The Yamaha BB mega-thread

[Maude]

Personally I feel the 1025 is a better bass, but ultimately it depends if you want/need active or not. If you don't need active I'd go for the 1025 all day long. 

[Al Krow]

11 minutes ago, Maude said:

Personally I feel the 1025 is a better bass, but ultimately it depends if you want/need active or not. If you don't need active I'd go for the 1025 all day long. 

 

I've had both the 735A and 1025 and agree 100% with this^^!

[Misdee]

If the 1025 sounds like my 2025 (it probably does) then the tone is lacking nothing by not having active electronics. It's just right as it is.

 

Active eq gives you the option of making on-board adjustments to the tone, but playing devil's advocate, how much is that really a priority to you? There was an era I remember well when active basses were all the rage, but those days are long gone now and players have rediscovered the virtues of passive electronics. For active basses a lot depends on the design of the preamp and how good it sounds. Some are a lot better than others.

 

You can find satisfying instruments of both varieties, both active and passive so I wouldn't exclude either option, but it's wrong to assume that an active bass automatically offers an advantage over a passive one, unless you have found a specific need for the benefits of an active preamp when you are playing bass.

Edited July 11, 2023 by Misdee

[EJWW]

 

2 hours ago, jholasek said:

I have an offer for a Yamaha BB bass and I can't decide which one to buy. BB 735A or BB 1025X? Both basses are older and the price is the same. I play POP/ROCK, MarkBass 121P combo + MARKBASS New York 151 RJ cabinet, total 500 W.

Please advise as soon as possible, I don't want to make a mistake.

Thank you in advance...

 

1025x.

[jholasek]

Před 3 hodinami jholasek řekl:

Mám nabídku na baskytaru Yamaha BB a nemůžu se rozhodnout jakou koupit. BB 735A nebo BB 1025X? Obě basy jsou starší a cena je stejná. Hraji POP/ROCK, kombo MarkBass 121P + kabinet MARKBASS New York 151 RJ, celkem 500W.

Prosím o radu co nejdříve, nechci udělat chybu.

Děkuji předem...

Appendix:

However, on the 735A, the neck is secured with 6 screws, while on the 1024X it is secured with only 4 screws. The 735A has a sandwich body with a maple body in the middle, while the 1024X has a 3-piece glued body. So isn't the 735A conceptually more modern, has better/longer sustain, tighter tone?

[Maude]

You're correct, the 735 is a more modern design, and arguably a more modern tone with it's active pre amp, but does that make it better? 

Sometimes simplicity is king. 

 

I've had a 1024x and a 734a, the 1024x has a solid tone with it's own character and lacks nothing, the 734a is a very, very good bass but just sounds slighty bland and sterile. 

 

I actually still own the 734a but sold the 1024x, but that's only because I own a 424x which has been modified and either the 1024 or 424 had to go as they're so similar. 

If I had to keep the 734a or 1024x then the 734a would have been up the road. 

 

Ultimately only you can decide though, and I don't think you'd be disappointed with either. 

 

 

[Al Krow]

3 hours ago, Maude said:

You're correct, the 735 is a more modern design, and arguably a more modern tone with it's active pre amp, but does that make it better? 

Sometimes simplicity is king. 

 

I've had a 1024x and a 734a, the 1024x has a solid tone with it's own character and lacks nothing, the 734a is a very, very good bass but just sounds slighty bland and sterile. 

 

I actually still own the 734a but sold the 1024x, but that's only because I own a 424x which has been modified and either the 1024 or 424 had to go as they're so similar. 

If I had to keep the 734a or 1024x then the 734a would have been up the road. 

 

Ultimately only you can decide though, and I don't think you'd be disappointed with either. 

 

Still this ^^! 😁

[miles'tone]

I picked up a BB earlier this year and I really love it. It's a  BB604 made in 2003. I had to sell my beloved 1965 P bass and needed to fill the void but wanted to try something different that wasn't a Fender (to avoid disappointment having reached "peak Fender" with my old #1).

I wanted to find a bass that could cop a decent approximation of Flea's Blood Sugar Sex Majik recorded Wal sound and happened to see these mentioned on Talkbass. After hearing the sound sample I immediately googled for a BB604 and 5 minutes later (with never even knowing of their existence 10mins before that) I bought the only one for sale online in the UK from Bass Bros! (shout out to Will of Bass Bros 👌)

It's been a revelation as it's fabulous to play in every way and the Nathan East spec preamp with it's sweepable mids filter and switch is a work of genius imho.

I honestly don't miss that old Fender now. Not bad for a £375 bass (which I know is on the steeper side of what these can go for.) I'll be looking for a  five string BB605 when the funds are there.

 

Edit: found the TB thread, post #26.

The dude was right.

https://www.talkbass.com/threads/most-wal-like-sound-from-jazz-pj-or-ray.1519809/page-2

Edited July 14, 2023 by miles'tone

[javi_bassist]

I have been playing my BB735 with Ernie Ball Cobalts. I have to admit that I really like them. Now I have changed them to Ernie Ball Cobalt flats (I bought them for my Mustang and I bought a 5 string set... expensive mistakes). The sound is pretty good. I am not used to the feeling of flats (I have cobalt flats in my Mustang and Chromes in my Jack Casady), but I must admit that they sound good. Since the BB is my main bass for almost anything, I will see how it sits now in the mix. Last Saturday I played in a weeding gig and it sounded good. The drummer did ask if I could increase some mids (it was completely flat) but the rest of the band liked it.    

[TheGreek]

On 11/07/2023 at 18:51, miles'tone said:

I picked up a BB earlier this year and I really love it. It's a  BB604 made in 2003. I had to sell my beloved 1965 P bass and needed to fill the void but wanted to try something different that wasn't a Fender (to avoid disappointment having reached "peak Fender" with my old #1).

I wanted to find a bass that could cop a decent approximation of Flea's Blood Sugar Sex Majik recorded Wal sound and happened to see these mentioned on Talkbass. After hearing the sound sample I immediately googled for a BB604 and 5 minutes later (with never even knowing of their existence 10mins before that) I bought the only one for sale online in the UK from Bass Bros! (shout out to Will of Bass Bros 👌)

It's been a revelation as it's fabulous to play in every way and the Nathan East spec preamp with it's sweepable mids filter and switch is a work of genius imho.

I honestly don't miss that old Fender now. Not bad for a £375 bass (which I know is on the steeper side of what these can go for.) I'll be looking for a  five string BB605 when the funds are there.

 

Edit: found the TB thread, post #26.

The dude was right.

https://www.talkbass.com/threads/most-wal-like-sound-from-jazz-pj-or-ray.1519809/page-2

 

I bought one of these with the intention of using the neck for another project which didn't pan out.

 

They are very similar to the BBG5 model. I had trouble finding any significant difference.

[tom.android]

6 hours ago, TheGreek said:

 

I bought one of these with the intention of using the neck for another project which didn't pan out.

 

They are very similar to the BBG5 model. I had trouble finding any significant difference.

BB404/405/604/605: Access to the upper frets (20-24ish) is significantly improved. The body is more sculpted and more comfortable to play sat down. Bridge has grooves to keep saddles in place which not all of the BBG or BBN range do. 5 string is 18mm at bridge rather than 19mm. They’re all good but different in small ways.

[uncle psychosis]

How much do the neck profiles vary on BB basses? 

 

I seem to remember my old BB414 was closer to a J neck than a P, but are they all like that? 

[AndyTravis]

7 minutes ago, uncle psychosis said:

How much do the neck profiles vary on BB basses? 

 

I seem to remember my old BB414 was closer to a J neck than a P, but are they all like that? 

I found the 424/1024 deeper than my 414/614.

 

the 414 and 614 feel like home to me.

[andy67]

2 hours ago, uncle psychosis said:

How much do the neck profiles vary on BB basses? 

 

I seem to remember my old BB414 was closer to a J neck than a P, but are they all like that? 

Yep I think they are. My BB714 has a 40mm nut, jazz is 38mm, pbass is 42mm unless is a vintage reissue of sorts, & Billy Sheehans attitude is a baseball bat at 45mm at the nut. 

[Misdee]

In terms of overall profile (rather than just nut width) there is a some variation, depending on which model and era you are considering. The 2024x basses have a pretty chunky profile compared to an early 80s BB3000, for example. The current P34 has a very noticeably more slender profile than either of those, or any other BB I've played for that matter.

 

Many generic BB models have what I would describe as an elliptical "flat oval" neck profile that is very comfortable to most folks (including me). Just like the 40mm nut width is a good compromise, so is the carve of the classic BB neck shape. Not too fat, not too thin.

Edited July 18, 2023 by Misdee

[BassApprentice]

The Yamaha custom shop can do such cool things...shame more of the fun stuff doesn't trickle down

[neepheid]

7 minutes ago, BassApprentice said:

The Yamaha custom shop can do such cool things...shame more of the fun stuff doesn't trickle down

 

Enjoying the Gulf colours, but that purple pickup top does detract somewhat, seems very incongrous to me.  Ahh well, it's not my bass.

[TheGreek]

Blue, orange and purple...renowned for going together. 

[neepheid]

8 minutes ago, TheGreek said:

Blue, orange and purple...renowned for going together. 

 

No problem with blue and orange - it's iconic!

 

[Muzz]

I've ended up with a BB414, because it feels like the slimmest neck I could find in the range after my 80s BB3000; the 1024 was bigger, which is the only thing stopping me from getting a 2024. That and the weight...it wasn't heavy per se, but just a bit too much for me...

[woolf]

Any ideas where I might find a pair of the older style BB knobs? Can’t seem to find anywhere that stocks them.

 

 

 

 

 

 

[AndyTravis]

@woolf BTN music

[woolf]

15 minutes ago, AndyTravis said:

@woolf BTN music

Thanks Andy, they’re out of stock and £13.50 per knob seems quite steep! 

[AndyTravis]

4 minutes ago, woolf said:

Thanks Andy, they’re out of stock and £13.50 per knob seems quite steep! 

They were £8 a few years back, some folk were trying for £20 a knob on vintage ones…

 

I might have one left, but I’m sure it’s cracked.

 

a lot of people talk them off - they were used across the vintage stuff as well as some of the bbn range and 414/424/1024/2024

[hookys6stringbass]

14 minutes ago, woolf said:

Thanks Andy, they’re out of stock and £13.50 per knob seems quite steep! 

Not in King's Cross apparently...