The Yamaha BB mega-thread

[Muzz]

Noooo, it's progressed past that; he's got them trained - if you leave them in a room with an open window, they're off*...

 

 

* Inspired by a mate of mine when we were kids; he was briefly obsessed with keeping pigeons, and there was a bloke with a pet shop down Tib Street in Manchester sold them. He'd buy one, fuss over it, then forget and leave the door ajar, and it'd be gone, so he'd have to go and buy another one. I was convinced the bloke had sold him the same pigeon three or four times...

Edited August 10, 2022 by Muzz

[Velarian]

1 hour ago, Muzz said:

Noooo, it's progressed past that; he's got them trained - if you leave them in a room with an open window, they're off*...

 

 

* Inspired by a mate of mine when we were kids; he was briefly obsessed with keeping pigeons, and there was a bloke with a pet shop down Tib Street in Manchester sold them. He'd buy one, fuss over it, then forget and leave the door ajar, and it'd be gone, so he'd have to go and buy another one. I was convinced the bloke had sold him the same pigeon three or four times...

Did the bloke also used to run the joke shop that was down Tib Street? I wouldn’t be at all surprised. 😂

[javi_bassist]

After some time with the 414, I can make some comments about it.

 

There are two negative things I find on the bass: its weight (heavier than the rest of basses I have) and its hardware (tunes and bridge, easily repaceable). 

 

The possitive: it's comfortable and it sounds amazing. I bought it because I wanted a P-style bass. But it sounds nothing like a regular P-bass. Man, this bass has its own sound. And it's amazing. My BB735 sounds more "Fenderish", more like what I am used to hear in a PJ bass. But the 414 has its own vibe. I'm loving this bass. I just can't stop playing it.

 

Yamaha is probably now my favourite brand. I mean, they are crazy cheap and incredibly good quality. It also happenen with my BB605. Crazy cheap and impressive quality (I din't like the preamp, but personal taste, it worked). And of course, my main bass, the BB735, that plays like a dream and the sound is just perfect. 

Edited August 13, 2022 by javi_bassist

[Velarian]

Here’s something a little different. I’ll post the full story when I’ve clarified a couple of facts, but for now, as a teaser here are a couple of pics of a broken BB2000 neck. 😉

 

 

[Maude]

Glue, clamp, sand, spray,  PLAY!!! 😁

 

Intriguing. 🤔

[AndyTravis]

That’s very….erm…brokened 😂

 

as a point @javi_bassist the machineheads are tension adjustable on the bb414, a little Allen bolt can stiffen them up - they’re actually pretty decent.

 

i changed the bridge on mine for a random Yamaha one which was marked as “ATT-Bridge” in Yamaha packing but was used in the mid 90’s on a few models…

[Velarian]

1 hour ago, Velarian said:

Here’s something a little different. I’ll post the full story when I’ve clarified a couple of facts, but for now, as a teaser here are a couple of pics of a broken BB2000 neck. 😉

 

 

I'm still in touch with the drummer from the band I was in, in the early 80s and he reminded me that he had this broken BB neck. I thought you guys might be interested in the story behind it.

 

This neck is from JJ Burnell's bass which he was using in 1982/83. JJ used the bass during the Strangler's Feline Tour at that time, plus many TV appearances including The Tube 1983, TOTP's - European Female etc. It's possible that it was also used on the recording of the Feline album although I don't know that for sure. It was damaged during the US leg of that tour when his strap failed and the bass dropped to the ground. The Kinkade Brothers in Bristol had made a few guitars for the Stranglers so the bass was sent to them for repair. I don't know the details of the repair but I know they made a new neck and, given that the BB2000 is a neck-through design, presumably they spliced the new neck into the existing body? I'm also guessing that the original fretboard was likely reused.

 

My mate acquired this neck because his brother, the guitarist in our band, was having an acoustic guitar made by the Kinkades and they visited the workshop to check progress of the build shortly after JJ's bass had been repaired. The old neck was lying around in the workshop about to be chucked out so, being a fan of the Stranglers my mate asked if he could have it.

 

Many years later my mate met with JJ in Liverpool and he took the neck along and got him to sign it. Here's a picture of JJ using the bass in question and also the signed neck.

 

 

[Elfrasho]

Got a 734a delivered today. Not properly gave it a go but feels great! pickups seem a bit all over the shop though, very angled... wasn';t expecting that, and I dunno if thats the optimum!

[Maude]

16 hours ago, Elfrasho said:

Got a 734a delivered today. Not properly gave it a go but feels great! pickups seem a bit all over the shop though, very angled... wasn';t expecting that, and I dunno if thats the optimum!

I found my new 734a needed some extra foam under the P pickups as they were extremely loose. 

[Elfrasho]

2 hours ago, Maude said:

I found my new 734a needed some extra foam under the P pickups as they were extremely loose. 

 

Yep, think I'll need to do that. Bizarre,  as the rest of the instrument is of excellent quality and finish but the pups are definitely poorly fitted!

[Elfrasho]

Here's my two current BB's

 

#1 is a BB734. Excellent bass after a little pickup tweaking. I feel more at home with a PJ bass. My right hand just knows where to go.  Yet to gig it, but seems solid and very very playable. People say the PJ set up is a bit bland sounding, but i personally think it just works in the mix. I'm not hugely keen on the matt finish. I think it will look old very quickly, but it is what it is.

 

#2 is a BBN4S I think (from memory). In the late 90's my dad took me to sound control in glasgow to get my first proper bass and I got one of these. When I was about 22, me and a mate stripped the paint, defretted it and fitted a bass whammy system to it. I then sold it for 80 quid i think. I always wondered how good they were as I remembered it being a very good bass.  Fast forward 20 years and i managed to find this one in the same colour, local to me, so I purchased it for nostalgia. I've ended up playing a number of wedding gigs with it. Plays nicely and I love the neck but doesnt really cut through the mix;  it feels hard work to play at gigs as it makes me need to dig in harder to get a bit of honk to the tone (if you know what i mean). I'd imagine the electronics are pretty low grade given the bass was a budget bass, so i might look at alternatives. The bit of perspex is basically a thumb rust which I've added, stuck on by sticky tape so completely reversable. It's also got a yellow tint to it despite it originally being a white bass. Love it!

 

Edited August 25, 2022 by Elfrasho

[pete.young]

Very nice BB800 just popped up in the For Sale section:

 

 

[msb]

[javi_bassist]

11 hours ago, msb said:

 

These basses sound pretty amazing IMO. The looks might not be the best (I love it) but they sound fat

[Maude]

Incoming! 

 

Not in my sticky mitts yet but soon will be. 

An '85 BB1100S fretless. 

 

(Sellers pictures) 

 

 

 

 

Very kindly @Len_derbyoffered to go out of his way and collect it for me from Coalville. He's heading down my way(ish) in a weeks time so I'll drive up and meet him.

Can't wait. 😁

 

[andy67]

40 minutes ago, Maude said:

Incoming! 

 

Not in my sticky mitts yet but soon will be. 

An '85 BB1100S fretless. 

 

(Sellers pictures) 

 

 

 

 

Very kindly @Len_derbyoffered to go out of his way and collect it for me from Coalville. He's heading down my way(ish) in a weeks time so I'll drive up and meet him.

Can't wait. 😁

 

Absolutely beautiful 😍 any further forward with bex?

[Maude]

36 minutes ago, andy67 said:

Absolutely beautiful 😍 any further forward with bex?

 

Embarrassingly, no. 

I might actually make a concerted effort to do some on it tomorrow as I have an unexpected day off. 

I'm still just not sure what I want to do with the back of it. 

I don't just want to do the easiest thing and then regret it. 

Edited September 18, 2022 by Maude

[andy67]

1 hour ago, Maude said:

 

Embarrassingly, no. 

I might actually make a concerted effort to do some on it tomorrow as I have an unexpected day off. 

I'm still just not sure what I want to do with the back of it. 

I don't just want to do the easiest thing and then regret it. 

Absolutely, art takes time and getting it right for you takes even longer. Looking forward to seeing the project take shape for you.

[pete.young]

19 hours ago, Maude said:

Incoming! 

 

Not in my sticky mitts yet but soon will be. 

An '85 BB1100S fretless. 

 

 

Can't wait. 😁

 

Lovely!

[Maude]

21 hours ago, andy67 said:

Any further forward with bex?

There's an update in the thread. 

[Guest]

After too many months dithering, I pulled myself together, had a final fond play of my BB424, and sent it off to Bass Direct, where it will be sold for a price like the one I paid, ie sod all for the quality. I'm going to miss that neck so much. My knackered shoulder is insistent, though

 

[Horizontalste]

A favour to ask of the BB population if I may!

Would anyone be willing to whip off the chrome neck pickup surround from a 4 string & cut out a cardboard template for me please?

Reason being that I have a BB350 that I want to add pickup surrounds (CNC Lazer Cut most likely) & a basic template could start me off in the right direction.

Obviously there's a drink in it for ya 😁

Cheers

[Guest]

 

Don't be too sad for me, I've replaced it with a G&L SB-1, I'll live  And it's over 2 lbs lighter.

[Maude]

1 hour ago, Horizontalste said:

A favour to ask of the BB population if I may!

Would anyone be willing to whip off the chrome neck pickup surround from a 4 string & cut out a cardboard template for me please?

Reason being that I have a BB350 that I want to add pickup surrounds (CNC Lazer Cut most likely) & a basic template could start me off in the right direction.

Obviously there's a drink in it for ya 😁

Cheers

Do you mean the oversized rounded ones on the newer range rather than the older style squarer type? 

I'm assuming this one.

 

If so, no problem. PM me your address and I'll post it off over the weekend. 

[Horizontalste]

4 hours ago, Maude said:

Do you mean the oversized rounded ones on the newer range rather than the older style squarer type? 

I'm assuming this one.

 

If so, no problem. PM me your address and I'll post it off over the weekend. 

Yep, exactly that!

Pickups are slightly different in shape but it's the curved edges that I want to get right!

 

PM incoming, thank you!