Looking at a Yamaha BB734A Bass. I have played the trbx 504. Liked it but like the old school look of the BB but like the humbucker sound. What are your thoughts on the BB
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Yamaha BB734A thoughts
- Thread starter bigdaddybass12
- Start date
Yamaha are awesome. Probably the most underrated basses out there.
I was very impressed with a BB735 I played back in December. It sold the next day so someone else liked it too.
What I like about my BB734a, which is sort of my 'rational bass'*:
- Build quality
- Playability (the satin finish on the neck is excellent; the overall weight is not excessive)
- Tonal variety (although I often play it passive, not making full use of the pre-amp)
The BB734A / BB735A is the best bang for your buck bass out there currently IMO. Construction quality, feel, comfort, weight, and of course sound are top notch. It has a very snappy and immediate response, and has an open and zingy sound without sounding brittle. Overall they are awesome!
I've wanted those for a while, now. They look so solidly built, and all of my previous experiences with Yamaha instruments have been positive.
My GAS list isn't long, but the BB734A is definitely on there...
My GAS list isn't long, but the BB734A is definitely on there...
Good. (My little hesitations about the BB734a are of a cosmetic/irrational nature.)
I could swap mine probably painlessly (bought it used for a very fair price), but I won't. So to me, the BB734a is a keeper.
They are AWESOME basses! Huge tonal palette, not too heavy, comfortable to play, AND sounds great through ALL my amps! (Must be the fingers!)
Man, it always boils down to personal preference. I have a Thumb that I have played for years and still love the tone, a VM Squier Jazz that sound incredible with the Apollo pickups (SD), but this thing will be my 'go to' bass for a while yet!
Oops, looks like I need to dust.
Joe
Man, it always boils down to personal preference. I have a Thumb that I have played for years and still love the tone, a VM Squier Jazz that sound incredible with the Apollo pickups (SD), but this thing will be my 'go to' bass for a while yet!
Oops, looks like I need to dust.
Joe
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I had one and I finally sold it because I don't use 4 string basses anymore. However, I bought a BB735 three years ago and I cannot stop playing with it. Everytime I see it, I want to play it. It's my number 1 bass.
The only reason my BB735a isn’t my main player is that I have a BB425 that is my forever bass (at least, has been longer than any other bass I’ve owned ). But the 735a is fantastic.
however, not sure you’ll get what you’re calling the “humbucker” sound” from it.
). But the 735a is fantastic.however, not sure you’ll get what you’re calling the “humbucker” sound” from it.
I bought one about two years ago (I think -- who can keep track of time anymore?). I was really psyched because I love the look of these basses, and I had high hopes for the tonal variety.
It looked as good as I hoped, and played beautifully, but I ended up returning it. Although it's true you can get a wide range of tones out of it, I couldn't find one I liked. That was the moment when I realized I was a Fender guy and I should just learn to be happy with it.
It looked as good as I hoped, and played beautifully, but I ended up returning it. Although it's true you can get a wide range of tones out of it, I couldn't find one I liked. That was the moment when I realized I was a Fender guy and I should just learn to be happy with it.
The only reason my BB735a isn’t my main player is that I have a BB425 that is my forever bass (at least, has been longer than any other bass I’ve owned
however, not sure you’ll get what you’re calling the “humbucker” sound” from it.
I've a TRBX604 and a BB424 and the sounds they make are ....different. I know the 434 / 734 make a less extreme BB-style sound than the 424 / 1024, and I think I've read that amongst TRBXs, the 504 has a bit more guts than the 604, but still....
The TRBX is a lot more comfortable than the BB - lighter, smaller, better balanced, much less chunky neck.
Both really well made
Any thoughts?
hmmm
Yamaha has been the global music industry learner in quality since before most of us were born. If you buy the least cost Yamaha bass you find and triple the price you paid you will not find a better constructed bass in that price range. There simply is no guitar builder at any scale investing in measurable QC continuing improvement of this magnitude. Do you like the color? If yes, get it.
Fender doesn’t do this. Alembic doesn’t do this. Glarry doesn’t do this.
Quality Assurance - Sustainability - Yamaha Corporation
hmmm
Yamaha has been the global music industry learner in quality since before most of us were born. If you buy the least cost Yamaha bass you find and triple the price you paid you will not find a better constructed bass in that price range. There simply is no guitar builder at any scale investing in measurable QC continuing improvement of this magnitude. Do you like the color? If yes, get it.
Fender doesn’t do this. Alembic doesn’t do this. Glarry doesn’t do this.
Quality Assurance - Sustainability - Yamaha Corporation
My two main players are a BB734a and a SBMM Ray34. I love 'em both, though they're very different. I use the Ray for anything where I want that signature Ray sound, and I use the BB for, well, everything else. As noted, super-versatile... but that doesn't mean it does everything. The BB is a P/J and it sounds like a P/J. In passive mode rolled all the way to the P pickup it's unmistakably a P-bass, almost Fender-ish (smidge brighter). In a mix to a live audience, only the picky bass players would know it wasn't a Fender P. Turning on the preamp and going to or mixing with J pickup gives you all kinds of other options. Admittedly, I don't think the J pickup is as good as the P pickup.
Overall, I'd say the BB is a little on the bright side. I will say the D'Addario rounds that come on the bass I don't think do it any favors in that regard. It's not that I dislike D'Addario rounds, but when I switched to GHS Pressurwounds (which I haven't done on any other bass) it just seemed like they suit the bass better. Maybe flats if you're into those, but the Pressurewounds tame the brightness without taking away all the zing. Perfect match in my book.
Oh, and the BB is built like a tank. I completely disagree that it feels cheap. I think if your comparison point is a Fender, you have to go to a $1000+ MIA Fender to get close, and given the somewhat uneven QC of Fenders, I've picked up $1200 Fenders that I'd rate as having inferior build quality feel to my BB. YMMV, I guess.
I will say that I don't care for the tobacco finish (I agree with @Nekomata that makes it look off) but I think it looks great in the black.
Now, having said all those nice things, if what you're looking for is the TRBX sound, the BB will not give you that. It sounds like a P/J, not a standard humbucker. If you want a humbucker sound but don't like the look of the TRBX, I'd say get a Ray or a G&L Tribute if you can tolerate the neck.
Overall, I'd say the BB is a little on the bright side. I will say the D'Addario rounds that come on the bass I don't think do it any favors in that regard. It's not that I dislike D'Addario rounds, but when I switched to GHS Pressurwounds (which I haven't done on any other bass) it just seemed like they suit the bass better. Maybe flats if you're into those, but the Pressurewounds tame the brightness without taking away all the zing. Perfect match in my book.
Oh, and the BB is built like a tank. I completely disagree that it feels cheap. I think if your comparison point is a Fender, you have to go to a $1000+ MIA Fender to get close, and given the somewhat uneven QC of Fenders, I've picked up $1200 Fenders that I'd rate as having inferior build quality feel to my BB. YMMV, I guess.
I will say that I don't care for the tobacco finish (I agree with @Nekomata that makes it look off) but I think it looks great in the black.
Now, having said all those nice things, if what you're looking for is the TRBX sound, the BB will not give you that. It sounds like a P/J, not a standard humbucker. If you want a humbucker sound but don't like the look of the TRBX, I'd say get a Ray or a G&L Tribute if you can tolerate the neck.
the daddarios that came on one of mine were so dead that switching to chrome flats actually made it brighter. it was an anomaly.
I’ve owned two Yamahas and carry a fondness for them as one of mine was a BB1600 that was my only electric bass as I was going through college in the jazz program.
I love the way Yamaha BB basses sound and feel. They are just very well-designed and executed. Not feeling the “cheap” comment at all; this has never been my experience with any Yamaha product, musical or otherwise.
I don’t care for the look of the pickguard on the 734/735 but the PJ tone is spot on. I would certainly consider one as a single bass. Probably the black one as it understates the look of the pickguard.
I love the way Yamaha BB basses sound and feel. They are just very well-designed and executed. Not feeling the “cheap” comment at all; this has never been my experience with any Yamaha product, musical or otherwise.
I don’t care for the look of the pickguard on the 734/735 but the PJ tone is spot on. I would certainly consider one as a single bass. Probably the black one as it understates the look of the pickguard.
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I can relate to this. Because of the BB734a's brightness (which is not a bad thing, per se) and out of curiosity as to the sound 'n' feel of flatwounds, I strung my Yamaha with a set of GHS Precision Flats. I like those better, tonewise, than the roundwounds that were previously installed (don't know whether those were d'Addario's; the seller I got the BB734 a from didn't know either).
Funny, my BB414 is way 'darker'. But probably also less 'sophisticated'.
True, I'd say. I find it difficult to mentally 'shape' the sound I'd like to hear from a bridge pickup, but I must say that I'm not overly impressed by the BB734's (or BB414's, for that matter) J pickup.
All the way back to my favorite BB's from the 80's (I just prefer the neckthru grandfathers to today's BB's), they have always had a tone with a sort of lower midrange zing. I don't know if this is some sort of tuning that the Japanese hear and aim for (and here I'm not being racist, different cultures sensibilities vary; Fujifilm's amazing Velvia transparency film was a revelation to Western eyes) or what, but I've always heard them do this.
And another phenomenon that NEVER applies to Yamahas: All over TB, readers bat back and forth the usefulness or uselessness of a P/J pickup setup. You never hear any quibbles over this about Yamahas, they have the blend down cold.
As always, it's all very subjective, but you could do far worse than any of the BB's as a purchase.
And another phenomenon that NEVER applies to Yamahas: All over TB, readers bat back and forth the usefulness or uselessness of a P/J pickup setup. You never hear any quibbles over this about Yamahas, they have the blend down cold.
As always, it's all very subjective, but you could do far worse than any of the BB's as a purchase.
