The Yamaha BB mega-thread

[Cuzzie]

@dave_bass5That sandblast is a wicked wicked finish 

[CameronJ]

28 minutes ago, Cuzzie said:

@dave_bass5That sandblast is a wicked wicked finish 

Have to agree. Lusted hard after them when they came out. @dave_bass5 is yours blue or red?

[TheGreek]

I was playing my BBN4ii earlier - lovely neck - felt effortless.

 

[TRBboy]

Was really hoping that Yamaha would be at the guitar /bass show next weekend, but it doesn't look like they are.... Wondering if it's worth trekking across to the Yamaha store when I'm in town next Saturday to try the whole range out! 🤔

[TRBboy]

1 minute ago, TheGreek said:

I was playing my BBN4ii earlier - lovely neck - felt effortless.

 

I've just been playing my BBN5ii too, astonishingly good really! I used it at band practice on Wednesday and it sounded fab through my Rumble 500. 👌

[Al Krow]

4 minutes ago, TheGreek said:

I was playing my BBN4ii earlier - lovely neck - felt effortless.

It totally looks the part, too, Mick! Just love the simple but elegant finish on that bass.

[TheGreek]

The problem nowadays??...lots of brands making great VFM basses - "lot of bass for your buck" is an all to familiar a phrase - and generally this is true.

Both of mine represent great VFM - even so I'm considering selling them - "too many basses" is another all to familiar phrase on this forum...

[TRBboy]

5 minutes ago, Al Krow said:

It totally looks the part, too, Mick! Just love the simple but elegant finish on that bass.

Wish my 5 was black instead of brown stain.... Still may refinish it though

[Al Krow]

10 minutes ago, TheGreek said:

"too many basses" is another all to familiar phrase on this forum...

What does that phrase even mean?! Someone please explain 😁😂

[TheGreek]

That means that you don't have enough room for the next bass you want to buy.

They say space is infinite - not in my flat it isn't

[Al Krow]

12 minutes ago, TheGreek said:

That means that you don't have enough room for the next bass you want to buy.

They say space is infinite - not in my flat it isn't

I guess we won't need to enquire of @cetera what the right answer to the question "how many is too many basses" then, as I think you've hit the nail on the head  

[TRBboy]

Honestly at the moment, I'm leaning towards having one main bass and a backup, that's it. I'm also having somewhat of a gear/midlife crisis at the moment! 😂

[Al Krow]

Haha - you're clearly suffering from a bit LOT of confusion as part of your mid-life crisis?!

Surely mid-life crisis = more gear not less? (Well that's how I sold it to Mrs Krow, anyway 😂)

[bassfan]

3 minutes ago, TRBboy said:

I'm also having somewhat of a gear/midlife crisis at the moment! 😂

Welcome to my world ... and that of 90% of everyone else on here. 😂 

[TRBboy]

2 minutes ago, Al Krow said:

Haha - you're clearly suffering from a bit LOT of confusion as part of your mid-life crisis?!

Surely mid-life crisis = more gear not less? (Well that's how I sold it to Mrs Krow, anyway 😂)

YES! 😅😭

Weirdly though, I'm finding myself wanting to move away from lovely boutique gear towards more meat and potatoes stuff. I'm kind of rediscovering what I like and don't like recently, and learning a lot of things I thought I had figured out years ago! After playing active, modern basses for the past 10 years or so, I've recently discovered that actually I like passive basses best, especially in a band mix! And also my amp changes, experimentation recently: there's something going on with me at the moment about 'perfect imperfection' that is giving me the bass sound I want to hear right now. 

[Al Krow]

1 minute ago, TRBboy said:

...there's something going on with me at the moment about 'perfect imperfection' that is giving me the bass sound I want to hear right now. 

I love that description of the journey you're on! 

An analogue bass player in a digital world.

[dave_bass5]

1 hour ago, CameronJ said:

Have to agree. Lusted hard after them when they came out. @dave_bass5 is yours blue or red?

Cheers guys, it’s blue, with black hardware (other than the tuners).

it took me less than an hour to find out about them and track one down secondhand for £700. A real bargain. It’s also only 8lbs so great for long gigs/old people lol. Unlike some there doesn’t seem to be large chunks of wood missing, and I love the look of this one. Its a bass I really will never sell. 

[Al Krow]

14 minutes ago, dave_bass5 said:

It's a bass I really will never sell. 

Time-clock noted at 10 36pm on 13-09-19

[TRBboy]

13 hours ago, TRBboy said:

Was really hoping that Yamaha would be at the guitar /bass show next weekend, but it doesn't look like they are.... Wondering if it's worth trekking across to the Yamaha store when I'm in town next Saturday to try the whole range out! 🤔

Looks like less than a half hour trip each way to the Yamaha store from the venue.... Can't stop looking at BB's, but can't decide which one would suit my needs best. Might well be worth doing! 

Does anyone know if they stock the whole range? 

[Al Krow]

8 minutes ago, TRBboy said:

Looks like less than a half hour trip each way to the Yamaha store from the venue.... Can't stop looking at BB's, but can't decide which one would suit my needs best. Might well be worth doing! 

Does anyone know if they stock the whole range? 

Yeh - they've usually got the full 'mainstream' BB range on display up to and including the P34/5s.  May not have some of the more high end basses in stock (e.g. the NE2).

If you give the store a quick call they'll happily confirm what they currently have in.

[TRBboy]

3 minutes ago, Al Krow said:

Yeh - they've usually got the full 'mainstream' BB range on display up to and including the P34/5s.  May not have some of the more high end basses in stock (e.g. the NE2).

If you give the store a quick call they'll happily confirm what they currently have in.

Mainly just hoping to try a 435, 735a, and P35 (I've seen a nice used examples of the last two for sale 😉) 

[Al Krow]

On 12/09/2019 at 21:24, razor5cl said:

Been playing nearly two years, decided I actually want to stick with this whole "bass playing" shtick and upgrade from my cheap Ibanez Talman and get something more serious that'll last me a while. Tried one of these Yamahas in a shop and fell in love with it.

I was originally dead set on a Fender Aerodyne Jazz Bass but I tried one in the shop and while it felt nice to play it didn't sound that good. I also tried a Nate Mendel Signature P Bass which sounded a little better but the neck finish didn't agree with me and it wasn't very versatile - after all it's a P Bass!

I tried the Yamaha as a last ditch option and I was blown away by how good it was. Just felt right in my hands, played like a dream, neck was super comfortable, and by far and away the electronics just sounded superb. Lots of tonal options with the active stuff but it'll run just fine in passive mode with volume/balance/tone controls. 

I set out to find one used, Wunjo had a used brown one for £585 but I needed a black one. Upon inquiring here @krispn contacted me saying he was willing to sell his and two weeks later after much toing and froing it's finally here!

Currently got the stock 45-105 D'Addarios on it but next up is a fresh set of 50-110 Rotosound Stainless Steels and a setup from The Bass Gallery next week.

@razor5cl - you mentioned you'd tried a 735A at a store, was that the main Yammy store in central London? I'm guessing you're still loving it compared to your Ibby Talman, although I have to 'fess to being a big Ibby fan, particularly of their SR Premium range.

@TRBboy - the only caveat about the Yammy store is that they just have a couple of pretty basic combos to play through and there is the whole noise and buzz of other folk in a music store. So IMO it will give you just a taster of tonal palette, but you if you take your usual strap you can at least assess how they feel to wear and how comfortable the necks are to play etc. My BB 1025 is very noticeably better than it sounded in the store, so whatever you're hearing in the store you should treat as a kind a base case!

[Guest]

I tried a 734A at a store, not the 5 stringer, but that was at Wunjos in Denmark Street. There are lots of places along there as well as the main Yamaha store where you might have some luck finding a 735A to try.

I am indeed loving it compared to the Ibanez, the Talman is a great one to play but the Yamaha just feels so much smoother and more comfortable to play. I'm actually going to take the 734A to The Bass Gallery today for a setup and a fresh set of strings and it should be good to go then!

[Al Krow]

Wunjos is a fantastic little bass store - probably my favourite in Central London.  Tom the manager there is a great guy, and his team mostly also called Tom(!)  are pretty decent too!

[TRBboy]

Thanks guys, maybe best to check Wunjo's out too!