Yamaha BB414

My bass was made in 2008 and is the vintage white color. The BB 414 sports a very comfortable neck with a nice satin finish. The frets are rounded on the ends just as they should be and the neck came perfectly straight. The PU's are ceramic, one P-bass and one J but the info says it's a P-90. The J PU is stronger than a Jazz PU and when both PU's are used it has a very modern tone to it. The Alder body is three pieces but the guitar resonates like a piano even with the vintage bridge. It's a lot of bass for the moola.

Playing my BB 414 through a Genz Benz Shuttle amp which has no coloration to the tone at all it's exactly the bass tone I like. Fat, full and clear. The Bass runs absolutely silent in all three positions. The BB has then three different tones to it. The Shuttle's "class D" amplification has been said to be a bit sterile sounding but all I get is great warm tone at low and high volumes.

For an inexpensive Bass I'm tickled silly with this purchase. There's not a flaw anywhere and the strings only needed to be lowered to suit my tastes. Intonation was dead on.

She's stout. No worries there.

I replaced a Fender Geddy Lee Jazz Bass and an Ibanez Roadstar II P-Bass with the BB 414. I like the Yamaha better than both and both were very nice basses. The neck on the Yamaha, girth wise, is right between the Geddy and the Roadstar II. Not too big and not too small. The BB 414 covers both guitars sound wise but has more output than either without the use of an active preamp. I personally don't care for the sound of active systems.
I've been playing guitar for twenty nine years and Bass for the last seven. Even though there are lots of pro's using Yamaha guitars out there that's not a consideration for me. I just like it...A LOT!

2007 BB414 in orange metallic. Large alder body with maple neck & rosewood fingerboard. P/J passive pickups with tone, volume and 3-way switch.

This is the reason to buy this bass! It has the fairly standard precision and jazz configuration and nails both. The precision tone is there and strong, what you look for from a p-bass. With both pickups on, there is a thick jazz bass, even G&L or stingray type of tone that would sound great recorded. The bridge does that nasal barky kind of tone that is not enough to use soloed in my opinion. The tone controls really give a wide variety of tones. The tone on max is very precise and hi-fi sounding, or you can back off a bit for a rounder, more vintage tone. The tones are all there, however, in a full band setting, it didn't exactly wow like any of my go to Fenders or Music Man basses. It definitely spoke to me more at the bass store than at rehearsal for what it's worth.

The bass is solid. The construction rivals some of the American made instruments I have owned. I played four of these and the construction is very solid, with no gaps at the neck pocket, and beautiful finish and inlays etc. The store had set up the bass, so I can't speak to how it may have sounded out of the box. Then again, who plays a bass without setting it up?

I ended up returning the bass (see overall rating), so I only had it for the 72 hour inspection period. That said, the durability is on par with US made instruments, so it could easily be gigged without a backup with confidence (no active circuit to go bad, batteries to die etc.).

The way it's built and with passive electronics, it should be good to go for years, that said I had no interaction with customer support.

I really wish that I could have kept the bass. The bottom line for me was that it didn't wow as much in a live setting as in the store. The body shape is also a bit different. It's larger than a Music Man or P-bass in the lower bout and PLEASE NOTE: it doesn't fit in either a Fender of Music Man case, so you'll need to buy a case that fits the bass. For the tone and construction, this is an amazing bass and at $400 it's hard to go wrong. I think that I'm just too picky, and need the sound/construction/aesthetic to all be there to be a keeper.

Pretty standard features: Passive P style pickup, J style pickup, master volume, master tone, selector switch. This one is metallic orange. I played a Yamaha BB1600 through most of the 80's-- I believe this one has some improvements over that model. The tuners are much more solid than the old Yamahas and the bridge, although pretty basic, is a big improvement over the old sort of screw-thread type.

I own several basses and have owned plenty, and this bass has so much character and grit, it sounds great. Nothing fancy, just funky as can be with both pickups on, really close to a P bass with the neck pickup only, super punchy with bridge pickup soloed. Very little single coil hum-- much quieter than my USA Fender Jazz.

Body is probably 3 or 4 piece, I don't care. Finish looks crazy hot on stage. Every bass I've ever bought has needed some fine tuning, this was no exception. Very easy fix, neck plays like a dream. Fit and finish well beyond my expectations.

I think this thing would survive an elephant stampede. I've used it without a backup several times.

I've been playing live gigs for 32 years, and I can't believe what a great bass this is, especially for the money. I paid $300 for it on ebay, and consider this one of my smartest purchases ever.

4 string fretted electric bass.Rosewood board with oval inlays.P and J style pups set in chrome surrounds.J style pup is a rail or blade type as opposed to standard polepieces.1 vol;1 tone and selector switch.Passive electronics.Glossy,metallic orange finish with matching headstock.Body shape in between a p and a ray.Bridge is stock bent steel plate.

Sound is diverse between pups.A good representation of a P at the neck,dangerously funky with both and Jaco style honk at the J brige! Dials work well,offering more subtle tones.Incredibly bassy when required.Played through a Hartke HA 3000 with 1x15 and 4x10 Transporter cabs.This bass was bought as a stopgap when I was forced to sell my beloved StingRay (needs must......)The more I play it though,the more I appreciate it.Good in lessons and ace in Church!

Action was quite high on purchase.Fair set up,but I di get my tools out when I got home!!!!Dropping the string height also means dropping the pups somewhat or you get unwanted "clatter". I also changed the strings at the first opportunity but BEWARE.I always snip my strings,and this went against me when fitting the A string.Not enough downward pressure at the head meant that the A string was catching on the first fret.Now I have an odd set!!Be sure to allow a good wind around the machine.D and G strings have a string tree and the E obviously is close enough to the nut.

Bass is doing good so far,in and out of its hardcase.Seems nice and strong but time will tell.I sincerely hope the finish lasts as its the orange that drew me!!It was used in Yamaha's ad campaign here in the UK.Strap buttons are large mushroom variety and seem solid.On this point,I normally fit Schaller Straplocks to my instruments but I think that these negate the need.I do use this without backup,and would buy another without doubt.

I have been playing bass for around 10 years,and drums for 26 years,guitar for the last couple.I own loads of equipment,as you can imagine.Just this one bass though.I really like this bass,it's growing on me.Being a tutor,I regularly have the chance to hear it against others,including Fender US jazz,Rickenbacker,MusicMan etc and it really holds its own,especially the voice of both pups on.Funk freeq !!!!.Anything else I'd like to share? Just that you owe it to yourselves to try/buy outside the box.Don't make assumptions according to company reputation or price;This bass cost me peanuts and I now have a well usable instrument.

Passive 4 string bass. See other reviews for list of features. I'm giving a 8 because features are pretty basic: tone, volume, switch dial between J and P pickup. But basic is sometimes all you need.

The sound is very good. It sounds a little like a Fender P when switched on the P pickup and is pretty punchy when on the J. I love this sound. It has got personality. Sounds like a bass from the 80s. I've used it for recording as well and it has got enough boost and groove for me. The J hums a little bit in some situations. Not annoying. Especially not on stage.

This bass is quite good out of the box. Mine happened to have a slightly warped neck but I noticed it afterwards. My liuther fixed it and now it plays terrific. Smooth, low action. Change the strings first thing, it came with really lousy ones.

Looks durable to me. I would use it on a gig without a backup and actually did so. The strap buttons are solid and the finish is ok. I think I can depend on it. The truss rod was a little hard. The bridge is crap, I think I will replace it someday soon.

None needed up to now.

I have been playing for 15 years. I have an ibanez sr1000 (higher range bass but small body and neck and too metallic sounding sometimes).
I love its sound and the feel of it. It plays really smooth once setup correctly. Could be my only bass, wouldn't mind. The price is really low compared to the overall quality of this bass. A must-buy, really fun to play. A little tricky on the upper part of the fingerboard (from the 14th fret onwards) due to the thickness of the neck. Wish it had 24 frets.

The features has been covered in the other reviews. The one I have is in black pearl finish, which in my opinion is the best looking one.

It didn't come with a gig bag, which seems kinda cheap. But I'd rather have them spend the money on the quality of the bass.

Simply put. This sounds awesome.
You can get a wide range of sounds out of this bass. The pickups surprisingly good and they are virtually noise free.
I haven't used it live though, only for recording, and for that purpose it sounds just wonderful.

The stock strings didn't impress me. I swapped them out for a set of Daddario Chromes right when I got it, and it improved the sound and feel of the bass by miles.

The controls allows me to dial in any sound I can wish for. Rock, Indie, Surf, Jazz, Blues you name it.

I'm giving it a 10. Not because it's the best sounding bass in the world, but the quality of the sound compared to the price.

The factory setup was OK. I had to do a few adjustments (mainly intonation).

It feels fantastic to play, especially with flat wound strings. Feels like a much more expensive instrument.

It's hard to find flaws on this bass. The only thing I've had problems with was the tuners, they are either pretty bad quality or I got some lemons. But I lubed them a little and they have been working OK since then

Except for the tuners this thing seems to be very durable. The rest of the hardware seems to be good quality.

I think it could take a good beating and the finish seems very good for an instrument this cheap. But I haven't dropped it yet so I honestly don't know how well it will hold up.

I don't gig with it. I only play guitar live, and use the bass in the studio. But I generally never play without a backup. However, I would be surprised if anyone needed a backup for this bass.

This is certainly not the best looking bass. In fact, if I actually played bass live I wouldn't choose this one. But it's not ugly, it's just kind of neutral looking. It says "hey, don't look at me, I'm just a bass".

Anyhow, with this product they have focused on sound, feel and quality. This bass feels and sounds like an instrument twice as expensive, and perhaps even more.

I'm simply amazed by what I got for my money. A bass that sounds awesome and is a lot of fun to play.

If it was stolen I'd buy another one in a second.
It is simply one of the best investments I've made when it comes to instruments. It's good enough to be my only bass for many years, and it costs as much as a beginners instrument.

This bass was purchased new October 2007. It features a 21-fret maple bolt-on neck with a large Alder body. Passive P and J pickups in the usual respective configuration, with a single tone and volume control with a three-way selector switch. Mine is finished in the 'Pearlescent Black'. Standard clover tuners with a basic bridge configuration, all fit and installed perfectly. Simplicity and minimalism in the most complimentary fashion; simplicity done well is probably the best way to describe this bass.

A basically comprehensive range of tones is available from this bass. There is no discernible noise issues with any of the pickup configurations, perhaps a slight hum from the J, but certainly nothing that warrants worrying about. Personally I tend to either play with the P or the P and J in combination rather than the J on its own as I prefer a mellower tone, which is very easy to obtain. On the J, the bass has plenty of 'honk' available and this is obviously exaggerated with a pick. This bass is very receptive to the picking position and I play fingerstyle right up high near the neck, which produces a beautiful warm tone. I would happily say that this bass can cover all bases admirably with no feel of compromise in any configuration or playing style and position.

The action is perhaps a little high on initial setup, but certainly nothing worth worrying about and nothing that five minutes with an Allen key wouldn't sort out. I have chosen not to adjust it; because it's not an issue worth worrying about at this juncture. The pickups are adjusted nicely and the height is set well. I have experienced one minor problems with the output jack occasionally cutting out when the lead is in certain positions; which isn't due to the lead (I've tried four or five leads just in case). I'm getting that fixed by a (reliable) friend with a soldering iron; but it's not a serious detriment to the otherwise superb quality of the bass.

Everything about this bass screams reliability and consistency from day-to-day. I would happily play this bass without a backup. It would certainly stand up to live playing for many years if taken care of well and the strap buttons are solid and simple. No neck issues, no finish issues or any other issues other than the aforementioned output jack, which I'm sure is just a rare one-off.

Reliable and dependable.

This bass provides a perfect combination of simplicity and minimalism with fantastic results. Rather than trying to over-fancify a bass of this price point; they've stuck with doing the basics well and it pays off in dividends. Great tone, great reliability, Yamaha's legendary quality and a solid feel all provide a satisfying and enriching playing experience.

This is in fact my first bass, but I spent a long time researching and comparing various basses and decided that the Yamaha was for me. I run it through a Peavey Microbass 20 that I also use for my electric guitar setup! (PRS Santana SE) Needless to say this bass sounds great through my Morley Wah, but I digress!

Compared to other basses in its price range, the Yamaha is King of Kings, and even compared to MIA Fenders and the likes of the Musicman Stingray (Which I also tried out as a comparison for exactly this reason) the Yamaha pulls its weight well. I would recommend this as a superb first or second bass and one which you will keep and develop your style upon. Its versatility and reliability along with its sound are all amazing for the price and excellent at any price. A thoroughly good buy.

This bass has 21 frets, has passive Yamaha P and J pickups, and Alder body with a maple neck, has beautiful chrome hardware, and a great appearance. I have a black finish and the chrome accents look great on it. It's got a bolt on neck and big clover shaped tuners. It has a volume knob, a tone knob, and a pickup selector switch. You can get a great tone out of it for whatever style you play. Its simplicity is great. The last two frets can be a little hard to get to though.

I love the sound that I've achieved with this bass, although it is a bit on the warm side. I play through an ampeg B2RE head with an avatar 4x10 cab. Getting the right balance of brightness without compromising tone is tricky sometimes. I play thrash and death metal and couldn't be happier with the sound. It also sounds great for slapping or jazz, or anything else really. I give it a nine because the sound is fantastic, but a bit difficult to dial in perfectly.

The action was set up reasonably well at the factory, but I like it really low so I adjusted it lower. You can make this thing really as low as you need it with no fret buzz whatsoever. I think I may lower the P pickup soon because my string always hits it when I play, making a bad sound, but I do have really loose strings so I think its just me. The finish is flawless still, despite many collisions with hard surfaces and my general clumsiness. I think its weight is balanced perfectly.

This bass is definitely up to live playing, although the tuners seem a little weak. I had to send the first bass back because the A tuner was bent, and now this one has started to go. If the worst you have to do is replace the tuners with sturdier ones, I think you're lucky. The finish is rock solid as mentioned above. The bridge, although cheap and basic, is sturdy and sufficient to my needs. The strap buttons are awesome. I don't even use strap locks. With this bass, you don't need em. Not once has my strap fallen off while playing it and I move a lot while playing. No one has touched the truss rod since I got it about a year ago and the neck is in great shape still. I would use this bass without a backup for sure.

I got this bass sent back and replaced due to a bent A tuner and it was of no cost to me. Other than that, I have no experience with Yamaha's customer support.

I've been playing for 5 years. I also own a no name low end bass that played well enough but sounded awful. I have experience playing a lot of other basses including Ibanez, Fender, Rickenbacker, Jackson, Peavey, etc. The only thing that compares to this in playability is a high end Ibanez. This bass plays amazingly and sounds just as good. If this bass were stolen or lost, I would buy another right away. I wish the tuners were a bit more durable and that it had separate volume knobs for each pickup but I don't care very much about either of those things. The best thing about this bass is how well it stands up to the much more expensive competition. I wouldn't replace this bass with a $1000 dollar fender or anything else for that matter. Buy this bass and you won't regret it.

Four string bass, made in Taiwan, purchased new one month ago. Beautiful 'wineburst' finish showing the grain of the alder body beneath. Maple neck, rosewood fingerboard with oval inlays that make a nice change from the usual dots. Chrome hardware, P/J passive pickups with chrome bezels. Tone and volume pots with a 3-way pickup selector switch. Neck is slim, width is somewhere between that of a precision and jazz. 21 frets, although the highest are a little tricky to access due to the square-based neck.

Although a blend pot would have been preferred over the selector switch, it's doesn't really need it and would be a fairly easy mod if you really wanted one. In fact, the simplicity and lack of useless controls is a real plus.

What a fantastic range of sounds I can get out of this thing! I play all kinds of styles and this bass has a tone for them all. Pickups have a very high output for a passive with only a slight hum from the J. P pickup, well, sounds just like a P should with a really nice thump to it and the J has just that right bit of growl, bright, with plenty of punch.

My favourite setup has to be with both pups on. The tone is highly dependent on where you pluck the strings and you can get a great variety of sounds just by moving your plucking hand up and down the strings.

Usual hih standard Yamaha engineering. Played well straight out of the box although I have to say it was not to my taste. Truss rod and intonation was set up perfectly but the action was too high for me so now I have it really low with no buzzing. I've also dropped the pickups quite a bit and this has made the tone even better IMO. Tuners are solid and accurate, everything fits together like a glove. Same goes for all the other Yamahas I've seen which makes me think that they have the most consistent quality in the industry.

Stock strings are very good and could quite possibly be Rotosounds.

My only (small) gripe is the bridge. It's a typical pressed steel affair like most Fenders. It does the job well enough but it's crying out for something a little more chunky. For the price of the bass compared to the cost of a replacement this really is nitpicking.

Bass should last a lifetime with reasonable care and would stand up well on your next world stadium tour. The bass is a little heavy with a touch of neck dive but you can't build instruments of this quality and have them weigh four pounds. Finish is good and has already survived a few bumps against furniture etc without leaving any marks.

Never with Yamaha but they are a well established global company with a large dealer network and good reputation.

Put it simply, there is not better bass in existence for the money. The BB414 puts Fender MIMs to shame and is better than many basses at well over twice the price.

If it were lost or stolen I would buy another in a heartbeat, I'd even buy one by mail order without playing it first knowing that with Yamaha's consistency there is very little chance of me getting a bad one.

But where this bass really shines is its versatility. Whatever your taste, the BB414 has a tone to match which can be dialled up in a second. This really is a fantastic all-round bass.

Passive P/J electronics, made in Taiwan. Alder body, metallic orange finish. 3 way selector switch lets you choose P-only, J-only, or split pickups. 21 frets, chrome hardware. Master volume and tone controls. All in all, three simple controls that make it very easy to dial in various tones.

This is a monster tone machine, and the really hot electronics are super powerful. It'll produce an awesome growl, but can also be dialed in for a nice mellow tone. 3-way pickup selector and tone control allows great variety, without a lot of fooling around, like a lot of basses with too many controls. I like many things about this axe, but it's the tone that keeps me coming back for more.

Fit and finish are absoultey impeccable. I also own a Yamaha RBX170, which was also perfect out of the box. Yamaha's quality control certainly seems top notch. I orginally wanted the wine red, but after seeing the orange metallic, I quickly changed my mind. I know...orange seems a little "out there," but give it a shot. And by choosing orange, you won't look like everyone else, with their black, red, blue, etc. guitars. Out of the box the action was set pretty low, and the truss rod needed a small adjustment to rid some minor fret buzz. Action was easily adjusted, and now she plays great.

Based on experience with other Yamaha products (and not just guitars), this bass should hold up well. My other Yamaha bass is more than a year old, still looks like brand new, and has had no functional problems. This bass feels very solid.

Have never needed Yamaha support. This bass carries a lifetime warranty.

When looking for a new bass, I auditioned many, many basses in the $400 - $1500 price range. The only two in that price range that totally blew me away were a Music Man Stingray double humbucker ($1399) and a Fender Active deluxe ($1500). Even so, I kept coming back to this Yamaha. For $399, the combination of power, awesome tone, fit/finish, great neck, and solid construction seems hard to beat. Give this one a try!