The Yamaha BB mega-thread

[P-T-P]

14 minutes ago, Corto14 said:

thanks for the tip! it would be fantastic but I live in Italy and therefore it seems complicated to me. shame because it would seem interested also in a bb734a

I'm happy to consider shipping to Italy. Have sent a couple of basses overseas down the years.

[thisisswanbon]

On 12/11/2019 at 20:14, Al Krow said:

That's one awesome rig to go with a very tasty bass!

Welcome aboard the Yammy club! Did you buy new or manage to pick one up used? 

But with reactions like yours to the BB range, I guess I shouldn't be too surprised that we've just snuck passed 3,000 posts on this thread (and can't be more than 2,500 of those down to me and Andy T 😂).

I think I'm correct in saying that's the first ever bass focussed thread to pass that particular milestone in BC's history. Here's a glass raised to Yammys 

 

 

Sorry for the delay, Al! It was bought brand new from Bassdirect for what I thought was a very reasonable price, especially when I had the bass in my hands the next day and realised the quality! You're right though, I can't imagine ever letting this go, I imagine It'll replace my Sandberg and spector as #1.

Appreciate the kind words about my rig as well, it's taken a few new amp days to come back to my first gigging head (literally the same amp I sold, bought back years later)... oops!

[CameronJ]

10 minutes ago, thisisswanbon said:

Sorry for the delay, Al! It was bought brand new from Bassdirect for what I thought was a very reasonable price, especially when I had the bass in my hands the next day and realised the quality! You're right though, I can't imagine ever letting this go, I imagine It'll replace my Sandberg and spector as #1.

They are genuinely excellent basses at any money - The fact it took basses 5 times the cost (at least) to dethrone my BB735a speaks volumes. 

[Baceface]

Entering beta-test phase for Project Pickguard (scheduled while awaiting delivery of pickguard attachment screws from the far East). Decided to go with the stock Yamaha part as it only cost me £14 including shipping from BTN and it only took a few days to arrive!

I did lightly scrape it with a scalpel as the 'guard is designed to join onto a metal plate that covers the controls (as on a jazz bass). That part of the pickguard is cut straight so I just needed bevel it slightly. Not necessary but I think it looks a bit better.

 
Currently held in place with double-sided tape and the little plastic truss-rod access doodad. Realise the jazz-style knobs are non-standard but I hate the way I can't see how the stock ones are set. I think they look OK, particularly with the black 'guard which I think, rather like The Dude's rug, really ties the bass together. Overall, I like the look and think I'll stick with it.

[Al Krow]

Those jazz style knobs work well IMO. I'm completely with you in wanting to be able to see where the dials are set - I resorted to a much cruder set of white stick-on markers on my former 735A!

Edited November 19, 2019 by Al Krow

[stewblack]

On 05/07/2019 at 22:41, AndyTravis said:

Don’t you fu*king start. Colour blind asshat @bigsmokebass does my cornhole in with his “hur hur, brown bass” comments.

He’s just jealous of my pink one...

🥴

I get this all the time with my salmon pink bass. 'ooh the orange one' they say. Colour blind asshats. I'm having that. 

[stewblack]

So why am I browsing this thread, looking at Andy's orange one? 

Well I have managed to sell a bass which I put up when in desperate need of funds. I sold a few other things and cleared the debt so technically I don't need the money any more. So guess what I'm doing with it? 

[Al Krow]

1 hour ago, stewblack said:

So why am I browsing this thread, looking at Andy's orange one? 

Well I have managed to sell a bass which I put up when in desperate need of funds. I sold a few other things and cleared the debt so technically I don't need the money any more. So guess what I'm doing with it? 

This perchance  

[stewblack]

10 minutes ago, Al Krow said:

This perchance  

.... maybe 🤓

[Baceface]

9 hours ago, Al Krow said:

Those jazz style knobs work well IMO. I'm completely with you in wanting to be able to see where the dials are set - I resorted to a much cruder set of white stick-on markers on my former 735A!

I think they look absolutely fine. I did try something similar but the 614 has much more rounded controls so it's not easy to get anything to stick. Also they have some kind of rubber band washer type things to aid grip, so any kind of marking down the "barrel" of the dial was a non-starter.
I was surprised at how heavy the stock controls were. Can't remember exactly but it was a few ounces and the new ones have taken the weight down to under 9lbs so that's another win, albeit slight.

 

[AndyTravis]

8 hours ago, stewblack said:

.... maybe 🤓

I’ll sue if you get white pearl Pickguard 😂

[stewblack]

4 hours ago, AndyTravis said:

I’ll sue if you get white pearl Pickguard 😂

Don't panic. I'm getting tortoise shell. 

[gobasserk]

A new Sammy Hagar video with Micheal Anthony and one of his Yamahas !!!

 

[Guest MoJo]

On 19/11/2019 at 09:13, Baceface said:

Entering beta-test phase for Project Pickguard (scheduled while awaiting delivery of pickguard attachment screws from the far East). Decided to go with the stock Yamaha part as it only cost me £14 including shipping from BTN and it only took a few days to arrive!

I did lightly scrape it with a scalpel as the 'guard is designed to join onto a metal plate that covers the controls (as on a jazz bass). That part of the pickguard is cut straight so I just needed bevel it slightly. Not necessary but I think it looks a bit better.

 
Currently held in place with double-sided tape and the little plastic truss-rod access doodad. Realise the jazz-style knobs are non-standard but I hate the way I can't see how the stock ones are set. I think they look OK, particularly with the black 'guard which I think, rather like The Dude's rug, really ties the bass together. Overall, I like the look and think I'll stick with it.

I love that. If ever you sell it .......

[AndyTravis]

14 minutes ago, MoJo said:

I love that. If ever you sell it .......

Yeah. My old 614 in burst was up for sale - with a pickguard. Looked just as ace.

[stewblack]

I'm in the club! 

[Guest MoJo]

2 hours ago, AndyTravis said:

Yeah. My old 614 in burst was up for sale - with a pickguard. Looked just as ace.

It did look nice. I've always preferred natural finishes. Wish they'd done the BB424X and BB425X in natural

Edited November 20, 2019 by MoJo

[AndyTravis]

1 hour ago, MoJo said:

It did look nice. I've always preferred natural finishes. Wish they'd done the BB424X and BB425X in natural

I think that natural 614 would look lovely with a dark tort guard...

[Guest MoJo]

5 hours ago, stewblack said:

I'm in the club! 

In the biblical sense?

[stewblack]

 Not tried in anger yet but I have taken delivery of Mick's gold Yammy. 

However I've seen and heard enough to know this. 

The bass looks so much better in the flesh than any picture I've seen and it looks OK in pictures  It is beautifully balanced and a very nice weight. The neck is gorgeous. Slender, smooth, playable, oh and it has the first ever useable bridge pick up I've come across on a PJ. 

You know how the P pick up is usually full on, rounded and rich like espresso coffee and the J pick up is like a lukewarm Birds instant? Well not here! A lovely melodious gargling throaty bouncing sound which out punches the neck pick up and dances around it. 

I'm so happy that all the hype around these basses is not illusory. Seriously tasty bass. 

Edited November 20, 2019 by stewblack

[Paul S]

Can I just say @stewblack that your descriptions always make me smile  

[AndyTravis]

2 minutes ago, stewblack said:

 Not tried in anger yet but I have taken delivery of Mick's gold Yammy. 

However I've seen and heard enough to know this. 

The bass looks so much better in the flesh than any picture I've seen and it looks OK in pictures  It is beautifully balanced and a very nice weight. The neck is gorgeous. Slender, smooth, playable, oh and it has the first ever useable bridge pick up I've come across on a PJ. 

You know how the P pick up is usually full on, rounded and rich like espresso coffee and the J pick up is like a lukewarm Birds instant? Well not here! A lovely melodious gargling throaty bouncing sound which out punches the neck pick up and dances around it. 

I'm so happy that all the hype around these basses is not illusory. Seriously tasty bass. 

Love mine, beyond words...

[AndyTravis]

11 hours ago, gobasserk said:

A new Sammy Hagar video with Micheal Anthony and one of his Yamahas !!!

 

Looks a lot like mine used to

[Baceface]

2 hours ago, AndyTravis said:

I think that natural 614 would look lovely with a dark tort guard...

I know. I did some mockups earlier on and I liked the tort the best. It's just that this one was cheap, like me, and dispensed with the need to risk third-party manufacturers (splendid though their product doubtless is).
Needless to say, you're planting the seeds of option anxiety in my mind and another mockup leads me to think that a tort guard would indeed look great....

 

[stewblack]

Tort looks great.