The Yamaha BB mega-thread

[dave_bass5]

5 minutes ago, Misdee said:

For some reason-I know not why- the Japanese Yamaha workshop cut the nut slots on the shallow side ie the relief at the nut is higher than a lot of other basses. I have seen it on so many basses from them that I think they do it on purpose. The funny thing is that the basses seem to play well, regardless. A Fender with those nut slot heights would feel very stiff by comparison. 

My P34 was like that. Noticeable higher at the nut compared to my other basses. Not unplayable in the slightest, and only really noticeable because my Fender is very low, but now you mention about stiffness i did think the same when i had mine. It was just never an issue as far as playability went....at least, i didnt consciously  think so. 

Edited December 23, 2020 by dave_bass5

[Al Krow]

Wonder if anyone has considered using a Warwick adjustable 'Just a Nut' on their Yammy basses (or whether they would even fit!)? 

[dave_bass5]

4 minutes ago, Al Krow said:

Wonder if anyone has considered using a Warwick adjustable 'Just a Nut' on their Yammy basses (or whether they would even fit!)? 

Easier to just file the slots if they are a problem. 

[Al Krow]

1 minute ago, dave_bass5 said:

Easier to just file the slots if they are a problem. 

The Just a Nut is pretty neat. It would be an upgrade to most nuts. 

[dave_bass5]

11 minutes ago, Al Krow said:

The Just a Nut is pretty neat. It would be an upgrade to most nuts. 

Doubt it. Whats wrong with most nuts (😂)?

Sounds a bit like Dingwall PR 😬

[krispn]

19 minutes ago, Al Krow said:

The Just a Nut is pretty neat. It would be an upgrade to most nuts. 

 

8 minutes ago, dave_bass5 said:

Doubt it. Whats wrong with most nuts (😂)?

Sounds a bit like Dingwall PR 😬

 

There’s a tech here in Edinburgh who hates the Just a nut. I recall him bemoaning them at length when I had a corvette in getting a once over before a recording session with an old band.  

[Al Krow]

Haha, most things on most basses are just fine!

And of course there are refinements here and there eg lighter tuners, John East Retro preamps, less bland / sterile pups. Fortunately very few folk moan about the Yammy preamp or pups! 

Similarly, not all nuts are the same either. Yammy provide a better quality nut on their 1024/5 than they do on their 424/5 for example. The nut on my Ken Smith is superb with individual saddles cast in the metal. 

Do check out the brass Warwick Just a Nut III - that ability to raise and lower string height at the nut as well as the bridge is a very neat feature. 

[dave_bass5]

1 minute ago, krispn said:

 

 

There’s a tech here in Edinburgh who hates the Just a nut. I recall him bemoaning them at length when I had a corvette in getting a once over before a recording session with an old band.  

There are many good ideas ,on paper, out there, but the nut is one of the things that doesnt need re inventing if its working perfectly fine already. 

I know some brands have unique parts on them, but i don’t buy in to all that expensive upgrade stuff is better if the basic versions are working as they should. 

Must admit ive never heard of the just a nut before though. Ill go and have a look. 

[AndyTravis]

4 minutes ago, krispn said:

There’s a tech here in Edinburgh who hates the Just a nut. I recall him bemoaning them at length when I had a corvette in getting a once over before a recording session with an old band.  

I always liked the idea of being able to totally fine tune the set up. I’ve only had one bass with one of these, and I set it once and left it. So I suppose if you stick to the same strings etc, a decent setup by a pro luthier would be a more sensible option than hacking the old nut out...

they are available in appropriate colour/size now though...

[dave_bass5]

1 minute ago, Al Krow said:

 

Do check out the brass Warwick Just a Nut III - that ability to raise and lower string height at the nut as well as the bridge is a very neat feature. 

Ah Brass. No thanks. I don’t like brass nuts. I guess its a nice feature if you are struggling with action at the nut end though. 

[krispn]

12 minutes ago, AndyTravis said:

I always liked the idea of being able to totally fine tune the set up. I’ve only had one bass with one of these, and I set it once and left it. So I suppose if you stick to the same strings etc, a decent setup by a pro luthier would be a more sensible option than hacking the old nut out...

they are available in appropriate colour/size now though...

We’ll ignore the one star review - it was likely from that tech in Edinburgh 😀But I’d agree sometimes the money spent on a good set up is a better option. Imagine buying the just a nut and the grooves still not being the correct width. 

Edited December 24, 2020 by krispn

[Cuzzie]

Nut sure if the just a nut is any better or not (it’s quite expensive) and probably still needs sanding to fit in and I am not a fan of a bone/ivory nut - good simple graphtec TUSQ nut, take time on your set up and file judiciously - and then it’s done and all you need.

[matbard]

On 23/12/2020 at 13:18, Al Krow said:

Well we obviously need 'proof' in the form of some pics 😁

How are you liking it so far and how does it stack up against your other basses?

I'm loving the fact that several have gone straight in with some of the top end models as your first taste of Yammy BBs!

Here we are!!

I like it a lot. I found the neck superb, much more than my Rick 4003 from 2017.

[krispn]

14 hours ago, Al Krow said:

 The nut on my Ken Smith is superb with individual saddles cast in the metal. 

 

It's a tad unrealistic to compare a Ken Smith nut in the same sentence as a Yamaha 424/5 or many other basses for that matter 

Actually that's a great point in relation to the pre-amps - how does the KS pre-amp compare to your active Yamaha's? Are there discernible differences that are clearly heard? I know that the KS has some switches and trickery going on under the hood but I'm not familiar with them enough to know if that's model specific or if all his pre's have the same switching and fine tuning available across all his basses.

Edited December 24, 2020 by krispn

[J_Bass]

Hello guys, 

I have been tempted to buy a Yamaha bass for a while, I love their pianos and I'm sure the quality of their basses is up there. 

 

If looking for a passive, how big a leap in quality from the bb pro, to the other bb passive models, like the 434?

[Al Krow]

4 minutes ago, J_Bass said:

Hello guys, 

I have been tempted to buy a Yamaha bass for a while, I love their pianos and I'm sure the quality of their basses is up there. 

If looking for a passive, how big a leap in quality from the bb pro, to the other bb passive models, like the 434?

They are! 

Good question and not necessarily a straightforward answer! Some like their 434s as much as their P34s and some even prefer the more budget model. 

My comparison experience was holding onto my 1025 in preference to a P35. The P35 edged in on quality but the 1025 was a little bit lighter and in the end that was more important in the context of playing 2 x 1 hour sets. 

If it were me, I'd get a 434 to start with and then "try before you buy" with the P34. 

[dave_bass5]

On 26/12/2020 at 16:08, J_Bass said:

Hello guys, 

I have been tempted to buy a Yamaha bass for a while, I love their pianos and I'm sure the quality of their basses is up there. 

 

If looking for a passive, how big a leap in quality from the bb pro, to the other bb passive models, like the 434?

As AK said, Its not just a leap in quality. They sound different. No better, no worse. Even the low end BB’s are bursting with quality, Dont think you will short change yourself buy saving a bit and not getting a higher end model.

Give me a BB434 over a P34 any day of the week. My reasons are well documented on here.

Edited December 28, 2020 by dave_bass5

[J_Bass]

Thank you both for the help. 

 

Could you guys please point me to the pages in this thread where you discuss that? 

Interesting what you both say abound the sound being different. I'll have to listen to samples. 

 

I noticed they have different pickups, but I thought it was just the name. 

[MM Stingray 62]

You could also take a look at the BB1024x 

 

Edited December 26, 2020 by marleaux62

[dave_bass5]

2 hours ago, J_Bass said:

Thank you both for the help. 

 

Could you guys please point me to the pages in this thread where you discuss that? 

Interesting what you both say abound the sound being different. I'll have to listen to samples. 

 

I noticed they have different pickups, but I thought it was just the name. 

I’m not sure where the pages are, but i had the BB435 early March and sent it back when we went in to lockdown. 

The short version is, i had a P34 and liked it very much, but i also have a Fender P bass and was always torn between the two. I couldn’t settle on the P34 while i had the Fender (and the Fender is never going anywhere). To me the Fender sounded more like i wanted a P bass to sound. Nothing wrong with the P34, it was close, but didnt have the ‘fender’ vibe that i already had.  I also owned for a very short time a  BB435, and it blew me away. Much closer to my Fender for the P sound. More ‘woody’ and less processed compared to the P34. 

 

[MattiZ]

My BB obsession is getting worse. Now I need/want a fretless one. 

What models are there? I know of BB400S, BB350F and BB614F (and BB404F, but that one has a different body style). There seem to be some converted BB300 fretlesses, and I once played a converted BB1200S. 

If there was a fretless BB234 available, I wouln’t hesitate. But sadly there is no such thing. So, what options do I have? And who wants to sell me one? 

[Al Krow]

The BB 3000A was available as a fretless, but I suspect they will be as rare as hen's teeth! 

[dave_bass5]

49 minutes ago, Al Krow said:

The BB 3000A was available as a fretless, but I suspect they will be as rare as hen's teeth! 

There’s a guy on FB selling a load of these. Looks for Mick Mason 😂

Edited December 28, 2020 by dave_bass5

[Cuzzie]

2 hours ago, MattiZ said:

My BB obsession is getting worse. Now I need/want a fretless one. 

What models are there? I know of BB400S, BB350F and BB614F (and BB404F, but that one has a different body style). There seem to be some converted BB300 fretlesses, and I once played a converted BB1200S. 

If there was a fretless BB234 available, I wouln’t hesitate. But sadly there is no such thing. So, what options do I have? And who wants to sell me one? 

Get a fretted one of choice, pull the frets out

[MattiZ]

1 hour ago, Cuzzie said:

Get a fretted one of choice, pull the frets out

Not comfortable doing that. Electronics I can cope with, but any kind of woodwork, nope.