Yamaha BB5000AF

I bought it in mid 1997 from a retail store. So that makes the year made 1997 or mid to late 1996.

Fretless 5 string bass

Controls are volume / pickup pan / treble / bass. The electronics are active with no passive bypass.
The only other bass I've owned is the Fender Jazz '85, so I'm not a fan of the active electronics which require batteries to use the instrument.

The finish is metallic blue. The only wood visible is the rosewood fingerboard.

To quote the previous reviewer 'this thing sounds GORGEOUS!!'
I too receive remarks from people about the sound.

I am more of a jazz musician so I really like the solid full sound that it generates. I'm not so much a string popper so I don't miss the fact that is doesn't produce that sharp treble sound.

Every musician is different, so I don't think it supprising that I adjusted the string heights to my preferance. Other than that, I haven't touched it. That's a good thing.

I play two to three times a week and have been for the past six years. I play in a band live with no other backup. Very reliable.

I have had no problems with the hardware. I wipe the instrument after I use it, so it still looks like new.

I have been playing for 20 years. I have only owned two basses. My four string Fender Jazz and this 5 string Yamaha.

The only complaint I have is that it requires batteries to function. That can be annoying in the middle of a gig.

I'm guessing early '90s on the manufacture. Made in Taiwan.

This model is a 5-string fretless with a 2-octave fingerboard. The neck is super wide (we're talking full 3/4" spacing).

Controls are volume / pickup pan / treble / bass. The electronics are active with no passive bypass.

The pickups are Yamaha P/J (unique to this model, possibly interchangable with TRB-5P from same period)

The finish is metallic blue. The only wood visible is the rosewood fingerboard.

Man, this thing sounds GORGEOUS!! I've owned 21 different basses over the years and this is the only one thus far to have people remark about the sound. And it's happened multiple times.

I'd describe the sound as dark yet punchy. And the upper register sings. The low B is really great, even with flatwounds (and I'm picky about that).

Onstage, it just sings and cries and punches. It's a bit more subdued in the studio.

I got the bass used, and the neck had back bow, even with the truss rod loosened all the way. Not good!!! (It might have been the fault of a previous repairman, though.) At any rate, my local guy was able to shave the fingerboard back into a concave shape and now I have no complaints whatsoever about the playability.

While I was at it, I got the tech to install larger side dots because I couldn't see the stock ones in a dark room. Makes playing on an unlined fretless neck a bit dicey!

I'm not too impressed with the hardware. The tuners go out of tune more than any other instrument I've ever owned. They usually last OK on the gig, but when I take the bass out of the gig bag, every string is way way WAY off! (We're talking anywhere from a half-step to a minor third.) I'm contemplating upgrading to Schaller BMLs.

I like the Gotoh bridge for sound, but I've seen them go bad on other instruments.

The plastic knobs are kind of Mickey Mouse. One is already getting loose and falling off.

Overall, I have my doubts about the durability factor. I wouldn't trust it on the road!

I've had this bass for 2 years, and it gets used quite a bit. The playability and sound are so amazing, I've never encountered anything quite like it.

It's a pity the hardware is so crappy. I'm considering upgrading it, but it's not the greatest investment and I'm not sure how much I trust the wood.

I guess for the time being, I'll just keep gigging out and enjoying it.