The Yamaha BB mega-thread

[NoirBass]

If they'd had a tobacco burst 1025x, it'd be mine now.

[Guest subaudio]

I had decided on the 1025 to be my new bass to to get my playing again.
My first proper bass was a Jap BB5000 and one of my last a fretless BB1500, both fantastic basses.
I really like the look of the sandwich neck on the 1025.
How do people rate the 1025 low B?

[CameronJ]

Sounds great IMO - though I need to put thicker gauge strings on mine when I get home to raise the tension a bit. Just personal preference. They are different, lighter strings than than the stock ones Yamaha supply the bass with btw, so this shouldn't affect you!

[Guest subaudio]

Sounds great IMO - though I need to put thicker gauge strings on mine when I get home to raise the tension a bit. Just personal preference. They are different, lighter strings than than the stock ones Yamaha supply the bass with btw, so this shouldn't affect you!

Nice one Edited July 30, 2019 by Dad3353

[Al Krow]

Popped into the Yahama store in London earlier today to check out the new BB1035s as requested by Cuzzie, who's got some GAS for Yamaha goodness. They're still not in!! And the store manager had no idea when they would be arriving (although he said my arrival would prompt him to chase up)...Folk are going to get bored waiting at this rate and end up discovering just how very good the (newish) Ibanez SR Premium range, with its meaty Nordstrand pups, are!

[2elliot]

734a has landed.

[Adonbass]

734a has landed.

Has it actually hit the shops yet Edited July 30, 2019 by Dad3353

[2elliot]

Well, I had a go on my new one today.

[bassix]

What's the verdict?

[2elliot]

It sounds Fantastic, the eq is very nice, not harsh but has a bark to it when the mids are boosted. Built quality is excellent, strange but it didn't come with a battery so when we plugged it in it didn't work, even in passive. I felt right at home with it.

It's still at the shop, I'm collecting on Monday as it was straight out the box, cardboard around the strings etc when I called in and wasn't set up.

Oh... it looks cool as funk.

[jassbass]

It sounds Fantastic, the eq is very nice, not harsh but has a bark to it when the mids are boosted. Built quality is excellent, strange but it didn't come with a battery so when we plugged it in it didn't work, even in passive. I felt right at home with it.

It's still at the shop, I'm collecting on Monday as it was straight out the box, cardboard around the strings etc when I called in and wasn't set up.

Oh... it looks cool as funk.

Hi which shop has them in stock?Thanks Edited July 30, 2019 by Dad3353

[2elliot]

PMT, I ordered it a while ago though, not sure if they brought any more into stock. When I placed the original order PMT didn't know about the new range. Yamaha London also have them.

[tumilho]

Hi all,

My first bass was a Yamaha TRBX504.
It was the first and the only that made me in love with playing bass.

Since i have it, i practise and play 3-4 hours per day, until my fingers hurt
The main spec that I love on the TRBX504 besides the great sound, body design and construction quality, is the neck... the neck size, profile, shape, that gives me an easy, fast and enjoyable sublime playability.

Months have pass and know I have the need to have a 2nd bass.. one for backup.
But, dispite everything I feel for the TRBX504, this time I have the opportunity to buy a better bass.

I bought a Fender American Standard Jazz Bass, and 3 days after I was returning it to the store. Main issue: the neck. Much slower than the TRBX504, thicker, a little more distance between the strings, and dispite of a new setup, I've never got such a low action like my Yamaha.

Other thing that worries me, is that when I bought the Fender American jazz, the bridge single coil pickup make a lot of static and hum noises.. that was the second reason why I've returned it.
I'm used to hummbuckers, and know that sometimes single coils make some noise.. but in the Fender, was unbearable.
Hope this neck single coil yammi pick-up would be silent..

So, I thought that I'm a Yamaha bass guy.. alternatively.. a Ibanez bass guy.
I've discover the Yamaha BB series and fell in love by them.
I'm focused on the 1024x.. the specs on the paper, the web videos.. has.. this is it.

A difficult decision because I can't find them in the stores to try.
Now I've discover the new BB series, and my logic choise is the 734.
Since I can't find one to try, my biggest fear is the neck.

I don't want to feel what i've experience with the Fender American jazz.
I want a slim, fast low action neck like my TRBX504 with a similar profile.

Considering all this issues, will I go wrong with the new BB734?
The problem is that I can't test one before I buy and I don't know the BB' s neck.

Other possibility is the Sandberg Basic Ken Taylor 4 strings.. but this is other bass that I can't find in the stores, and I can't test.

Regards,
Tiago Silva

[Highfox]

Hi all,

My first bass was a Yamaha TRBX504.
It was the first and the only that made me in love with playing bass.

Since i have it, i practise and play 3-4 hours per day, until my fingers hurt
The main spec that I love on the TRBX504 besides the great sound, body design and construction quality, is the neck... the neck size, profile, shape, that gives me an easy, fast and enjoyable sublime playability.

Months have pass and know I have the need to have a 2nd bass.. one for backup.
But, dispite everything I feel for the TRBX504, this time I have the opportunity to buy a better bass.

I bought a Fender American Standard Jazz Bass, and 3 days after I was returning it to the store. Main issue: the neck. Much slower than the TRBX504, thicker, a little more distance between the strings, and dispite of a new setup, I've never got such a low action like my Yamaha.

Other thing that worries me, is that when I bought the Fender American jazz, the bridge single coil pickup make a lot of static and hum noises.. that was the second reason why I've returned it.
I'm used to hummbuckers, and know that sometimes single coils make some noise.. but in the Fender, was unbearable.
Hope this neck single coil yammi pick-up would be silent..

So, I thought that I'm a Yamaha bass guy.. alternatively.. a Ibanez bass guy.
I've discover the Yamaha BB series and fell in love by them.
I'm focused on the 1024x.. the specs on the paper, the web videos.. has.. this is it.

A difficult decision because I can't find them in the stores to try.
Now I've discover the new BB series, and my logic choise is the 734.
Since I can't find one to try, my biggest fear is the neck.

I don't want to feel what i've experience with the Fender American jazz.
I want a slim, fast low action neck like my TRBX504 with a similar profile.

Considering all this issues, will I go wrong with the new BB734?
The problem is that I can't test one before I buy and I don't know the BB' s neck.

Other possibility is the Sandberg Basic Ken Taylor 4 strings.. but this is other bass that I can't find in the stores, and I can't test.

Regards,
Tiago Silva

I'm not sure anyone can answer those questions for you!
If you use a decent on-line shop (like Thomann for e.g.) they will have a good returns policy so you can aways send it back if you aren't happy.
Or snap up the old BB's now if you like them. Edited July 30, 2019 by Dad3353

[Al Krow]

tumilho said:

Considering all this issues, will I go wrong with the new BB734? The problem is that I can't test one before I buy and I don't know the BB' s neck. I want a slim, fast low action neck like my TRBX504 with a similar profile.

I think 2elliot maybe able to assist on Tiago's query about the playability of the BB734 neck?

And if he is an Ibby guy too, well a new model Ibanez SR Premium, with Nord pups, has probably one of the fastest and easy to play necks of any of the quality basses and is a just lovely bass all round.

 

 

Edited February 24, 2018 by Al Krow

[tumilho]

Al Krow said:

I think 2elliot maybe able to assist on Tiago's query about the playability of the BB734 neck?

And if he is an Ibby guy too, well a new model Ibanez SR Premium, with Nord pups, has probably one of the fastest and easy to play necks of any of the quality basses and is a just lovely bass all round.

 

Thanks for the help!

Highfox:

I Know what you mean.. but i was trying to get some feedback, before i start to try some basses and return them to the stores .

Unfortunately, i can't find the basses i'm leaning to on local stores:

Yamaha BB734a (and olders BB's)
Sandberg Basic Ken Taylor 4 strings
Ibanez SR1800 Premium

Main and most important specs to me: a neck profile similar to Yammi TRBX504... slim, thin, fast, and low action.
And i'm trying to avoid single coils pickups, because i had a bad experience with a Fender American Standard Jazz... on my environment, i've got unbearable humms and static on the bridge pickup.

 

Edited July 30, 2019 by Dad3353

[2elliot]

40mm neck. Not as chunky as the bb1024 but nothing like the Ibanez SR800 I used to own, that was more like tooth pick.

Of the four Yamaha basses I've owned. Bb300, Bb3000, Motion & Bb1100s this has the nicest neck for me. Satin finish is lovely. Very comfortable, it feels great.

John at PMT Newcastle sorted me out. Top bloke, very helpful.

[tumilho]

40mm neck. Not as chunky as the bb1024 but nothing like the Ibanez SR800 I used to own, that was more like tooth pick.

Of the four Yamaha basses I've owned. Bb300, Bb3000, Motion & Bb1100s this has the nicest neck for me. Satin finish is lovely. Very comfortable, it feels great.

John at PMT Newcastle sorted me out. Top bloke, very helpful.

Thanks 2elliot! Edited July 30, 2019 by Dad3353

[2elliot]

No problem.

[Al Krow]

It sounds Fantastic, the eq is very nice, not harsh but has a bark to it when the mids are boosted. Built quality is excellent, strange but it didn't come with a battery so when we plugged it in it didn't work, even in passive. I felt right at home with it...Oh... it looks cool as funk.

Hey buddy - how are you finding the new BB 734 as compared to the previous BB's you've had? One of the criticisms of the old Yammy range was that the bodies were a little "bulbous" and a touch on the heavy side and I think one of the drivers for the new range has been to try address the feedback they had on this; the new range are supposed to be lighter and with faster necks than the old range.

Are you finding that the changes to body size and weight in the new series are delivering on the promised better playing experience? Edited July 30, 2019 by Dad3353

[BenR24]

I brought have a BB435, very nice, obviously necks a bit bigger being a 5 string, but is really nice, smooth play. And to me its light, much lighter than what i've played previously. So I reckon the 734 would be very similar.

[Al Krow]

I brought have a BB435, very nice, obviously necks a bit bigger being a 5 string, but is really nice, smooth play. And to me its light, much lighter than what i've played previously. So I reckon the 734 would be very similar.

Ben that sounds great!

I think if I'm going to be using it in P-Bass setting it would be nice to also have the possibility of playing the bass in passive mode.

Do you know if the BB434s & 5s are entirely passive and also if the 734As and 5As are just purely active? Or is there both an active and passive possibility on the 734As & 5As? Wasn't entirely clear to me from the websites! Edited July 30, 2019 by Dad3353

[neepheid]

Ben that sounds great!

I think if I'm going to be using it in P-Bass setting it would be nice to also have the possibility of playing the bass in passive mode.

Do you know if the BB434s & 5s are entirely passive and also if the 734As and 5As are just purely active? Or is there both an active and passive possibility on the 734As & 5As? Wasn't entirely clear to me from the websites!

The 734/5 is passive/active switchable. Don't know if there are any passive tone controls or not. Edited July 30, 2019 by Dad3353

[neepheid]

Also, I had a try of a 434 in a music shop recently and despite really wanting a 734A I must say I was impressed. It was one of the teal blue ones and I thought it was quite "vintage" looking in terms of use of cream pickguard and dots. Felt really nice to play, comfortable neck (that sort of inbetweeny size/profile neither Jazz nor Precision), was playing sitting down and no strap so can't comment on weight but didn't seem overly heavy when I was looking it over.

What surprised me the most was how bright it sounded for a passive bass. Yes, the blurb says "Alnico magnet pickups tuned to deliver the classic BB vintage tone, slightly updated to provide a brighter sound that cuts through in live performance situations" but you know, you don't actually believe that stuff, right? I hadn't cut my fingernails and it was super sensitive to them if I caught the strings with them. I actually preferred the sound with the tone control about 1/3 rolled off. That's the first passive bass I can think of when I've felt the need to do that. The tone control actually did something in a reasonably graded fashion instead of being either all or nothing or achieving very little at all, so kudos to Yamaha for that.

I really like the new, sleeker, simplified look. Some of the more recent BBs have been a bit garish and fussy looking for me with far too much extraneous chrome (like pickup rings) and I'm glad to see them gone. Pickguard's a nice shape and doesn't cover too much of the body. As a Gibson man, really appreciated the black headstock

The 434 gave me serious cause to consider whether or not the 734A is worth the extra 300ish notes or not, simply because of the brightness of the tone of this passive bass. The 734A has different pickups (with a larger number, so they must be better, right?), active EQ, a sandwich body construction (alder/maple/alder) and more luxurious fingerboard inlays but I have to ask myself how much I care about these things. Also, you can't get the 734 in teal blue, which I think is the pick of the new colours.

I haven't bought a new bass in ages. GAS is escaping...

Edited July 30, 2019 by Dad3353

[Al Krow]

That is a really helpful post, thanks Neepheid! I'm really tempted to go for the 434, too, for all the reasons you've stated (perhaps apart from the Teal Blue, but maybe I need to see that "in the flesh" ).

I'm led to understand that the Yammys are some of the best basses, for the money, in nailing the P-Bass sound? Anyone disagree or know of anything that does the job better (other than a Fender Precision)?

And a P-Bass deserves the opportunity to be played in passive mode IMHO!

So a key deciding factor for me is that if there is full passive tone control on the 434, and it's as otherwise good as you say, but the EQ is bypassed in passive mode on the 734A, then that is defo going to push me towards the 434. (Particularly as my existing basses are all active / passive already but none of them have a P/J set up). A point I need to follow up on asap, unless one of our BCers already knows the answer to this?

Edited July 30, 2019 by Dad3353