Yamaha BB300

I've read a lot of the reviews here and it seems that most writers are novices so I'd thought I'd throw in my 2 cents. The BB 300 was a 4 string, P style knock-off made initially in Japan and then later in Taiwan. I had both versions as an honest-to-goodness working musician. Although inexpensive, I bought both of mine new for around $292.00, they were well made. The neck was true and the action was excellent. Although there was some play in the tuners, it also stayed in tune fairly well. I gigged with this bass 5 nights a week and it held up exceptionally well. Regrettably, I sold my BB's in the late 80's. For an inexpensive bass, you'd be hard-pressed to do better. In fact, it really held its own against many high-priced competitors including the model it mimicked. Today's "entry level" instruments can't hold a candle to the BB 300's quality. One last note (pardon the pun), although these were great old axes, they are not and nor will ever be a "collector's item" as some might suggest. It was, after all, an entry level instrument and it's appeal can only be appreciated by one who owned and played it "back in the day" (as I did).

Others have stated that the electronics were less than desireable, but they were in truth, very close to Fender's "P" sound. I could set the treble up and sound like Chris Squire's Rickenbacher or I could set the tone knob in the 12 O'clock position and get nice deep tones

Good neck - straight and true. Pickups were split like a P-bass.

I bought the first one (black) and liked it so much I bought a red one as a back up. Although the latter was made in Taiwan, it held its own and was interchangeable with its counterpart.

By 1981, I had been playing for 8 years. When I bought these basses, I had been working steadily in local clubs and by '87, these axes received their peak workouts. I play guitar now(I've been in the same band since '91) and own 2 Gibson LP's (a Studio & a Standard), a Gibson SG Supreme, a Fender American Strat, and a Fender Mustang ('69 Jap RI). I play through Fender amps and have 3 of then (2 Twins and a Deluxe Reverb). I do have an old Squire bass that I bought as a replacement to the BB 300's I sold in 89 but it sits in the closet. I would definately buy another BB 300 if the price was right and it was well cared for (NOT bounced out of a truck or some other ridiculous form of abuse.

I have two of these marvelous work horses. One an 83 and the other an 88. The 83 was way abused when I got it and is now fretless. The 88 is in decent shape and has had a total facelift. Not a lot of features but great none the less

Both of mine have new electronics so the sound is not what you'd find in a stock one. The fretless has New pots and EMG Select pickups and a BadAss Bridge. The 88 has Dimarzio P-pups in the stock location and a Dimarzio Humbucker added at the neck as well as a complete set of Active Electronics from a Warwick Thumb. There is nothing this bass can't do. I have GHS tapewounds on the fretless and GHS Precision Flats on the other. I run both through an SWR 350x and an Avatar 410 cab. I love the sounds of both of these basses. Nice and warm and Dark!

Both of these were about 20 years old and I won't judge this portion.

Finish is solid as stone and I guarentee the fr4etless saw lots of live time before I got it. Tuners are crap yet both had the originals. Everything else is very solid.

Never had to deal with them but I like Yamaha so much I'm going to buy a new one.

I've been playing on and off for 20 years and I liked the first one so much I went after another. If it were stolen I'd likely buy another but a newer more updated model. Anyone that is looking for P-bass sound but not p-bass price should definitely seek one of these out. You won't be sorry.

Ma BB300 doit dater d'avant 1984. Son numero est 111758. Elle a ete fabriquee au Japon. C'est une 4 cordes noires. Un pick-up style P-Bass, un bouton de volume et un de tonalite. Son ancien proprietaire a ajoute un commutateur permettant de switcher les micros de serie en parallele.

J'utilise cette basse avec un ampli Yamaha 50 Watts.
Comme toutes les guitares "single coil" en general, la mienne a ce parasite caracteristique qui gache l'ensemble. Vive les Hambucking !

Cette basse est correctement finie. Du bon travail.

Vu son age, on peut dire que ces BB300 sont de tres bonne qualite. Le corp et le manche n'ont pas bouge et les mecaniques sont comme neuves.

LAMENTABLE. J'ai contacte le support Yamaha a plusieurs reprises et jamais ces messieurs n'ont daigne me repondre.

I just started playing last year ago but I am really good. The features are pretty good. Nice fretboard, really great bottom and large tuning keys. The pickups arent the best though

Great sound. Its my first bass, so it may just be because I havent been around that much yet. I have tried out other basses before, but none sounded better that i could afford, so for now Ill stick with this one. Nice deep rich sound.

Well, I got it for free, so you can imagine that is not in the best condition. There are a few chips and a lot of scratches, but otherwise, it is pretty good.

I have treated it pretty roughly, but it can stand anything I throw at it.(Except maybe a hammer, :) ) I have been very abusive to the strings, which crapped out on me today, so i bought some new ones.
Except for the pickups which jiggle a lot, it is extremly durable.

Didnt know about this.

If I had $1000, I would sell it at a garage sale and go out to buy a new bass..., but then again, I would feel sad, because it has been so good to me, so maybe i wouldnt sell it. I just bought a new Fender Rumble 100. It sounds awsome. I hope it lasts out for my middle school talent show, where my band will be playing because it will be LOUD. The bass can definently handle it though. If you can get one of these, well... get it. It will give you a life time of playing and of memories.

198 model.
21 frets.
Solid top, rear routed.
1 tone, 1 volume
1 passive p-style yamaha pickup
Rosewood/maple neck, alder body.
black laquer finish
BB body style
Leo Quan Badass II bridge
stock Yamaha tuning machines.

This bass sounds awesome in my opinion. It is better than a brand new MIM P bass. I bought it used, and the Badass II was already installed, as well as a mute switch.

I bought it used, so of course this 20+ yr old bass has a few minor finish flaws, but nothing major. The bass was fairly well setup.

This bass is my main bass, but I haven't gigged it yet, but I think that it will be very giggable. It feels very solid, but that solidity comes at the price of weight.

I haven't had to deal with Yamaha yet.

I love everything about this bass. I would definitely buy another if I could find one in the same condition. This bass has held up very well for as old as it is, but most Yamaha instruments are finely constructed. If you are able to find one of these for the same price as a new Fender P-bass standard, buy this one.

well...my yamaha was made in taiwan on april 9th, 1987. it has s/n NK09092.
N indicates the year of made, K for the month, 09 for the day it was made.
feature pretty basic, one precision split style pickups, with one volume,
and one tone control.Mine have red color body, don't know what kind of wood is it
(can anyone help me with this?),but the neck was made from maple, with fingerboard
from rock-like rosewood.I bought it from a crazy man who urgently need money, to
buy drugs.

Pretty solid low end, but seems flat because the pickup is a kind of trash. I change
the pickup later, with a great-cheap-china made pickup ($8 hehehe...) now it has more punch low end, with
great output.Kind of lack High frequency, but hey, this is precision.maybe I would plant a new
jazz pickup on bridge position. but overall, i love it sounds so much. it's growling. not like
what warwick has, but seems so nice. The hard fingerboard give a very bright feel and tone, wich
i like so much when i perform taping, with the body darken the tone.good sustain.some dead spots
noticed on fret 9 on the d string.record it in my bed room studio, and it make an awesome sound,
especially for funk n rock music.

This bass has pass hell's abusing system, and it's still alive. when i purchased it, there's a
several dings and chip everywhere.looks like the preview owner never realize that he is crazy.
no problem. i will re-paint it. the action is great after 10
minutes adjusment.very low actions,that easy to play.super slim neck. very precise fretboard.no rattle.the tuning
key start to loose,with bridge start to rust.but it's still useable.I will replace the bridge
with Leo Quan Badass II.

it has live for 17 years of pain n sorrow, but still tough.the neck so stable in my country
tropical climates, and the body is solid as a rock.so what can I say??

don't need them.i can repair it by myself

been playing for three years,and guitar for 10 years. but i'm seriously study about bass.
Always use my yamaha for a gig,and for recording. I have several bands, and I'm a session player too.
had several bass like prince HB-32, Ibanez GSR200, Fender Precision(USA)bought used,50th aniversary squier
jazz bass(korea).this is my best bass ever.of course i want some more "profesional" basses,
like stingray that i always dreamin about.but for $1100 in indonesia,better for me to use that money to pay my monthly
expenses(for $1100 you can live in Indonesia for one years without working!!) or to pay my
study.I'm a student in Sanata Dharma University, Yogyakarta.Undergraduate program in mechanical
engineering dept.
For me, a good tone just always can be built by a good player too. more expensive bass won't make
you to become a better player.just practise with the best bass that you have, or one that you can afford.
I promise you, someday you will realize that the bass that you use to practise, is the best bass
that you ever had.

If you need my help to identify your bb300 serial number, just mail me to
khloetoeks@yahoo.com
thanks. Hendra Hasanudin

About 1983 cause i bought it used in 1987...
the BB300 that I have is solid... clean finish..the paint is deep and rich.. I have had it 17 years and it is still clean, mean and sounds deep and rich... A tuning key has briken off and another is about to go... but they are easily replaceable... so in other words... it is a solid investment... go for this one.. it has a great sound.. that i get complimented on by bass player after bass player!

It has what it had for features (Probably great for the day)...it made up for them in sound and feel!

sounds rich, smooth.. and deep.. it is really the bass to have for a solid and melodious tone... I use it for rythm, motion and melody and it is great.

clean as a pin, great finish...deep rich red wine colour... the neck is a nice light wood finish and the fret board is a dark charcoalish colour. It just looks beautiful! I love my BB300!!

This bass has lasted for 17 years and is still my only bass... I use it every day and it is still road worthy and still looks great...!!!

it has had some bangs but suprisingly the paint and finish are still just great, deep and rich!

The volume and tuning knobs are loose and the fitting for the 1/4 inch cable comes unwound a little but these are easily fixable and only now after 17 years must I address them... that says a lot for the workmanship and construction of this instrument....

I have been playing off and on for 17 years as I have only had this bass and have taken it from Virginia to Los Angeles and then to France and back to L.A.. It is the only bass I have ever had, though I want to expand my collection to 5 and 6 strings and an upright...

but i won't ever get rid of this one and I will probably always use it on stage!!

Mine was made in May 12, 1987. I got that info from the Serial Number wizard from yamahaguitars.com. It's finished in Metallic Red, 4 strings (of course), volume and tone, P style pickup. 21 frets on rosewood fretboard with a maple neck. The body's wood is nato. This was built in their Taiwan factory.

Gloss finish used throughout. Tuners are of the classic Fender bass variety. I had to fix one in order to keep the tuning key from falling off.

Got this in 1987 with a gig bag, and a wrench for the truss rod. It was a gift from my grandfather, along with a Peavey MicroBass amp.

The only thing I've added is Dunlop strap locks.

Given the simple nature of this bass, I've actually managed to use it in a variety of settings. Everything from rock, to jazz, some funk, and even metal, all without modifying the electronics. Works great in recording, and live situations.

I play through a Peavey TNT 115 amp, and a Digitech BP200 for effects. Ocassionally I'll use a distortion or overdrive pedal.

It's essentialy a Precision Bass, what else do you want from this? Am I ever going to mod this? Probably not, as I recently acquired a RBX765A, and I also have a Fender P-Bass Special that I bought in 1994.

Tha action was too low, so I had a friend adjust it for me. Tha t meant the pickups had to be raised, of course. Doing all that improved the sound, and the sustain, though there's still a hint of buzz when digging in the strings hard.

As I mentioned before, I had Dunlop strap locks installed. You really need these for serious stage use. Heck, it's probably a good idea for most players, unless you mostly stay in one spot on stage, or sit in studio sessions most of the time. This is used as a backup to the P-Bass special. I can play this as a main bass if the music called for it.

Never needed to repair it, as I take good care of my gear. I haven't had to contact Yamaha for any problems. They were helpful with getting the actual date of when my BB300 was made, though.

I've played electric bass since about 1990 or 1991. I was about 12 years old when I got this, so I didn't have anything else to compare it to, much less a clue on how to compare similar basses. :)

If someone stole this, I'd be very sad about it, since it was a gift from gramps. If I could, I'd sue the guy, and have him/her buy me a RBX270 as a replacement.

I bought my BB300 new at Age 13 in 1986 from Bizzarre Guitar in Reno, NV. It lived throught the abuses of adolesence and remained a decent instrument. I changed to EMG P-pickups in the early 90's and added some Shaller Tuners. It was good for another few years. Recently though, I gave it a facelift. New Seymour Duncan Basslines P and J pickups, Leo Quan's Bad Ass II solid brass Bridge, a corian nut, and then a new set up. Great. Highly recommend this set up to anyone with a BB300. Original equipment, other than the body and the neck are trash.

The set up I described above makes this bass sound like a $2500 bass for only about $700. It is so versatile. You can change from a fat bottomy sound to a nice slap twang, and anything inbetween. With original electronics . . . not going to happen. The body and neck combined with the Bad AssII bridge give amazing sustain for a bolt on neck. Even without the Bad AssII it has great sustain. With the upgrades I made, it sounds great. With original electronics, it's just ok.

This bass is great as far as woods, feel, and set up. The original tuners are alright if you take good care of them. I had two of them break and had to tune with pliers for a while till I could afford new ones.

My BB300 has been through hell and back. I once got in a fight with my brother. He grabbed my bass thinking that I wouldn't come after him if he was holding it. I picked up a metal chair and threw it at him. I hit my bass instead. It has a chip in the paint. This is a great bass for playing live and standing up to the brutalizations of a young person.

????

I have been playing for 17 years now and also own a G&L ASAT Z3 and a Martin DCME. If you have the oppportunity to pick up a BB300 for anything less then $300, grab it. Well worth the money.

1988 model bought new. P-style pickups (changed them to EMG active and added a J at the bridge), alder body, rosewood fretboard on maple neck. Yamaha tuners (very adjustable).

I pulled the frets out after about a year and played like that for a while, put them back in, and then pulled them out just before a recording session. THought the bandmates would kill me, but it worked out fine. Year after that coated the fretboard with West-System epoxy to minimize wear from the roundwounds

Sound was OK but became great with the EMG's. Ran it through a Yamaha preamp/QSC power amp into a monster GK cabinet from the 70's (cabinet had 4 rear-firing 12's with a folded horn enclosure, 2 10's out the front...biamped, was INCREDIBLY loud and clear. Used a RAT R2DU distortion unit.) Was always very happy with the sound.

Fit and finish are fine, not cream of the crop but no complaints. The adjustability is tremendous. The tuners are great- very adjustable and easy to use. Truss rod is accessible with the Yamaha wrench and adjusts easily and predicatably. Bridge is very basic, always wanted to change it but never did.

Bass was used for years of live playing and rough use. Never had a case, dropped numerous times, never had a problem. Stipped the red bass-boat sparkle finish off and got down to a strange clearcoat that was untouchable by very caustic solvents. Original strap buttons! Never brought a backup on any gig and never needed one. Broke a tuner off at one gig but ws still able to tune with pliers. Love this bass.

Never called.

Chose this bass because a friend had an early 80's BB-300. His was a little nicer, finish was better, neck had a better feel. If is was stolen, I think I would get a different bass, not because I'm unhappy with it but because there are a lot of other cool basses out there to try.