Yamaha BB 300 sound

Hippopaulimus

Supporting Member
Sep 18, 2016
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Connecticut
Anyone who is familiar with the Yamaha BB 300, what other basses have a similar sound?
I know they were Yamaha's version of a P bass, so if a Fender is the only thing that sounds the same, which model does the 300 sound like?
 
Well, basically any bass with the same type of pickup config will sound similar to that. There will always be variations depending on body/neck/fingerboard wood, type of strings, brand of pickup etc. but the basic tone will be about the same.

I have a Yamaha BB-414 which to my ears sounds more like a P-bass than the Fender HW1 P a had before that.
 
My Yamaha BB 415 also nails a zingy Fender P sound. Over the last 30 years that is how I've come to think of the many BB basses out there, they sound like a good Fender for the most part. They do look funnier.

"Zingy"… That's a good description of it.
It has a cool, even, bright attack across all four strings. The E string rings out nicely with crisp overtones, but the G string is smooth, without the overcompensating loud, brittle and obnoxious high end.
So if the Fender P bass is the only thing that sounds like this, which model P comes the closest?
 
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My Yamaha BB 415 also nails a zingy Fender P sound. Over the last 30 years that is how I've come to think of the many BB basses out there, they sound like a good Fender for the most part. They do look funnier.

And yes I agree, I never liked the look of them. I even repainting mine several years ago to camouflage the big round clunkiness of it.
I'll try to attach a picture.