No Love For Yamaha Basses?

[Clef_de_fa]

You can also play a Yamaha bass on a Yamaha.

you can play Yamaha Basses on a Yamaha boat while fishing bass

 

[Pbassmanca]

Dang, you can play bass on a Yamaha, or catch a bass on a yamaha
View attachment 3013935

For the win!

 

[user362432]

I have 2 Yamaha bass. They are very dependable and good sounding instruments.

 

[Nephilymbass]

after seeing the thread " ampeg joins yamaha family" :Ampeg joins Yamaha family

it got me thinking that i never see mention of yamaha basses on talkbass. i don't own one but i did consider a yamaha bass a while back but i never see the "pros" using them except nathan east and billy sheehan.
just wondering why i don't see yamaha basses on stage or any where else?

The only Yamaha bass I’ve ever held and played was the John Myung signature back in the day. It seemed like a good bass. At the time I wasn’t willing to go to 6 string. I always wanted them to release a Signature bass for Phil Lipscomb from Taproot but they never did. They made him some custom extra long scale 5 string basses at one point. Can’t remember well but I think I read in a article in bass player magazine or somewhere that they were 36” or 37” scale. That could have been interesting.

 

[JB820]

These TRB P’s were the only basses I played for years. Phenomenal instruments.

 

[michael_t]

Styling.

For me. I love the Yamaha sound. Hate the Yamaha look. So much so that I don’t buy it. I know I’m not the only one. They really need some new design people. Cause their audio product is fantastic. Their quality control spectacular. But their bass look is sub par. My opinion.

Just trying to figure out what's so off-putting about the appearance of my new bass, and can't find anything... What am I missing?

 

[rtav]

I LOVE my Yamaha RBXJM2 John Myung signature 2 basses. Sound is amazing and they play like butter. I’m starting a new band with a guy who plays several instruments. I handed him my Yamaha (he plays Ibanez basses and has 5 of them). He began to play mine and vowed to buy one as soon as possible; even my luthier always comments on how intelligently they are designed and how well built they are.

 

[FenderB]

How Am I the first person saying this?
Maybe it's because the Yamaha brand also produces
-Snowmobiles
-Motocycles
-Wave runners
-Tennis Rackets
-Archery equipment
-Skis
-Home Theater systems
-drums, pro audio, everything else musicy...............
-plus probably 1000s of other products not related to guitars that I'm unfamiliar with.
Sometimes it just feels good to buy from a company that specializes in the thing you're passionate about.
no dis to their basses, I think they are quite good.

I agree.

 

[Bourbongangster]

after seeing the thread " ampeg joins yamaha family" :Ampeg joins Yamaha family

it got me thinking that i never see mention of yamaha basses on talkbass. i don't own one but i did consider a yamaha bass a while back but i never see the "pros" using them except nathan east and billy sheehan.
just wondering why i don't see yamaha basses on stage or any where else?

John Patitucci?

Is there a Yamaha BB club? There is now!

You forgot John Patitucci as pro playing Yamaha for a long time (have a look at [Invalid or Expired Link Removed]).



Yamaha is first a musical company, hence the 3 tuning forks logo. It's been driven to other stuff by WWII.
The point is that they make excellent "study" instruments in every instrument type (when I mean study that is to say entry level up to semi-pro). My wife has a Yamaha sax. My daughter has a Yamaha flute. But when you come to high end instruments, generally the pros turn to specific brands : for the price of pro instruments there are better choices, so I was told (I don't play sax nor flute!). "Jack of all trades but master of none". Another point is that the top japanese instruments are as expensive as boutique basses (or basses perceived as boutique). Can Yamaha compete with, say, Sadowsky, in terms of brand recognition.
This being said I'm totally in love with my TRB6II. And I would now seriously consider buying a TRB4II whereas it would never had crossed my mind before I buy the 6 strings. Bass market is really Fender dominated (which is sad but that's another point).

Peter Hook often used a Yamaha BB1200S

He's only one of the most influential bassist of all time so maybe people are looking for Yamaha love in all the wrong places

View attachment 3014087View attachment 3014085 View attachment 3014086 Verdine White has been playing Yamaha basses most of his professional career.

Tony Kanal from No Doubt is another Yamaha player. He was my favorite bass player around the time I started playing bass.

 

[Madhouse27]

I don't know that I've ever gotten to play a lefty Yamaha bass, but I had a great acoustic back in the day. I'm sold on the brand. I've got a Skeeter Bass boat (now owner by Yamaha), Yamaha outboard, generator...they all perform flawlessly.

 

[StatesideRambler]

Peter Hook often used a Yamaha BB1200S

He's only one of the most influential bassist of all time so maybe people are looking for Yamaha love in all the wrong places

I must be thoroughly out of touch. I've rarely heard or read his name. I'll give him a listen.

 

[michael_t]

Leland Sklar used the Yamaha TRB4 and TRB5 for the Phil Collins Serious Tour in 1990.

 

[Al Krow]

"But their bass look is sub par."

Really? I'd kinda say the opposite - not sure I have a better looking bass in my herd than this one!

 

[SpyderX]

Just trying to figure out what's so off-putting about the appearance of my new bass, and can't find anything... What am I missing?

View attachment 3014364

One of my favorite brands - for my taste about the best looking mass produced basses out there.

I don't own one right now due to circumstances, but I've owned a couple and played many and never had a problem with them. I will gladly own one again one of these days. Rock solid.

 

[bassfacer22]

Just trying to figure out what's so off-putting about the appearance of my new bass, and can't find anything... What am I missing?

View attachment 3014364

I like Yamaha, but I just have to be honest since you asked, the color is just whatever, the pickups with those poles look horrid, and the shape and just over-all look is dated and a little ugly, and the bridge is just awful.

I'm only saying this coming from seeing many crazy basses.

Look at these, then go and look at yours again.

 

[michael_t]

Look at these, then go and look at yours again.

Call me Mr. Ultra-Conservative... I still like mine better than any in those photos.

And I'm perfectly okay with the idea we all have different tastes.

 

[inanimate_carb]

I love ‘em. I keep quiet about them because I don’t want all you other guys buying the nice used ones before I can!

 

[roller]

The Nathan East model has always intrigued me... merely too pricey for my wallet.

 

[sigterm]

I've had a lot of GAS for a BB. If it's good enough for Michael Anthony and Nathan East it's good enough for me.

I played a TR once and thoroughly enjoyed it.

 

[jim nolte]

I'm a 5 string player and I don't like 24 fret necks, I haven't been to their web site lately but I remember that in 5 strings only the BB series had 21-22 frets. I did have a RBX 550 back in the day and it was a good bass for the price.