The Yamaha BB mega-thread

[Paul S]

I had a BB425 and a BB5000.  Stock, both were way too heavy for me.  I stuck lightweight tuners on the 5000 but didn't compromise it otherwise - had to move it on.  The BB425 as well as lightweight tuners I removed the J pup to lighten it but it was still too heavy!   

Do you still have the 735a?  If so are you able to weigh it, please?  I am curious!

[Al Krow]

1 minute ago, CameronJ said:

In my personal experience having owned both a 1025x and a 735a, the 735a was noticeably lighter. I didn’t own both basses at the same time to compare side by side but I remember the 1025x feeling like a bit of a boat anchor.

I think the 735A may be wee bit lighter than the 1025, but there was very little in it with my two - so it's interesting that your 735A was so much lighter Cam. 

I put it down to the greater cavity space for the active electronics in the 735a, taking a chunk of wood out. 

No question that the P35 I had was a little heavier than my 1025 though, as @HazBeen, who bought my P35, will be able to confirm having handled both.

I don't find my 1025 too heavy at all for regular 2 hour gigs. 

[Paul S]

1 minute ago, Al Krow said:

I don't find my 1025 too heavy at all for regular 2 hour gigs. 

Lucky man.

[Al Krow]

Just now, Paul S said:

Lucky man.

Thanks - and actually given how close the 1025 and P35 were tonally, the fact the 1025 was a touch lighter and I could be less "precious" about taking it to pub gigs were two key reasons for keeping hold of it rather than the P35. 

[Al Krow]

It's a shame there isn't a decent double strap that can take the load evenly across both shoulders - that I've come across yet anyway. If there is please let me know - it would mean that heavier basses would cease to be off limits! Currently I restrict myself to 10lbs or thereabouts, which includes the 1025, for 2 hour gigs. 

[dave_bass5]

My P34 weighs in at 9.8lbs. Manageable to play but more a pain carrying it. When we have rehearsals I rarely put the bass down, so i normally have it on for 2-3 hours. My Mono strap sorts out the weight issue. I notice the weight (over some of my other basses) more when I'm going to and from rehearsals. 

[ead]

My P34 is just under 4.3kgs or 9lbs 6oz in old money.  Probably the top end of what I am comforatable with.

[CameronJ]

1 hour ago, Al Krow said:

I think the 735A may be wee bit lighter than the 1025, but there was very little in it with my two - so it's interesting that your 735A was so much lighter Cam. 

I think I had a particularly heavy 1025x. It was probably well over the 10lb region!

1 hour ago, dave_bass5 said:

My P34 weighs in at 9.8lbs. Manageable to play but more a pain carrying it. When we have rehearsals I rarely put the bass down, so i normally have it on for 2-3 hours. My Mono strap sorts out the weight issue. I notice the weight (over some of my other basses) more when I'm going to and from rehearsals. 

I definitely agree with this. I can tolerate a bass that weighs pretty much anything - it’s carrying it from place to place when I‘m annoyed by the extra weight.

1 hour ago, Paul S said:

Do you still have the 735a?  If so are you able to weigh it, please?  I am curious!

Sadly not, sorry. I part traded it to Skinnyman of this parish!

[ead]

I think the case for the P34 weighs a fair amount and when I picked up the empty case for the first time I was genuinely surprised.  Thankfully the bass weight was fine for me.

[Al Krow]

1 minute ago, ead said:

I think the case for the P34 weighs a fair amount and when I picked up the empty case for the first time I was genuinely surprised.  Thankfully the bass weight was fine for me.

Yup - those posh Yammy cases are blo*ody heavy!! And the standard Yammy gig bag is 1/2" too small for my Yammy basses (but fits my Ibbys just fine, lol!) 

[dave_bass5]

2 minutes ago, ead said:

I think the case for the P34 weighs a fair amount and when I picked up the empty case for the first time I was genuinely surprised.  Thankfully the bass weight was fine for me.

My case is still in the shipping box and has never been out of it (for those wondering, its a 2 piece box so i took the lid off and opened the case). 

With the bass costing so munch (I purchased it new) I ended up getting a gig bag that also weighs more than my others, as its much better protected, so that just adds to the hardship of carrying this thing I lol. 

[CameronJ]

1 hour ago, Al Krow said:

And the standard Yammy gig bag is 1/2" too small for my Yammy basses (but fits my Ibbys just fine, lol!) 

I always wondered why the hell Yamaha’s own bag was too short for the bass. It’s like they made up the dimensions based on the TRBX basses and said, “oh I’m sure it’ll work fine for the BBs too” without actually measuring to check  

[dannybuoy]

My BB415 was crazy light compared to my BB1025X. Unfortunately I never weighed it before I sold it on!

[Vanheusen77]

On 27/12/2019 at 00:52, Dean Vincent said:

Sadly it looks and sounds to me from photos and YouTube videos that the latest incarnation of the BB is a Fender Precision Bass clone, albeit better made and a PJ, and it sounds to me very clear, but bland and forgettable.

Can someone who owns one please tell me I'm wrong and why?

I want to be wrong because I think my BB424 is superb and I hoped its successor would be even better.

 

On 27/12/2019 at 01:59, Dean Vincent said:

Are you agreeing with me that they do sound very similar?

I was the one that made the video comparisons a few  pages back. While all of the BB basses have a variation of the p bass sound, I can clearly hear the difference from my 60s Am. Orig. bass. They sound different, but I like them both for the different takes  on that same sound.

 

[Dean Vincent]

34 minutes ago, Vanheusen77 said:

 

I was the one that made the video comparisons a few  pages back. While all of the BB basses have a variation of the p bass sound, I can clearly hear the difference from my 60s Am. Orig. bass. They sound different, but I like them both for the different takes  on that same sound.

 

To me it seemed like a tiny difference, compared to the difference between BB series 2 and 3 which I thought was massive

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KPiAOdGQeeY

 

Edited December 28, 2019 by Dean Vincent

[Vanheusen77]

Interesting, will check it out! I actually have a 1024x as well but have not used it in a couple of years due to it being slightly tour damaged.

EDIT: Checked it out. He only used both pickups on for all basses except the first on which he used the bridge(although he wrote neck pickup for some reason). But you are right that they definetely sound different on both pickups for sure(I kind of liked the newer ones). What really blew me away in that clip though was the amp sound, which apparently was one of the Logic bass amp models. I have to use them more😀!

Edited December 28, 2019 by Vanheusen77
Update

[Al Krow]

Anyone looking to part with their P35...Saw that Harry had traded his a couple of days back so that one is no longer available.

 

[mrtcat]

The best combination of amp cab and bass I ever owned. The bass was the cheapest part of the set up to buy but it's off the shelf sound is so good that it was worth the expense of the amp and cab in order to let that sound be heard clearly.

[Al Krow]

@mrtcat congratulations mate, that's an awesome rig! 

I'll have to fess that I find it difficult other than through a close inspection of the pups to distinguish the BB424X and the BB1024X models, so you'll need to please spill the beans on which of the two models you have there?

[dave_bass5]

2 minutes ago, Al Krow said:

@mrtcat congratulations mate, that's an awesome rig! 

I'll have to fess that I find it difficult other than through a close inspection of the pups to distinguish the BB424X and the BB1024X models, so you'll need to please spill the beans on which of the two models you have there?

My uneducated guess would be a 1024, as the bridge looks more substantial. 

[Dean Vincent]

I was wondering the same thing. They aren't 424 front pups, so it's either a 1024X or a 2024X.

[Al Krow]

2 minutes ago, Dean Vincent said:

I was wondering the same thing. They aren't 424 front pups, so it's either a 1024X or a 2024X.

And if that is the case, then by virtue of the bass not being the most expensive bit of his rig it would appear to be a 1024X (which tbf was the bass he had a wanted ad up after a while back). The plot thickens...😁

[Dean Vincent]

8 minutes ago, Al Krow said:

And if that is the case, then by virtue of the bass not being the most expensive bit of his rig it would appear to be a 1024X (which tbf was the bass he had a wanted ad up after a while back). The plot thickens...😁

I think that's right, and it doesn't look like the 2024X came in white anyway

https://europe.yamaha.com/en/products/musical_instruments/guitars_basses/el_basses/bb/index.html

 

My bad, only the 2024 didn't ....

Edited December 29, 2019 by Dean Vincent

[hookys6stringbass]

Hope this isn't out of order... if it is please delete... but seeing as this is a massive Yamaha thread I thought I'd let the basschat massive know before I put it up on my Vintage Yamaha BB Facebook page...

I'll be selling my Black BB734A and possibly my Yamaha BB 1200 (in natural )in the new year... if anyone is interested please don't hesitate to contact me.... 

[therealting]

2 hours ago, hookys6stringbass said:

Hope this isn't out of order... if it is please delete... but seeing as this is a massive Yamaha thread I thought I'd let the basschat massive know before I put it up on my Vintage Yamaha BB Facebook page...

I'll be selling my Black BB734A and possibly my Yamaha BB 1200 (in natural )in the new year... if anyone is interested please don't hesitate to contact me.... 

Proper protocol is to list in the classifieds and then link to it from here.