The Yamaha BB mega-thread

[Al Krow]

Won't last as long as a normal single use 9V, but will certainly save you money and potentially any blushes in the long run. Two rechargeables on the go at any one point is my approach.

However are any of your basses still purely active, TJ? And in your case the convenience of not having to bother more regularly swapping batteries over will almost certainly be a bigger factor and in the context of 150+ gigs a year the cost saving is going to be negligible. 

[TJ Spicer]

1 minute ago, Al Krow said:

Won't last as long as a normal single use 9V, but will certainly save you money and potentially any blushes in the long run. Two rechargeables on the go at any one point is my approach.

However are any of your basses still purely active, TJ? And in your case the convenience of not having to bother more regularly swapping batteries over will almost certainly be a bigger factor and in the context of 150+ gigs a year the cost saving is going to be negligible. 

The MTD is, but also runs 2 batteries simultaneously. It's only the BB735A that's been on my gigs since I bought it from you though 😅 And running in passive for most sets, unless it's a slappy/80s style tune. Damn I just love the sound of that bass. Ridiculous!

I'll probably keep it as is, I don't need more stuff to carry or forget to bring along/charge. Between iPads, Go Pros and appropriate adapters for the HX stomp etc. I think I'm fully cabled out. 😂

[dave_bass5]

10 minutes ago, krispn said:

I think a passive option should always be available on an active bass but I suppose on a Signature model the big name players usually have a tech to concern themselves with battery changes!

I agree about the passive option. I wouldn’t buy an active bass that couldn’t run without a battery in it in passive mode. It’s a safety feature for me. 

Ive never had a bass that didn’t sound the same in passive as it does in active with all controls flat. Maybe in isolation with headphones there is a slight difference of going back and forth, but not in a live situation. I think we can get a bit too obsessed with very small changes and listen out for them under ideal conditions like at home but if we are aiming for a tone  to use with a band then IMO that’s where testing should be done. 

We use the same rehearsal studio most of the time, with the same gear. I always record the sessions in the same way. Listing back to the many sessions and various basses I would be hard pressed to tell what bass I was using most of the time, yet at home the differences are very noticeable.  

[krispn]

Even if were noticeable I think most of us could excuse a slight different in active/passive sound over active sound/no sound

 

 

[Al Krow]

12 minutes ago, dave_bass5 said:

Listening back to the many sessions and various basses I would be hard pressed to tell what bass I was using most of the time, yet at home the differences are very noticeable.  

+1 ^^

Almost fully in agreement with you on this, Dave, particularly about nuances of bass tone being most easily heard at home. That point, together with weight, are the two big reasons for me keeping some of my higher end kit for home use and being very content with my BB1025 and BF SC for gigging. 

But I would say that both me and our drummer, who is the most attuned to bass amongst my band mates, can certainly hear and feel the difference in tone and how the bass is sitting in the mix of eg my Ibby SR J/J vs my Yammy PJ. 

Edited July 25, 2019 by Al Krow

[therealting]

1 hour ago, TJ Spicer said:

I just feel like maybe I'm taking a risk when I'm playing 150+ gigs a year moving away from something I've always been well served by 😬

The Batt-o-meter just checks the battery voltage, so you can continue using what you have now with the security of knowing you won’t run out. 

[krispn]

This often comes up in threads with people saying the band noticed a tone or a sound but it’s often not clear if that was a good thing or a bad thing. Sometimes different is just different but when a whole band looks up that can be as much consternation as a confirmation that it works. 

[Al Krow]

24 minutes ago, krispn said:

This often comes up in threads with people saying the band noticed a tone or a sound but it’s often not clear if that was a good thing or a bad thing. Sometimes different is just different but when a whole band looks up that can be as much consternation as a confirmation that it works. 

In my case it was a case of "Oooh, that new Yammy you're playing sits really nicely in the mix!"

[krispn]

Of course ...which one though?

And what about the squealing, over driven j bass sound

 

 

Edited July 25, 2019 by krispn

[Al Krow]

33 minutes ago, krispn said:

Of course ...which one though?

And what about the squealing, over driven j bass sound

BB 1025 - it's the one that usually gets to rehearsal and gigs. 

(The little bit of feedback was something I noticed when getting up close and personal to my amp pre sound check and sorted in 5 mins flat by switching to PJ from solo J, so not a biggie from a band perspective). 

[dave_bass5]

4 hours ago, Al Krow said:

In my case it was a case of "Oooh, that new Yammy you're playing sits really nicely in the mix!"

Pretty much the reaction I got first time out with the P34. Only I replied ‘ cheers, it’s lovely isn’t it. I’ve borrowed it off a mate for a while’. To clarify, my girlfriend is our singer 😏

[whamni]

On 25/07/2019 at 09:48, TJ Spicer said:

I've never ventured to rechargeables - Are they sufficiently long-lasting? I can run my 9v in most basses for a year + - would that outweigh going rechargeable?

 

  Forget about rechargeable, I discovered Tesco's own brand and they last a long long time.

Edited July 28, 2019 by whamni

[AndyTravis]

Dad’s having a clearout. 

Guess which pictures he’s posting all over Facebook 😂

[dave_bass5]

Just got back from a weeks holiday on Friday night and cant put my P34 down. Spent 5 hours over this weekend just playing it. 

Ive got a set of EB Cobalt flats arriving tomorrow. Ive never used these before. Ive used other flats but always go back to rounds. Hoping the EB’s will be less ‘flat’ and more ‘round’. I seem to kill rounds quite quickly.

Now while I’m changing strings i was thinking of rotating the E string saddle so I’m using the sharper side. I’m wondering if anyone else is using the sharper side of the string saddle for the E string. I get its a good idea for the B strings but is there really much difference? as i find the E is the least defined string (not that its a problem) on my 4 sting basses. 

[whamni]

1 hour ago, dave_bass5 said:

Just got back from a weeks holiday on Friday night and cant put my P34 down. Spent 5 hours over this weekend just playing it. 

Ive got a set of EB Cobalt flats arriving tomorrow. Ive never used these before. Ive used other flats but always go back to rounds. Hoping the EB’s will be less ‘flat’ and more ‘round’. I seem to kill rounds quite quickly.

Now while I’m changing strings i was thinking of rotating the E string saddle so I’m using the sharper side. I’m wondering if anyone else is using the sharper side of the string saddle for the E string. I get its a good idea for the B strings but is there really much difference? as i find the E is the least defined string (not that its a problem) on my 4 sting basses. 

I changed the saddle on my 734 and it did bring out the top a bit more on the E, I have Ernie Ball flats on.  These strings are fine for Country or jazz, but I'm not impressed with them for pop etc !

[dave_bass5]

Cheers, i may turn the E round then. I keep trying flats but dont keep them on long. I do find my rounds die quite fast and i end up with dull stings quite quickly. 

Ill report back in a few days. 

[Al Krow]

This very attractive BB2004 went up for sale earlier today and was snapped within hours of being listed! Looking forward to finding out who the (lucky!) new owner is.

Mentions in the description both 2 band EQ and 3 band EQ - I'm guessing 2 band if it has a variable mid cut similar to the NE2 given that it has overall one less knob than the NE2.

It even has the sought after reverse P set up! 😍

 

[TJ Spicer]

3 hours ago, Al Krow said:

This very attractive BB2004 went up for sale earlier today and was snapped within hours of being listed! Looking forward to finding out who the (lucky!) new owner is.

Mentions in the description both 2 band EQ and 3 band EQ - I'm guessing 2 band if it has a variable mid cut similar to the NE2 given that it has overall one less knob than the NE2.

It even has the sought after reverse P set up! 😍

 

Damn that's tasty! If that had been a 5 string, I'd be jealous...

[Al Krow]

4 minutes ago, TJ Spicer said:

Damn that's tasty! If that had been a 5 string, I'd be jealous...

Yup! 😎 

Edited July 29, 2019 by Al Krow

[TJ Spicer]

1 minute ago, Al Krow said:

If it had 5 strings, it would be called a 2 band BB NE2.

But because of you, I'm not jealous

True true! That reverse P and natural finish neck though 😍

Edited July 29, 2019 by TJ Spicer

[Al Krow]

Just now, TJ Spicer said:

True true! That reverse P and natural finish neck though 😍

Haha, yes I was thinking exactly that as I edited my post... 😄 

[gobasserk]

Outdoor shooting today. ... 

[dave_bass5]

Put the EB flats on my P34 last night..... took them off 30mins later.

They weren't bad as such, in fact i think they are my fav flats after TI's, but one string had rust spots so they are going back.

I put the old strings back on and really, this cant get any better. Ive used nickels for years, but since getting the two Yamaha's last month both have SS (pro steels) on and they seem to be a perfect match. No point changing what works. Ive never liked dull or dead strings, i tend to change my nickels about every 8 weeks if im gigging a lot, and the pro steels aren't dead by any means, but the P34 just seems to work in synergy with these strings.

[krispn]

I recently put some roundwounds back onto some of my basses and it nice to have that different tonality to the bass having been quite happy with and familiar with the flats. I do like flats and still have one bass with them but it’s been good to gig roundwounds- even if I did have the tone backed off by about 60% 

It’s worth swapping back and forth, or it is for anyway, me just to keep the tones fresh. I’m using a bit more grit for more songs just to mix it up and defo prefer the roundwounds with a touch of dirt over the flats. 

[Al Krow]

On 24/07/2019 at 22:55, TJ Spicer said:

I wished I had a passive option on the BBNE2 too, especially after finding out the way in which these pres let you know they're running out of battery! 😅

Here you go Tyler...our discussion prompted me to see what I could get for 'peace of mind' and without needlessly discarding perfectly usable 9V batteries (or spending ££s on a passive / active 'upgrade').

Well this 'bit of tat' which cost less than £3 from Amazon including P&P seems to be just the ticket! (They suggest swapping out when power is < 6V).