Yamaha BB604

I bought my first BB604 about 2 and a half years ago. Now I own two. I pulled the frets on the second one and inlaid Maple for fret markers, finished the fretboard in Crazy Glue and now have an incredible Fretless BB604. Nice low action. Bright, clear, and articulated sound. Not muddy like a lot of the cheap basses out there.

Incredible sound through both my Mesa Walkabout and Markbass 102P. The parametric EQ on this bass lends it to just about any sound and style of music you like. I have a Line 6 Bass Pod XT, but don't need it with this Bass/Amp combination

Factory setup was poor, action was too high and intonation was out the window. Easy to adjust however and now it's perfect. Other than the setup, fit and finish are very good.

This is a durable Bass that I use for gigging and practice. Highly recommended for beginner to intermediate level. Money well spent if you can find one.

After I broke a nut while defretting and finishing the neck, I called Yamaha to obtain a replacement nut and had one within a week $1.70 each... Sweet!

I liked the first one so much, that I bought a second. The fretless conversion turned out to be so amazing, I am looking for another one. I have owned Epiphone P-Basses in the past and they fall apart and never stay in tune.. This Yamaha Bass is a really nice guitar, too bad it's discontinued. I bought my first one for $429 Cdn in Calgary and my second for $150 US on Ebay (slightly used). If you are looking for a solid and dependable bass or a candidate for a fretless conversion, look no further... the BB604 ROCKS!!!

active bass with pups control and bass middle and treble control.maple thin neck with rosewood fingerboard.black finish.bb614 model.

sound variable using guitar controls although couldnt get the sound i wanted playing through trace elliott or peavey gear.gigged with it lots of times and was ok.

set up well no need too do anything.no flaws at all.

it stood up well to live playing never had a backup so just as well.after 8 months of using one of the pups decided to stop working but still under warranty.think the finish will outlast the rest of it!

not dealt with yamaha as store dealt with warranty.

been playing off and on for 28 years using fenders mainly,got back into playing and wanted a cheap and easy to play bass and this guitar was that.wouldnt buy another because just heard fender j bass through my trace combo so off to buy one of those!overall worth the money.

description of this bass is in the posts below (they are very detailed), so let me just highlight my fave features:

1.) alder body = very light. nice highs.
2.) parametric mid boost/cut = i read a review that says this isn't parametric, but c'mon, just turn this knob around and you'll know its parametric. useful in making those tool "click" sounds and since this bass is really treble heavy, the parametric mids can cut out those "clicks."
3.) black finish - i was hoping for wine red, but this bass has been discontinued, so i get what's available
4.) Made in Taiwan - not a fave feature, i just would like to bring this to ppl's attention.

lacking:
-more bass frequencies
-passive mode
-action could go a little lower without buzzing
-input jack is crap
-a cheap soft case at least that goes with the product
-crappy yamaha stock strings
-the black finish (dont know about the others) is glossy ergo, it attracts fingerprints and magnifies those light scratches the bass gets from slapping or any percussive playing.
-i hate pickguards visually, but this bass needs a pickguard (to prevent those "invisible" scratches)

the reason why i got sold on this bass was because it had a lot of treble. despite not being a big fan of jaco, im really a huge fan on treble heavy bass players. getting a stingray to the philippines is very expensive, and the Yamaha BB604 is the best substitute there is to a stingray's treble heavy setting. so i got this instead.

unfortunately, i later discovered that eventhough i love jamming and playing this bass by myself, this one has a hard time getting along with guitar players (or those old school traditional guys). the treble in this thing cuts like a knife and because of that, eight note grooves end up sounding clicky when you set it to flat. you have to tweak and set your amp right so this thing won't end up sounding too clicky or too bassy.

now this bass is perfect as long as your guitar player is open minded and doesnt mind your bass tone cutting above the instruments ... slapping is heaven here if you have the right amp (200 watts or more -i use a fender bassman 250) making this thing sound like Korn is not a challenge (just dip all the high mids and retain some low mids, turn up the volume and you will be making an impression with those slap and pop riffs).

if you are into bands like tool and korn, and you like slapping, you will love this bass.

if you are into the old fender passive bass sound or those rickenbacker classic rock stuff, this bass sounds too modern and i bet your guitar player will complain about this before your drummer does.

and oh, i forgot to say that this bass is quiet, provided that you have the pickup blend set to the middle (i know this is common sense with dual j-style pickups).

the bass sucks straight out of the retail store:

- electronics were scratchy (it was sitting in the shop for like 2 years).
- preamp had slight problems (treble wouldnt work).
- input jack doesnt work (until now it wobbles and only works on some cables... i will get this replaced with a generic input plug).
- intonation was a bit off, but you could live with it.
- store lost the manual.

i had to let the store fix it up for like 3 days before i could take it home. ive seen and played better 2nd hand stuff really.

this bass is glossy, it goes without saying that this will get superficial scratches easily. i have to clean this thing with pledge once a week cause it looks ugly with all those fingerprints on it.

the good thing though is that being alder and having a smaller body, i doubt that you will slam this thing on stuff and get a major scratch on it anywhere - unless of course, your audience decides to punch your guitar or something.

the hardware is solid. i have slight tuning problems with it, but maybe thats because of the strings i am using currently (cheap ashdowns).

this product has been discontinued. i dont think they would be supporting this that much. the retail store where i got this sucks and work really slow that id rather do the minor repairs and enhancements myself (like change the input jack plug).

- i've been playing bass for 1 year worth. i played guitar since i was 14 (i am currently 26). i am a gear head and i try to research as much as i can. ive played a lot of basses although i only own 2 as of the moment.

- i really wanted a Musicman Stingray, but because of logistical and financial reasons, i decided that this bass would make a good substitute.

- if this bass got destroyed or stolen, i would buy a musicman stingray. i would have bought this bass again, but in the 3 bands that ive recently joined, none of them enjoy the cutting tones of this bass (thats because they are usually guitar centered and play old school rock). no use owning a bass that ppl around you dont appreciate

I believe Yamaha stopped building this bass a couple of years ago.It costs less than you would expect to pay for say a Mexican Jazz or Precision and represents a lot more guitar for the money - obviously the Yamaha brand name doesn't have the same kudos as Fender.It has a two octave maple, bolt on neck with Rosewood fingerboard; very slender and extremely comfortable to play. It is basically configured as a'Jazz' with two single coil pickups. It has active electronics with a very flexible eq, mid/cut tone control set up, which will provide you with almost any sound you might need. All the fittings are of very good quality in anodised gold Aluminium(?)The body shape is very similar to a 'Jazz' though less offset and has a scoop in the lower bout for easier fret access. Mine is in the 'natural' finish. It is I think quite a handsome looking instrument.

The thing I like most about this bass is that it will do almost anything you ask of it. I play a variety of musical styles and it adapts well to all of them. The overall bias in its sound is perhaps rather toppy, which makes it a very modern sounding instument. However when needed it can also sound rich and deep; the tone controls are extremely flexible but take a bit of getting used to. For gigging I use a 200 watt Peavey amp top and a 2x15 cab, and for practising a Roland cube. It sounds great through both of them. It works equally well on stage and in the studio. A plus point for studio work is that it is very quiet even when the active eq is used. It doesn't 'eat' bateries if you remember to unplug it when not being used.

For this money the action fit and finish are exemplary. I havn't had the bass set up since I bought it and it is pretty much as it came off the shelf. Although the intonation is a tiny bit sharp above the 14th/15th fret ( just havn't got round to fixing this). The only gripe I have is that the jack plug is a tiny bit loose, and if I don't remember to thread my lead through the strap it can fall out. Again I could rectify this by removing the back panel - just havn't got round to it.

The bass has withstood alot of live playing with no problems whatsoever. It seems like a very solid instument indeed. The finish is actually nicer now than when I bought it. I don't really like unlacquered instuments - they seem unfinished to me - but the bass has had so much use it's now very shiny, 'bedded' in and generally 'comfy' - very nice! I do take out a back up instrument - a 70's Fender Jazz (not mine) that is actually a plank. I've never needed it.

I've never needed the warranty, and consequently have no idea what Yamahas customer support is like.

I've been playing off and on for about 25 years. The gear I use is outlined above. If anything happened to this bass I'd be absolutely gutted, and would definitly try and find an exact replacement. Although the design is really a generic 'jazz' bass, the active electronics and high quality of the finish and fittings make it a very individual instrument in it's own right. I had originally intended to buy a Mexican or Japanese 'Jazz' but my local guitar shop happened to have the Yamaha. Although the logo doesn't have the same cachet as Fender, it is a far superior instrument in every way. At ?370 (and the shop chucked in a Hiscox hardshell case)this is a lot of bass for the money, and I suspect would hold it's own against instruments costing a good deal more. If you're in the market for an entry level/mid priced bass guitar buy one if you can find one.

I bought this one in 2004. Simultaneously the production were stopped.
Its a 4 string (it was also availble in 5 string as bb605) with 24 frets wich is very comfortably in a melodic solo on high notes. Its solid top gives its part to the,in my oppion, bright-funky but bassy-sound ^^
It includes active pickups and active preamp including:
- midcut (very nice to instantly switch from one sound to another)
- bass (boost/cut)
-treble (boost/cut)
- pickup Blend

the pickup configuration is like a jazzbass but not exactly. To active singlecoils

the body is like the Nathan east series
the bass is made of alder and a rosewoode fingerboard
bridge is bolt on and unfortunately not through body

all in all a great bunch of features for its price
and very flexible bass

I normaly play rock/funk/blues so you might say "hugh such a modern bass for such old styles but especially for those styles its great.
It can be very warm and soulful but on the other hand its clear and punchy for funk. It will need a while till u get to know to use the midcut system well but its real cool in switching sounds
the only flaw: its some kind of nosy not much but too much for an active bass


I play it over an Ashdown evo 500 stag with 2x410 speakers no effects but an octaver

i guess its as well a studiobass as it is for gigs i never used a backupbass and never needed one

sounds great for its price !!!!

it wasn't as good as i hoped the neck was not tuned (or so bad i didn't see it) and the brigde had to be adjusted it took my about 3h to tuned it well but now its fine and comfortably

no problems at all

never need to be used

i only got this one for bass but i played on many others and wouldn't change exept by a fender jazzbass and a n.y.c. Fodera i played once.

the same ass with a maple neck would great !!

all in all its the best bass in its class !!! (believe my i sat down hour for hour and test basses through all classes thats "the one" !!)

Nice neck and 24 frets. Also nice pickups and eq. I only miss the string-thru body bridge.

Sound is very versatile.

Had to tighten almost every screw on this bass-guitar. This including the screws for the bridge, controls, and neck!

Works for 2 years now, apart from the loose screws no problems

My gear:

SWR LA 15
Warwick Pro Fet 4
Warwick 411 pro
Dunlop Cry Baby 105Q bass wah

This is a nice bass for a beginner. Quit cheap for all the functions you get.

When this on was stolen, I would definitely buy an american jazz bass deluxe

4-sting active bass with 24 frets adn rosewood fretboard.
The pick-up pan control, master volume and treble control allow you to adjust your sound very well. Add in the Mid-cut switch (which can really change your sound) and you've got a very versatile bass for this price.
A downside is that it eats batteries

I play a lot of different styles and this bass sounds good for all of'em. You can make it sound quite dark and deep or very sharp.
So, you can make it sound good for both walking and slapping.

My bass was already tuned when I bought at the shop, so can't comment about this.

It's a very reliable bass, if you replace the batteries regularly. Apart for that, never had had any problems with it yet.

This bass a a real bargain. I tested some other basses before buying, but from the moment I saw this one and played it, I wanted it.
It looks really good (especially the natural version), it's comfortable to play (it's light and has a thin neck) and it's very versatile. You'll have a hard time finding a better bass in this pricerange.
It's a pity they don't sell it anymore

Bass has 24 frets a usefull feature.
This bass is active - generallly active basses give a better sound - and this does!
The bass the Mid EQ cut (based on the NE1). This, particually when do live work, completely changes the sound of the bass at the flick of a switch.
A pickup pan control as well as bass treble and general volume are also included on this bass. - What more do you want!!

I use this bass mainly for sound recordings because of the high quality sound it produces.
I also use a Musicman Stingray for recordings and when just using a direct line in (no amp) the yamaha's sound is just as good.
The bass i'sn't noisy and works well with most effects.
This bass is great for a number of styles. I play most styles and it sounds great with all.
Slaping even sounds great!

The factory setup isn't great but most people change the settings anyway, and if you are a beginner then you should always take your bass to a music shop to have the setup checked over.
The finish of the bass is great and some of the colour options are amazing. - I have the Wine Red which is trully beautiful.

I've had this bass for about 18 months and during that time i have played it on average 6 days each week.
The only problem i've had is a control knob came loose. That took about 3 seconds to fix - just a simple screw.
The battery for the active circuity lasts for ever as well.

Generally i have found yamaha to be easy to deal with - particually because most shops will deal with them, however i have not used there customer support for basses/guitars.

I have tried a number of basses (some a lot more expensive and some less expensive than this bass).
Personally this is my favorite bass of all time.
The neck is about as thin as you can get, which makes i real easy to play.
Also the neck, and pickups are very slightly further away from the body, which means if you rest your thumb on a pickup, you have a bigger area to rest it on, which makes the bass really comftable to play.
I really do love this bass, and i'm really sad to hear that yamaha have now stoped making them - luckly i have one!!

This is an active bass.
The features are quite OK for a bass in this price range. Although I don't think all the knobs make that big a change to your sound, they are good for fine tuning your bass.
It has two-octave neck, wich is really nice because it makes the high notes so much easier to reach.
Only thing is: it uses tons of batterys. So I just bought two rechargeables. Problem solved.

It's very quite for an active bass. The sound is a bit bright but very full. So it's very suitable for jazz/pop/fuhion. I would't recommend it for metal or so.
I use it in combination with a H&K basskick 515 and a Boss CEB-3 chorus.
Really lovely sounds. I think this is the best choice in this price range.

Bad! When I firt got it, the finish was really bad. So get your dealer to tune your bass before you buy it. Won't cost you much, but it will make all the difference. The dealer told me it is a really easy instrument to tune.
So don't let yourself be fooled by how bad it plays off the shelf. Mine now plays beautifull, very easy.

Never had a problem with it.

Very nice bass. If you want to play pop/rock/jazz/fushion, and don't have very much money, buy this one. It is truly the best bass in this price range.

The BB604 is a 4-string model, based on the BBNE2 Nathan East. It has the Nathan East style body, and it features a built-in NE1 Parametric EQ. The controls are a master volume, balancer, treble, bass, and mid-cut controls, plus a mid-cut on and off switch.

The BB604 has a solid Alder body with a Maple neck and a rosewood fingerboard. It has a 24 fret neck. The pickups are active, single coils. The tuners and hardware are diecast chrome, gold-colored.

It comces in black, wine red, and natural finish -- mine is wine red, which I think is particularly attractive.

No included accessories.

For the price, this is a great active bass! It's really quite affordable, and the looks are beautiful, and the sound is quite good. It's a great bass to learn slap/pop techniques. It's really quiet for an active bass, particularly if you keep the treble and bass controls in the middle.

It has a very bright sound. I think it's best suited to funk/fusion.

There is a decent variety of sounds. However, I find the controls sort of difficult. For all those knobs, I might've expected more different sounds. But again, for the price, a great active pickup bass.

The factory set-up was pretty good, nothing to write home about. The action is somewhere in the middle. I think the pickups were adjusted well. No flaws that I have seen. Tight controls. I'm not crazy about the factory strings, but I'm picky about strings. Again, for an affordable bass, a very good set-up.

Time will tell! I really cannot say. It seems solid enough, though I would never trust any active bass at a gig without a backup.

Again, I haven't dealt with the company. The warranty is good, so I feel pretty good about it.

I actually am more pleased with this bass than a much more expensive Fender Jazz active p/u bass I used to own. I think it's an incredible bargain. I think it's very beautiful, and it's nice to see ANYthing other than a J- or P-style bass, isn't it? For the price, I have to give it an overall 9.