I ve played with a lot of other instruments before getting this one. I wanted to be sure I would be getting the best I could, withought spending a fortune. Very good playability, sturdy built and great sound make this my favourite bass ever!
Model Year: 2003
Price: $1550.00 euros (new)
Where Obtained: Athens, Greece
This 5 string Japanese beauty is one of the best basses I have ever played. I am really proud for owing it. It sounds great and plays like a dream. It has active pickups with a 3 way equalizer for low mid and high.
T neck might look a bit big at first, the string feel very soft to the touch. Highly reccomended!
The excellent active pickups let you shape the sound exactly as you wanted. Proven good in my house, studio and at gigs. Never failed me yet!
Its really sturdy and although I ve bumped it a few times it was ok after that. The EQ buttons fell of withough reason but with some super glue it was ok.
I am a fan of Yamaha basses so I'll limit my comments there. There is no better Yamaha bass in existence save, perhaps, Mr. Patitucci's. :-) I would replace this bass with the exact same model were it lost or stolen. My two favorite aspects are playability and low-end growl. The 3-band EQ, for all the hype, isn't really useful and creates a crowded control bed. The Roland V-Bass requires implementation of a midi pickup and it was very difficult to place on this guitar because of the crowded control configuration.
Model Year: 1998
Price: $600.00
Where Obtained: eBay
Made in Japan, Translusent Amber, Gold Hardware, Rosewood Fretboard, 24 frets, Maple neck, Solid Brass Bridge, 5-control system:master volume, pan, bass cut/boost,mid-range cut/boost, treble cut/boost, pickups 2 active single coils with dummy coils, Ash Body
I was able to lower the action to my preferred height (so low that it plays like a "slip-n-slide") without any buzz penalty. Did not have to adjust neck. The neck seems slightly narrow for a five-string which is perfect for me. In my opinion easily the most playable bass I've ever come across.
The sound of this bass is tremendous. It is extremely clean throughout the range - nearly antiseptic in fact, but produces a growl in the lower register that is exactly what I'm looking for. The EQ is also quite clean and precise. By changing the EQ you don't get sound quality changes, only EQ changes. I seem to get the most growl and punch by running the volume full, pan centered and flat EQ. I run with a Roland V-Bass to achieve other sounds, but when playing Jazz or funk I seldom use anything but the Yamaha pickups. Occasionally I find that blending the Yamaha pickups with the V-Bass Fender Jazz sound creates a pleasing low-end thump. The only negative about the sound is that it is a VERY slight thinness in the upper registers for which the EQ can't *quite* compensate without removing sparkle, and it is almost too clean. However, its strengths far outweigh any weaknesses.
Extremely durable and solid. This bass is an instrument of warfare. The 9V battery pack for the active pickups is easy to get to access whether the bass is strapped on or not, which is fortunate. I often forget to unplug the cable, which drains the battery. Also, DO NOT put a battery in backwards by accident, it cooks the battery in a matter of minutes.
I have owned two other 5 strings a Fender Jazz, and a ESP LTD B-305. In my opinon niether come close to this bass. The Yamaha TRB5II is the bass for me. It's the BOMB!
Layne Bellamy
the_bassman_2001@hotmail.com
Model Year: 1998
Price: $599.99 (new)
Where Obtained: Guitar Center
Color: Translusent Amber, Ash body, Maple bolt-on neck, Rosewood fretboard, Humbucker pickups 2 active single coils with dummy coils, Gold hardware, Active electronics with three band EQ, 5-control system: master volume, pan, bass cut/boost, mid-range cut/boost, treble cut/boost, 24 Frets, Solid Brass bridge, Scale length 35"
This bass is a dream to play. I like my action fairly low, and it is no problem on this bass. It works well for slapping and with the low action I get no buzz. The string spacing is great, the same as a 4 string, this makes the neck a little wider but I got used to it pretty fast. This bass is head and shoulders above my old esp LTD B-305, again the string spacing is lovely, my old 5 string spacing was real close and that made it hard to slap, but with this bass I have no problems.
My amp is a Carvin R600 with a Hartke 4-10 cab, and a 18 Bullfrog cab. My effects are a Boss bass synth pedal, Big Muff Pi, Mu-tron III Envalope Filter, and a Sansamp driver.
I am a pockett player, hard core Groover. I play mostly Funk, and R&B. but I do play Blues, and some Jazz gigs too. This bass covers them all, Its crisp and clean for slapping, and when I need to get some meat and play finger style the tone is warm and full. It really cuts through the mix. There is no noticable noise, This bass fits as well in the studio as it does on stage. In a nut shell this is the best bass I've ever owned, and I have owned a few, and still do.
This bass is a rock. When I first brought it home from the store, the neck had a slight bow and the action was a bit high, but one trip to my Buddy Art's house, and he tweeked the neck and gave me a complete setup just the way I like my axes to feel, and I have had no problems.
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