A Yamaha BB1200 sound-alike

sarlscharisma · Feb 19, 2010

I've been struggling to find a Yamaha BB1200 but can't find one anywhere on the second-hand market. I'm a big Peter Hook fan and love the sound of these guitars.

Does anyone know an alternative modern bass which has a similar sound? I'm not really familiar with modern basses so any help appreciated from the experts!

bongomania · Feb 19, 2010

Does it have to be a 1200? Because there are loads of old BB's on the market, many of which have similar construction or electronics.

sarlscharisma · Feb 19, 2010

bongomania said:
Does it have to be a 1200? Because there are loads of old BB's on the market, many of which have similar construction or electronics.

Not really, providing it has split pickups similar to BB1200. It's the similar tone I am interested in.

FL Knifemaker · Feb 19, 2010

I'll sell you my BB1000s for....................a million dollars

I love the tone and incredible build quality of mine, I'd never part with it. It has the butteriest, plays like butter neck I've ever played

They do come up in the various places from time to time. Keep looking, eventually you'll find one.

lunarpollen · Feb 19, 2010

He uses a BB1200S, which has what is supposedly an amazing preamp that is no longer made. The current active Yamaha BBs instruments have a different pre-amp, but the same controls. Also, the BB1200 has a reverse P pickup. If only the current Yamaha active four-string BB had a reverse P, you could probably get close to the sound you seek, even with the different pre-amp.

There were a few models of older Yamaha BB instruments with reverse P pickup and the good pre-amp. Not sure which model numbers they were, but you could probably look them up online.

I would really love to find one myself! I am also a big fan of Mr. Hook's tone...

Bobster · Feb 19, 2010

Here's a link to a BB1600 for $375 in Austin, TX.

[Invalid or Expired Link Removed]

I'm not affiliated with the sale.

Basshappi · Feb 19, 2010

Kinda cool how just revesing that pickup changes the nuances in tone, huh!

I have a BB400 that I bought new in '83 and would never part with it, it my Precision killa'!

Keep searching, you'll find one eventually and then you will be very satisfied that you got exactly what you were wanting.

Edit; That 1600 is quite a deal!

Cheers!

FL Knifemaker · Feb 19, 2010

Bobster said:
Here's a link to a BB1600 for $375 in Austin, TX.

[Invalid or Expired Link Removed]

I'm not affiliated with the sale.

If that was local, I'd be on it! I much prefer the neck thru BB's but that's a deal.

BoRadBass · Feb 21, 2010

If I am not mistaken there is a BB300 in red for sale in the for sale thread here on the cheap..... And I am about to sell my MIA P bass in favor of my old BB300.....http://www.talkbass.com/forum/showthread.php?t=543704&highlight=yamaha
And a bb1000 that I am gassing over..http://www.talkbass.com/forum/showthread.php?t=578967&highlight=yamaha
My BB300 in defiantly a P bass killer....

iamthebassman · Feb 23, 2010

Big Hooky fan here:
I play an old BB300 for Hook-esque sounds, it gets closer than my new BB614.

bigbajo60 · Feb 23, 2010

One of our fellow TB'ers has got a BB1200 up for sale even as we speak/post:

http://www.talkbass.com/forum/showthread.php?t=631926

SpinItOn1979 · Feb 23, 2010

bigbajo60 said:
One of our fellow TB'ers has got a BB1200 up for sale even as we speak/post:

http://www.talkbass.com/forum/showthread.php?t=631926

man you have a rick4001c64?!?!? and a bb1200?!?!? Lucky!! i've been trying to get both! i have a rickenbacker 4003, and bb300 like the red one above, both play really well, i use them in my wings tribute band! macca played a bb1200.

bigbajo60 · Feb 23, 2010

Since McCartney was the main inspiration for me picking the bass up in the first place, I think it was just natural for me to have gravitated towards owning those axes!

lunarpollen · Feb 24, 2010

Ah but none of these are active versions. Part of the Peter Hook sound is the pre-amp in his Yamaha and how he sets the EQ on the bass.

sarlscharisma · Feb 26, 2010

I've got my eye on a Yamaha BB1600. Does anyone know how they compare in sound with the BB1200s? I know that the pickup configuration and bolt-on neck are definite differences.

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A Yamaha BB1200 sound-alike

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