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Yamaha BB dilemma


niceguyhomer
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I've just bought a Yamaha BB615 as a back up bass and I really like it apart from the preamp which is poo. Thing is, should I spend up to £150 modding a £250 bass or should I (having read loads of stuff that says the cheaper, passive BB415 which is basically the same bass without the electronics etc sounds much better) rip out the electrics, put in some decent pots make it passive and.... save a wad?

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Think this is dependant upon whether you want actives or not.

If you do want actives, then the extra spend in my opinion is worth it, as you say you really like the bass.

If however you`re not fussed about actives, as the bass will always stay a backup, then passive/new pots etc.

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I used to have a very nice BB604 that always brought a smile to my face :)

personally, I'd go with the passive plan. If it doesn't work you can always go back and do the upgrade later, and if it does, you've saved the wad!

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Are the pickups the same in the 415 as the 615? They might be different to account for the preamp. Yamaha usually have excellent customer support and reply very quickly. The 415 pickups are thunderously hot.

I'd sell the 615 and buy a used 415, chuck a Gotoh-alike bridge on it for £20 and some Hipshot string trees - these mods make the B string much better and you get an unbelievably good bass for relatively little money. I can't bring myself to part with my 415, it's really great especially now it's got TI flats on it.

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I had a BB414 and stuck a Gotoh bridge on it, but still felt like it was lacking something.

I then put an Aguilar OBP2 preamp in it, and although it was much, much better, it was still not quite right. It just seemed to be lacking the core tone, punch and sustain that I expect from a bass.

So I sold it.


Got an RBX270 now with Dimarzio's, and it's much better. Fully satisfies my P/J requirements.

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[quote name='Jondeeman' post='1146987' date='Mar 2 2011, 12:32 PM']personally, I'd go with the passive plan. If it doesn't work you can always go back and do the upgrade later, and if it does, you've saved the wad![/quote]

+1

It might sound perfectly ok as a passive - after all, the highest selling and most copied bass of all time is a passive... :)

Edited by icastle
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[quote name='niceguyhomer' post='1147815' date='Mar 2 2011, 10:45 PM']I think I read somewhere on Talkbass that some guy "joined up the black and white wires..." and made it passive. I can do that, all I need is some scissors and the sellotape. :)[/quote]

Do us all a favour and never apply for a job in bomb disposal... :)

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[quote name='niceguyhomer' post='1147848' date='Mar 2 2011, 11:07 PM']If I told you what I did for a living you'd be very scared, believe me (missing emoticon)[/quote]

Hmmm - scissors, sticky tape... you work in A&E? :)

By the way - love your version of The Scarecrow... :)

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[quote name='MythSte' post='1147876' date='Mar 2 2011, 11:29 PM']If you can get your hands on a Yamaha BB605 they really are fantastic and can be picked up for not a lot. They have the NE-1 pre-amp in them which is superb.[/quote]

I agree, but.... the reason for letting my BB604 go was that it felt a bit to "bling" for me. Lots of very shiny gold hardware... you've got to want the look that goes with the bass. :)

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