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YAMAHA TRB CLUB

#1,081
Barcza said:
Do you know the frequencies of the TRB II EQ? As I hear the bass probably somwhere beetween 40hz and 60hz, very usable to cut for boomy stages without soosing the body... The mid knob is interesting, is not a high mid like 800hz or 1k, but I thing not as low as something like 200hz, works strange for me, but not bad, when cutting the sound start to be somehow scoopped, but when boost add some kind of "fatness" instead of proximity or definition, the high knob is only works for me as "cut" all the way down, and still has little bit more treble than I need (for example when soloing the rear PU...), but luckey the bass has very nice "hi-fi" highs, and never harsh....
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Yeah I'm thinking the mid freq is set "wrong" or not mixing well with the other 2. I can't put my finger on it but I'll get there
 
#1,082
delamitri79 said:
I find that if I cut the bass a fraction, cut the mid a fraction and boost the treble a little and leave the pickup selector in the middle then I'm getting close to where I want to be but then it sounds a little thin but yet still muddy.
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You mean that muddiness, like lacks definition or lacks punchlines?
I can describe the tone of my TRB 6II, more something like modern, hi-fi like, present...I feel always cut trough in a decent room...But this bass haven’t got the massive attack like a good jazz bass or P bass (for example my 74’ jazz....), the attack more reminds me a Musicman a little bit...But I like that too...
 
#1,083
Barcza said:
You mean that muddiness, like lacks definition or lacks punchlines?
I can describe the tone of my TRB 6II, more something like modern, hi-fi like, present...I feel always cut trough in a decent room...But this bass haven’t got the massive attack like a good jazz bass or P bass (for example my 74’ jazz....), the attack more reminds me a Musicman a little bit...But I like that too...
Click to expand...


Yeah it's the lack of definition that's bothering me. It's there a little but not a clear as it should be. I know every bass is different but I've played a lot of basses from cheap to expensive and I know what I should be getting. It's currently in the process of a full electrical check and hopefully it'll get sorted
 
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#1,084
delamitri79 said:
Yeah it's the lack of definition that's bothering me. It's there a little but not a clear as it should be. I know every bass is different but I've played a lot of basses from cheap to expensive and I know what I should be getting. It's currently in the process of a full electrical check and hopefully it'll get sorted
Click to expand...
Strange for me, maybe there is some problem with the pickups or the electronics...Normally TRBs are one of last Basses reminds me muddiness and undefined tone...I think Wort to try with other PUs or electronics...
 
#1,085
Barcza said:
Do you know the frequencies of the TRB II EQ? As I hear the bass probably somwhere beetween 40hz and 60hz, very usable to cut for boomy stages without soosing the body... The mid knob is interesting, is not a high mid like 800hz or 1k, but I thing not as low as something like 200hz, works strange for me, but not bad, when cutting the sound start to be somehow scoopped, but when boost add some kind of "fatness" instead of proximity or definition, the high knob is only works for me as "cut" all the way down, and still has little bit more treble than I need (for example when soloing the rear PU...), but luckey the bass has very nice "hi-fi" highs, and never harsh....
Click to expand...

Sorry... for some reason I didn't see this. Without putting the preamp on a scope I can't really guess what the frequencies are, their centres or how wide/narrow the Q is. I do know that the three controls are not independent. Bass and treble will work differently depending on what you do with the mid-control.

Based on the description of things, what's the pickup height like on the bass that sounds muddy?
It could be that the pickups are too far from the strings - they need to be relatively close. A good amount seems to be about 2mm when held down at the 24th fret.
 
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#1,086
9C7DBA92-CB90-42DA-BCC2-134B9356EC7E.jpeg
Hoping to join the TRB club. This 1998 TRB 6II has been on a bit of a local journey. It was bought by a band leader for his Bass player about 20 years ago in Australia and it came here to New Zealand where it was I sold to another local Bass player only a couple of weeks later. That new owner later joined the same band the first guy was in. A couple of years later it was on-sold to another local player who had it for a number of years recording and touring with it. He then sold it to me 7 years ago when he moved overseas. I used it on gigs and sessions, and I eventually subbed and ultimately joined full-time the band that the original guy was in 5 years ago. After a while, I found I was using my Sadowsky 5 most of the time on that gig, and the Yamaha wasn’t get much use. Money got a bit tight 18 months ago and I sold it to a boutique guitar store on an island in the Hauraki gulf. I missed the Yamaha. The Bass was still in the store unsold as of a few days ago. I did a deal and got it back! Man I should never have sold this. Maybe one of my favourite Basses that I’ve owned. So it’s home. And will be in use, sometimes, in the same band, with the original band leader who purchased it.
 

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#1,087
frankie5string said:
Based on the description of things, what's the pickup height like on the bass that sounds muddy?
It could be that the pickups are too far from the strings - they need to be relatively close. A good amount seems to be about 2mm when held down at the 24th fret.
Click to expand...

This. As we were talking about just before this issue was posted, the pickups on Yammie TRB II series basses are fairly low-output, which gives them more clarity (not as much inductive loss of high end) but also reduces their gain (the preamp board has a FET boost for each individual coil on the bass). Lower-output pickups, especially with covered polepieces, should be set pretty much as close as you can get them without the pickup physically obstructing the strings. Magnet pull is not a practical issue with these pickups, by the time you would see or hear any effect on the string from being too close to the magnets, the string will be rattling on the pickup cover.
 
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#1,089
Liko said:
This. As we were talking about just before this issue was posted, the pickups on Yammie TRB II series basses are fairly low-output, which gives them more clarity (not as much inductive loss of high end) but also reduces their gain (the preamp board has a FET boost for each individual coil on the bass). Lower-output pickups, especially with covered polepieces, should be set pretty much as close as you can get them without the pickup physically obstructing the strings. Magnet pull is not a practical issue with these pickups, by the time you would see or hear any effect on the string from being too close to the magnets, the string will be rattling on the pickup cover.
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Fascinating, and helpful to know! Two questions:
1: Do you know if this is true for all TRBs? I'm wondering if the same is true for my TRB-6P.
2: How would you describe the tone difference between having the pickups closer and having them further away?
 
#1,090
Quintessence said:
Fascinating, and helpful to know! Two questions:
1: Do you know if this is true for all TRBs? I'm wondering if the same is true for my TRB-6P.
2: How would you describe the tone difference between having the pickups closer and having them further away?
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The first-gens used a different pickup, I can't particularly speak to that. I know that the first-gen's phantom coil system was extremely weird and required the stock preamp circuit to work correctly (second-gen and onward used a typical RWRP phantom coil). That doesn't necessarily mean the output or voicing was significantly changed, but then again that's a fairly big change to the construction of the pickup so who knows.

As you bring the pickups closer, overall output increases, and the increase in induced signal starts compressing lows and mids a bit and accentuating highs. I may have oversimplified on "you can't get too close", as you probably can, suffice to say you have to spend some time tuning the pickup height to experiment with the tonal possibilities given your personal tastes and your playing style, and the "sweet spot" of these pickups will likely be much closer to the strings than you may be used to from a typical P or Jazz.
 
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#1,095
Upstate SC Bass said:
Did Yamaha make the TRB as a fretless? Specifically the TRB-6P
Love my TRB-6P bass sooo much. Like to have a fretless version too.
either 34 or 35 inch scale.
Mine is a old 34 inch scale
thanks
Click to expand...

I’ve seen a couple lined fretless TRBs over the years, but I don’t recall if they were stock. Someone actually posted one a few pages back, in the blue finish I think.
 
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#1,098
bmoriarty said:
Hey guys, question here. Is it OK to pull all my strings off on my JP 2 to oil the fingerboard and clean it When changing strings?

What do you think?
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No worries - that neck is not going anywhere. Give it some love, oil and clean, you can let the fretboard breathe for a bit. As then said above, just restring, re-pitch, stretch and re-pitch again - ready to play. I'd let it absorb the oil first though :P
 
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