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Which Yamaha BB to choose?


Sparkl
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Hey peeps!

So I had the opportunity to try a Yamaha BB734 in a guitar store and was absolutely blown away by how precise this instrument sounds. Especially the 4th string is a pleasure to smack on. Moreover, it is the geometry of this guitar that really fits my bill. I am sure that there are guitars even more comfortable to play but this one really fits the niche of having a pretty much Fender-ish sounding guitar with much improved playability. Being a Fender fan myself I am definitely looking for something between these lines and Yamaha really grabbed my attention.

Mainly what I want this guitar to be is a PJ sounding instrument with great soloing comfort and overall sound balance, precision and stability.

The 734 model does basically all of the above very well (I was amazed at how I could play certain licks I find difficult to play on a Fender being much much easier to nail down) but being still a relatively low price model (sub 1000) I can feel that the quality of the instrument could and should be much higher on more expensive models (the 734 still feels a bit... light and "cardboardish" - definitiely great for the price though - I am not a lightweight freak and don't mind having a heavier solid piece that feels strong in my hands). Since I main a Fender Jazz Bass Elite V, I am looking for something in that quality range or higher.

I'm sure someone here is familiar with the BB series and can advise me in this direction. Also, I wouldn't mind having 24 frets but honestly, 21 is plenty for what I perceive the bassists role to be anyways. I am asking mainly because I have read that longer scale/fretboard improves on tone stability, precision and balance. I still want to have that fat tone though.

Any thoughts?

 

P.S.: I am mostly going to use this bass for jazz, fusion etc. so soloing and nice warm tone is a priority though it surely needs to do well in a slap department. Also, playing chords and precision of notes. If a 5 string is able to get the same tone and character as the 4 string 734 I've tried (or better) I would actually prefer a 5 string for extended range. 

Edited by Sparkl
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Don't be taken in by the seemingly low price of the Yammy BB734; it's a LOT of bass for the money and if you want both active / passive options it's their current top of the range "work-horse" model.

If you're happy with purely passive then the next model up is the Yammy BBP34.

Then you're into serious cash outlay with something like the BBNE2 which is quite a different beast (IMO absolutely gorgeous, particularly in white!) but is only available as a 5 string.

In short, you could do far worse than the BB734 as your first foray into the much loved Yammy BB range! :) 

There's quite a lot more information and content on the Yamaha BB "megathread."

Edited by Al Krow
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1 hour ago, Al Krow said:

Don't be taken in by the seemingly low price of the Yammy BB734; it's a LOT of bass for the money and if you want both active / passive options it's their current top of the range "work-horse" model.

If you're happy with purely passive then the next model up is the Yammy BBP34.

Then you're into serious cash outlay with something like the BBNE2 which is quite a different beast (IMO absolutely gorgeous, particularly in white!) but is only available as a 5 string.

In short, you could do far worse than the BB734 as your first foray into the much loved Yammy BB range! :) 

There's quite a lot more information and content on the Yamaha BB "megathread."

Thanks for the input! 

I know, the 734 already sounds formidable, but having played bass for almost 20 years I can immediately tell whether the instrument really fits my hands or not. Well, the 734 fits my hands great, with a GREAT sound to boot, it's just that feeling when you grab the guitar in your hands where the bass feels like a sub 1000eur guitar. I am still amazed at what they managed to achieve for that price range though. 

 

For my personal use, I would still like something a bit more "premium" to hold in my lap. Since I've got a special discount in a certain store, I thought I might as well opt out for something more expensive. 

 

Edit: By the way, I am perfectly happy with purely passive bass. In a matter of fact, I believe that passive is the way to go as far as tone balance and quality is concerned and like to keep my preamps in an external shape i.e. a pedal, which I sometimes use (like my 18v xotic USA tri-logic).

Edited by Sparkl
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16 hours ago, CameronJ said:

Totally agree with all the comments above. The new BBs do generally seem to be a bit lighter than the old range so if you’d prefer a slightly more heavyweight bass maybe look at trying a BB1024x or BB2024x @Sparkl?

It's not that I am allergic to lightweight guitars, I just want to get rid of the slightly underweighted feel when I press on the guitar. Don't know how to describe it otherwise but with most lightweight bass guitars, I have a feeling that the guitar is a bit too light and doesn't stand firm enough in my lap. And the low mass kind of brings up a feeling as if the bass is cheap. I felt the same when I played a Sadowsky NYC with a chambered body of a friend of mine. Definitely felt weird and "cheap" despite the hefty price tag. 

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A bass feeling light whilst having a great tone , IMO, is an indicator of a higher quality instrument and one i'm always looking for. Boutique builders base a lot of their business in building great sounding instruments that are easy to play and are light to help players with fatigue and back problems (Smith, Jerzy, Sadowsky, etc.).  I would happily pay again the same amount i've spent on my TRB just to be able to shave 1kg of it and retain its sound, but i know that's impossible. Yamaha is a great brand, they're hard to beat in quality vs price, their attention to detail is huge and they carry it through the bottom of the line.

My opinion is, if you feel that bass suits your hands and tone needs then you can stop looking, but make another trip (or two or three) to the shop to try it again. If after that novelty period you keep finding yourself drawn to it, its a keeper. Don't worry about the price tag ;) 

Edited by Ghost_Bass
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1 hour ago, Misdee said:

You could always look out for a used 2024/2024X. Amazing basses...

Agreed :)

1 hour ago, Misdee said:

... in a different league to the Indonesian- made models.

That however I think that's quite a big statement!

  • Blind test - would folk really hear any difference between a 1024/X and 2024/X?
  • Don't they have essentially the same pups, electrics and design?
  • What about the woods used, does that differ?
  • So what else is actually different between the 1024/X and 2024/X other than a slightly nicer finish and the fact that you're paying for the privilege of it being put together by more expensive Japanese workers?

I'm actually really interested to know, because if they were in a different league I'd have no hesitation, as a BBNE2 owner and a big fan of Yammy basses, upgrading my BB1025 to a BB2025.

There's sometimes a lot of hype preached about non-US made, non-Japanese or non-Italian made goods. I'd just like to point out that some of the most "desirable" phones in the world, costing $1,000 apiece, have US design but are to a large extent "made in China". Hasn't stopped Apple selling large numbers and being (alongside Amazon) one of the two most valuable companies on the planet.

Edited by Al Krow
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Don't overlook used BBs from the 80s/90s such as the 1100S and the unreal but rare 3000S. Both PJ configuration, both awesome, however people are asking silly money for those basses now. Some guy was asking for a grand for a Taiwanese BB1100 recently. 

For me, any of the Yamaha BB series are worth checking out, new/old and regardless of the price/affordability. 

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1 hour ago, Rayman said:

Don't overlook used BBs from the 80s/90s such as the 1100S and the unreal but rare 3000S. Both PJ configuration, both awesome, however people are asking silly money for those basses now. Some guy was asking for a grand for a Taiwanese BB1100 recently. 

For me, any of the Yamaha BB series are worth checking out, new/old and regardless of the price/affordability. 

wow! a grand for the 1100S?  How much would be worth my Japanese BB1000S then?

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The bassist in one of my bands (where I sing and play guitar) acquired a BB P35 recently, and it is one of the best instruments I’ve ever played... and I have two pre-CBS Fender Precisions. It’s incredible! I’ll certainly be picking one up when they start coming up secondhand. 

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8 minutes ago, therealting said:

The bassist in one of my bands (where I sing and play guitar) acquired a BB P35 recently, and it is one of the best instruments I’ve ever played... and I have two pre-CBS Fender Precisions. It’s incredible! I’ll certainly be picking one up when they start coming up secondhand. 

I hate to be the bearer of good news but there’s one for sale right now in the classifieds!

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15 minutes ago, therealting said:

Why do you do this to me!!!

He did it to me as well!!

@CameronJis actually pretty evil or on some sort of commission 😂

I ended up with this 'cos of him:

Yamaha BBNE2.JPG

And he actually literally frogmarched me to the store to buy this one: 😂

Yamaha BB1025 Mk2.JPG

Edited by Al Krow
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Oooh you have a TRB5pii !!!

Neck through

Individual bridge pieces

3 band EQ

Come on Yamaha WHY did you stop production of these things?!!

Looking just lovely ♥️

...Cam can you find me one of those please, whilst you're sorting Ghost_Bass out with an NE2 and then I'll definitely take a well earned rest 😂

Edited by Al Krow
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1 minute ago, Al Krow said:

Oooh you have a TRB5pii !!!

Neck through

Individual bridge pieces

3 band EQ

Come on Yamaha WHY did you stop production of these things?!!

Looking just lovely.

♥️

Cam you can find me one of those please, whilst your sorting Ghost_Bass out with an NE2 and then I'll definitely take a well earned rest 😂

For me it's the best bass they have buildt. It's miles ahead from the current TRB100xJ and TRBX. Eben the BB's aren't at par with this, it was top of the line before being descontinued. Why Yamaha did it without bringing in the TRBIII i'll never understand.

Got it here for a steal price of £900 about 10 years ago. He's the reason i joined BC in the first place and never left. It's been my #1 bass since, it's the ONE, it has "my tone" completely flat and straight to a flat mixer if needed, the balance knob and right hand position give me all the tones i can possibly dream of. It will NEVER EVER EVER leave my hands, will be passed on to my offspring with joy when i retire from playing.
Mine has the Ovangkol top, i've tried the Maple and Bubinga ones (the bubinga belonged to Nick Fyffe and belongs to a friend now), i found the Maple too trebly and the Bubing too dark, may have been the strings but i found this one is more balanced to my playing style.

More pics, next to the ex-fyffe's:
13876141_1064238776988876_19232831483217

10257847_631018426977582_708149807794757

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