crazycloud

On 02/11/2025 at 20:29, Frank Blank said:

I have one of those crazy Yamaha silent classical guitars

I want one of those.

My singing teacher has one and I've picked it up briefly when there and it looks like a great piece of kit. I have an Artist Guitars NTL1 solidbody nylon which is close enough for me, at the moment, especially at 1/3 the cost of the Yamaha. Mine sits by my bed to practice, noodle and write on. I'm getting my recently replaced cell phone repaired to use as a recorder to write on as I won't take my mobile into that part of the house.

56 minutes ago, Brian18242 said:

However, it would be nice if they reissued the BB3000 as they are constantly in demand and would fly off the shelf.

Maybe from your perspective they would, but it doesn't mean from Yamaha's POV they would. A small community online seldom translates to sales and the small number of older one's out there, doesn't add up to sales to me. If Yamaha did limited releases of say 500 units as a once off, they might sell, but it doesn't seem that's their market.

I think Yamaha have a range of designs they're happy with and simply changing them for a difference between this year and last, especially just finishes a la Fender, isn't worth it to them. They make so many different instruments they need to be rational about what will actually sell. For a trad looking bass like the BBs, white, black, blue, TS will sell consistently whereas sparkle pink, or even just a bright yellow will sell far less. I think the caramel TRBX605 is really pretty, but it's not 'traditional' and that alone would put off some buyer (just talking colour here).

Yamaha's pianos and AGs are great (own / owned both), they are a known quantity and consistent and why change them?

1 hour ago, Cornwall Steve said:

What year is your 406QM? My Post refers to post 2010 versions

2001 - 2005.

58 minutes ago, Cornwall Steve said:

within 200 miles

In the Antipodes, that's just around the corner.

Can't you go for a drive, or get on one of those weird vehicles that run on ribbons of steel and make a day of it, to try one out? In your hands is really the only way you'll know.

Edit: What's return policy like in Blighty? Can't you try, not like and return? Even if you have to eat the return shipping it shouldn't be that big a loss.

Modes.

1 hour ago, Chiliwailer said:

Ta da, patented!

Shape can't be patented, only copyrighted and they lost that battle decades ago.

1 hour ago, BigRedX said:

It depends whether you are listening with your ears or with your eyes.

Yup.

PU type and position define the general characteristics of a P type to me, but sadly many will look and determine that a non-FSO is not a P even if they couldn't pick it blind from something else.

19 minutes ago, Cornwall Steve said:

Frankly, I'm starting to wonder why Low End Lobster (plus a couple of other not so well known 'Reviewers') had a moan about how uncomfortable the BTB he was reviewing (the BTB745 - one of the BTB's on my hit list). Is it really as bad as he says it is. I'm beginning to think maybe he's making something out of nothing?

I'm not a fan of LEL's reviews for a number of reasons, so I don't give them much credence. The edge on the BTB isn't all that sharp, certainly not as bad as most slab sided basses and guitars.

1 hour ago, Cornwall Steve said:

My problem is when there is no BTB for sale in any store within a couple of hundred miles I could just go visit and try out I don't want to fork out hundreds of £ ordering a white elephant !

I ordered mine blind, new from a store about 1500km away with no return possible. Sometimes you just have to jump, and adapt.

I can only offer the hope that you like them, especially how it feels ergonomically on you as I can't possibly know this far away if you will.

I prefer the SRs over the BTB, but not by much and could happily play either exclusively. Don't listen to the squawkers online that deride the tone and tell you that you will need to change the electronics, as they sound fine and are just a bit bland, not having a specific character. It's a bit like someone telling you that this cake tastes horrible when it's coffee cake, and they don't like coffee. 

Not sure what else to say, but ask and I'll help if I can.

PS: The 846v is 33" and 16.5mm spacing so it's an odd duck, but I'm not really fussy about all that as my fave 5 is 34" and 18mm and my newest 6 is 35.5 - 33.6 and 16.5mm (SRMS806) and I'm enjoying it a lot after getting it yesterday.

Now you need to learn about room modes...

7 hours ago, Cornwall Steve said:

I'd still like to hear from any owners of BTB models - in particular if you have one made after 2010

I have an 846v (2020) and it's a great bass in all regards. I'm much more of an SR fan as I have several (note avatar) incl a new S/H one yesterday, but there are 3 BTBs I'd happily buy if one was local at a reasonable price even though I need another bass like a hole in the head.

7 hours ago, Cornwall Steve said:

And if so do you get a sore forearm from playing it  ?

No, but I don't rest my forearm on the upper bout either.

I spent the 80s, and 90s playing my XL2, and if it had 2 more strings, I still would be.

9 hours ago, chris_b said:

So you've got a small budget and an 80's cover band. Who cares what gear they played in the 80's. . . . actually for most bass players it was what  they played in the 70's, and what they all went on to play in the 90's. You've already got the best bass, you don't need to make it 80's, whatever that  means. You don't need to spend anything. Your budget should be safe.

This.

Unless you're tying to do an aesthetically authentic tribute band for a group that you need to look like, eg KISS, Beatles, then no one in the audience will notice or care what you're playing providing it's not too out there, eg Bootsy star bass in the Beatles band.

5 hours ago, tauzero said:

 

"Hello police, this is FMIC. Someone has raided the dumpsters that we were using to carefully store our newly acquired inventory and made off with lots of stuff".

Doesn't Ca have a law in effect that unless property above $950 in value is stolen then the Police won't act on it? If it came from the dumpster then one could argue it was junk and of no value, even IF the Police were willing to do something. Which they won't be as they have far bigger issues on their plates.

In the UK however, if the dumpster diver then made a FB post where someone's feelings were hurt... Remember what today's date is and what happened to Guido.

Looks fine to me, except for that PG, which isn't to my personal tastes, but I'd much rather that than 3TS and tort.

If it works for you and does the job, then it seems like it's perfect to me.

I had an OLP MM5 years ago (Bass VI style, Musicman Silhouette clone) that was fine sounding, stable and consistent, but I sold it off as I wasn't really using it. Then I bought the Ibanez SRC6 that's in my avatar. I really like the Ibby, but knowing what I do now, I'm not sure it was worth 3x the money. And the painted finish on the MM5 is much better than the Ibanez brown.

On 30/10/2025 at 00:27, HeadlessBassist said:

Whadda-ya'll reckon?

No.

A 6+6 would be nice.

On 27/10/2025 at 20:58, neepheid said:

 

Eh, he flip-flopped about actives it over time.  You forget G&L.  The L-1000, which is probably the final destination for the P bass as he saw it is 100% passive, 2 band EQ.

Who cares? Leo did this, Leo would have done that...

Irrelevant. He's one guy with his own set of opinions and was running commercial enterprises which will have materially affected design decisions (just look at what F and G make today!). His opinion of what he thought best at the time is not important compared to what I want in an instrument now. After all, I'm playing it and paying for it.

I don't need one, but if I could get the 5 down here for the equivalent in Pacific pesos I'd be tempted.

Ibanez SR from the 206 and up, both new and secondhand.

Ibanez BTB

Cort A6 FMMH.

I own all of them in one form or another.

More detailed answer when not typing on my phone.

22 minutes ago, Woodinblack said:

Eventually I will do the individual buffers for each string.

I already have, but the amp stages are a bit current hungry and require outboard power, especially for 2 x 6 string pickups. They're very low noise and distortion and I'm not willing to compromise on the design to get it battery compliant. A simpler summing node design with 1 amp / pickup is about 95% as good, and no one would ever hear the difference.

Details, as well as the outboard processing (y'all should be able to guess what that might be), later. Not intending to release it commercially. I have other more important projects in the near term, but it's all based on my older existing designs.

1 hour ago, NickA said:

Several reasons to stay active:

I concur with all of the above. My own design onboard pres have individual buffers for each PU.

1 hour ago, Stub Mandrel said:

My passive basses are much easier to get a good tone than my active ones.

 

It's like having to solve a puzzle where >90% of the settings are poor and you have to find something in the usable range, then tweak it to what you want.

Swap active and passive in your comment to better reflect how I feel about the two topologies.

On 25/10/2025 at 23:48, NancyJohnson said:

This inevitable urge to simply go back to passive basses.

Inevitable? I've found no such desire ever. Well since I got my first active bass in 1983.

7 hours ago, BigRedX said:

IME buffers are only useful if you have a very long lead to your amp, and nowadays most people in this situation will be using a wireless system which essentially acts as a buffer.

But then you have a different battery powered device in the signal chain that can fail especially as most are rechargeable so you can't just quickly change out the battery. Oh, the horror, oh the terror...

On 25/10/2025 at 23:48, NancyJohnson said:

and the disparity from bass to bass

All my basses sound different, that's sort of the point.

I love Ibbys (I have a bunch and 2 more incoming) and that one is pretty, but it's not $8k pretty.

I don't need a SS4, but that pink one is nice. For the right price, I might be tempted...

I loath the trems on these, so the best upgrade would be to something with a fixed bridge. Like say an SRC6.

What's Pau Ferro like to play?

Dunno. Can you hum a few bars?

2 hours ago, Cornwall Steve said:

They are very pretty looking basses. Great colours and finishes. They certainly add to the player/owner appeal. Look good on stage too!

I hope it turns out that way in the flesh.

2 hours ago, Cornwall Steve said:

Wow, that's some tight spacings going on there! Don't think my elderly, arthritic fingers would be able to cope with that!

It's guitar spacing, so play it (guitar) finger style, but with some practice trad bass finger style, and even slapping can be used.

2 hours ago, Cornwall Steve said:

Love to know what you think of the SRMS806 when it arrives.

I will when it does.

2 hours ago, Cornwall Steve said:

Might tempt me to go for a 805 (despite what Low End Lobster says in his review!

I don't put a lot of stock in LEL's reviews. Hope you get to try one out.

2 hours ago, Cornwall Steve said:

Don't we just love basses. Could sell your soul to the devil for just one more that's caught our eye !

I do love basses and guitars, but as a born again Christian, I will pass on the latter.