Cairobill

Awww. My second ever bass. Great instruments!

I need to make a tiny truss tweak on my 1982 BB2000 but don't have the truss rod tool. Can anyone in the know recommend a suitable tool for the job?

 

Woah mama. These early ones are such beautifully built basses

18 hours ago, Muzz said:

I'm loving my 414 so much it's actually perking some GAS, but I'm yet to be convinced that a more expensive BB would have a neck that I'd like; from my digging (fairly extensive, but not completely comprehensive) it appears the 414 has the slimmest neck of all of them (that weigh less than 8 1/2 - 9lbs)...I can't remember for the life of me what the neck on my BB3000A was like: I didn't have a problem with it at the time, but I've got fussier as I've got older (and I'm playing way more gigs)...

I sold my MIJ 3000A a while back... neck is 'skinny' but I'm not sure how much that is due to narrowness or shallowness. It definitely felt insubstantial compared to the BB2000. It was also harder to get around on and more fatiguing, at least for me. I find the BB2000 profile more comfortable and more playable.

Just picked up one of these basses and have to say, they're the best! 

39 minutes ago, soulstar89 said:

Definitely understand you on construction. Japans craftsmanship has always be so refined. Your mass has a neck through with ebony fretboard so it plays a big part. 

 

You seemed to have found a keeper. Delete all your saved searches on basses you are after and enjoy the beauty lol. 
 

oh how would you describe the jazz pickup? 

They are so well made. Very hard to build at that level nowadays without attaching a 5K price tag I think. 
 

bridge pickup is full sounding compared to a Fender. Sounds great

Yes, a broad palette but no compromise in the sounds. Very top tier bass.  
 

The neck is also important I think. Just chunky enough but still very fast. 
 

I’m tempted to conclude that the BB2000 construction plays a big part in the quality of the tone. You can hear the sound of the thing unamplified and feel it in your fingers. Solid!

On 25/03/2024 at 11:18, soulstar89 said:

Nice. I’ve a question. As the pickups are aggressive and punchy (I presume tone wide open) when you rolled off the tone does it more bassy/thumpy like a generic style p bass sound or holds the same aggression and punch but with less treble? 

It’s very versatile. I’ve been playing it regularly over the past few days and can confirm that it is one of the slappiest basses I’ve ever hit with my thumb (on the central setting). But it also does a great burpy 80s J bass thing and can do a decent Jamerson. Very broad. 
 

On the neck pickup setting, rolling off the tone removes some of the clank and growl I suppose? Leaving a pleasing thumpy P with nice definition to my ear

Love a Stingray
 

I now have a BB2000 as my main and only bass. Like other neck through Yamahas I've had in the past (TRB6P and BB3000A), it's one of the best put together basses out there. Very aggressive and punchy bass with those three sweet spot pickup settings. Endless sustain and even across the fretboard. Just an incredible instrument. 

 

I'm only commenting on the thread because I saw the title and the words 'Stu Hamm' flashed in my mind in bright neon and then I saw the content mentioning the man himself. Spooky!

After a while away from the wild world of BBs (my '87 BB3000A has bounced around a couple of players on the forum since I sold it in 2020) I have another one coming my way. A passive one this time. The 8 1/2 lbs BB3000A was one of the finest built basses I've ever owned but the sound was a bit polite. This one has the pickups on the wonk , was born in '82 and will doubtless be a beefier customer...

Aww that's sad news - we did the Clackett Lane shuffle on a few occasions. Like me, he had a revolving collection of J basses and a suspicion that Stingrays really were the key to being a proper grown up. 

Yep - after selling all but one of my basses I've been giving serious thought about a 'central' bass. I'm pretty sure it needs to be a J bass and also pretty sure it needs to have 5 strings....and these Atelier Zs look like prime candidates

First thing I did was look to see if there was a sixer on the horizon! Interesting

Nope! Available for pick up in Nth London

I came to Japan when Tin Drum came out and only ever listened to that last album at the time....so def Wal. Not sure if Kev was modding his Wal in the late 80s? I do recall a lot of 'sproing'/clatter/zoink and perhaps a tonne of 'pick attack'  All pretty Wal-esque to me

 

2 hours ago, BigRedX said:

 

Interesting what is supposed to be the classic Wal sound. Kev's Wal is hardly a typical model and Mick Karn did most of his best known work using a Travis Bean.

There was a very nice fretless 5 string on Facebook which was around 5K which languished for weeks. It eventually got picked up by Bassbros and flipped for about 6K, which is a lot less than the fivers tend to go for. I thought the price drop was interesting - it could be a sign that Wal mania has cooled off somewhat?

Something weird happened over Covid. There were Wals in the 4K bracket here and there around 2020 and then everything went completely insane by 2022.  We all saw it happen with any decent quality (esp vintage 80s) brand.

As far as Wals go, the present lack of interest in coughing up a fortune for an interesting (but clearly flawed in my book) bass is unsurprising given interest rates etc but given they are a finite resource and well-heeled buyers covet them, maybe it will tick up again. Not sure...

On a personal note I'm rather ambivalent about fretted Wals but I love the fretless Wals. I started out a Karn head and saw Stump a few times in the late 80s with the brilliant Kev Hopper aka @Spoombung doing his thing. Just wonderful fretless basses. 

I had a 4 string Soulmate and it was an absolute stunner. My favourite P design I think

Going to cool my heels with my red Hofner for a while and have a think. Might well be another J...not sure!

Thanks all! Good to meet more people from the board and looking forward to the next SE bassbash (although I will need to buy a bass before we get there)

Thanks. And here’s a price drop!!

need to move it on

I think so. Pickup only from Finsbury Park though! Cheers

Weekend bump for my lovely blue J bass with a new video

@HK. Def poly. The finish is def built to last and stay glossy