The Yamaha BB mega-thread

[Al Krow]

Just now, AndyTravis said:

Just a BB with the Sims Super Quads in would do it. All options covered.

They're expensive and seem to have mixed reviews on how they sound. 

[AndyTravis]

Just now, Al Krow said:

They're expensive and seem to have mixed reviews on how they sound. 

I’ve tried them. They were good. And they are expensive, but they’re made in small numbers in the UK so it’s to be expected.

I just want a stingray sound in a BB package, the body shape just sits right for me.

I’m going to do it eventually. Just need the wonga.

[Cuzzie]

6 minutes ago, AndyTravis said:

Just a BB with the Sims Super Quads in would do it. All options covered.

Can we have LEDs as well please

[AndyTravis]

Just now, Cuzzie said:

Can we have LEDs as well please

Yeah.

So, the plan is get a 424x, strip the body. 

Fill bridge pickup rout.

Rout for MM pickup. Get a nice 2 band eq and a lovely vintage MM sounding pickup.

silver flake body, White Pearl pickguard.

Green LEDS. (Well, maybe not...but y’know)

[Cuzzie]

1 minute ago, AndyTravis said:

Yeah.

So, the plan is get a 424x, strip the body. 

Fill bridge pickup rout.

Rout for MM pickup. Get a nice 2 band eq and a lovely vintage MM sounding pickup.

silver flake body, White Pearl pickguard.

Green LEDS. (Well, maybe not...but y’know)

Aggie MM pick up and OBP-2 will do a very nice job.

Bit more in your face - Noll EQ

Audere also very noice

[AndyTravis]

21 minutes ago, Cuzzie said:

Aggie MM pick up and OBP-2 will do a very nice job.

Bit more in your face - Noll EQ

Audere also very noice

Well, was thinking Nordstrand MM blade as the aesthetic fits in with BB more.

But. I appreciate that might not be the sound...

it’s a while off yet as the wife has just said “er...that red Yamaha with a Big neck pickup...new is it?”

[AndyTravis]

Black BBNE2 up for sale 

[Cuzzie]

Check out basslines - they do very good under the radar pick ups

[AndyTravis]

Just now, Cuzzie said:

Check out basslines - they do very good under the radar pick ups

My Modulus has the Duncan/Modulus pickup - good shout.

I could go silly and do the Lane Poor Legacy...

[Cuzzie]

Ulyate also, Jaime at creamery up/down the road from you may just be able to do the ticket for you - that will be a good shout

[Al Krow]

Further to our earlier chat, think I've stumbled across the P/MM that could well hit the spot for me: the Schecter Diamond P Plus sporting Seymour Duncan quarter pounders, with push pull to go from series to parallel on both the P and the MM. Feels like it could be the "Berg I've been after" with meaty pups instead of the polite Delanos that often come as standard (really my only gripe with Sandberg), and at Ibanez rather than 'Berg prices.

It's seriously active though, which might be a deal breaker for some, but I'm good with that. 

As you said, Yammy are not going to be introducing a P/MM any time soon... 

[AndyTravis]

The problem is on MM/P basses is that the MM very rarely ends up where a MM pickup should be.

i bought a Sandberg MM/J a good few years ago, and aside from a few other bits I didn’t like about it (in the end) it certainly never sounded like a MM pickup.

Didn’t help that I bought a 1994 stingray on the same day which was a beauty.

[Cuzzie]

Just now, AndyTravis said:

The problem is on MM/P basses is that the MM very rarely ends up where a MM pickup should be.

i bought a Sandberg MM/J a good few years ago, and aside from a few other bits I didn’t like about it (in the end) it certainly never sounded like a MM pickup.

Didn’t help that I bought a 1994 stingray on the same day which was a beauty.

That is because it was never meant to be in the Ray position or indeed sound like a Ray in its construction/sound etc.

[AndyTravis]

13 minutes ago, Cuzzie said:

That is because it was never meant to be in the Ray position or indeed sound like a Ray in its construction/sound etc.

Well yes, Johnny facetiouspants.

But given the choice, I’d want a MM pickup in that position.

I was more bothered that it felt like a £500 Mexican Fender.

Shouldve bought the SR5 I’d tried the week before 🙄

[Cuzzie]

2 minutes ago, AndyTravis said:

Well yes, Johnny facetiouspants.

But given the choice, I’d want a MM pickup in that position.

I was more bothered that it felt like a £500 Mexican Fender.

Shouldve bought the SR5 I’d tried the week before 🙄

More like Factpants.

I think we get each other’s point tho.

So many peeps think because it looks like a ‘Ray’ or ‘MM’ pick up and is in roughly the same place then it will sound like one, and then are disappointed/upset etc when it doesn’t.

When something is not what you expect to hear, you always get a response which may be less favourable than it otherwise could have been.

Only a Ray sounds like a Ray, position, magnets, pre-amp etc.

It you didn’t like the feel, that’s cool too, plenty we all do and don’t like positive and negative 

[AndyTravis]

5 minutes ago, Cuzzie said:

More like Factpants.

I think we get each other’s point tho.

So many peeps think because it looks like a ‘Ray’ or ‘MM’ pick up and is in roughly the same place then it will sound like one, and then are disappointed/upset etc when it doesn’t.

When something is not what you expect to hear, you always get a response which may be less favourable than it otherwise could have been.

Only a Ray sounds like a Ray, position, magnets, pre-amp etc.

It you didn’t like the feel, that’s cool too, plenty we all do and don’t like positive and negative 

It wasn’t brown. If it’d been brown...I would’ve loved it.

[Al Krow]

30 minutes ago, AndyTravis said:

The problem is on MM/P basses is that the MM very rarely ends up where a MM pickup should be.

i bought a Sandberg MM/J a good few years ago, and aside from a few other bits I didn’t like about it (in the end) it certainly never sounded like a MM pickup.

Didn’t help that I bought a 1994 stingray on the same day which was a beauty.

Lol, can't believe I'm spending the entire day in agreement with you Mr T. Getting decidedly dull... 😄

That Schecter did look like it's worth checking out, though, maybe the closest I've spotted to a P/MM that is going to be delivering on both P and MM, with some seriously decent pups. And let's be honest, the Diamond series are a pretty tasty looking bass too. 

[dannybuoy]

Those Schecter bridge humbuckers are closer to a beefed up Jazz pickup than an MM.

I've never seen a P/MM with the MM close to the Stingray sweet spot except my modded Westone Thunder that has an MM pickup almost touching the P. The pickups don't sound that great combined due to the proximity I guess, but there's 2 classic bass sounds you can easily flick between!

[CameronJ]

Carey Nordstrand made a P/MM for Dan Lutz with both pups nearer their native sweet spots:

[Al Krow]

13 hours ago, dannybuoy said:

Those Schecter bridge humbuckers are closer to a beefed up Jazz pickup than an MM.

I've never seen a P/MM with the MM close to the Stingray sweet spot except my modded Westone Thunder that has an MM pickup almost touching the P. The pickups don't sound that great combined due to the proximity I guess, but there's 2 classic bass sounds you can easily flick between!

 

13 hours ago, CameronJ said:

Carey Nordstrand made a P/MM for Dan Lutz with both pups nearer their native sweet spots:

The pups in true 'sweet spot' position really are fugly aren't they and makes total sense that they are going to interfere with each other being in such close proximity, so no equivalent of the P+J that the a lot of us like on the Yammy.

The Schecters I was making reference to are out of production (and turn out to be just 20 frets).

Hmmm...maybe after all of that it's safe to conclude that if you want a Stingray get a Stingray and that Yammy got something very right with their PJ configuration.

Although the Yammy modded Ray "Travis" could yet get a cult following  

[krispn]

I heard demo’s of the Dan Lutz model when Carey did a video. I suggest folks check it out before speculating on what it’s issues are. It’s a fine sounding bass and doesn’t suffer phase issues etc and it’s super responsive -hand placement making a difference etc all the stuff folks extol the virtues of on bass forums. I’d take a DL VM5 if Carey wanted to give me one and happily use it as my only bass! It sounds 

I agree with the idea of if you want a MM get a MM, if you want a p get a p etc. I had a thunderbird pick up in my p bass and it sounded great but it’s not a p bass sound. I’ve put a (reverse) p back into that bass and it sounds more traditional. Actually I could put a Bigman with three way switch into my p bass down the line 🤔

Oh and check out the Bigman demo where the coils can be split with bridge coil, mm, neck coil. Interesting the tonal difference from the one pick up. 

[Vanheusen77]

I´m curious, what pickup and tone settings do you BB fanatics usually use? I´m usually on the P pickup tone full on, sometimes both pickups on and tone down a bit to tame the brightness.

[AndyTravis]

1 minute ago, Vanheusen77 said:

I´m curious, what pickup and tone settings do you BB fanatics usually use? I´m usually on the P pickup tone full on, sometimes both pickups on and tone down a bit to tame the brightness.

P/J (414) fully open most of the time, with the bridge pickup closer to the strings. Rolling tone back for more chilled tunes.

for the BS - will Find out tomorrow 😂

Edited March 2, 2020 by AndyTravis

[Al Krow]

BB 1025 tone settings:

1. PJ - full volume and 8 to 10 tone = main default

2. P solo or PJ - both at full volume, tone dialled right back = Motown

3. J solo - full volume and 8 to10 tone = cut through on the low B string (e.g. Uptown Funk)

Edited March 2, 2020 by Al Krow
...oh and I'm definitely more of a "fan" than a "fanatic" :)

[AndyTravis]

Singer messaged me about a bass he’d seen on eBay...

£150, with a 30w Marshall and all learning materials.

2 miles down the road...