, body, neck, fingerboard, nut, bridge, etc., must be released before all of the parts can resonate together as an instrument. It takes time and a lot of playing for this to happen. Using IRA technology, stresses like those between the finish and wood are release by applying specific vibrations to the completed guitars. Once this treatment is complete, the guitar responds accurately to the guitarist's performance, and produces sound more easily. It also shortens the time needed for the guitar to adapt to your playing style. And it delivers excellent sustain."

image.png.bbfacdd257ecc3c9383aa774040dd39b.png

I'm loving my P35 and kinda can't explain why I prefer it to my otherwise excellent previous 735A,  'cos they have so much in common e.g. woods, pups etc. Maybe I.R.A. does do something after all?

Edited by Al Krow
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