New Yamaha TRB1005j vs previous TRB1005

[Lowdownphatty]

After much research to decide what bass I should buy, the Yamaha TRB1005 was my top pick, because it had a very versatile tone, a 35" scale, Active, with 3band EQ, 6 bolt neck, and was in my price range. Then tragedy struck...it was discontinued!!!!

Now, I've recently discovered Yamaha has resurrected this model as the NEW TRB1005j, made in Indonesia, with a 5piece neck.

Problems is...all I can find online about this bass is tin-canned magazine reviews about this product, which gives the predictable "look and feel" schpeil. Yamaha.ca gives the minimum of spec data, and Yamaha.com doesn't even list it.

No one has uploaded any personal reviews of playability, tone or satisfaction via Youtube. Nor can I even find this model for sale (with owner reviews) on websites like MusiciansFriend.com. It's like there's a total North American blackout on this product.

Are there any TRB1005j owners out their who can give me their feedback. I'd love to see it compared (how is it the same) and contrasted (how is it different) to the TRB1005, but I doubt anyone would have bought/own them both.

So PUH-leaze...if you own the TRB1005j, tell me what you think of it:

How much did you pay (in your currency) and when did you buy?
Is it versatile in tone? I'm looking for a respectable facsimile of the p-bass, j-bass & MM tones.
Is it noisy? Too noisy? Tolerably noisy?
How do find the knobs & bridge?
Are you happy with it?
What do you love about it?
What do you hate about it?
Would you recommend others to buy it?
What else would you say about it?

I'm assuming the TRB1004j is virtually identical (aside from the obvious B string), so I would welcome feedback from TRB1004j owners/users as well.

I will have to order/purchase this bass unseen and unplayed, so it's important I get some solid user feedback to ensure I don't make an expensive mistake that I regret .

Thanks

 

[7777777]

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This maybe a little help



What I know is TRB1005J (Indonesia) has newer electronic than TRB1005 (Korea).

TRB1005J neck has NATO as wood strip (mahogany-like) + 5 pcs. maple while TRB1005 has only maple (not sure whether 1pc solid, or laminated)

Many of my fellas prefer 1005 over 1005J because of its sound.

Some says 1005J create noisy + mud tone when you roll EQs over 50%.

 

[Lowdownphatty]

Thanks for the feedback. Your comments don't surprise me near as much as Yamaha's decision to discontue the 1005.

I've heard nothing but positive feedback about them, with the exception of the bridge being a loose flop-fest if you're not careful changing strings.

Thanks again for the info.

 

[Pilson_fan]

I bought the TRB1005j last year, and I´ve played several TRB1005 basses. In my mind it is actually an upgrade from the TRB1005, the Q-mix preamp has been refined, and it now sports a 5-piece neck, as opposed to a 3-piece neck, which is what the TRB1005 had. The build quality is awesome, Yamaha did´nt just change contractors from S.Korea to Indonesia, they built a whole new factory in Indonesia.If you (like me) enjoy an instrument manufacturer that puts time and effort into designing bridges, pickups, preamps etc. themselves, then Yamaha might be right for you too.

Hope this helps.

 

[DWBass]

I briefly owned a TRB1005. My major complaints were......the chunky neck fatigued my hands! The preamp eq setpoints were way too extreme! Turn that bass control up and blow your speakers. Treble way too glassy! Could use a better body contour. I had a hard time playing it standing up. The neck was my biggest complaint. If they could do neck similar to the Lakland neck profiles, that would be great.

 

[Lowdownphatty]

Thanks everyone for your feedback.

The latest & greatest news is: I took the plunge, and bought the TRB1005j in caramel brown in September, as a birthday present to myself. I am, as they say, loving it.

As I'd hoped, I've been able to craft varying tones with the onboard controls, and using my BOSS GT-6B multi-effects processor gives me so many additional tone capabilities, I'll be years sorting out all the possibilities and nuances.

I did encounter some PUP noise at first, when I swept the pickup selection all the way to either bridge or neck. I found the noise was really being caused by interference from my GT-6B. The solution was to simply keep the effects processor at a right angle to my guitar, and noise is virtually eliminated. I also have to tweak the action a little higher to eliminate some fret buzz, but that's hardly a complaint.

I have short stubby fingers, but I've had no trouble transitioning from a 4 string to this 5 string babe of a bass. I've always been a function over form type of guy, never wanting to be seduced into buying a bass that was pretty to look at, but disappointing to play or listen to. For my needs, this bass has met all my expectations of playability and tone production, AND it is gorgeous to look at. So much so, that the lead guitarist in my band, with his glossy black finished guitar, has been very free with compliments on the awesome tones I've been producing, AND the stellar good looks of my new axe.

I play in a church praise band, so I don't play extensively as if I was playing the club circuit every weekend(which I've done in the past). In fairness, I'd have to say that the size of the neck, and definitely the weight of this bass, might be factors to carefully consider before buying if you gig heavily. You'll need a nicely cushioned shoulder strap (I use a wide neoprene strap), and you might want to tone up with some situps, because the TRB1005j has some weight to it.

My overall impression is, I am very pleased, and would recommend this bass to anyone who is looking for a quality, versatile toned bass in the upper-mid range for quality & price. In time, if I become dissatisfied with it's limitations or shortcomings (which I've yet to discover), I can always switch out the pre-amp, or change the pups, but I know it will always be on a solid, quality platform.

Amen to that!!

 

[frankie5string]

...I can always switch out the pre-amp, or change the pups, but I know it will always be on a solid, quality platform.

Glad you're enjoying it. However be careful about the above. The pickups in that bass (I own one too - it's my primary fretted bass now) are not actually humbuckers. They're single-coils with a dummy coil below that are wired into the audio chain of the pre-amp in reverse.

The difference is how they work. The pre-amp takes care of the phase-reversal - there are actually little controls on the pre-amp board for each pickup to vary the difference between the sound coil and the cancelling coil if you want to play with the tone a bit.

So, if you swap out the pre-amp in there you'll have to run the pickups as single-coils. To my knowledge, nobody is making a pre that works with Yamaha's pickup design (which, oddly enough, is quite similar to how Alembic series 1 pickups work!).

Although I really can't see a reason to swap them out. They're pretty good sounding pickups.

 

[OffTheHook]

I'm like 5 months off, but what is your preamp settings on the bass usually?

 

[Lowdownphatty]

So, if you swap out the pre-amp in there you'll have to run the pickups as single-coils. To my knowledge, nobody is making a pre that works with Yamaha's pickup design (which, oddly enough, is quite similar to how Alembic series 1 pickups work!).

Although I really can't see a reason to swap them out. They're pretty good sounding pickups.

Thanks for the tip frankie!! I guess what your saying is if you want to swap either the pups or preamp...you have to swap the pups AND the preamp.

I guess that's a good word to the wise if anyone IS contemplating switching out components of the TRB1005J...but...I have to agree with you. The originals sound pretty great to me, and I'm not planning any surgery of any sort...I'm still in the honeymoon stage...and love everything about this bass.

Just this weekend...I was checking out a second hand amp...and the owner was veeeeeeeeerrrrrrrrrrryyyyy complimentary on the look and tone of my bass. In fact...for a minute there...he had a nasty Sméagol 'ish stare ("give us that my love...it's my birthday...and I wants it"). But he snapped out of his trance and moved on. Lucky for him.

It's so smooth, with beautiful curves, loves to be touched...always wears a g-string. If I spent more time with her...my wife would be pretty upset.

What else can I say.....LOVE....THIS....BASS!!

 

[Lowdownphatty]

I'm like 5 months off, but what is your preamp settings on the bass usually?

By preamp settings do you mean how do I adjust my EQ knobs for bass, mid & treble?

 

[OffTheHook]

By preamp settings do you mean how do I adjust my EQ knobs for bass, mid & treble?

hmm yups!

 

[Lowdownphatty]

Hey OffTheHook, sorry I'm a year late to reply. I usually have the BASS & TREBLE set flat, at the center detente, but always keep the MID turned to rock bottom. Adding MID to a regular 6 string electric is great when you want the extra presence as you rip into a solo, but on a bass guitar, I tend to refer to MID as MUD.

There are times when I may either add or reduce the BASS setting, but that usually depends on which patch I'm using with my effects processor, and what tone I'm going for. For example, I might be using the bridge pickup for a jazzy-growly tone, but the particular patch I'm using on my processor might sound a little too tinny...so I'll bump up the BASS knob, but always less than a quarter turn. Same if I want a good Raggae tone.

I've been playing this bass for just under 2 years now. I still love it, but I have gotten to know and hear some of it's more intimate characteristics. For example, I do find the D & G strings always seem to sound disproportionately brighter than the A, E & B strings. I'm sure it's partly due to the strings needing to be changed. The A, E & B strings are getting that muffled, lifeless, or dare I say DEAD tone.

But...I think part of this tone imbalance is due to the preamp. I'm no expert on the intricacies of preamp settings, frequency response, etc., but that's my hunch. I've tweaked the graphic EQ on my amp to compensate a bit, and I'll be changing my strings very soon, otherwise I'll live with it. I'm probably the only who would notice it anyway.

So...there's the long answer.

 

[Zbysek]

I have been playing this bass for several years and I like it. It's the best cheap bass I have ever owned. My only complaint is that the electronics is not quiet-there is certain hiss...