Yamaha BB250

i bought this used in 1990. i still have it. it is a very simple, 4 string basic model and i love it. has p-bass pickups and a very small bridge. it's almost as small as a guitar bridge. one tone and one volume knob. mine has a goofy finish (it was a glossy black, but the person who owned it before me had a cartoon of mutants near a nuclear plant on the body. it looks really 80's hair metal, but i was able to get the price knocked down because of it). hte most unique thing about this bass is how light it is, but still has great tone. i have guitars heavier than this bass, but it sounds great. this is the reason that i have never gotten rid of this. i have recorded with other basses because the pickups/tone options are a bit limited, but this is the best bass i have ever used for live situations. i paid $200 for this, and i still think it is worth every penny. active pickups, or even a second pickup would be a nice addition, but they stopped making these a long time ago.

i have been playing hardcore and punk rock for 10 years. i play this through a peavey tnt130 combo, and i can get the exact sounds from gorilla biscuits START TODAY record. i throw a DOD overdrive plus pedal on it and i can ape andrew weiss of rollinsband or dan lilker of sod. this bass is perfect for those who are concerned with jumping a lot while playing. i did have to put strap locks on it right away, the buttons that came with it stock were way too small to be useful. this is definately a bass for the stage, not the studio. it is a one trick pony, but it is a trick that i like.

i bought it used, and it played great. i had to raise the pickups a little because i wasn't getting much signal, but that was probably the tech where i bought it. i beat the hell out of this thing for years, i bend the neck like a surf guitarist, i slam my fist into the strings. the only problem i have EVER had was the chrome knobs fly off from my abuse. this isn't yamaha's fault, it's mine. this is the best constructed bolt neck i have ever played.
all "playing" abuse aside, i take good care of this bass. the hardware is weak. the tuning pegs have oxydized, even though i keep them clean. the bridge is kinda cheap and rusted a little.
the light woods are a perfect blend for tone and comfort

i gave never needed a backup or adjustment other than initially setting this up. i beat the hell out of this thing 3 nights a week, and it has with held 10 years of this. often i play with bands that end up without a bass because they play cheaply made "big name" basses *cough*fender*cough* and this one was there as an emergency loaner. the last guy scratched the hell out of the paint (spiked wrist bands? in 1999? what a dummy!), so i won't loan it out again.
i had to fix the bottom strap button hole with toothpicks and wood glue, but with all the abuse, that is understandable. i have broken straps and the buttons held.

never contacted yamaha. never needed a repair.

i have been playing for 13 years. this is the only bass that i have kept, and i have owned a bunch of em. i play guitar mostly, and i have found that high dollar and high quality are not really the same thing. i have gotten rid of a gibson les paul in favor of a cheap vantage brand koa solidbody double cutaway. names are meaningless to me. this yamaha is more important to me than even a musicman stingray would be. this bass is like a part of me