NBD (ish) Yamaha TRBX505

[bassbiscuits]

I got this before Christmas on this very forum - not my first ever five string, but the first one I’ve kept for more than a few weeks.

But it's taken a little bit of a journey to get it sounding and feeling right for me....

So first up it needed a set up/fret dress etc - the original nut slots seemed to be cut quite high, and then restrung with some D'Daddario nickel roundwounds. Result was ok, but still not really doing it for me, so swapped to some D'Addario Chromes - much more my sort of thing.

Picked up a secondhand Fatfinger headstock clamp thing, to add a bit more mass and help that super low end. Kind of worked, but still just so-so.

But then the plastic nut broke - back to the repairman who replaced it with a bone nut.

The result was night and day compared to the original nut - bass now feels more resonant, and the notes tighter, punchier and more focused, especially on the low B string. It feels like the plastic nut was the weak point on this particular one, and changing it for a better quality, better fitting one made all the difference and hugely improved it (maybe stating the obvious, but I've never had a nut replaced to compare before v after.)

So after a few teething problems, the bass now sings. I love the overall feel in terms of string spacing, its relatively light weight, scale length etc, so I'm glad i've been able to make it work to my tastes. Haven’t bothered re attaching the Fatfinger so far either as it sounds so full and even now without it.

Result I’d say. 

[LeftyJ]

19 minutes ago, bassbiscuits said:

But then the plastic nut broke - back to the repairman who replaced it with a bone nut.

The result was night and day compared to the original nut - bass now feels more resonant, and the notes tighter, punchier and more focused, especially on the low B string. It feels like the plastic nut was the weak point on this particular one, and changing it for a better quality, better fitting one made all the difference and hugely improved it (maybe stating the obvious, but I've never had a nut replaced to compare before v after.)

A new nut should only affect the tone of the open strings though  

If the overall tone of the bass has changed for the better to your ears (in the other positions too, as you're describing), it's more likely the Chromes are just starting to wear in. Or it might even be just being reunited with it after it sat with your luthier for a couple of days 

[bassbiscuits]

@LeftyJ true to an extent, but a better cut and fitted nut will make the whole thing play better than a cheaply made, bad one.

[Munurmunuh]

Nickels to Chromes made me much happier with my TRBX, too