Yamaha BBG5S

Awesome bass! Yamaha soapbar pickups provide solid tone. I was actually suprised that the output was that great. Comes with volume, pan, bass and treble 2 band +/- EQ. Solid maple neck that is very comfortable and semi-weighty. The body is alder and is solid as well. The bass is sporting an "egg" white finish with sparkles. Gold hardware. Stock bridge is a miracle. I didn't understand how this bass could be so awesome with factory materials.

This bass sounds very rich and full. I play in an extreme metal band and this bass sits very dense in the mix. Makes the music heavy and round. Very powerful output. I use a GK 700 RB with a 2x18,2x10 cab and I don't have to turn up that loud live. I can see this bass fitting almost any style of bass with no problem. Very versatile. 2 band EQ and pickup pan provide different tones for any kind of bassist. By far the best factory electronics I have ever played or heard.

I bought this bass off of Ebay so I was a bit afraid at first. When I got the bass in the mail I was shocked. The action was ok, all it needed was a set-up. Finish is cool. I am a sucker for white. It came with no case, but keep in mind this was used and off of Ebay. I found out later that the truss-rod was semi-stripped but the action is alright. Just a little high.

I have played almost a dozen shows with the bass so far. It has withstood the stage life flawlessly. No problems whatsoever. I am probably going to buy another one that has a good truss-rod. I am upset that these basses are discontinued. Sad story. Finish is solid, I sweat a lot and haven't had any problems with discoloration. Good strap buttons, but I upgraded to Straploks. Dependable. Batteries last a good week if you play a lot like me. Output is tremendous! I mean huge. I like it. I play this bass with no back-up with confidence.

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I've been playing bass for about 6 years now and this is the best bass I have owned as of yet. Its not perfect, but if I were to buy it new I'm sure it'd be damn close. I am planning on buying another one soon. I love this bass in all aspects. Its just sick. The neck and electronics are my favorite feature. Also the fact that the 9v battery compartment it easy-access with the plastic housing with pop-up cover. That's a plus. Good, reliable bass.

Features have already been described... as far as I'm concerned I got a lot for what I paid for and I haven't seen much more offered in the way of features on basses costing many times more than this one.

This thing has a great range of tones but I pretty much have it set one way and that's it. It really sits well in the mix. I play mainly gospel and contemporary worship music and it works very well for the type of music I play. Tone controls are responsive and the EQ points are dialed in just right. I play mainly through an Ampeg Rocket 50 bass amp (great small amp btw), and have a Sansamp Bass DI that I split use for a direct house system feed. I run my tone controls on the bass with the treble rolled back slightly from the center detent and the bass up about the same amount. I run both pickups equal and make any changes in dynamics with playing technique and the volume control. I couldn't be happier with the sound and tone I get from this bass. It has just enough features in the tone control department to make quick adjustments if necessary... but really the basic straight up tone from this thing is darn near perfect. The tone is definitely not Fender but more modern sounding... really fat, especially through my Ampeg / Sansamp setup... During sessions I've never had an engineer ask me to change a thing on my tone. On the Sansamp, I run everything nuetral. Sounds especially good on slap/pop stuff too. I guess the newer versions of this bass have the Nathan East EQ built in... I would be interested in knowing what it sounds like but I don't find myself wishing this bass sounded any different... really.

Ya know, this is kind of a weird deal for this particular bass because I'm guessing that it came setup from the factory "ok" but mine was missing the nut for the trussrod adjustment... which really says something for the bass if you think about it because it played pretty good without the neck being adjusted! I ALWAYS find that I need to adjust guitars and basses to my own liking and demanding setup requirements. I do my own. So, when I bought it I didn't even notice the trussrod problem until I got the bass home and started my usual setup. I bought the bass at GC (that explains a lot right there)... got a great price on it and everything else checked out just fine. After the trussrod nut was in place, new strings, and the intonation setup, I was amazed at how well this thing played... frets were very true, and while they weren't finished and polished like you would find on a custom job, I can deal with that as long as the frets are level and seated in the fingerboard properly. The frets are obviously machine installed and finished but over time will polish up themselves if I play the thing enough. It's already breaking in nicely. Also, I LOVE the string spacing on this bass. It was very easy for me to make the transition from my P-Bass to the 5-string Yamaha. While the Yamaha has a flatter radius than the P-bass, it feels great and I can slap away becuase of the wide string spacing in the picking area... the string spacing tapers nicely going towards the nut and while the neck gets pretty wide in the upper frets, it's quite comfortable in mid and lower register. I'll give it an 8 on setup because not everybody is like me where they just carte blanche do their own setups... that, and I suspect that the missing trussrod nut is probably more GCs doing than Yamaha's. The finish on this bass is very good. Mine is the violinburst and the shade transition is very smooth and professional... I imagine the finish will wear well... I take pretty good care of my instruments. I like the satin finish on the back of the neck... never feels sticky. The hardware is gold plated and I've just come to expect that it is going to wear off rather quickly... but the bridge is pretty beefy, holds it's adjustment, the tuners work great... all in all it's a very solid instrument.

Reliability... I think I may have touched on this in the previous category but this thing hasn't let me down and I don't expect it to. I've changed the battery once and don't really know if it need it or not but I will probably change it every 6 months whether it needs it or not. I think it's good a good policy to do that if anything to avoid a leaky battery from messing up the electronics etc.

Never needed them... they're a huge conglomerate (sp?) though and I wouldn't expect them to do much for me... that's just the way it is it seems. So no rating here.

I got this bass mainly because I needed the low B string. Prior to acquiring this bass my main bass was a Fender P-bass that had been modified with a Dimarzio P+J set. Of all the 5-string basses I tried that were within reach of my financial means, the Yamaha and the Fender Jazz V active were the best picks. The Yamaha won out though... It had everything I was looking for and IMO beat out the Fender in terms of consistent quality... A lot of the Fenders that I tried had problems with inconsitencies in build quality, etc. The Yamaha's active pickups etc., and playability were as good as and in pretty much all cases better than anything else I tried. I'm actually a guitarist first and bass second... Never played much bass except on studio calls occassionally or on my own demos. I was playing a little guitar with worship group at the Church that I attend and their bass player quit abruptly... too bad because he was an awesome bass player. Well, I had a bass, and they need a bass player more than a guitarist... been playing bass for them ever since. Because we play in odd keys a lot of the time and have to change keys for vocalist, etc., I found myself de-tuning my low E on the P-bass and often reaching for low Cs and below. This bass REALLY delivers the goods and has made bass playing a LOT of fun and it's sound and tone inspire me to learn new techniques... becuase it sounds so good on this instrument... IT JAMS! I got this bass at basiclly cost because I bought a whole bunch of other stuff at the same time.... yes, this was the deal of the century and an incredible value at $317 plus tax, new.

YAMAHA BBG5S, active electronics bass features 2 soapbar pick-ups, one each bass/treble/volume/balancer dial, 24 fret, gold hardware, alder body, maple neck with rosewood fretboard. Color is sunburst, looks great in any light. Neck is perfect width for all types of musical styles..allows room to work between the strings for funk bassing.

My music styles is concentrated in jazz and gospel....Yamaha sound is outstanding for playing this type of music. My amplifier is a Hartke amp running through Peavey cabinets . Full range of sound from bright to dark, accented with either a Zoom 506 or a Zoom 3000B. With this set, I can play venue from small to large.

Action was a little high from factory, so I lowered the action myself. No flaws in the workmanship, sound on the low B as good as any you will find in this price range on any bass.

No sweat, built to last. Truss has never been a problem, always stays in tune after long practice sessions. BBG5S is a "miser" on battery power usage, so you can play with confidence and no backup.

Tuscaloosa Music is a Yamaha dealer...great service, friendly manager and staff....A-1 group to know for service after the sale.

I've been playing for almost 5 years now and have owned an RBX 4 string bass before moving to the BBG5S....transition was something I was ready to do. Never wanted to own any other bass since most of my favorite artist play Yamaha, so I developed a "Yamaha ear"...check out East, Laboriel, Haslip, Petatucci to name a few. Yes, I would buy this bass again simply because Yamaha makes the best basses on the market. Best feature is the low B, which opens a new world of playability for me. Plan on going to the top and owning a TRB5 in the near future.

Standard BBG5s bass, 5 strings.Im in a rush....
Great features for the price.Useful preamp and pickups,
good action.

For the price, super.But you need newish strings.
The B was a little floppy but i dont use it.

Mine is strung with a high c.It feels great.
Great Quality.

For the price brilliant.

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I am buying a TRB6 and I can't sell this one.
I am making it into a fretless.
This is *the only* product I have bought in 10
years and feel very happy about.
I think yamahas thrash their competition
in each category.

I ordered my Taiwan-made Yamaha through a Zbigniew Holdys music store in Warsaw. It was there after about two weeks.
The bass has an alder body and a bolt-on maple neck with a rosewood fingerboard. The pickups are active Yamaha soapbars. It has active electronics: volume, blend, bass, and treble (it's my first active bass and I love its versatility).
The BBG5S looks very nice - it has a kind of a classic body shape but IMHO it's much less boring in its appearance then e.g. a Fender. My Yamaha has a sweet three-tone sunburst finish which nicely matches a polished brass hardware.

I play rock most of the time. As you all know, rock is a wide genre (from hard rock to prog rock...) and that's why I need flexibility. I can't afford 5 basses (and if I could, I'd still buy only one or two - and it would be an Alembic). I have only two - a fretted and a fretless. Since I use a fretted bass much more often, I need it to be as versatile as possible. The BBG5S delivers. With EQ set flat, it has a classic tone but a bit more punchy than a typical Fender. After a short while of twiddling the control knobs, I can get almost any sound I want - from deep and boomy through extra hard and punchy (with bass and treble set to max - a great slap tone!) to sharp, grinding tones. Very versatile.

The bass came with fairly high setup. After some minor adjustmets it plays great. There are only two problems. First, I had to get used to a really wide neck. Second, there are some fret buzzes here and there. However, it is an unexpensive bass, mind you. ;-)

My Yamaha is reasonably well built, especially for a bass in this price range. The hardware seems very good, the neck doesn't warp... The poor thing landed on a ground a few times - just a few scratches. ;-) The only problem is the finish: it's very easy to scratch it. After a year of playing, the back of a body look terrible. But apart from that, it's a very reliable instrument.

As far as I know, all budget Taiwan-made Yamahas come with a one year warranty. Fair enough. Fortunately, I didn't have to try how this warranty works.

I've been playing bass for 7 years. It's not much but quite enough to know a good bass. The Yamaha BBG5S is good. I think it's very hard to beat in this price range. It has a wide arrange of useful sounds, it's durable (apart from the weak finish), it plays nice and looks good. If it was stolen I'd probably kill myself - I wouldn't be able to afford anything at this moment... ;-) Anyway, it's a very good bass. I've already played a lot of gigs and had two recording session with it, and it never let me down.

24 fret 5 string bass. Two active humbucking pickups with trebble, bass, tone, and volume controls. Alder body, Maple neck and Rosewoood fingerboard. Black finish with gold hardware.

I play in a ska/punk band and so far it has met my every need. It gives me the mellow sound I need for more of the traditonal jazzy ska numbers, as well as a punchy, almost pick-like, sound for punk rock tunes while still letting me play finger style.

Right now it still has the factory setup with a new set of roundwound nickel strings. right out of the box this bass felt right. The strings are well spaced, but not to far apart that I have to reach when playing. The gold hardware on the black finish makes for an impressive look that reminds me of them football greats from my hometown of Pittsburgh. My only complaint is that the black finish smudges easily and I find myself wiping it down alot.

I bought this bass at the end of April and have since played about 8 shows. The finish seems rugged but smudges alot especily if you sweat while you play. (I think I have a glandular problem ;) Dispite continuous shows and practices it stays in tune extrememly well. It's been dropped once or twice with no noticeable damage.

Overall this bass was worth every penny. It's inexpensive and plays like a dream. I would recomend this bass to anyone looking for great tone and great value

5-string 24 frets, active soapbars 2-Band EQ.
Metallic white.Nice action,brass bridge.

I play progressive rock and (very) electric jazz.I use it through an
Swr workingman's 2002 and a cab with a tweeter.
For the price it sounds 10 out of 10, because it's punchy and sounds better then most double the price.I play fingerstyle, and the clean articulation really helps.(I don't like the sound of a pick ever, so no comment about that.)With both pickups on it slaps very punchy.Not perfect brilliant for the price.

It has a proper string spacing, which again helps fingerstyle/slap.(I would like slightly wider, but seeing some of the other crap on the market, I feel blessed.
Again the action is much better then most basses under #1000.
I swapped the B for a high c on top and I love it.
I also put nickel strings on it, cos i dont like steel.
Very happy.

Built like a tank.
Truss rod easy to get to.I always adust when I get a new instrument,
for different string types.

No problems with the bass yet.

I looked for this bass on the strength of reviews I saw here,and it's the best thing i've ever spent my money on.I'll make it my fretless when I buy a TRB6.

2001 Yamaha BBG5S Taiwan made
24 frets, Alder body metallic powder blue, Active electronics, Conventional yet modern shape, Bolt on maple neck w/ rosewood. Nice wide neck. Good tuners. Good finish.

This bass is very versatile. It is on the clean and bright side. However, as a person desiring a dark, deep sound, this bass (with a change of strings) brings a refreshing clarity to that sound. The active pickups are a little noisy, but hey, Its a cheap and needed upgrade to the bbn's poor pickups. Its the best under 500 dollar bass I could find.

The bass was set up for the middle of the road. I had to adjust the truss rod a touch and fix the action when i put on some DR fatbeams 130. The strings that came with the bass provided for a sloppy b. But with the 130, I got to adjust the bridge and now have a splendidly tight b. Have this adjusted professionally if you do not have experience with this- It will pay off in spades.

I believe this bass could withstand hand grenades. It seems like its rock solid. While the gold finish seems like it might rub off, i actually tried on a hided section to damage it and it held up beautifully. The strap buttons could use a little more size though. A 10 in this category.

Ive only heard everyone say Yamaha is great with customer support.

Yamaha has a significant product here for a low price. Unlike Mexi-Fenders or Epiphones, You arent paying money for the "status symbol." What you are paying money for is the significant amount of research Yamaha puts into refining their instruments. I think the BBG5S is a good choice for a low cost bass, especially over the BBN5 pr BBG5. Those models need better electronics and that will cost you 100 dollars plus work. Here you can get a moderate upgrade without the work. It also has a nice remote control type battery compartment.

I'v owned this 5 string bass for a little over a year. It has active electronics, two soap bar type pick ups, and EQ controls for high low and mid as well as volume. Maple neck and alder body with a truly handsome sunburst high gloss finish. Hardware is gold plated which gives the bass a really classy look - which is what attracted me to it in the first place. The neck is really thin ( back to front ) but a nice width to give adequate space between strings for a variety of playing styles.

I've been playing bass for over 30 years and play a variety of types of music. With the active electronics I can find a sound that satisfies everything I do. I run it through mostly Ampeg equipment and as of now don't use any effects. Sound ranges from extremely defined rich deep warm to the brassiest I've ever heard a bass utter, and all stops in between. It's possible but and takes some effort ( via my amp ) to get a muddy sound.

Set up from the factory was middle of the road to appeal to the masses. It took a couple of hours to get things adjusted to where I like them. ( I'm picky ) From then on it has been absolute joy. As mentioned above the appearance of this instrument was what attracted me first but the fit and finish is better than ANY I have ever seen. The neck to body joint is big and flat with gobs of bearing and no gaps. You can play this bass "acoustically" and hear and feel the sound transfering throughout the body. This instrument has nearly the structural integrity of a neck thru design and at less than half the cost.

So far this bass has served me well and I have no reason to believe it won't for many more years. I really thought the gold plating would have worn off easily but it's hanging in there very well including the tuning keys. I have played Fender Jazz basses for years but I feel this bass has required less "messing with" than any one of my old "J" basses. I have come to rely on this Yamaha and I plan to replace my Fender back up with another BBG5S.

I've never dealt with the company and don't plan to. I'd be afraid they'd mess it up. I think there is a five year limited warranty but would prefer to have my local luthier make any repairs needed.

I've been playing for 32 years and I've played them all. Over the years I have learned to keep it simple, stick with high quality products and not always is the most expensive gear the most trouble free. I have been slow to embrace active electronics ( battery IN the guitar ?? ) but I now believe it's here to stay - at least with me. If this bass was stolen I would run out and buy another identical one, track down the thief and beat the snot out of him with one of my Jazz Basses.

Same features as the other reviews mentioned. Mine has the violin-sunburst finish. Together with the gold hardware it really give the bass a classy/jazzy look. Some people (like my brother) may not like that look but it's definitely the kind that I love. All hardware and electronic works perfectly fine. No complaint at all. Thumbs up for the single battery compartment, it makes changing battery very convinent.

I play mostly ska, jazz, and starting to play more funky drum&bass groove. This bass can certainly give the sound that it takes to play those music. Usually the pickups are almost noiseless, except when the treble, bass, and vol are turn up high (near max) and sweep all the way to the neck pickup, then it starts to hum a lot. But then I probably will never dial to that combination anyway, so it is not a problem at all. Great sustain and Great B-string sound and tension. The low B sounds consistent when in use with other strings. I actually find that at the higher frets of B the sound is even better then the same notes play on E. Sadly, I don't have a great set of amp for this bass, I only play it through a 40W practice amp, which only sounds OK. But I also play it on my dad's KENWOOD 200W stereo system which has an integrated amplifier and an input jack for a mic (well, it's for my bass now!!) and suprisingly it give amazing tone and low end. This is great because I can play along with music from the CD and even radio stations!!

The bass is still in factory settings and factory stirngs. I never adjust it because it is perfect for me already - just low enough to fret comfortablly without fretbuzz. The pickups are a little bit high, but I don't mind it because it is not high enough to get in my way yet. This finish as I said before is perfect. The only thing that I found a bit strange is that the sunburst finish on the headstock is "brighter", more like the vintage sunburst then the body's violin sunburst. This creates a sense of mis-match, but that's just me. I know it is not a flaw because that's how it looks on the pics on Yamaha's web site.

I've only had this bass for a couple of days so I can't really comment on the realiability

Haven't need to deal with them yet. However I have a Yamaha upright piano and the customer support there is great. I know that it doesn't mean the same can go for the bass guitar department, but overall I think Yamaha is a great company to deal with.

Well my first 5 string was the ibanez SR405 but after having it for only about a week I traded it to get this lovely BBG5S. It's too bad that only 3 band EQ is not available for this model, I'll be willing to pay an extra hundred or so to get the midrange pot in it too. But still, for the price that it is I think it is the best 5 string out there. If you're thinking about buying it - This is the one!!