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Yamaha Japanese P-Bass?

I

Ingratil

Jun 13, 2011
81
1
#1
Hey so i am thinking about buying a used bass just to have as backup, and recently found this one, a Japanese P-bass, I love the look and everything about it. I think the price is also good at around 190 dollars with shipping but im not sure because I cant see the serial number anywhere. Do you think its some kind of copy or do you have any idea when this could have been built?
Also do you think its good idea to get this instead of an affinity used PBass at a little higher price?

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Thanks! :hyper:
 
#2
hey, thats a beutiful bass there. I would personally vote this bass over the squier. I have both a Yamaha bb300 (my first bass) and a Squier Matt Freeman pbass (high end squier). The freeman pbass is better in sound and quality but as a first bass, the yamaha bb300 was an amazing beast for its price. i still play it frequently. Some people might tell you that you can get more after market parts for the squier affinity pbass but i would still vote for the yamaha.
 
#3
jamersonburton said:
hey, thats a beutiful bass there. I would personally vote this bass over the squier. I have both a Yamaha bb300 (my first bass) and a Squier Matt Freeman pbass (high end squier). The freeman pbass is better in sound and quality but as a first bass, the yamaha bb300 was an amazing beast for its price. i still play it frequently. Some people might tell you that you can get more after market parts for the squier affinity pbass but i would still vote for the yamaha.
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Thanks, yeah I will probably get this one. The only thing that makes me nervous is that it doesent say the model or the serial number :/
 
#4
The serial numbers are usually stamped in the back of the headstock. Are the numbers in the picture written, not stamped?
At a glance, looks like a BB800 with a different bridge.

As for which to pick, I prefer the 21 frets and reverse P pickups on Yamaha basses over the affinity series basses.
 
#6
Jester's Fury said:
The serial numbers are usually stamped in the back of the headstock. Are the numbers in the picture written, not stamped?
At a glance, looks like a BB800 with a different bridge.

As for which to pick, I prefer the 21 frets and reverse P pickups on Yamaha basses over the affinity series basses.
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Thanks, you love Yamahas dont you? :), do you have any idea of the year this was built i tried searching for the number on the back of the headstock which to me looks like '001091'' but the yamaha page says its unvalid :/ haha
Well let me show you the links for the basses im trying to choose from, i Specially like the yamaha and the Squier special, but the squier is 1000 ''pesos'' more expensive which is like 80 dollars but it has a hardcase =).

Invalid Link Removed

Invalid Link Removed

Invalid Link Removed

Invalid Link Removed
 
#7
kellyrojo said:
I would go with that Yamaha MIJ 3000 times over an affinity. If it is an 80s MIJ they were making amazing instruments during that era. Just my 2 cents and what do I know but take it for what its worth. Good luck!
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Thanks, is MIJ abreviation for something? i cant find ''yamaha mij bass'' on google images 0.o
But if its from the 80's im getting that one for sure =)
 
#8
MIJ is Made in Japan. The country of origin is a major factor in determining the quality of a line of basses or guitars. Anything MIJ from the 80s or sooner is usually a good instrument.
 
#11
soulman969 said:
Yamaha makes quality instruments, amps and other gear. Hard to go wrong with it for $190 if it's a Yamaha and playable as is. Others are correct about Squire's being easier to modify or get parts for. Keep that in mind.
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What do you mean with get parts for? I mean theres nothing really hard to find on this bass is there? The pickups i could just change for any p-bass pickups i guess right? And the tuning pegs ive seen alot of basses have those.. so what else is there to change?
PS. I know that sounds ignorant, but thats because it is, im new on bass so I dont really know how people ''upgrade'' basses =)
 
#12
The "0010" part of the serial looks stamped, but I can't really tell with the 91. That would explain why 001091 doesn't come out anywhere. I was looking at this page, Invalid Link Removed, as I deciphered my bass' "birthdays" from the number system. I can't seem to make anything out for your bass. Maybe the first two numbers or letters were rubbed off. I'll take another look later if time permits.

And yes, I really love Yamahas. I played a 70's Fender jazz bass (Highschool band loner instrument) for about 2 years when I first started. The Yamahas have everything I love about that bass, and remedy everything I hated on it too... all the while being easy on the pocket book.:bassist:
 
#13
Jester's Fury said:
The "0010" part of the serial looks stamped, but I can't really tell with the 91. That would explain why 001091 doesn't come out anywhere. I was looking at this page, Invalid Link Removed, as I deciphered my bass' "birthdays" from the number system. I can't seem to make anything out for your bass. Maybe the first two numbers or letters were rubbed off. I'll take another look later if time permits.

And yes, I really love Yamahas. I played a 70's Fender jazz bass (Highschool band loner instrument) for about 2 years when I first started. The Yamahas have everything I love about that bass, and remedy everything I hated on it too... all the while being easy on the pocket book.:bassist:
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Well actually the 0001091 does come out, look at the table that says ''Alternate serial number configurations for Yamaha Electric, Archtop, and Bass Guitars'' at the year 1977 that number is not there but it is in between the 001001-001270 for the BB1200 model, but i searched for that model and it doesent look like this, its got some kind of weird neck like a thunderbird or something with strips of different woods :/ And they dont even mention the BB800 model on that page so i dont know, still i think im buying this one. I dont think its a copy or something my only concern is to buy it and to recieve it with broken truss rod or something, ( hopefully not) =)
 
#14
Interesting - looks like an amateur-refinished BB800 with replacement bridge and knobs.

All these Yamahas were great basses. It's not all original or in great shape, but for one that is, you're looking at between $250 and $400, so this looks like a good deal.

Something to keep in mind with serial #s is that sometimes when it looks like it starts with zero, it's actually the letter "o". I have one like that, where nothing turned up in the serial-number listings until I realized it was a letter, not a number, at the start.
 
#15
Red Four said:
Interesting - looks like an amateur-refinished BB800 with replacement bridge and knobs.

All these Yamahas were great basses. It's not all original or in great shape, but for one that is, you're looking at between $250 and $400, so this looks like a good deal.

Something to keep in mind with serial #s is that sometimes when it looks like it starts with zero, it's actually the letter "o". I have one like that, where nothing turned up in the serial-number listings until I realized it was a letter, not a number, at the start.
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Thanks, but i dont think they are ''o'' because even like that it wont show up and when they start with letters they start with 2 letters so they would need to be 2 ''o'' and i think thats highly unlikely, plus when they start with letters i think they need to have like 6 to 8 numbers afterwards =)

Ohh almost forgot to ask you, what do u mean with amateur-finished, do you think the guy like took off the paint or something like that? Because all other basses ive seen that kind of look like this one have a glossy finish and this one looks like its direct wood or some kind of oil finish =)
Thanks =)
 
#16
Ingratil said:
What do you mean with get parts for? I mean theres nothing really hard to find on this bass is there? The pickups i could just change for any p-bass pickups i guess right? And the tuning pegs ive seen alot of basses have those.. so what else is there to change?
PS. I know that sounds ignorant, but thats because it is, im new on bass so I dont really know how people ''upgrade'' basses =)
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Just by looking at the bass I'd say yes the bridge and tuners look fairly standard and probably easily replaceable or upgradeable. The pickups may or may not be.

Many upgrade pickups made for the size and depth of the cavity on a Fender Bass don't even fit all Fender/Squier product. That's not to say you can't either find a fit or modify the cavity to fit but in those cases it's not just like dropping a new pickup in.

The most common things players do to upgrade a bass are Strings, Pickups and Bridge. Strings are a matter of taste but pickups and bridges have other considerations. How much expertise you have in making those mods may govern how you see the instrument that's all.

If you like it the way it is then for $190 it's seems to be a good deal but there are other basses that are easier to mod. That's all I was trying to say. :)
 
#17
soulman969 said:
Just by looking at the bass I'd say yes the bridge and tuners look fairly standard and probably easily replaceable or upgradeable. The pickups may or may not be.

Many upgrade pickups made for the size and depth of the cavity on a Fender Bass don't even fit all Fender/Squier product. That's not to say you can't either find a fit or modify the cavity to fit but in those cases it's not just like dropping a new pickup in.

The most common things players do to upgrade a bass are Strings, Pickups and Bridge. Strings are a matter of taste but pickups and bridges have other considerations. How much expertise you have in making those mods may govern how you see the instrument that's all.

If you like it the way it is then for $190 it's seems to be a good deal but there are other basses that are easier to mod. That's all I was trying to say. :)
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Thanks mate =) but still i think im gonna stick with this Yammie haha, because if i ever mod something (which i dont think i will because it scares me) i will mod by Thunderbird Pro V which is my main bass, i just want this one to have as a backup basss you know? In case a string ever brakes, the batteries die, to carry to rehearsals without having to carry the whole hardcase of my tbird and those things =)
 
#18
Ingratil said:
what do u mean with amateur-finished, do you think the guy like took off the paint or something like that? Because all other basses ive seen that kind of look like this one have a glossy finish and this one looks like its direct wood or some kind of oil finish =)
Click to expand...

That's what I mean. I don't believe there was ever a natural-finish BB800 (I've only ever seen painted or brown-stained finishes), and never any that weren't glossy. So someone took the stock finish off this one at some time. (The BB1000 had a natural-finish option, but that also had different fingerboard wood & inlays, so this isn't one of those.)

Nothing wrong with that - just mentioning that it isn't original in that sense.
 
#20
FYI, the BB-style P pickups on the newer BB basses are NOT standard P-bass route size, but the older ones are. You should be able to swap that out for any replacement P-bass pickup, which is a really easy mod to do. Solder 2 wires and it's installed - there's also a LOT of aftermarket P pickups to chose from. I recommend Lindy Fralin P. It's not the cheapest (140$) but it is a really good, deep and authentic sounding pickup.

Welcome to Lindy Fralin Pickups: Fralin Bass Pickups - the Finest Guitar Pickups Available Today!
 

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