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The Yamaha BB mega-thread


Al Krow

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WELCOME TO THE YAMAHA BB MEGA-THREAD!

POSSIBLY THE MOST POPULAR BC BASS THREAD EVER!

 

History of the Yamaha BB Bass – Workhorses That Became Thoroughbreds - Bass Musician Magazine, The Face of Bass

 

This thread originally started when the new Yamaha 3 series were announced in early 2017, this has turned into a bit of a 'hub' thread for discussions on all matters related to Yammy BB and there have been a LOT of really helpful contributions and discussions on these much loved basses (as well as plenty of banter and banality) along the way. Given that we are now over 8k posts, 500k+ views and 140+ followers, I thought it might be useful to add some sort of index in case you had a particular query, which had already been discussed.

 

INDEX

[To follow]

 

WHICH YAMAHA 3 SERIES BASS IS FOR YOU?

Yamaha BB 3-Series.png

Dating your Yamaha BB bass

More recent Yamaha BBs seem to use a YY-M format with the first 3 letters providing the date, but using the following code: H=1, I=2, J=3, K=4, L=5, M=6, N=7, O=8, P=9, Q=0, X=10, Y=11, Z=12

=> HMI = 16-2 i.e. Feb 2016

The Yamaha BB Series 2 (BB424/5, 1024/5 and 2024/5) was released in 2010, followed by the Series 3 in 2017, the PH came out to much excitement in Dec-20 after a torrid Covid year.

 

Yamaha spare parts, recommended by BC'ers:

www.btnmusic.co.uk 

[email protected]

 

BC current Yammy BB owners "The Wall":- in case you want to pick their brains about an older or modern BB model!

All BB's unless stated otherwise:

  • acroxixo - 1025, 424
  • Al Krow - 2005 (prev: 425, P35, 735A, NE2, 1025)
  • AdrianP - 1025x, 424, 1024, 
  • Andy Travis - 614, 414 (prev: 200, 300, 350f, 415, 424x, 425x, 450, 714BS, 1024x, 1100s, 1300, 1500A, 1600, G4sII) **[LIKELY TO BE OUT OF DATE ON ANY GIVEN DAY 😁]
  • andy 67 - 714BS, Attitude Ltd II (prev: 1600, 424, 425, G5s, 604a)
  • ba55me15ter - 1500A
  • Bassman666 - 1025X
  • BigJHW - 1025X
  • Black Coffee - 735A
  • briansbrew - BB2000, 1100S
  • Carl_D - 235
  • Chopthebass - NE2 
  • ChrisJackson - 735A
  • Claustra - 1200S, 2024, 1000S
  • CPCustomdubwise - 434M, 415WR, (prev: 350F, 5Gs, N5)
  • crabman - 1025X (prev: 424X, P35)
  • dave_bass5 - 425 (prev: P34, 435)
  • Dean Vincent - 424
  • Danuman - 435
  • david 1711 - 1024, 1025X
  • dirgefornovember - 414
  • djc63 - 400S
  • EJWW - (prev: 1025X, 734A, 414, 300)
  • Fil1ip - 414, 714
  • Folkesy - 604, 605, 734A (prev: 435)
  • GMRbass - 1024X
  • Gnermo - 3000A, 1000S
  • gobasserk - 1000ma, 300 (prev: 414, 424, 424x, 614, 1024x, 1600, 3000, 3000ma) 
  • greeneking - PH
  • Hacksawbob - 425X
  • Happypants - 1025, 435 (prev: P34)
  • Horizontalste - 350
  • hookys6stringbass - 1200S, PH (prev: BB300 both Japanese and Taiwan versions. BB1100S ,BB734a) 
  • hypercarrots - 300, VI, 1200, 1200S, 734A (prev: 450)
  • javi_bassist - 414, 605, 734A, 735A
  • lee650 - 1024, 425, 350f (prev: N5, NE1, 1025x, 424)
  • linear - 414
  • LloydyG10 - 414, 415
  • M@23 - 735A (prev: P35)
  • Machines - BB415 (prev: 734A)
  • marleaux62 - 3000A, 1024X, 1300, PH (prev: 414)
  • martfitz - 1500A (prev: 2004)
  • Marty Forrer - 605
  • matbard - PH
  • matski - BB425X
  • MattiZ - 1200S, 400S, 300, 450, 235, 735A 
  • Maude - PH, 734A, 424X, BB1100S fretless (prev: G5S, 1024X)
  • MDWagstaff - 615 (mod Aguilar OBP3), 5000A (prev: 605)
  • Mickyk - 424
  • mikeycrikey - 414, 424x, 425x, 1024X, 734A (prev: 1100s, 604)
  • MirrorMan - PH
  • Mojo - 425 (prev: 414, 415, 424, 1024, 300, 350F, 404, 405, 1100s , 1500a)
  • mrtcat - 1024x
  • Muzz - 414 (prev: 300, 450, 3000A, 1024X)
  • pete.young - 800, NE2 (prev: TRB 5P Mk1)
  • pn_day - 2000
  • Reggaebass - 1024 (prev: 414)
  • Richard Jinman - 1100S
  • sanshiro - 300, 1200
  • Sarlscharisma - PH
  • Shepster8316 - PH (prev: 734A)
  • sykilz - 414
  • Tim2291 - N5
  • TheGreek - 605, 615, G5S 
  • tom.android - 424
  • tredders - 1200, P34
  • TRBboy - N5 modded (prev: 414, 614FL, 605, 435)
  • Tubster - 434
  • 2elliot - PH (prev: 734A, BB3000, BB300, MB1)
  • willsp - P34
  • viking 1 - PH
  • yourfurryfiend - 434, 1024, (prev: P34)
  • 73....

 

Predecessor thread (2011-13): Yamaha BBs - Bass Guitars - Basschat

Original Post (March 2017)

Paid a visit to the Yamaha store in London on Monday to check out the BB1025 which came highly recommended by BCs (see thread "Best 5 string you've ever owned"). Lovely low action and really good solid build, but not too heavy (important consideration for two hour gigs!). The big news is that it was about to be replaced by a new, slightly thinner, BB1035 model** which are currently being shipped to the UK. As a result Yamaha were willing to knock 17.5% off the normal selling price of this much loved bass and include a gig bag, set up, 12 month service and free shipping (they even managed to locate possibly the final Yamaha store copy of the Tobacco Brown Sunburst finish I'd got my eye on, in Germany!). It was hard to refuse such a good sales pitch! So if any of you are after a BB1025, now is as good a time as any to pick up one at a very good price! (And I see that Gear4Music have discounted a BB1025 Black to just £599, over £200 off their normal selling price!). **Postscript: as we all now know they never did release a BB1035 (!)  

Edited by Al Krow
Update to Yammy owners' "Wall of Shame!"
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  • Thanks 2
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From the BB club thread on TB:

"They are discontinuing the current BB lineup. The next ones are already fully designed and functional models are all up and ready. Probably be in stores very very soon. Sadly they wont be a minor update but a totally different version from what I heard today. 1000 series equivalent will be active. 400 and 2000 will be passive."

Edited by Dad3353
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Paid a visit to the Yamaha store in London on Monday to check out the BB1025 which came highly recommended by BCs (see thread "Best 5 string you've ever owned"). Lovely low action and really good solid build, but not too heavy (important consideration for two hour gigs!). The big news is that it was about to be replaced by a new, slightly thinner, BB1035 model which are currently being shipped to the UK.

As a result Yamaha were willing to knock 17.5% off the normal selling price of this much loved bass and include a gig bag, set up, 12 month service and free shipping (they even managed to locate possibly the final Yamaha store copy of the Tobacco Brown Sunburst finish I'd got my eye on, in Germany!). It was hard to refuse such a good sales pitch!

So if any of you are after a BB1025, now is as good a time as any to pick up one at a very good price! (And I see that Gear4Music have discounted a BB1025 Black to just £599, over £200 off their normal selling price!).



Where is the Yamaha store, in London? Edited by Dad3353
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I walked past the Yamaha Store in Soho recently on my lunch break. I popped in and ended up trying the BB2024x. Nice bass but the pickup hum was atrocious with the bridge pickup soloed. I Also tried the 5 string which was much the same. Are they all like that? Seems a bit of an oversight considering they're nearly £3k..

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I walked past the Yamaha Store in Soho recently on my lunch break. I popped in and ended up trying the BB2024x. Nice bass but the pickup hum was atrocious with the bridge pickup soloed. I Also tried the 5 string which was much the same. Are they all like that? Seems a bit of an oversight considering they're nearly £3k..



Ed Frieland mentioned this in his review a few years ago. Shocking on a bass that costs so much. Edited by Dad3353
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I don't notice much noise with mine in the middle position at least (I never use the bridge pup soloed) and I have a dimmer switch in my room that makes most things buzz.

I don't think it's shocking on a bass that costs a lot... it's only the standard amount of hum you'd get from a single coil pickup. There are plenty of basses more expensive than this with single coils that also hum.

You could solve it by putting a humbucker at the bridge but that would change the tone of the pickup; you could also do something funky with dummy coils, but I can't recall one single production or boutique bass that uses that method.

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Oooh, thanks for sharing MDW - does look good! I see that one of the models has a third volume / tone / [??] control? Am I going to quickly regret parting cash for an end of line (and really good value) BB 1025? :)

BB = Bunny Brunel (designer) right?

Edited by Dad3353
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