crazycloud

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?

2001 - 2005. 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.

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

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. 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...

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. 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. 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.

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.

No.

A 6+6 would be nice.

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.

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.

I concur with all of the above. My own design onboard pres have individual buffers for each PU. Swap active and passive in your comment to better reflect how I feel about the two topologies.

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

I hope it turns out that way in the flesh. It's guitar spacing, so play it (guitar) finger style, but with some practice trad bass finger style, and even slapping can be used. I will when it does. I don't put a lot of stock in LEL's reviews. Hope you get to try one out. I do love basses and guitars, but as a born again Christian, I will pass on the latter.

Thanks. I mainly play 6s these days, but if the 5 or an EHB had turned up at the right price I'd have jumped on that too. Especially the 1006MS - I have one other bass on order and that should be it for a long time, but the 1006 would be an exception that would get me to crack my wallet open again. I love tighter spacings and all my 5s and 6s bar one are 16.5mm or tighter (the one in my avatar is 10.8mm), and I have a few SRs already. I am. I hope I don't hate the MS, but I'm adaptable. And it's so pretty. I wonder if I'll get any comments at the local Christmas gig, it being a 6 and with them weird frets...

The version I linked has been edited where Sire sends Grigor replacement parts that fix the issue. SRMS806. Got it at a corker of a price. Should get it in a week or so. I wanted the BTB, but the SR in mint condition was about 1/2 the best price I could get the BTB for, which is about what my fave bass store reckons the M6 will be when they arrive. I couldn't try the BTB before buying though and returns for change of mind are far fewer in the colonies.