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Vintage Yamaha bass recommendations

#21
Back in the day I played a Yamaha BB-300 that was a great bass for not a lot of coin.It served me well for many years. I was never worried about taking it to some of the sketchy places I played. These days I'm playing a Yamaha Attitude II bass which is like the old Billy Sheehan bass but it just has one P bass type pickup.
 
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#22
I have owned many BBs over the years starting with my first bass in 1989, a BB200, which is the cheapest and lowest model BB ever produced to my knowledge. I jammed and gigged that thing for years playing punk and it never failed. Still, reverse P p/u s, superlight basswood body, cool Yamaha tuners, bulletproof neck and other cool features and a nice versatile P bass tone. I also own(ed) 2 BB800s, a BB400, a BB1000S (my favorite of the entire series and absolute sleeper) and a few others. All of the late 70/early 80s BBs are nice instruments to own and are well crafted. Some deliver more bass for the buck. At some point some later models (mid 90s) were being made outside of Japan.

As mentioned elsewhere in this thread, the SB Super Bass series are also really fantastic but were never originally available in the USA. It's a J style bass but with the Yamaha P-style neck. Nato body, maple neck. I have an SB500 in near mint condition and it is a killer bass. If you're currently in Japan, please grab me another one (or an SB800) and grab one for yourself while you're at it.
 
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#24
Altitude said:
The BB1600 was a passive bolt-on P/J. I bought one new in ~1989 and had it all these years until I foolishly traded it for a bass I don't even have anymore. The BB1600 had a great, super fast neck and that trademark P/J ping in the slap tone. I'd buy it back right now if it were in the same condition I let it go in.

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That’s a beauty! Would love to get my hands one of those. Actually the funny thing is that everyone in japan wants usa made fenders or custom shop style basses. These upper level Yamahas are not too expensive now.
 
#25
I'm a nut for old Yammy's!!
I've had an SBV500- nice sound/nice neck just a bit funky to look at

My thing is the SB-30/SB-50 basses- I have 3 (!) - short scale with a great thumpy sound/ fabulous neck- IMHO way better feel and solid feel compared to a Beatle bass style

These are 2 of mine- I've refinished the one on the right to a flat black and updated the PUs - have since acquired a mint walnut brown one with original case


SB-50.JPG



Also have their first bass produced- a 1967 SB-2- mint red - outstanding feel (not a cheapy) and great sound- I've gigged this baby- lots of admirers
SB-2.jpg



Dave
 
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#26
Bass V said:
one of these has been lurking in Honolulu and dropped in price to around $400, if op is heading this way soon I can pass on the locale. in scant research they seem to be a fine Jazz bass for sounds but not much info beyond that so my interest was tamed a bit, but being vintage YAMAHA I still want to try it. the store allows for trial periods but I'd hate to return such a nice piece for minor quibbles, it looks to be nearly new cond. and is deffinitely an oddity.
otherwise, like with Ibanez you really can't go wrong no matter what instrument they make.
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That’s a good price for a Hawaii buy. I used to live in the big island so I know about the local deals!. I agree about the Ibanez basses also. I have an Ibanez sr1000e. Was beat to poopie…..i resurrected it from the dead
 
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#27
ToP fan said:
I'm a nut for old Yammy's!!
I've had an SBV500- nice sound/nice neck just a bit funky to look at

My thing is the SB-30/SB-50 basses- I have 3 (!) - short scale with a great thumpy sound/ fabulous neck- IMHO way better feel and solid feel compared to a Beatle bass style

These are 2 of mine- I've refinished the one on the right to a flat black and updated the PUs - have since acquired a mint walnut brown one with original case


View attachment 4294654


Also have their first bass produced- a 1967 SB-2- mint red - outstanding feel (not a cheapy) and great sound- I've gigged this baby- lots of admirers
View attachment 4294674


Dave
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Wow! Those are some cool looking basses!
 
#28
REV said:
Back in the day I played a Yamaha BB-300 that was a great bass for not a lot of coin.It served me well for many years. I was never worried about taking it to some of the sketchy places I played. These days I'm playing a Yamaha Attitude II bass which is like the old Billy Sheehan bass but it just has one P bass type pickup.
Click to expand...
Nice! I actually owned several Yamahas before actually. I had 2 attitudes and a bb714bs. The attitudes were monster p basses! Loved the tone ! That’s what peaked my interest in these vintage Yamahas. Also my tastes changed to more a pino tone .
 
#29
Jimmy Aloha said:
That’s a beauty! Would love to get my hands one of those. Actually the funny thing is that everyone in japan wants usa made fenders or custom shop style basses. These upper level Yamahas are not too expensive now.
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I played it through a jazz minor at UT Austin; it was my only electric at that point and it probably saw 15 musicals and a few hundred 6th Street gigs. The color was a little period-specific (all those teal/blues in the late 80s & early 90s) but I do wish I still had it.
 
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#33
2tonic said:
Vintage Yamaha bass recommendations?

When purchasing vintage Yamaha basses, there is a very specific model you should seek out, if you wish to make a wise investment in an ultimately playable piece of history.

It will have "YAMAHA" on the headstock, and the model number starts with "BB". :thumbsup:
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Partly disagree. You should add the instruments should be made in Japan.
In the mid-80s, Yamaha started to produce BB basses in Indonesia like the bolted neck active BB1100s and the low price passive BB300. These are in no way comparable to the MIJ Yamahas. Owned two of them. They were just a bit cheaper than US Fender basses, but rather comparable to entry level instruments from Post-Japan Squier. Noisy harsh sounding electronics, multipart bodies, heavy tuners on instruments with lightweight bodies. No comparison to the ash bodied neck-through BBs from Japan that were only a bit more expensive.
 
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