YAMAHA TRB CLUB

[aguacollas]

I began with low action and I´ve been raising the strings in all my basses year after year.

First, I grew tired of the clank clank of the strings beating the frets everytime I hit harder,
second, you really benefit of a lot more sounds available depending of how you attack your strings.

Every bass responds in a different way when you play harder and is a nice trick to have in hand, sometimes in the middle of a song depending on how the rest of the band is playing. More dynamic options.

If you can keep a light touch and low action a la Gary Willis that´s great, but I´ve found many times that as your fingers
get stronger and your technique gets better, you have way more pros than cons raising the action of your strings.

In my experience, it felt like a natural evolution in my playing and understanding of the instrument.

I play 4,5,6 strings, fretless and fretted, so maybe having to adjust to every new bass I play has something to do with it, who knows...

 

[DELACIUS]

Finally I bought my TRB6P, with finish that I always wanted, gorgeous bass.

 

[jmlee]

I began with low action and I´ve been raising the strings in all my basses year after year.

First, I grew tired of the clank clank of the strings beating the frets everytime I hit harder,
second, you really benefit of a lot more sounds available depending of how you attack your strings.

Every bass responds in a different way when you play harder and is a nice trick to have in hand, sometimes in the middle of a song depending on how the rest of the band is playing. More dynamic options.

If you can keep a light touch and low action a la Gary Willis that´s great, but I´ve found many times that as your fingers
get stronger and your technique gets better, you have way more pros than cons raising the action of your strings.

In my experience, it felt like a natural evolution in my playing and understanding of the instrument.

I play 4,5,6 strings, fretless and fretted, so maybe having to adjust to every new bass I play has something to do with it, who knows...

Well put! I was thinking the exact same thing yesterday, wondering why I keep my uprights’ actions deliberately a bit high to facilitate good acoustic tone, but I constantly fiddle with my electrics to keep the action low and that clanking where I can tolerate it. The fact is that once I’m playing I’m pretty much insensitive (within limits) to the action of the instrument; but the borderline clanking with set-up at home can be really annoying when I dig in on stage. I think that I’m also going to be raising my default string height. Thanks for a bit of incentive.

 

[Hiroi Kikuri]

Finally I bought my TRB6P, with finish that I always wanted, gorgeous bass.
View attachment 5226989 View attachment 5226990

nice air port runway

 

[ScotJam Bassie]

TRB JP II Strings - DR Fat-Beams are winning so far.

So far I had tried:
- D'Addario ELX 170-6 Nickel Wound (32-45-65-80-100-130) - Not bad, but the C string was a bit heavy for me and lacking some punch.
- Curt Mangan Nickel Wound (30-45-65-85-105-125) - Nice, smooth feel and a bit punchier for me than the D'Addarios. The 30 C string felt better, but a big drop in volume on that C, and they don't seem to last as long as the D'Addarios - or maybe I just played them more, IDK.

Just put on a set of DR Fat-Beams (Stainless Steel 30-45-65-85-105-125) This is the best so far, I have the low mid punch that I thought was missing from this bass, and the C string volume is pretty even with the G string. It also feels like a little less tension or less stiff with the stainless steel Fat-Beams. I may try some DR Hi-Beams, but I don't think the low mids will be as punchy with those.

Anyone else have winning strings for their JP II?

 

[ad9000]

Finally I bought my TRB6P, with finish that I always wanted, gorgeous bass.
View attachment 5226989 View attachment 5226990

I don't think I have ever seen that finish before - it looks great!

 

[gscroggin]

TRB JP II Strings - DR Fat-Beams are winning so far.

So far I had tried:
- D'Addario ELX 170-6 Nickel Wound (32-45-65-80-100-130) - Not bad, but the C string was a bit heavy for me and lacking some punch.
- Curt Mangan Nickel Wound (30-45-65-85-105-125) - Nice, smooth feel and a bit punchier for me than the D'Addarios. The 30 C string felt better, but a big drop in volume on that C, and they don't seem to last as long as the D'Addarios - or maybe I just played them more, IDK.

Just put on a set of DR Fat-Beams (Stainless Steel 30-45-65-85-105-125) This is the best so far, I have the low mid punch that I thought was missing from this bass, and the C string volume is pretty even with the G string. It also feels like a little less tension or less stiff with the stainless steel Fat-Beams. I may try some DR Hi-Beams, but I don't think the low mids will be as punchy with those.

Anyone else have winning strings for their JP II?

While I don’t run Fat Beams on my TRB, I do on many of my other fretted basses. Been using them since Marcus was on the cover. Awesome strings. I’ve tried a couple different things on my TRB over the years, but whatever reason I prefer the sound of the EXLs you mentioned above.

 

[DELACIUS]

I don't think I have ever seen that finish before - it looks great!

Yes they are rare, it's called Tequila Sunrise, not many were made in this finish.

 

[idoker]

I began with low action and I´ve been raising the strings in all my basses year after year.

First, I grew tired of the clank clank of the strings beating the frets everytime I hit harder,
second, you really benefit of a lot more sounds available depending of how you attack your strings.

Every bass responds in a different way when you play harder and is a nice trick to have in hand, sometimes in the middle of a song depending on how the rest of the band is playing. More dynamic options.

If you can keep a light touch and low action a la Gary Willis that´s great, but I´ve found many times that as your fingers
get stronger and your technique gets better, you have way more pros than cons raising the action of your strings.

In my experience, it felt like a natural evolution in my playing and understanding of the instrument.

I play 4,5,6 strings, fretless and fretted, so maybe having to adjust to every new bass I play has something to do with it, who knows...

I definitely tend to agree with this. I have an MTD-535 with a near perfectly straight neck and extremely low (electric guitar like) action. It is very easy to play; however, I feel that my TRB5P allows for greater expression, due to the medium to medium-low action.

IMO, certain dynamics can be achieved by "digging in" more at times...which higher action tends to allow without the consequences of fret-buzz, clanking, etc. But, different setups do have their place in certain music genres, techniques, etc. So, it's all very personal to your preferences.

 

[mothra2]

Why is this bass soooo friggin good???
Big, punchy, grindy, focused, articulate and snappy (with rosewood and alder no less) ... I could go on.

Korean built TRB(2 I assume ...)
The build/fit/finish is nothing short of phenomenal (the neck pocket tolerances are sick), its 19mm spacing and 35 inch scale.
Dual coil Dummy type PU's???

I thought the build quality (as well as the string spacing) was supposed to have gone down after the original TRB and the outsourcing from Japan??? I had an original 5-string 34” scale slap cut ash/maple with Brazilian RW board for a short time … great bass, but didn’t have these tolerances. The pickup cavities were noticeably over-cut. Sonically it was the punchiest bass Ive ever played, but perhaps to a fault... just not as 'complete' and full range as this one.

 

[Hiroi Kikuri]

who would i have to find to make slap cuts into my TRB4II

 

[jymyben]

 

[Altitude]

Well put! I was thinking the exact same thing yesterday, wondering why I keep my uprights’ actions deliberately a bit high to facilitate good acoustic tone, but I constantly fiddle with my electrics to keep the action low and that clanking where I can tolerate it. The fact is that once I’m playing I’m pretty much insensitive (within limits) to the action of the instrument; but the borderline clanking with set-up at home can be really annoying when I dig in on stage. I think that I’m also going to be raising my default string height. Thanks for a bit of incentive.

The “clanking” thing you guys are running from is solvable with technique. Nobody has to accept that as a side effect of low action if they don’t want to.

High action and low action are both preferences; neither is “correct.”

 

[Flaked Beans]

Oh, the JP bass. the first signature patitucci bass Salute!

 

[Nashrakh]

Korean built TRB(2 I assume ...)
The build/fit/finish is nothing short of phenomenal (the neck pocket tolerances are sick), its 19mm spacing and 35 inch scale.
Dual coil Dummy type PU's???

I have the same bass as a 6 string model. The pickups are single coils with a dummy coil to basically act as a humbucker. It's the loudest and punchiest bass I ever played.

I find these TRBs are as heavy as boat anchors though, and have an actual baseball bat neck. My TRB weighs a friggin' metric ton. My Ibanez SR 6 stringer feels like a toy in comparison.

That aside, asking a generel question here...

What's you guyse's choice in strings on your TRBs? Mine is currently sporting DR Hi Beams with a D'addario single nickel tapered B string (the combination works quite well). For some time, this bass sported TIJFs, but I felt like, even though I love the tone and feel of the strings, I was doing my TRB a great injustice by withholding it from strings with a higher frequency content.

 

[mothra2]

I have the same bass as a 6 string model. The pickups are single coils with a dummy coil to basically act as a humbucker. It's the loudest and punchiest bass I ever played.

I find these TRBs are as heavy as boat anchors though, and have an actual baseball bat neck. My TRB weighs a friggin' metric ton. My Ibanez SR 6 stringer feels like a toy in comparison.

That aside, asking a generel question here...

What's you guyse's choice in strings on your TRBs? Mine is currently sporting DR Hi Beams with a D'addario single nickel tapered B string (the combination works quite well). For some time, this bass sported TIJFs, but I felt like, even though I love the tone and feel of the strings, I was doing my TRB a great injustice by withholding it from strings with a higher frequency content.

My fiver is about 10lbs tops and the neck is near perfect for me, nothing like a baseball neck.
I use DR FatBeams.

 

[mothra2]

Anyone know how I can find out my EXACT model designation?
I think it is TRB-5 II ... BUT ... that models service manual states a light ash body and I think mine appears to be alder? Does a 5II actually say that on the head stock?



Perhaps I am incorrect about the Alder in which case does anyone know a trick to confirm alder vs ash?

 

[Nashrakh]

Anyone know how I can find out my EXACT model designation?
I think it is TRB-5 II ... BUT ... that models service manual states a light ash body and I think mine appears to be alder?

View attachment 5253988

Perhaps I am incorrect about the Alder in which case does anyone know a trick to confirm alder vs ash?

View attachment 5253995

I think yours is a TRB1005J (or maybe a series before the "J" designation?), which are made of alder.

I couldn't find them on the US Yamaha site, but they are described here on the UK page:
TRB - Overview - Yamaha - UK and Ireland

(I have a TRB1006J and to me, the pickup, inlays, and knob layout are a dead giveaway to the current production models)

 

[mothra2]

I think yours is a TRB1005J (or maybe a series before the "J" designation?), which are made of alder.

I couldn't find them on the US Yamaha site, but they are described here on the UK page:
TRB - Overview - Yamaha - UK and Ireland

(I have a TRB1006J and to me, the pickup, inlays, and knob layout are a dead giveaway to the current production models)

Mine does not have the below spec from that page: (mine's 3-pc maple)

• Maple / Mahogany 5-Ply Neck

 

[frankie5string]

Anyone know how I can find out my EXACT model designation?
I think it is TRB-5 II ... BUT ... that models service manual states a light ash body and I think mine appears to be alder? Does a 5II actually say that on the head stock?

View attachment 5253988

Perhaps I am incorrect about the Alder in which case does anyone know a trick to confirm alder vs ash?

View attachment 5253995

Based on the lack of stripes up to the headstock, it's a TRB1005 - the lower-tier TRB model which still has excellent build and electronics. The 1005J would have had "nato" wood stripes and been a 5-piece neck. I have one. It's not a TRB-5II - the body and bridge are slightly different. The back body wood should be Alder.