The Yamaha BB mega-thread

[Al Krow]

37 minutes ago, jezzaboy said:

Aye, my bad. I`m always getting the bloomin Yammy numbers mixed up! It is a 424. 

That's cool - who hasn't ever got confused about all the BB variations that we've had in the range over the past 40 years, and where they all fit into the pantheon! I mean, why was one of the earliest BBs an 800? Did they really never bother with a 100? Etc. etc! 

 

Either way, we still need a pic 😁

[Doctor J]

Never mind 🙈

Edited August 6, 2021 by Doctor J

[pete.young]

15 hours ago, AndyTravis said:

Yeah. Not sure I’m young or cool enough.

I know I'm neither, but it wouldn't stop me!

[gobasserk]

No name bridge..check....rings...check.... new Schallers ...negative....tuner axis too short...Gotoh bridge...negative...screws and screwholes  to thin...

Waitng for an idea of new tuners..

Edited August 6, 2021 by gobasserk

[mikeycrikey]

On 05/08/2021 at 17:35, AndyTravis said:

Still not sold on either of these…done in a moment of madness 

Back to black Andy on both of them. It just works with those colours 

[TheGreek]

5 hours ago, mikeycrikey said:

Back to black Andy on both of them. It just works with those colours 

 

You know that you spelt "white" wrong don't you??

[Maude]

On 04/08/2021 at 22:18, TheGreek said:

You know what's coming....

 

Here ya go! 

 

Do they usually come in kit form? 😆

 

 

It's in very nice condition. A couple of tiny marks that will polish out and just one actual ding that has broken the paint, on the lower bout by the jack socket. I can scan the colour and mix up some paint to run in the crack and polish it out so it's no biggy. Apparently the bass never left the house and has rarely been played and it does look that way. 

The wood on the fretboard is rather nice and a bit oil should bring it out nicely. 

 

The worst ding. 

Edited August 7, 2021 by Maude

[Maude]

Now for the fun bit. 

As I see it there's three options for a simple reverse P mod. 

 

Put the EA part below the existing DG part. 

 

Put DG part above the existing EA part. 

 

Or the simplest, and my preference to keep the core tone of the BB but with that reverse P vibe as no part of the pickup has moved drastically. 

Just flip the two parts over. 

 

I will need to make a new scratchplate to accommodate the reverse P which is no big deal and luckily the chrome on the reverse of the pickup ring is quite acceptable so I can just flip it over an countersink the screw holes. 

The front has slightly rounded edges where the back doesn't, but it looks fine in the flesh. 

 

Front, 

 

Back, 

 

Nothing will be irreversible, just flip the pickup, ring and refit the old scratchplate, and it's back to standard so I've no worries there. It will just have a large rectangular pickup route rather than a pair of smaller P ones. 

 

So do folks think this is worth doing, or am I just bored and stupid? 

[Reggaebass]

34 minutes ago, Maude said:

Here ya go! 

 

Do they usually come in kit form? 😆

 

Is that really how it came or did you just take it apart 

[Maude]

1 minute ago, Reggaebass said:

Is that really how it came or did you just take it apart 

Ha ha, no I've pulled it apart. 

1, to give it a good clean and polish, and 2, to be possibly reverse the P pickup. 

[Reggaebass]

Just now, Maude said:

Ha ha, no I've pulled it apart. 

1, to give it a good clean and polish, and 2, to be possibly reverse the P pickup. 

Cool 👍, even though it’s apart it looks good 

[Guest]

Can I vote for halfway between these two?

 

 

So taking a smidge of bass off E–A, but adding a dollop of it to D–G.

[Maude]

Yep, I can see that working well. It will also bring the EA part further away from the edge of the scratchplate and visually balance it better. 

 

It will look less tidy under the scratchplate, but that's kind of irrelevant I suppose. 

[AndyTravis]

14 minutes ago, Maude said:

Yep, I can see that working well. It will also bring the EA part further away from the edge of the scratchplate and visually balance it better. 

 

It will look less tidy under the scratchplate, but that's kind of irrelevant I suppose. 

My initial thought was about how thin that scratch plate would be at the edge - possibly ‘snappable’ 😂

[Maude]

41 minutes ago, AndyTravis said:

My initial thought was about how thin that scratch plate would be at the edge - possibly ‘snappable’ 😂

I had that thought too, but as I'll be making a new plate I could 'tweak' the design ever so slightly to give a bit more meat around that curve if needed, but still be BB, see? Si? Que? 😁

[AndyTravis]

2 minutes ago, Maude said:

I had that thought too, but as I'll be making a new plate I could 'tweak' the design ever so slightly to give a bit more meat around that curve if needed, but still be BB, see? Si? Que? 😁

This spoon…this, smack on head.

 

[Maude]

While I'm gonna be making a scratchplate, it's the perfect opportunity to make something cool... 

 

 

... although deep down I know that black works best with the white and chrome. 

 

So has anyone got any inspired thoughts on a different colour of material? 

 

My fretless P is practically identical in colour to the BB with a rosewood board and has a mint green scratchplate, which I really like, but I've done that, and it looks too polite for a BB. 

Edited August 7, 2021 by Maude
Bad grammar, and a fear of Dad.

[AndyTravis]

4 minutes ago, Maude said:

While I'm gonna be making a scratchplate, it's the perfect opportunity to make something cool... 

 

 

... although deep down I know that black works best with the white and chrome. 

 

So has anyone got any inspired thoughts on a different colour of material? 

 

My fretless P is practically identical in colour to the BB with a rosewood board and has a mint green scratchplate, which I really like, but I've done that, and it looks to polite for a BB. 

I’m going tort…but my brother has a collection of yamaha AES 500 guitars which used Black Pearloid (always looks a bit grey/blue to me).

 

His White one (same as Bb424x white) looks awesome.

 

 

Edited August 7, 2021 by AndyTravis

[AndyTravis]

Which @Maudemeans I’m now thinking of that for mine 😂

[Maude]

I might try black pearl, I've got the old one from when I did my Variax which I can lay on there to see there look. 

 

I'm trying to get away from off white body and black plate, but it just looks so good. 

 

Off white body and black pearl plate is a proper retro Yamaha looking as well. 

 

[lee650]

39 minutes ago, AndyTravis said:

I’m going tort…but my brother has a collection of yamaha AES 500 guitars which used Black Pearloid (always looks a bit grey/blue to me).

 

His White one (same as Bb424x white) looks awesome.

 

 

Hmmmm sweetie knobs!

[lee650]

35 minutes ago, AndyTravis said:

Which @Maudemeans I’m now thinking of that for mine 😂

Actually that might look nice on my 425 too🤔

[AndyTravis]

2 minutes ago, lee650 said:

Hmmmm sweetie knobs!

Actually stock on the aes500

[Maude]

Well black pearl has gone from, 'Might look quite good', to, 'Nah, everyone's doing it' pretty quick. 😁

[AndyTravis]

2 minutes ago, Maude said:

Well black pearl has gone from, 'Might look quite good', to, 'Nah, everyone's doing it' pretty quick. 😁

“I’m buying an AES500 in white like my brothers” has arrived here 😂🤦🏻‍♂️