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Show me your Yamaha BBs!
- Thread starter BassAgent
- Start date
I have a Yamaha BB415 that took me a long while to warm up to. Frankly the new P/J BBs are a step or two below the older, Japanese P/Js, which are frankly close to boutique in quality. That said, the BB415 is probably the nicest under $500 bass available. I have long been a critic of P/J slap tones, but this bass is really growing on me, and I have to give IotaNet credit, he said it would sound great through a Sadowsky preamp, and he is right! I am going to finally take some pics tonight, and post them tomorrow.
Here is my 2002 lefty BBN5II which was my first 5 string. It was originally black but I had her stripped and redone in cherry sunburst includi8ng having the neck and headstock finished. The birdseye in the neck and headstock are incredible for a $500 import bass. The finish on the neck really brought out the birdseye. I also had an 18volt Aquilar pre amp installed. Sadly, I sold her off a few years ago to pay for another bass. If I ever come across this bass again, I would have to buy it back. it played like a dream.
If I remember correctly, my first Bass was a beat up BB330 (or was it a 300?). It was red and I used vinyl tape of many colors to give it an psuedo Eddie VanHalen effect. It played well, especially for $50. I think I sold it for $100. I may even have a pic somewhere...
I bought 2 off ebay a few years ago. Got them both for $250 each. I love them, a really great sounding passive instrument. I did have to do some fret work but what do you expect from Warmoth?...
I had a BB300 back in the day. It was my first *real* bass, following an incredibly cheesy Cort short-scale piece o' crap! That BB was a great bass. I sold it years ago, and regret it to this day. I currently have a Yamaha RBX765A that's an amazing bass for the coin, IMO.If anyone has a black BB300 they'd like to part with, hit me up!
Here's my (modified) BB400S Fretless. I bought it in 1984 in Puerto Rico whilst working on a cruise ship - I decided I wanted a fretless and this was the only one they had in the store - impetuous being my middle name at the time 
. Seriously, I'd sold my backup bass (an Ibanez I bought in Hong Kong in 1981 when Hong Kong was dirt cheap) to one of the waiters at a considerable profit and needed a new spare - or was the money just burning a hole in my pocket?
I replaced the Yamaha Pup with an EMG some years ago as the stock tone was a little muddy in comparison to my DiMarzio'd PJ - switching Basses required major changes to the amp settings which made changes basses mid set difficult - and I added the EMG J pup just last month - instant growl and punch and a vast improvement in the range of tones available. I also had a Brass "slap plate" added to the end of the neck some time ago, it looks cool but has never worked!
. Seriously, I'd sold my backup bass (an Ibanez I bought in Hong Kong in 1981 when Hong Kong was dirt cheap) to one of the waiters at a considerable profit and needed a new spare - or was the money just burning a hole in my pocket?I replaced the Yamaha Pup with an EMG some years ago as the stock tone was a little muddy in comparison to my DiMarzio'd PJ - switching Basses required major changes to the amp settings which made changes basses mid set difficult - and I added the EMG J pup just last month - instant growl and punch and a vast improvement in the range of tones available. I also had a Brass "slap plate" added to the end of the neck some time ago, it looks cool but has never worked!
I've heard this somewhere before also... is it true that Warmoth makes the necks for the newer BB series? Pretty interesting, if that's the case.
pretty sure I'm about to pull the trigger on a BB 414 in vintage white... this thread isn't helping my wallet.
