Yamaha 734a very impressed

[la bam]

Hi all, 

 

Having a play with a yamaha 734a this week. 

 

This has been on my wanted list for probably 10 years, or at least since they came out. Very distinctive look and cool. 

 

We'll, after 2 days I can say I love it. Granted it took quite a few hours to get used to. 

 

There is SO much tone control it's unreal. The passive p tone is absolutely perfect, yet the passive tone control (the treble knob when in passive) helps you dial it to perfection. Flick it to active and you've a whole lot more tone to dial with. Turn it to rear pickup and it's lovely and growly. Thinner and tighter. Put again either the tone control or active eq allow you to move to your taste. 

 

Personally I start at either end of the pickup selector, dial in a nice sound then move the pickup blend to either make it warmer and fatter or thinner and tighter. Works a treat. 

 

The bass is nice and light. It also has a lovely shallow neck. Both making it easy to play. 

 

This one has emg pickups, did they come as standard? 

[pete.young]

54 minutes ago, la bam said:

 

This one has emg pickups, did they come as standard? 

No. Originally it would have had Yamaha alnico pickups.

[jonno1981]

Congrats. I have a cheaper BB and I’d love to level up to one of these some day.

I don’t think this model ever had emgs as standard, must have been modded by the previous owner. Got any pics? 

[la bam]

4 minutes ago, jonno1981 said:

Congrats. I have a cheaper BB and I’d love to level up to one of these some day.

I don’t think this model ever had emgs as standard, must have been modded by the previous owner. Got any pics? 

 

The pickups just say emg in gold on the bottom right. 

 

I did see a video where on of the retailers were saying they are designed standard size so you could upgrade etc if needed. 

[la bam]

1 hour ago, la bam said:

 

The pickups just say emg in gold on the bottom right. 

 

I did see a video where on of the retailers were saying they are designed standard size so you could upgrade etc if needed. 

 

They look like a set of geezer gzr 

[ead]

[Elfrasho]

Yes, they're astonishing basses. Here's mine next to it's older cousin!

 

The only thing i dislike is the actual finish. Might be different with the other colours but onthe black one any finger or sweat marks shows  up - always looks a bit mingin in photos!

 

Edited Sunday at 14:15 by Elfrasho

[Maude]

7 hours ago, Elfrasho said:

Yes, they're astonishing basses. Here's mine next to it's older cousin!

 

The only thing i dislike is the actual finish. Might be different with the other colours but onthe black one any finger or sweat marks shows  up - always looks a bit mingin in photos!

 

Phenomenal basses.

The coffee burst is amazing in the flesh (wood?). 

Same satin black neck and headstock as the black ones. I've considered stripping and oiling the neck and lacquering the face of the headstock. 

Old picture of mine with a BB pin badge that our guitarist bought me. 

 

[Supernaut]

Yamaha BBs are solid workhorses. If you see a bassist with a BB, they know what they're doing. 

[razor5cl]

Had my BB734a since my 21st birthday and it's served me so, so well. Every time I catch myself lusting after another bass I just think about how perfect it feels in my hands, how good it sounds, and how much I love it, and that wards off the GAS for a while longer!

 

Literally everything about it feels perfect to me - the way it balances, the shape and feel of the neck, the way it looks, the headstock shape, the finish. And the sound is perfect too, I love the way it growls and has real depth to it but also a nice bite. I always play mine in active mode with both pickups on, and sometimes a smidge of onboard EQ. I like a bit of bass and mid boost and a touch of treble cut. Perfect, snarling growling roaring goodness.

 

I actually quite like how the transparent matte black finish looks - the marks and wear show how much you play it! Hah.

 

Only reason I bought another bass is that I need something pointy to play on stage. Otherwise I'd never need anything else!

 

Maybe one day I'll own a vintage BB too, now that would be grand wouldn't it...

[JohnH89]

Agreed . The pick of the bunch for me . Gets more playing time than the other 5 combined .

[HeadlessBassist]

Are these 7-Series Yamahas Japanese made, or produced by the Cort factory?

[la bam]

These are Indonesian made. 

[razor5cl]

On this topic - how do the various vintage BBs compare to the 734a in terms of feel or sound? I've been looking online at BB300s and BB450s lately and the 450 in particular seems like it would have a fairly similar tone.

 

I've also been lusting after BB1200s online and whilst that only has a P-style pickup the few videos I've seen of people playing them, the tone sounds so growly and fierce, exactly like a newer 734.