The Yamaha BB mega-thread

[Maude]

Couldn't agree more. I'm semi in the market for a P34, but I don't want sunburst so that leaves blue, which will look black on stage. 

[neepheid]

12 hours ago, Maude said:

And further to the 'new BBs aren't real BBs' debate...

 

No debate for me, I don't like the new ones.  Having had several older, tubbier ones (BB300, BB350F, BB450, BB614) I had a BB434 and honestly it left me cold, it just didn't have the right BB feel to me.  Glad you like yours and I'm not going to say churlish stuff like they're not "real" BBs (they clearly are, officially, BBs), but I'm on the lookout for older ones now.

[Maude]

13 hours ago, Ricky Rioli said:

 

 

🤷 Don't blame me if they do nothing for it, I don't know anything about what the current BBs like / want / need

Don't be upset, they'll be on my 424 soon enough. 

I'm going to record something with the 734 in passive with both PUs, then swap them to the 424 and do the same. See how the two compare. Obviously active is where the 734 is at but it'll be interesting to see how similar they are, or not, both passive. 

[javi_bassist]

I see (or I saw before the change of pickups) my BB735 as neutral sounding. It might not be the best sounding bass by itself, but in a mix it's perfect. I have been asked to take it to every gig by some BL. The 414 I have has its own thing and it's really cool too, but in my case, I love the new range. My 605 had also it's own thing, but it didn't bite as the 414 IMO.

[MattiZ]

On 07/03/2023 at 09:32, javi_bassist said:

 

I know this has been discussed before, but I wish Yamaha would offer more colours in their top range. 

Deep Green! Deep Green! 

[mikeycrikey]

4 hours ago, javi_bassist said:

I see (or I saw before the change of pickups) my BB735 as neutral sounding. It might not be the best sounding bass by itself, but in a mix it's perfect. I have been asked to take it to every gig by some BL. The 414 I have has its own thing and it's really cool too, but in my case, I love the new range. My 605 had also it's own thing, but it didn't bite as the 414 IMO.

I had the BB734A. It ticked a lot of boxes as a great all rounder. My problem was I couldn't stop fiddling with the active electronics. Every time I got a good sound I messed it up again by over fiddling.

My BB 414 is just plug and play. Always sounds great. Hard to get a bad sound out of it.

My other gripe with the 734A was the fingerprints on the matt Black finish. Suppose that's down to me in fairness. Should of picked the sunburst model when I was buying it.

 

[tom.android]

38 minutes ago, mikeycrikey said:

I had the BB734A. It ticked a lot of boxes as a great all rounder. My problem was I couldn't stop fiddling with the active electronics. Every time I got a good sound I messed it up again by over fiddling.

My BB 414 is just plug and play. Always sounds great. Hard to get a bad sound out of it.

My other gripe with the 734A was the fingerprints on the matt Black finish. Suppose that's down to me in fairness. Should of picked the sunburst model when I was buying it.

 

I quite regularly play someone else’s 734a and think i prefer the 414 as 4 string. 234 left me a little cold. Confusingly I absolutely love (and own) both the 735a and 235. No idea why the 5 stringers in the 3 series do it for me but not the 4s? 
 

I’ve never tried a 415 or 1025 but they’re on the list!

Edited March 8, 2023 by tom.android
235a isn’t a thing

[M@23]

I’ve got a 735a incoming, should be here tomorrow. Chosen as the BBP35 I owned was probably my favourite bass, and was regrettably sold. Looking forward to seeing how they compare!

[Maude]

1 hour ago, M@23 said:

I’ve got a 735a incoming, should be here tomorrow. Chosen as the BBP35 I owned was probably my favourite bass, and was regrettably sold. Looking forward to seeing how they compare!

I'd be interested in the comparison to see how much of an upgrade the P34 might be to my 734a, obviously in passive mode. 

[andy67]

2 hours ago, Maude said:

I'd be interested in the comparison to see how much of an upgrade the P34 might be to my 734a, obviously in passive mode. 

How’s the BS hollow bass coming on? 

[Maude]

3 hours ago, andy67 said:

How’s the BS hollow bass coming on? 

Waiting for some warmer weather and it'll be project finishing central. 

[Al Krow]

17 hours ago, M@23 said:

I’ve got a 735a incoming, should be here tomorrow. Chosen as the BBP35 I owned was probably my favourite bass, and was regrettably sold. Looking forward to seeing how they compare!

 

15 hours ago, Maude said:

I'd be interested in the comparison to see how much of an upgrade the P34 might be to my 734a, obviously in passive mode. 

 

I've had them both (P35 and 735A) and know which one I defaulted to in wanting to pick up to play / gig and preferred the tone of. However I also know out of me and Mark who the (significantly!) better bass player is, so...

[M@23]

1 hour ago, Al Krow said:

 

 

I've had them both (P35 and 735A) and know which one I defaulted to in wanting to pick up to play / gig and preferred the tone of. However I also know out of me and Mark who the (significantly!) better bass player is, so...

I’m hoping the 735a is enjoyable in its own right. The BBP35 certainly had something special didn’t it? If only it weighed a touch less. I always really enjoy a passive bass that feels alive. The build and craftsmanship was undeniable too and the neck was perfect. I think the 735a shares components (?) so while it may not have the same magic, hopefully it feels X% of the way there. 

[andy67]

14 hours ago, Maude said:

Waiting for some warmer weather and it'll be project finishing central. 

I am so looking forward to seeing this complete given I saw the original.

[M@23]

My 735a arrived yesterday. First impressions are really favourable. There are a lot of useable sounds and the preamp seems great, useable and subtle, which suits someone that generally leans towards passive basses. The blend is great between pickups and a very slight bias toward the P pickup gives me what I’m after. 
The neck pocket isn’t as tight as my BBP35, or quite as well finished. Nor is the fretboard as nice of a slab of wood. But, that is fault finding and entirely expected. The pickups and bridge are superb and the matte black finish is very well done; in actual fact it is probably better than my Sandberg was. 
I forgot how flat the fingerboards were on them, but I don’t mind that and it was very easy to set up. 
It looks “sexy”, according to the other half. Feels great and is going to suit any gig. Not much to complain about, really. 

[javi_bassist]

18 minutes ago, M@23 said:

and the preamp seems great, useable and subtle, which suits someone that generally leans towards passive basses.

 

 

I wanted to change the pickups and preamp in my BB735. I didn't know which pickups, but I was sure about the preamp. However, I ended up getting the pickups changed first. Then, the luthier who did the job told me to give the preamp a shot with the new pickups. And I like it. The preamp I think it's transparent and it just EQ. It doesn't add any magic (like the Aguilar or more coloured preamps) but it allows the bass to sound more transparent. I don't know if I will change it in the future, but for now, I just like it.

 

 

[Maude]

 

 

On 26/02/2023 at 13:16, neepheid said:

I'm not a fan - kinda flies in the face of the name "broad" bass. Old school tubby BBs for me

 

On 26/02/2023 at 18:35, AndyTravis said:

The newer BB’s are half way between I think, slightly narrower

Experiment time as I'm sat here looking at my '22 734a and '85 1100s. The 1100s is the earlier one with the old style pickups with bezels so I'm assuming classed as old school tubby. 

 

They are both very similar to the eye bar a few slight changes.

 

 

 

I'll list the changes on the 734 compared to the 1100.

The upper horn curves neckwards more, presumably for strap security or possibly balance.

 

 

The second change is the neck heel as they have the six bolt mitre fixing and a curved lower edge for better upper fret access. Neither of these noticeably change the physical feel of the bass really. 

The change that makes it feel smaller is mainly on the upper side . The upper bout is a few mil narrower and the waist is around five mil narrower.

 

 

 

 

 

But the actual transition from bout to waist is different. The 734 bout continues higher up the body making it feel less pronounced as it doesn't curve back in to the waist as drastically, even though it actually curves in further to the 734's narrower waist. This changes the line between the two lowest points of the waist to more parallel. In reality the actual width between the 734's narrowest points may be be the same as the 1100 but the 1100's being diagonal increase the measurement. Taking lines straight up parallel to the neck from the narrowest points and measuring would give a true reading. 

 

Here's the difference in angle across the waist. 

 

 

The lower horn is also closer to the neck which makes the body appear wider but probably won't change the feel of playing it unless seated. 

 

 

 

The body thickness is the same on both and everything else seems pretty much identical. 

 

 

 

So the difference in feel seems mainly down to the 1100 not actually being much broader, albeit it is a few mil, but more to the actual shape of the lower bout cutting back in much sharper to a lower down the body waist. It makes the lower body seem more squat and wide than the gentler curves and taller waist on the 734 giving a more slender appearance. 

 

But all that said and done, a few mil here and there can make all the difference in feel and we all like what we like. 

I'm now curious as to the comparison of the 424/1024/2024 series as my 424 (and previous 1024) both feel more like a traditional BB than the 734. Is it actually measurements, or mind games?

[neepheid]

That's it - subtle differences - the new ones feel more svelte and streamlined than the old ones, even if the measurements barely confirm it.  It probably all is in the mind.

[hookys6stringbass]

2 hours ago, Maude said:

 

 

 

Experiment time as I'm sat here looking at my '22 734a and '85 1100s. The 1100s is the earlier one with the old style pickups with bezels so I'm assuming classed as old school tubby. 

 

They are both very similar to the eye bar a few slight changes.

 

 

 

I'll list the changes on the 734 compared to the 1100.

The upper horn curves neckwards more, presumably for strap security or possibly balance.

 

 

The second change is the neck heel as they have the six bolt mitre fixing and a curved lower edge for better upper fret access. Neither of these noticeably change the physical feel of the bass really. 

The change that makes it feel smaller is mainly on the upper side . The upper bout is a few mil narrower and the waist is around five mil narrower.

 

 

 

 

 

But the actual transition from bout to waist is different. The 734 bout continues higher up the body making it feel less pronounced as it doesn't curve back in to the waist as drastically, even though it actually curves in further to the 734's narrower waist. This changes the line between the two lowest points of the waist to more parallel. In reality the actual width between the 734's narrowest points may be be the same as the 1100 but the 1100's being diagonal increase the measurement. Taking lines straight up parallel to the neck from the narrowest points and measuring would give a true reading. 

 

Here's the difference in angle across the waist. 

 

 

The lower horn is also closer to the neck which makes the body appear wider but probably won't change the feel of playing it unless seated. 

 

 

 

The body thickness is the same on both and everything else seems pretty much identical. 

 

 

 

So the difference in feel seems mainly down to the 1100 not actually being much broader, albeit it is a few mil, but more to the actual shape of the lower bout cutting back in much sharper to a lower down the body waist. It makes the lower body seem more squat and wide than the gentler curves and taller waist on the 734 giving a more slender appearance. 

 

But all that said and done, a few mil here and there can make all the difference in feel and we all like what we like. 

I'm now curious as to the comparison of the 424/1024/2024 series as my 424 (and previous 1024) both feel more like a traditional BB than the 734. Is it actually measurements, or mind games?

Hmmm that's interesting. When I get a chance I'll measure 424 against my BBPH..

With regards to feel , I prefer the 424 to the 734a/BBPH. If I had list my preferences it would go....

1200/S the best ... feels like home (to me)

424 feels quite familiar 

734a/ BBPH  nothing wrong with them  but feels smaller/ lighter ....

Edited March 10, 2023 by hookys6stringbass

[Owen]

5 hours ago, M@23 said:

It looks “sexy”, according to the other half.

 

Time for you to get a black polo neck and a silver necklace then!

[Maude]

42 minutes ago, Owen said:

Time for you to get a black polo neck and a silver necklace then!

Mmmm, Milk Tray. 😁

[tom.android]

2 hours ago, hookys6stringbass said:

Hmmm that's interesting. When I get a chance I'll measure 424 against my BBPH..

With regards to feel , I prefer the 424 to the 734a/BBPH. If I had list my preferences it would go....

1200/S the best ... feels like home (to me)

424 feels quite familiar 

734a/ BBPH  nothing wrong with them  but feels smaller/ lighter ....

This is the kind of tedious minutiae that keeps me coming back. Great job!

[EJWW]

8 hours ago, Maude said:

 

 

 

Experiment time as I'm sat here looking at my '22 734a and '85 1100s. The 1100s is the earlier one with the old style pickups with bezels so I'm assuming classed as old school tubby. 

 

They are both very similar to the eye bar a few slight changes.

 

 

 

I'll list the changes on the 734 compared to the 1100.

The upper horn curves neckwards more, presumably for strap security or possibly balance.

 

 

The second change is the neck heel as they have the six bolt mitre fixing and a curved lower edge for better upper fret access. Neither of these noticeably change the physical feel of the bass really. 

The change that makes it feel smaller is mainly on the upper side . The upper bout is a few mil narrower and the waist is around five mil narrower.

 

 

 

 

 

But the actual transition from bout to waist is different. The 734 bout continues higher up the body making it feel less pronounced as it doesn't curve back in to the waist as drastically, even though it actually curves in further to the 734's narrower waist. This changes the line between the two lowest points of the waist to more parallel. In reality the actual width between the 734's narrowest points may be be the same as the 1100 but the 1100's being diagonal increase the measurement. Taking lines straight up parallel to the neck from the narrowest points and measuring would give a true reading. 

 

Here's the difference in angle across the waist. 

 

 

The lower horn is also closer to the neck which makes the body appear wider but probably won't change the feel of playing it unless seated. 

 

 

 

The body thickness is the same on both and everything else seems pretty much identical. 

 

 

 

So the difference in feel seems mainly down to the 1100 not actually being much broader, albeit it is a few mil, but more to the actual shape of the lower bout cutting back in much sharper to a lower down the body waist. It makes the lower body seem more squat and wide than the gentler curves and taller waist on the 734 giving a more slender appearance. 

 

But all that said and done, a few mil here and there can make all the difference in feel and we all like what we like. 

I'm now curious as to the comparison of the 424/1024/2024 series as my 424 (and previous 1024) both feel more like a traditional BB than the 734. Is it actually measurements, or mind games?

This is exactly the sort of post which convinces me why I just can't stay off Basschat 🙂

[javi_bassist]

Yamaha has released two new finishes for the Pro series. And I love both.

 

 

[Maude]

5 minutes ago, javi_bassist said:

Yamaha has released two new finishes for the Pro series. And I love both.

 

 

 

Uh oh! 😁