Yamaha!?! I never thought that would be my vote but... I own a Fender Am Dlx Jazz V and really love it except for the B string which I merely like alot. Well, recently I went to my local Guitar Center for a clearance sale with the intention of picking up a MIM Jazz for a back up bass. There I found a Yammie TRBII 5. It had a small nick in the side (down to the wood) and was marked down to (gulp) $499. I plugged it in and then bought it. Lo and behold, after playing it for awhile it became my numbah one! The B string is TIGHT and the neck is great! Nice growly tone and great action. A bit noisier than the Fender but when you're playing you don't hear it. Same spacing at the bridge as the Fender but quite a bit narrower at the nut. I actually like that better and I think it would be a real advantage for a woman or someone with smaller hands ( I have meathooks). So, go figure.
Hey,sounds like you scored a good deal on a killer bass,dude! I am not very familiar with the yamahas but I have heard tons of good things about them.Hope you and "numbah won" make some great noise together! Usul