The Yamaha BB mega-thread

[MattiZ]

On 15/10/2020 at 14:49, Al Krow said:

Bass Direct have just dropped their price to £729 shipped for a 735A and given that these basses seem to hold their value pretty well (as can be seen from 414/5, 424/5 and 1024/5 used prices), I'm really tempted to get a new replacement one for the used one I sold a while back (apparently because I was holding onto my P35, or so I thought!).

Please, please, talk me out of placing an order for a matte black 735A right now!

I’ve only just decided I like the BB235 quite a lot, after playing it for a few months, but find myself wondering how nice it would be with an active preamp. More like my BB1200Ss...

I don’t need it! I want it! Aaarggh!

[Al Krow]

8 minutes ago, MattiZ said:

Please, please, talk me out of placing an order for a matte black 735A right now!

I’ve only just decided I like the BB235 quite a lot, after playing it for a few months, but find myself wondering how nice it would be with an active preamp. More like my BB1200Ss...

I don’t need it! I want it! Aaarggh!

When did "not needing" a piece of bass gear ever stop us getting something we really wanted?! 😁

I don't know how many Yammy BB735As Bass Direct has in stock - so if you want it for that currently excellent price, I suggest you hit your credit card quickly before I stop dithering about whether to get it myself (the Yamaha Store won't have any replacement stock until late Nov) and @marleaux62, who has recently clearly got a very bad dose of the Yammy bug, beats you to it!  

[MattiZ]

5 minutes ago, Al Krow said:

When did "not needing" a piece of bass gear ever stop us getting something we really wanted?! 😁

I don't know how many Yammy BB735As Bass Direct has in stock - so if you want it for that currently excellent price, I suggest you hit your credit card quickly before I stop dithering about whether to get it myself (the Yamaha Store won't have any replacement stock until late Nov) and @marleaux62, who has recently clearly got a very bad dose of the Yammy bug, beats you to it!  

I know, you make perfect sense. I haven’t seen any black ones for sale anywhere in EU area for months, and the price is very good. 

Must resist. Or at least think about it for a while.

[MattiZ]

That was fast. 

What have I done? 

[Al Krow]

Sometimes you have to follow your heart! Besides, since when has music purely been about the "head"?

FWIW - I can't think of any other PJ 5er with active / passive option that matches the 735A's quality, until you are hitting twice that price (and more). 

I suspect you will love it and, if you don't, then you won't have any difficulty moving it on!

When is it arriving? Will you be looking to sell your BB235 or keeping it as a purely passive bass? 

[Mike Brooks]

Just reviewed this cracker, video now uploaded onto my YouTube channel. Have a great weekend folks!

 

[MattiZ]

7 hours ago, Al Krow said:

Sometimes you have to follow your heart! Besides, since when has music purely been about the "head"?

FWIW - I can't think of any other PJ 5er with active / passive option that matches the 735A's quality, until you are hitting twice that price (and more). 

I suspect you will love it and, if you don't, then you won't have any difficulty moving it on!

When is it arriving? Will you be looking to sell your BB235 or keeping it as a purely passive bass? 

Agreed. All your pro-BB735A arguments are valid, I used each and every one of them to convince myself that I was about to do the right thing. And yes, they work, feeling happy now. 

No shipping information yet. But I guess it will take some time, every package from GB to Finland that I’ve received during the epidemic has taken several weeks to arrive (there’s been 4 or 5 of them).

Not sure what to do with the BB235 yet. It is a nice bass, like it more every time I play it, but if the BB735 really is that much better... possibly end up keeping one at home, the other at the studio / rehearsal room. Might sell my BB300 instead as it gets no playing time at all (and its neck profile does not feel ideal, and the pickup seems quite weak, and so on). 

Remains to be seen. Anyway, looking forward to comparing the two 5-stringers extensively. Decision time comes later. Now that I remember, never completed my review of the BB235 earlier in the thread. Must do that soon!

[BassApprentice]

Currently on the lookout for another 5 string after selling my BB425 and I'm tempted by the BB5N that's for sale just now.

Decided to see what other BB5* there are out there just now - turns out not many! For £290 it seems a safe bet, anyone had one recently and can compare it to the 425 neck wise. My current favourite neck is my Sandberg Electra VS4 so even better if you can compare it to that too!

[Al Krow]

Mick aka @TheGreek has had a few of the BBNs, I recall, although I think they were 4 rather than 5 string

There is definitely a different neck profile between eg the 1024 and 1025 with the 5s having a flatter radius to make them more comfortable to play in conjunction with being a 5 string. Dunno if the same would be true of the BBNs? 

The one in the FS has had some interesting mods done to it; not entirely sure whether these will be "improvements" or just "chages"! 

[Al Krow]

Bass tone shoot-out: Sandberg Panther Special 5 vs Yamaha BB735A

Must admit I’m a sucker for a good looking bass in glorious woods and those woods include mahogany and walnut. I came across a Sandberg Panther Special in the FS and felt a twinge of GAS for it and decided to look the 5 string version a little further. Turns out it was ticking a lot of boxes in terms of what I would be looking for:

• PJ config;
• 3 band EQ;
• active / passive;
• > 20 frets;
• not sure about the weight but described as being “modest weight” in a Music Radar review.

But then I thought, hey I know another bass that also ticks all these boxes: the Yammy BB735A.

The Berg sports an ‘effective’ 35.25” scale length for the B string which purportedly results in a meaty low B. The Yammy has body through stringing and a 5 piece laminate neck for extra strength and rigidity. Both are bolt-on rather than neck through, which would have been icing on the cake for me – but that’s just something I personally love design wise, as I think it looks fabulous.

Bergs are really well put together basses. The thing that has put me off Bergs, since deciding to part with my TM4 a few years back, in addition to their cost (although tbf used ones are often a fair bit more affordable: they don’t seem to hold their value in the same way that Yammys do - I guess partly down to the much higher starting price?), was the relatively hi-fi nature of the some of their pups; Delanos in particular. So my key bit of further research was to look into how the Panther Special 5 sounded tonally and I managed to dig out a YT clip from our own Andy Boorman (Moonbass), where he gives it a very good tonal work out as part of his sales pitch for his old bass. Amusingly, I very nearly bought this bass off him 4 years ago, which was before the 735A was released, and might have done if I'd seen this video at the time. I think you will agree, it sounds pretty darned good!

I then also came across a really good clip of the 735A with Tyler playing my old bass(!) It was really informative hearing them both 'side by side' as it were. I appreciate that signal chain and recording equipment will impact what we’re hearing the other end, particularly on YT clips, but a current Berg owner kindly confirmed that the Andy B’s clip was a pretty good reflection of how his current Sandberg Panther Special sounds.

Be interested in what you guys think in terms of the tonal A/B of these basses?

The Sandberg is on at £2,263 in PMT. For me, having heard them both side by side - the point we’ve made loads on this thread about Yammy’s holding their own against basses costing several times rings true even more for me having spent a bit of time doing this bit of research and is going to be something I continue keep at the forefront of my future buying decisions. Now if they only finished the 735A in white...

Edited October 24, 2020 by Al Krow

[Al Krow]

Oh and if you want to hear a 735A in action in the mix, this one is currently in the FS. Loved it!

 

[krispn]

I thought you’d already nabbed another 735?

[krispn]

The question is do you want to spend 2k on a bass and continually judge it against a lesser priced Yamaha which you’ll ultimately have already decided is better bang for the buck. This combined with having to buy new plus depreciation which is always a consideration if a new bass doesn’t work out. You’ve owned a 735 (and foolishly sold it) you know how it plays and feels, what it sounds like. If you’re serious about the Sandberg the Panther is not a very common bass so it’s not one you’re likely to find in most shops which means a leap of faith. Worst case scenario is replace the pick ups which by the sound of it you wouldn’t need to do as it’s a great sounding bass. 
 

[Al Krow]

Yeah - I should probably have gone with that used Berg 4 years back and that would have dealt with the depreciation issue at a stroke. You may remember, I was very close to buying back then, but was persuaded it was likely to be too similar to my TM4. It's not, and much closer tonally to what I would be looking for in a bass.

In terms of finish / looks, the Berg relatively easily wins over the 735A for me - it wouldn't if there was one in white, lol.

IMO the Yammy goes to toe to toe with it tonally.

[krispn]

Well if mahogany and walnut is worth the the 2k spend go treat yourself. Remember you could tweak the spec on the Sandberg page too

[Al Krow]

In hindsight, it would have been worth the £1,100 Andy B was looking to get for his 4 years back. But £2.3k new feels a little too extravagant, for me anyway! 

[krispn]

Question answered the 735 has got to be the more logical choice! 

[Guest Corto14]

I had thought my new bbp34 was a lightweight bass but today I weighted her and, surprise surprise....4,4kg 😱
 

[Misdee]

2 hours ago, Corto14 said:

I had thought my new bbp34 was a lightweight bass but today I weighted her and, surprise surprise....4,4kg 😱
 

All the P34's I have seen and tried are that kind of weight. It's about the same as  most of the old 2024x's used to weigh. 

[EJWW]

Just acquired a second hand BB734A. NBD report to follow soon. Initial impressions good 😀

[Al Krow]

8 minutes ago, EJWW said:

Just acquired a second hand BB734A. NBD report to follow soon. Initial impressions good 😀

Congrats! Look forward to your review and pics!

I've added you to owners' wall of shame on the OP...😊

[Al Krow]

13 hours ago, Misdee said:

All the P34's I have seen and tried are that kind of weight. It's about the same as  most of the old 2024x's used to weigh. 

That seems about right as @Misdee has said. My BBP35, which should be a little heavier than the P34 with the 5 string neck, was 4.6kg.

[EJWW]

My review of the BB734A 

I'm not particularly keen on the fuss of active basses (I'm a P bass man at heart) but a local trade opportunity arose and so I have now become the owner of this 734A.

First impression once I'd lifted it from its exquisitely plush-lined Yamaha gig bag was the matte black finish of the body and neck.

If you look closely at you can actually see the wood grain and also the three sandwiched layers of alder and maple that comprise the body.

I just love everything about the look and finish of this bass, from the badge on the headstock to the unusual fingerboard inlays. The design is pure class.

At 4.4kg it is not light but balances very comfortably.

The neck feels quite chunky, like a P Bass, and the satin finish feels just lovely in your left hand.

Machine heads are dead solid and feel high quality, as does the bridge.

A full set-up was required. The neck was dead straight which resulted in notes clattering and buzzing at the lower end of the fingerboard. A smooth half turn anticlockwise with a 4mm allen key sorted that problem. The bridge saddles were squewiff and the screws weren't at the same level on each saddle, and the pickups were miles away from the strings. I needed to replace the foam rubber underneath both pickups in order to raise them to Yamaha's recommended height. Lastly I carefully tightened the screws on the bass, mid and treble knobs which were slightly loose and rattly and it was good to go.

I can't help wondering whether level of (un)playability caused by the condition I received it in influenced the previous owner's decision to get rid of it. If so what a shame!

On to the playing.

The neck pickup is really ballsy and does the P sound really well. In passive mode it sounds near perfect to me. With the active EQ you've got plenty of options but I honestly feel this is gilding the lily.

Once you pan towards the bridge pickup I think the EQ comes into its own and can fatten up the bridge pickup's output.

I can't wait to put it through its paces in a gig environment and find out if its a keeper. Its principal opposition is a 3.9kg Squier Matt Freeman P Bass which I bought last year as a back up bass and has since become my main instrument as a result of its all round excellence. 

So to summarise in one word- I think I like it 🤓

[Al Krow]

On 25/10/2020 at 22:40, EJWW said:

My review of the BB734A 

I'm not particularly keen on the fuss of active basses (I'm a P bass man at heart) but a local trade opportunity arose and so I have now become the owner of this 734A.

• First impression once I'd lifted it from its exquisitely plush-lined Yamaha gig bag was the matte black finish of the body and neck.  If you look closely at you can actually see the wood grain and also the three sandwiched layers of alder and maple that comprise the body. I just love everything about the look and finish of this bass, from the badge on the headstock to the unusual fingerboard inlays. The design is pure class.
• At 4.4kg it is not light but balances very comfortably.
• The neck feels quite chunky, like a P Bass, and the satin finish feels just lovely in your left hand.
• Machine heads are dead solid and feel high quality, as does the bridge.

A full set-up was required. The neck was dead straight which resulted in notes clattering and buzzing at the lower end of the fingerboard. A smooth half turn anticlockwise with a 4mm allen key sorted that problem. The bridge saddles were squewiff and the screws weren't at the same level on each saddle, and the pickups were miles away from the strings. I needed to replace the foam rubber underneath both pickups in order to raise them to Yamaha's recommended height. Lastly I carefully tightened the screws on the bass, mid and treble knobs which were slightly loose and rattly and it was good to go. I can't help wondering whether level of (un)playability caused by the condition I received it in influenced the previous owner's decision to get rid of it. If so what a shame!

On to the playing:

• The neck pickup is really ballsy and does the P sound really well. In passive mode it sounds near perfect to me. With the active EQ you've got plenty of options but I honestly feel this is gilding the lily.
• Once you pan towards the bridge pickup I think the EQ comes into its own and can fatten up the bridge pickup's output.

I can't wait to put it through its paces in a gig environment and find out if its a keeper. Its principal opposition is a 3.9kg Squier Matt Freeman P Bass which I bought last year as a back up bass and has since become my main instrument as a result of its all round excellence. 

So to summarise in one word - I think I like it 🤓

@EJWW excellent review, thanks, with some really useful set up tips (I've highlighted in blue). 

Maybe the 734A is overkill for you as you're finding it "near perfect" in passive mode? A passive 734A = 434 or a (series 2) 1024 in my books and I can certainly vouch for the 1024/5s being absolutely superb passive PJ basses.

Btw "I think I like it" is definitely 5 words 😁

Edited October 31, 2020 by Al Krow

[EJWW]

9 hours ago, Al Krow said:

@EJWW really good review, thanks, with some really useful set up tips (highlighed in blue). 

Maybe the 734A is overkill for you as you're finding it "near perfect" in passive mode? A passive 734A = 434 or a (series 2) 1024 in my books and I can certainly vouch for the 1024/5s being absolutely superb passive PJ basses.

Btw I'm guessing accountancy is not your strong point? "I think I like it" is definitely 5 words in my book 😁

Near perfect when the P pickup is solo'd.

I did briefly own a 1025X but I didn't get on with the neck. In my view it compared unfavourably to my mid '90s TRB5 which is a completely different animal of course. 

I would like to try a BB414 at some point however, I don't know what the necks are like on them but I prefer the pickup switch to the blend knob.