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YAMAHA TRB CLUB

#961
jcburn said:
Hey everyone. I really like the feel and playability of my Gen 1 TRB4 (non-piezo, JJ pickups, MIJ), but I have always struggled a little with the tone.

How would people describe the generic tone of these basses - I find the overall tone a little bland... Could a pickup\preamp swap be in order?
Click to expand...

I think the single coil sound of the original TRB-6p (which I've owned for 20+ years) is very distinctive and anything but generic. I briefly played a 5 and it was similar sounding with the PJ configuration, but I've never played a 4. I don't however think the piezo makes it distinctive, that's a pretty subtle enhancement, so it's got to be either the pickups, the preamp, or both. I do however think the subsequent TRB generations are more generic sounding though. That said I've read/seen people here on TB replacing both pickups and preamps on the original TRB-6 series and said that it has definitely changed the overall tone. I don't recall if it's completely captured in this thread or in others, but the info is definitely here somewhere on TB :)
 
#962
Try raising the neck pickup closer to the strings first. What I've done is hold the strings down at the 24th fret, then raise the neck pickup so it just clears the string based the hardest touch you play with. You don't want the string to slam down on the pickup case.

Then do the exact same thing with the bridge pickup. You should end up with both pickups a bit closer to the strings. Try that and see if that helps. When I did this on my 1005j, BB1025x, and an old BBE, the basses opened up quite a bit and gained a fair amount of midrange clarity. And it seems that the preamp circuit actually balances the pickups for you in the detent, so you don't have to have dramatic differences in pickup height between bridge and neck.

Fairly easy to try.

Let us know how you make out.

jcburn said:
Hey everyone. I really like the feel and playability of my Gen 1 TRB4 (non-piezo, JJ pickups, MIJ), but I have always struggled a little with the tone.

How would people describe the generic tone of these basses - I find the overall tone a little bland... Could a pickup\preamp swap be in order?
Click to expand...
 
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#963
frankie5string said:
Try raising the neck pickup closer to the strings first. What I've done is hold the strings down at the 24th fret, then raise the neck pickup so it just clears the string based the hardest touch you play with. You don't want the string to slam down on the pickup case.

Then do the exact same thing with the bridge pickup. You should end up with both pickups a bit closer to the strings. Try that and see if that helps. When I did this on my 1005j, BB1025x, and an old BBE, the basses opened up quite a bit and gained a fair amount of midrange clarity. And it seems that the preamp circuit actually balances the pickups for you in the detent, so you don't have to have dramatic differences in pickup height between bridge and neck.

Fairly easy to try.

Let us know how you make out.
Click to expand...

Interesting post and a good point made. I will try this and report back.
 
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#965
What do you mean by "broken?" Is the wire broken at the pickup? Can you get a resistance reading off the dummy coil?

You could rout out the body and put that pickup in, but the preamp isn't really configured to run that pickup. It will be looking for that dummy coil at the connection to the pre.



Cole Millward said:
Greetings! Just acquired a TRB1006, and the dummy/phantom coil on the bridge pup is broken. I'm planning to replace it with the bridge pup from one of my RBX6JMs, which I believe is a dual coil pup. Does this create any problems with the way the TRB1006 preamp works? Thanks!
Click to expand...
 
#966
frankie5string said:
What do you mean by "broken?" Is the wire broken at the pickup? Can you get a resistance reading off the dummy coil?

You could rout out the body and put that pickup in, but the preamp isn't really configured to run that pickup. It will be looking for that dummy coil at the connection to the pre.
Click to expand...

Somehow the wire has come disconnected from within the pickup (which, to my understanding, is filled with epoxy or something, and therefore inaccessible).

It shouldn't take any routing, the pickup is the same exact shape and size. Its from JM's first generation of sigs, before he switched to the MusicMan style pup.

It sounds like you might be right though. If the preamp is looking for a dummy coil and it instead finds an actual coil... well, I'm not actually sure what the result would be.
 
#967
You can't make a dual coil work like a single coil+phantom coil. The phantom coil only 'picks' interference signal and cancels it from the regular coil. If the phantom coil is a regular coil which also picks the signal, then the whole signal will cancel out. How much resistance does the phantom coil read ? (should be the same as the other coil).
 
#968
Hey does anyone know which model and year is this bass? Should be 1005J but all I've seen have a five piece neck. This is a three piece obviously and it appears to be maple wenge combo. Anyone know? IMG_20190713_214704-934x1663.jpg IMG_20190713_214754-934x1663.jpg
 
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#969
It's weird, the whole back of that bass looks different than anything I've seen before with 1005's. There doesn't appear to be any decal/overlay on the body or headstock, and there's obviously the huge dark wood strip with the 3 piece neck. I think all the earlier (mid 2000s) 1000 series were 3 piece necks, but typically all maple, vs. the newer ones with 5 pieces. You'd think from the backside that it's a custom neck, but the front of the headstock looks perfectly matched. Maybe try contacting Yamaha?
 
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#970
The body looks identical to mine, a 1005j, but that neck actually looks like someone took a black sharpie to it and coloured in the two pieces of Nato and the maple centre. Also, note at least one of the tuners has been replaced with a different model - note the different key design on one tuner. Also, the bridge doesn't look like the original 1005j bridge. Those were brass and had a grey patina-shine finish. That one is straight-up chrome.

EDIT: Actually, that may be a 1005 (non J). The veneer top doesn't match what you should get on a 1005j, but it DOES match the older 1005 (which had a wider flame pattern).



michabass said:
Hey does anyone know which model and year is this bass? Should be 1005J but all I've seen have a five piece neck. This is a three piece obviously and it appears to be maple wenge combo. Anyone know?View attachment 3476444 View attachment 3476445
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#971
I'm doing my research and in no real rush to find one just yet, but I'm very interested in the TRB1004J. Hadn't heard of this model until recently and can't really find a ton of info on them. They seem to have a lot of features/specs I like (plus, they're sexy), and I've become a big Yamaha fan since owning a TRBX304. But they don't seem to be very available in the US.

Anyone own one of these?
Or have any kind of pertinent info about the model?
(weight, string spacing, neck profile/demensions, etc)

Really just gassing for another Yamaha pretty bad right now. If the TRB1004J doesn't seem to work out, I'll most likely eventually end up with a TRBX604, but I really am interested in the 1004J right now.
Thanks much for any responses.
 
#972
Hi all! I’m new to the forum, but I’ve been lurking on this thread for a long time. It’s one of the reasons for my newest acquisition - a Yamaha TRB 5II! Got this bass a little over two months ago and LOVE it! Previous owner modded the bass - added a Schaller 2000 adjustable bridge (currently set a little over 19mm) and a passive tone control.

I will say, though, that reading this thread has made me wonder if I should try to get my hands on a TRB 5. I almost feel embarrassed asking that so quickly after buying a TRB 5II. I just posted on another thread about this, but I’m wondering if people who have played both think that changing the string spacing and preamp (I’m considering putting in Bartolini pickups and a Glockenklang, Pope Flex Core, or John East pre) will make my 5II the equal of the vaunted TRB 5. Also interested in folks who like the stock TRB 5II more than the stock TRB 5!
 

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#973
I have the 1005J but have played a 1004J a few times...

For the 1004J: They're about 8.5 pounds, have 19mm spacing. The neck is narrow like a jazz bass, but a bit rounder than an Ibanez Soundgear neck (flatter than a jazz) - it's a round D shape all the way up, and not flattened/compound like a Lakland or an MTD.

It wears like a mini jazz bass, with the bridge pickup set a bit further back on your body, and are almost never neck heavy. I find they sound best when the bridge and neck pickup are about 3mm away from the bottom of the strings when fretted at the 24th fret, otherwise, the bass can sound a bit thin.

Pickups are single-coils with a hum-cancelling circuit. The dummy coils are fed into the preamp and electrically nulled against the sound coils, so you get all the tone and grind of a single coil, but no noise.

They are great basses, a bit overpriced new.


Resonance129 said:
I'm doing my research and in no real rush to find one just yet, but I'm very interested in the TRB1004J. Hadn't heard of this model until recently and can't really find a ton of info on them. They seem to have a lot of features/specs I like (plus, they're sexy), and I've become a big Yamaha fan since owning a TRBX304. But they don't seem to be very available in the US.

Anyone own one of these?
Or have any kind of pertinent info about the model?
(weight, string spacing, neck profile/demensions, etc)

Really just gassing for another Yamaha pretty bad right now. If the TRB1004J doesn't seem to work out, I'll most likely eventually end up with a TRBX604, but I really am interested in the 1004J right now.
Thanks much for any responses.
Click to expand...
 
Last edited:
#974
I once owned a TRB5Pii. One of the many things that stood out was its exceptional tone. Knowing that the pickups and preamp are proprietary to Yamaha, what mainstream pickups and preamp will get closes to the tone of TRB5Pii? Thanks.
 
#975
idoker said:
I once owned a TRB5Pii. One of the many things that stood out was its exceptional tone. Knowing that the pickups and preamp are proprietary to Yamaha, what mainstream pickups and preamp will get closes to the tone of TRB5Pii? Thanks.
Click to expand...

My vote is anything Bartolini, but others may have a different opinion. You could also ask the guys over at Best Bass Gear, they are great with recommendations IME.
 
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#978
I acquired a TRB6p two summers ago. It had the Bartolini G6 pickups already installed, and does sound very nice with the factory preamp.

I had thought I would do the preamp, too, since the pickups were already swapped, but I liked the sound, and I didn't want to have to deal with the piezo part of the circuit.
 
#979
glassmoon said:
I've replaced my stock (1996) TRB6 pups with (classic) Barts. They're absolutely outstanding. Now to find a suitably compatible preamp.
I have never been the biggest fan of the on board TRB kit personally. The Barts (running straight out, no controls whatsoever) are gloriously open and promote a much fully tonal palette IMHO.
Click to expand...
The Barts fits the TRBs unusual pickup cavity size?
 

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