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Yamaha BB players
- Thread starter TUGACANbass
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This guy seemed to like his Yahama pretty well...
there BB a club in this forum too, pop in
Groundbreaking in their day.
The BB2000 (essentially the BB1200 with a slight rewire and the blade pickup) was the first production P/J bass I can think of, and were big medicine in their day, to the point that many were 'bootlegged' into the US (i.e., not officially imported by American Yamaha; the imports were labeled 'Broad Bass' as yours, the made-for-America ones weren't called that on this side of the Pacific) just as the runaway hit DX7's would be a decade later. Built like a tank, but the necks were quite chunky. The tone, however more than made up for it.
Also the Japanese versions had that brown over amber sunburst, and the American 1200's and 2000's had my favorite Robitussin Red over amber that you see on many Yamahas of this vintage.
At one time, I'd collected all three BB5000's (the OG, like yours, the BB5000A, essentially the same axe with active electronics and pickups and four knobs, and the final BB5000A2, a bigger body with TRB PJ electronics, made in Yamaha's then new (and since closed) Taiwanese plant; the A and A2 were from Yamaha Music Kraft in Japan).
The OG 5000 is NOT for the 'got to have _____mm spacing' crowd. They essentially took a BB3000 (the neck is much slimmer than a 2000) and subdivided it for five strings instead of four, engineered the 3+2 P pickup and ring, and added a bent metal five bridge and the extra tuning key on a slightly larger peghead. Down at the nut particularly, it's TIGHT, maybe even more so than a Jazz or Ric.
I've always found it remarkable that Yamaha built that 3+2 pickup, and no one else built one for some 30-odd years. Yamaha has perfected the P/J tone in fours and fives, you never hear a complaint about P/J's in Yamahas.
This was one of the very first non-boutique, production five-strings, and in their day, the most sought after.
And hardest to get. American Yamaha was hapless in importing most anything in real numbers. I worked for a dealer and was backordered on a 2000 for two years. When the 5000's came along, I didn't even try, and rounded mine up 10 years ago: They were easier to find used and 20 years old than waiting on a new one from Yamaha in those days.
Good for you, they're both exceptionally clean and no one's cut them up to try and wedge other pickups into them, which just wrecks them.
Gorgeous set.
JW
The BB2000 (essentially the BB1200 with a slight rewire and the blade pickup) was the first production P/J bass I can think of, and were big medicine in their day, to the point that many were 'bootlegged' into the US (i.e., not officially imported by American Yamaha; the imports were labeled 'Broad Bass' as yours, the made-for-America ones weren't called that on this side of the Pacific) just as the runaway hit DX7's would be a decade later. Built like a tank, but the necks were quite chunky. The tone, however more than made up for it.
Also the Japanese versions had that brown over amber sunburst, and the American 1200's and 2000's had my favorite Robitussin Red over amber that you see on many Yamahas of this vintage.
At one time, I'd collected all three BB5000's (the OG, like yours, the BB5000A, essentially the same axe with active electronics and pickups and four knobs, and the final BB5000A2, a bigger body with TRB PJ electronics, made in Yamaha's then new (and since closed) Taiwanese plant; the A and A2 were from Yamaha Music Kraft in Japan).
The OG 5000 is NOT for the 'got to have _____mm spacing' crowd. They essentially took a BB3000 (the neck is much slimmer than a 2000) and subdivided it for five strings instead of four, engineered the 3+2 P pickup and ring, and added a bent metal five bridge and the extra tuning key on a slightly larger peghead. Down at the nut particularly, it's TIGHT, maybe even more so than a Jazz or Ric.
I've always found it remarkable that Yamaha built that 3+2 pickup, and no one else built one for some 30-odd years. Yamaha has perfected the P/J tone in fours and fives, you never hear a complaint about P/J's in Yamahas.
This was one of the very first non-boutique, production five-strings, and in their day, the most sought after.
And hardest to get. American Yamaha was hapless in importing most anything in real numbers. I worked for a dealer and was backordered on a 2000 for two years. When the 5000's came along, I didn't even try, and rounded mine up 10 years ago: They were easier to find used and 20 years old than waiting on a new one from Yamaha in those days.
Good for you, they're both exceptionally clean and no one's cut them up to try and wedge other pickups into them, which just wrecks them.
Gorgeous set.
JW
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BTW, for yourself or anyone who has a Yamaha with those brass pickup rings:
They're not clear coated, which is why they turn. They easily dismount from the body without disturbing the pickups at all, and a little steel wool and a bit of Vaseline or VO5 once they're shiny will keep them that way for quite a while. The bridge and keys are plated, so this doesn't work for them.
They're not clear coated, which is why they turn. They easily dismount from the body without disturbing the pickups at all, and a little steel wool and a bit of Vaseline or VO5 once they're shiny will keep them that way for quite a while. The bridge and keys are plated, so this doesn't work for them.
Thank you so much for the info. I am banking on trading the BB2000 for a BB3000 MIJ. It's a 06 or 09 83' reissue. The neck says Made in Japan but no serial number to be found. I find it weird on that. It has a Gotoh high mass bridge( which looks like it came from factory like that. It is exceptionally clean and I like the sound and neck feel better that this 1979 BB. Any thoughts?
You,'re welcome.
I am a hopeless fanboy for that era BB (like a grandfather that can NOT say no to his grandchildren).
Owing to the ultra clean nature of the two you have, if you don't need to sell the 2000 to buy the 3000, don't. It's getting very hard to find originals like yours in that condition.
The reissues are fine, and 3000 's are much easier playing instruments than 2000's:. Far slimmer neck, traditional P pickup orientation, thinner body. Stunning in that met black and gold (or the rare met red).
The 2000's were a sensation in their day among a lot of West Coast pros. Yamaha had courted several big players for endorsements. The 3000 was the result of a collaboration with one of those guys (not Leland Sklar): The instrument came to production, and the endorsement
. . . didn't.
I am a hopeless fanboy for that era BB (like a grandfather that can NOT say no to his grandchildren).
Owing to the ultra clean nature of the two you have, if you don't need to sell the 2000 to buy the 3000, don't. It's getting very hard to find originals like yours in that condition.
The reissues are fine, and 3000 's are much easier playing instruments than 2000's:. Far slimmer neck, traditional P pickup orientation, thinner body. Stunning in that met black and gold (or the rare met red).
The 2000's were a sensation in their day among a lot of West Coast pros. Yamaha had courted several big players for endorsements. The 3000 was the result of a collaboration with one of those guys (not Leland Sklar): The instrument came to production, and the endorsement
. . . didn't.
MIJ Yamaha is pretty much as good as it gets IMO. 
Occasionally, axes they make for artists are NSN, or it may be somewhere in the cavity. Otherwise you could contact Yamaha for some guidance. Yes, I'd expect a production SN, but there can be reasons you don't see one.
Yamaha Guitar Group, Inc.
Yamaha has made a giant organizational change in that all of their guitar operations worldwide will now be run out of the US at that Calabasas location. This a huge shift to move this out of Japan, and probably is a big part of the reason that now, most Yamaha guitar and bass products are in stock or are on as good a re-stock cycle as can be expected in the current world trade situation. This is a huge shift from their previous method, which was to debut some new wonder axe at NAMM, then it was back-ordered forever, and a year or two later, they'd get some and have to blow them out as any momentum was long since lost.
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I had a natural BB1200 back in the 80s, and then got a 'burst one sometime around 2005-6. I used that one at the biggest session I ever did, with some serious LA heavy hitters, famous Hollywood studio, etc etc. It beat out my Fender pbass. I remember everyone was really impressed with the sound of that bass.
I played a bottom of the line BB300 for a couple of years. It was a great bass. I recently approached the guy i sold it to about buying it back. We'll see what happens.
I suppose it depends on what sort of bass sounds you like, but as someone who owns a BB2000 and a BB3000, there's no way I'd trade the former for the latter, especially if you've already got the latter, albeit with an added B string ( essentially what the BB5000 is).
The 3000 is slightly smaller, more svelte/refined, a bit more comfortable to play.
The neck on the 3000 is like a jazz bass, the 2000 is just like a precision.
The tone on the 3000 is very good, but it's not as good as the 2000 IMO. The front pickup on the 3000 gives you a great P sound and the bridge pickup is very punchy, but the pickup blend is slightly too nasal on the D and G for my taste. Don't get me wrong, it's still a very useable sound, but when the strings are popped it sounds like a jazz bass with a slight head cold. The 2000 sounds much better with pickups blended and better all round.
Yamaha caught lightning in a bottle with the BB2000.
Good luck with whatever you decide.
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Yamaha has always made good intruments Pianos , guitars , basses etc. which is suprizing seeing that they are a motorcycle company ??? anyhow they know how to work with wood as well , I have a BB5ga ? and for a $500 bass it kills ! BTW I bought it in Tokyo.
Excellent instruments, and amazing on recordings. Actually affordable only a couple years ago on the used market, but they’re up in the stratosphere now. I’m very glad I bought when I did.
These Yamahas were even a favorite of Quincy Jones who used to request that bass players he hired bring them to sessions.
These Yamahas were even a favorite of Quincy Jones who used to request that bass players he hired bring them to sessions.
I was born and raised in Japan, where Yamaha is known as a music company first and foremost. It's actually surprising we have motorcycles with the same name.
