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Your thoughts on the Yamaha BB605?

C

CBRStingray

May 16, 2000
2,473
53
Canberra, Australia
#1
Hi guys. I'm looking for information about the Yamaha BB605. I've done a search here and on google and it hasn't come up with much at all, apart from the basic specs.

I'd like user opinions and reviews if possible. I'd like to know what the string spacing is. I'd also like to know if the pickups are noisy. By that I mean do they have that jazz pickup hum? I believe they are single coils but I'm not sure.

I'd appreciate any help you can give me! Thanks! :)
 
#2
I played one for a while, and IMO they are absolutely wonderful basses for the money. I sold mine right here on TB, you might have found the thread in a search. The pickups are single coil, and when you crank on the blend knob to favor one pickup or the other there is a bit of hum, nothing that ever really bothered me though. I only let go of it because I picked up a BB415 and loved the passive P/J configuration. String spacing feels the same from the 605 to the 415, I believe it is 19mm.
 
#3
Thanks for the info. A few more questions if you don't mind :) How would you describe the sound? I assume because of the pickup config that it would have a jazz bass sound... I don't have the opportunity to play one before possibly purchasing it so any description you could give me would be great!
 
#5
Barisaxman said:
I played one for a while, and IMO they are absolutely wonderful basses for the money. I sold mine right here on TB, you might have found the thread in a search. The pickups are single coil, and when you crank on the blend knob to favor one pickup or the other there is a bit of hum, nothing that ever really bothered me though. I only let go of it because I picked up a BB415 and loved the passive P/J configuration. String spacing feels the same from the 605 to the 415, I believe it is 19mm.
Click to expand...

They are wonderful basses. I have had a bunch of basses - Modulus, Lakland, Stingray, Warwick, etc. - and this is the bass I have kept. It is small & light, feels great and sounds great. I did put Bartolini electronics in mine as I didn't like the single coil hum and thought if I was changing pups, why not everything.

I wouldn't mind another one and keep an eye on the for sale and eBay. I can't believe it's 19 mm spacing. Feels smaller.
 
#7
I have one now, and it is a very well made bass. In terms of quality, it compares well to Tribute L-2500 or Sterling Ray35.
Although it has the two J-style pickups, it sounds more like a modern, soapbar style active bass than an active Jazz. The neck is a fairly thick C profile.
 
#9
I played one for a while too. I have to second that they are excellent basses for the money. They are well built, light and comfortable. In my opinion one of the best features of this bass is the preamp: I had mine strung E-C and it could get wicked tone for chording. Since it had mid sweep in the preamp, it could get nice and growly sound live once you boosted the low mids on it. I sold mine on TB a while ago, but I keep thinking that I need to pick one of these once again. Even though I have owned and still own relatively expensive gear I have to admit I sometimes miss this bass.
 
#11
vcat said:
They are well built, light and comfortable. Even though I have owned and still own relatively expensive gear I have to admit I sometimes miss this bass.
Click to expand...

And this is why even though I love my Sadowsky and play it exclusively these days, I can't bring myself to sell mine. I modded it with Bartolini hum canceling pups and preamp. Great modern sound. Can get very "burpy" if you want.
 
#12
I just had Sadowsky humcanceling pickups installed in my BB605. It is a huge improvement. The bottom end is much stronger, and I can get fairly to a jazz tone with the mids and treble turned down. The new pickups made a nice bass a great bass. I plan on installing a Sadowsky preamp with VTC, and I think it will be perfect then.:bassist:
 
#14
It may take a while, but I am going to get some sound clips posted. As I tinker more with this bass, I am really falling in love with this mod. I still want the Sadowsky preamp with VTC, but there is really nothing wrong with the way my bass sounds right now. The tone is much more full, especially on the fundamental.

I am so glad I did not trade or sell this bass. For $100 plus $50 installation, I now have a bass that sounds like an $1,100 or $1,500 bass.
 
#17
I cannot believe how good this bass sounds with the Sadowsky humcanceling J5 pups installed. In the past week, I did a big rehearsal Saturday and played two services on Sunday, and the bass sounded great. A visiting bassist, who sounds great on his SR5, offered to buy it from me!:smug:

I also took it to GC today, and I was struck how well it held its own compared to a Modulus Quantum five and a few nice SR5s. In fact the only bass that hung with it was a nice USA Peavey Millennium. I have under $500 in this bass, and it sounds like I payed $2K!:bassist:
 
#20
Emanuel Apascaritei said:
Hi, I´m planning to change pups in mine. Can you tell me if it gets more consistent string to string with better pups? It happends that I record with it side by side to my Adamovic.....o_O, and it sounded like a toy.

I think TB is reknown for resuracting old threads :D

Thanks,
Click to expand...

The tone will certainly be more even string to string. BB605s are very well made, but Yamaha certainly skimped on the electronics to meet their price point.
 
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