Some beginner questions about yamaha basses

[Casey Black]

I'm a multi instrumentalist looking to buy a bass guitar. I borrowed a cheap Ibanez this summer and have been making great progress. I am looking to purchase a yamaha bass for playing in broadway shows and musicals. These are paid gigs so I need to sound good, but most of my performing career is as a trumpeter so I don't need anything too fancy. I'm looking at either the Yamaha TRBX 304 or the TRBX 174ew. My question is, is the 304 much better?

I'm definitely not a gear head. I wonder if the 304 has more knobs and switches that I really need or want. Basically I just want a nice warm dark sound (a lot of broadway shows are written for double bass and I'm working on that, but that's another thread). Also I hate the clanking rattle of this ibanez and the steel wound strings on it. I was thinking flat wound strings would sound better in the pit. Also, I saw this video () and was blow away, but I noticed he switched out the bridge. If I go with the 174ew, will upgrading to this bridge make a huge difference? Thanks for reading, i'm looking forward to reading the replies.

 

[garp]

Welcome!

As you've already noticed, the biggest differences between the two basses are the pickups and the electronics. The 174EW's P/J pickup configuration is very versatile, but so are the dual M3 pickups on the 304. The 174EW has passive electronics. The 304 has an active equalization circuit powered by a 9-volt battery which enhances your ability to shape the bass's tone without having to fiddle with an external amp or preamp. Whether or not this would be helpful to you will ultimately depend on your signal chain. Many theatre pit bassists don't use an amplifier at all and go direct into the mixing board, monitoring through IEMs (In-Ear Monitors). Bear in mind that the 304 doesn't have an active/passive switch – hence, as long as the bass is plugged in, the active electronics are engaged, and without a good battery, the bass outputs no signal at all. Therefore, you'd need to be cognizant about battery life. It's not a big deal – I've had active basses last 6-9 months with regular use on a single 9V battery, but I always check the battery strength before gigs, and I always carry at least two fresh batteries.

I believe that the TRBX models sold in the U.S. come strung with a D'Addario EXL 165 Nickel Wounds (0.045 - 0.065 - 0.085 - 0.105). As your electric bass playing progresses, you'll likely want to begin experimenting with strings. Flats can be helpful in achieving a "thump" tone that's closer to an upright bass, and they also help to reduce unwanted string noise. But rather than jumping directly to flats, you might want to try a set of half rounds first.

As for swapping out the bridge on the 174EW, without knowing specifically why it was done, it's tough to predict what effect such a modification would have. From online photos, I don't see anything inherently "wrong" with the design of the OEM bridge, but then again, I've never owned a 174EW.

Good luck!

 

[hypercarrots]

Try the bb series for a warm dark sound

 

[Eilif]

I played the yamaha in the last picture just a couple days ago. It sounded very nice and definitely "Classic". I didn't feel the need for a new bridge. I'd almost never swap the bridge on a bass until I'd played it for a while. The Mango-wood veneer is a very nice look and though the design of many yamahas isn't always my thing, the build quality is almost always great.

As for "clack", flats is definitely one way to fix that, also, a set of "pure nickel" roundwound strings will start out bright but warm up very quickly. I put them on most of my basses.

 

[Rib 13]

TRBX 304/305 is one of the best bangs for the buck on the planet ( I personally like it better than the more expensive 504/505)....super versatile Swiss Army capabilities and they play great....Just my opinion, of course

 

[Casey Black]

Thanks for the replies. As far as the signal goes I can tell you that the basses, guitars, and keyboards in our pit are never run directly through the house. I can see how that's a better way to go, but it is what it is. I hope to go to the store tomorrow and get my hands on some gear. I just wanted to be armed with a bit more info before I walk in the door. Thanks again for the input.