Yamaha BB734A Review

Absolute must have bass

This bass is comfortable, plays extremely well, and has tons of tone shaping on hand. The neck is very reminiscent of a Fender Jazz and is super comfortable in the hand. The frets are just right with no sharp ends. I have been very surprised at how good the pickups are, especially the neck pickup. The 3 band EQ is quite powerful and gives you plenty of tone shaping capability. The… read more passive mode sounds really great as well even with one tone knob. Yamaha really nailed it with this bass giving you classic and contemporary options in one instrument.

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Some Little Details Review

This is the bass review I would write for my earlier self. I prefer to buy gear that inspires me to play music; so that is really what brought me to this purchase in the dark times of February 2020. Hey you! This is the correct first bass to buy. The finish on the wood is really pleasant to look at (after 2 years still love it). The frets are really well finished, never a sharp… read more edge. The BB734A is super solid with the six-bolt neck to body. Neck is very slim, satin finish makes it a pleasure to play. So that's the starting point: The instrument is fun and it is inspiring. The canonical bass guitar 'fender lineage' archetypes are P (Precision) and J (Jazz); and the pickups on BB734A are configured as a sort of hybrid of these two. Ok that's great; but really the big deal is the P bass; and this bass does P bass great. You will tend to set the bass down forgetting to turn off the active selector switch. So: You eventually give up on going through 9V batteries and just stay on the passive circuit. The active is great, don't get me wrong; this is to point out the passive setting is just fine for practice. Accessories: Get a clip-on snark tuner and a D'Addario auto lock strap (the expensive one). Don't get a case; the one that comes with the bass is amazingly good. Get some flatwounds. Don't think about upgrading components: This bass is across the board superb quality. Get a stand so you can leave the bass in 'ready to play at a moment's notice' configuration. Finally: Eat your broccoli and finish your homework so you can maximize your playing time; and play play play.

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A Bass for all Seasons

Waited awhile before reviewing this bass, to get past the 'new acquisition' enthusiasm. It played great day one, and went into immediate service at our studio. There is an occasional need to track bass bits that must match up with the original track; this includes a variety of basses from passive Fenders & Rickenbackers to active ESP. Having this on hand in house saves time and… read more hauling instruments about. It is a pleasure to play, and delivers a surprising selection of excellent tones. Seems rock solid... time will tell; but has already proved itself to be a great asset. Recommend to any working musician who needs to deliver the goods.

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Shouldn't have waited to buy...

Finally bought this bass after about a year of considering my options. Was considering a G&L and went with yamaha and don't regret it. Im sure a G&L tribute would have been great, but Yamaha's are so underrated and after playing a trbx504 this model seemed like a great choice. The build quality and feel are solid and comfortable. The pups are punchy and responsive. Yet to play… read more in active but as a passive fan I will try it when the need comes.... Surely it will sound as good as my trbx504. Fan of seeing natural wood on guitars but the stained or painted neck doesn't bother a bit due to how comfortable and fast it is. Blows any fender mim/player series out of the water. Love my 96 MIM Pbass, but Yamaha has surpassed the player in many ways. Look forward to playing this bass for years to come. Don't give a Yamaha a pass until you A/B with another "top" brand... The Yams where it's at!

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Simply A Great Bass

If you don't know about the secret, allow me to let you in on it....the Yamaha BB Series are killer basses. This bass in particular has all the same materials from body wood, pickups, and hardware as the Japanese BBP series. Quality is top notch and rivals some other brands domestic offerings.....for a quarter of the price! The tones from this bass are what set it apart from… read more the rest, the BBs have a very powerful, yet clear tone that works great in rock, umph with definition on top. The miter joint neck bolts really add something to the tone of this bass, making it sing and have a very unique voice. When you hear and play a BB for the first time, you will notice that is unlike any other bass. The BB734a is everything a gigging bassist, or even pro bassist needs. Currently the Smashing Pumpkins touring bassist uses this bass, along with Peter Hook. Past notable BB players include Tony Kanal (No Doubt), Nathan East, and Robbie from the Goo Goo Dolls. If you've only played/purchased the more common bass brands, do yourself a favor and try this bass, it will open you up to some great offerings from Japan!

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