Jump to content
Why become a member? ×

The Yamaha BB mega-thread


Al Krow

Recommended Posts

Noooo, it's progressed past that; he's got them trained - if you leave them in a room with an open window, they're off*...

 

 

* Inspired by a mate of mine when we were kids; he was briefly obsessed with keeping pigeons, and there was a bloke with a pet shop down Tib Street in Manchester sold them. He'd buy one, fuss over it, then forget and leave the door ajar, and it'd be gone, so he'd have to go and buy another one. I was convinced the bloke had sold him the same pigeon three or four times...

Edited by Muzz
  • Haha 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

1 hour ago, Muzz said:

Noooo, it's progressed past that; he's got them trained - if you leave them in a room with an open window, they're off*...

 

 

* Inspired by a mate of mine when we were kids; he was briefly obsessed with keeping pigeons, and there was a bloke with a pet shop down Tib Street in Manchester sold them. He'd buy one, fuss over it, then forget and leave the door ajar, and it'd be gone, so he'd have to go and buy another one. I was convinced the bloke had sold him the same pigeon three or four times...

Did the bloke also used to run the joke shop that was down Tib Street? I wouldn’t be at all surprised. 😂

Link to comment
Share on other sites

After some time with the 414, I can make some comments about it.

 

There are two negative things I find on the bass: its weight (heavier than the rest of basses I have) and its hardware (tunes and bridge, easily repaceable). 

 

The possitive: it's comfortable and it sounds amazing. I bought it because I wanted a P-style bass. But it sounds nothing like a regular P-bass. Man, this bass has its own sound. And it's amazing. My BB735 sounds more "Fenderish", more like what I am used to hear in a PJ bass. But the 414 has its own vibe. I'm loving this bass. I just can't stop playing it.

 

Yamaha is probably now my favourite brand. I mean, they are crazy cheap and incredibly good quality. It also happenen with my BB605. Crazy cheap and impressive quality (I din't like the preamp, but personal taste, it worked). And of course, my main bass, the BB735, that plays like a dream and the sound is just perfect. 

Edited by javi_bassist
  • Like 4
Link to comment
Share on other sites

That’s very….erm…brokened 😂

 

as a point @javi_bassist the machineheads are tension adjustable on the bb414, a little Allen bolt can stiffen them up - they’re actually pretty decent.

 

i changed the bridge on mine for a random Yamaha one which was marked as “ATT-Bridge” in Yamaha packing but was used in the mid 90’s on a few models…

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

1 hour ago, Velarian said:

Here’s something a little different. I’ll post the full story when I’ve clarified a couple of facts, but for now, as a teaser here are a couple of pics of a broken BB2000 neck. 😉

 

 

7C1016C8-58F8-4446-887E-5DF2D33B18AD.jpeg

DC798A14-A4E9-4032-B243-3C59BBE93CC0.jpeg

I'm still in touch with the drummer from the band I was in, in the early 80s and he reminded me that he had this broken BB neck. I thought you guys might be interested in the story behind it.

 

This neck is from JJ Burnell's bass which he was using in 1982/83. JJ used the bass during the Strangler's Feline Tour at that time, plus many TV appearances including The Tube 1983, TOTP's - European Female etc. It's possible that it was also used on the recording of the Feline album although I don't know that for sure. It was damaged during the US leg of that tour when his strap failed and the bass dropped to the ground. The Kinkade Brothers in Bristol had made a few guitars for the Stranglers so the bass was sent to them for repair. I don't know the details of the repair but I know they made a new neck and, given that the BB2000 is a neck-through design, presumably they spliced the new neck into the existing body? I'm also guessing that the original fretboard was likely reused.

 

My mate acquired this neck because his brother, the guitarist in our band, was having an acoustic guitar made by the Kinkades and they visited the workshop to check progress of the build shortly after JJ's bass had been repaired. The old neck was lying around in the workshop about to be chucked out so, being a fan of the Stranglers my mate asked if he could have it.

 

Many years later my mate met with JJ in Liverpool and he took the neck along and got him to sign it. Here's a picture of JJ using the bass in question and also the signed neck.

 

 

5B65953B-1BC6-410E-9EF5-9143D3B0E7F1.jpeg

20220814_183505.jpg

20220814_192401.jpg

  • Like 10
  • Thanks 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites

16 hours ago, Elfrasho said:

Got a 734a delivered today. Not properly gave it a go but feels great! pickups seem a bit all over the shop though, very angled... wasn';t expecting that, and I dunno if thats the optimum!

I found my new 734a needed some extra foam under the P pickups as they were extremely loose. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

2 hours ago, Maude said:

I found my new 734a needed some extra foam under the P pickups as they were extremely loose. 

 

Yep, think I'll need to do that. Bizarre,  as the rest of the instrument is of excellent quality and finish but the pups are definitely poorly fitted!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Here's my two current BB's

 

#1 is a BB734. Excellent bass after a little pickup tweaking. I feel more at home with a PJ bass. My right hand just knows where to go.  Yet to gig it, but seems solid and very very playable. People say the PJ set up is a bit bland sounding, but i personally think it just works in the mix. I'm not hugely keen on the matt finish. I think it will look old very quickly, but it is what it is.

 

#2 is a BBN4S I think (from memory). In the late 90's my dad took me to sound control in glasgow to get my first proper bass and I got one of these. When I was about 22, me and a mate stripped the paint, defretted it and fitted a bass whammy system to it. I then sold it for 80 quid i think. I always wondered how good they were as I remembered it being a very good bass.  Fast forward 20 years and i managed to find this one in the same colour, local to me, so I purchased it for nostalgia. I've ended up playing a number of wedding gigs with it. Plays nicely and I love the neck but doesnt really cut through the mix;  it feels hard work to play at gigs as it makes me need to dig in harder to get a bit of honk to the tone (if you know what i mean). I'd imagine the electronics are pretty low grade given the bass was a budget bass, so i might look at alternatives. The bit of perspex is basically a thumb rust which I've added, stuck on by sticky tape so completely reversable. It's also got a yellow tint to it despite it originally being a white bass. Love it!

 

2NT03940.jpg

Edited by Elfrasho
  • Like 6
Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 2 weeks later...
  • 2 weeks later...

Incoming! 

 

Not in my sticky mitts yet but soon will be. 

An '85 BB1100S fretless. 

 

(Sellers pictures) 

zDxk1n5.jpeg

 

KfUsCEI.jpeg

 

fmyItgb.jpeg

 

HZ1MDuQ.jpeg

 

Very kindly @Len_derbyoffered to go out of his way and collect it for me from Coalville. He's heading down my way(ish) in a weeks time so I'll drive up and meet him.

Can't wait. 😁

 

  • Like 15
Link to comment
Share on other sites

40 minutes ago, Maude said:

Incoming! 

 

Not in my sticky mitts yet but soon will be. 

An '85 BB1100S fretless. 

 

(Sellers pictures) 

zDxk1n5.jpeg

 

KfUsCEI.jpeg

 

fmyItgb.jpeg

 

HZ1MDuQ.jpeg

 

Very kindly @Len_derbyoffered to go out of his way and collect it for me from Coalville. He's heading down my way(ish) in a weeks time so I'll drive up and meet him.

Can't wait. 😁

 

Absolutely beautiful 😍 any further forward with bex?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

36 minutes ago, andy67 said:

Absolutely beautiful 😍 any further forward with bex?

 

Embarrassingly, no. 

I might actually make a concerted effort to do some on it tomorrow as I have an unexpected day off. 

I'm still just not sure what I want to do with the back of it. 

I don't just want to do the easiest thing and then regret it. 

Edited by Maude
  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

1 hour ago, Maude said:

 

Embarrassingly, no. 

I might actually make a concerted effort to do some on it tomorrow as I have an unexpected day off. 

I'm still just not sure what I want to do with the back of it. 

I don't just want to do the easiest thing and then regret it. 

Absolutely, art takes time and getting it right for you takes even longer. Looking forward to seeing the project take shape for you.

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

A favour to ask of the BB population if I may!

Would anyone be willing to whip off the chrome neck pickup surround from a 4 string & cut out a cardboard template for me please?

Reason being that I have a BB350 that I want to add pickup surrounds (CNC Lazer Cut most likely) & a basic template could start me off in the right direction.

Obviously there's a drink in it for ya 😁

Cheers

Link to comment
Share on other sites

1 hour ago, Horizontalste said:

A favour to ask of the BB population if I may!

Would anyone be willing to whip off the chrome neck pickup surround from a 4 string & cut out a cardboard template for me please?

Reason being that I have a BB350 that I want to add pickup surrounds (CNC Lazer Cut most likely) & a basic template could start me off in the right direction.

Obviously there's a drink in it for ya 😁

Cheers

Do you mean the oversized rounded ones on the newer range rather than the older style squarer type? 

I'm assuming this one.

OHBv0di.jpeg

 

If so, no problem. PM me your address and I'll post it off over the weekend. 

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

4 hours ago, Maude said:

Do you mean the oversized rounded ones on the newer range rather than the older style squarer type? 

I'm assuming this one.

OHBv0di.jpeg

 

If so, no problem. PM me your address and I'll post it off over the weekend. 

Yep, exactly that!

Pickups are slightly different in shape but it's the curved edges that I want to get right!

 

PM incoming, thank you!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Restore formatting

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

×
×
  • Create New...