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Yamaha BB734A Bass Guitar - Translucent Matte Black

4-string Electric Bass Guitar with 3-pc Alder and Maple Body, 5-pc Maple and Mahogany Neck, Rosewood Fretboard, 2 Single-coil Pickups, and Active Preamp - Translucent Matte Black
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Yamaha BB734A Bass Guitar - Translucent Matte Black
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Classic Yamaha BB Bass with a Modern Soul

This BB734A 4-string electric bass guitar takes the BB bass platform into the future with a flexible active design that is will find its voice in any musical situation. Additional updates include a thinner neck profile that is crowned with new light-weight tuning machines. And the the bass' 3-piece alder/maple/alder body sings with a balance of attack and warmth. Add the sustain-enhancing 6-bolt miter neck joint and convertible bridge for harmonically rich sustain and the BB734A 4-string is your BB of choice.

The BB bass legacy

When the first Yamaha BB basses rolled off the line in the late '70s, the bass world quickly took notice. A diverse array of high-caliber players took to these unique instruments, such as Van Halen's Michael Anthony, No Doubt's Tony Kanal, and legendary session ace Abraham Laboriel Sr. Their comfortably contoured bodies, clear-as-a-bell electronics, and immediately identifiable look keep these basses at the forefront of many different genres. The Yamaha BB734A is among the latest additions to this storied line of lauded instruments.

Familiar construction with modern twists

What truly sets Yamaha's BB basses apart from other basses are their comfortable and familiar contours. Carefully crafted from a carefully tuned combination of alder and maple, the BB734A 4-string's body boasts that same identifiable character. Its rounded edges and forearm and belly cuts seem to melt into your body while performing. The bass's 5-piece maple and mahogany bolt-on neck sings with a new level of punch and sustain, thanks for its 6-bolt miter design. And its slightly thinner profile is a welcome addition for more modern styles of players.

Flexible and powerful electronics

Whether you're a session player or a specialist, you know the benefits of a P/J pickup combination. The pickups in this BB734A are Yamaha's present-sounding YGD Custom V7 Alnico V single-coil design. Use the bass's active 3-band EQ and blend to dial in more of the neck pickup for that all-important P-style growl. And nail punchy fingerstyle tones with the bridge pickup — a favorite for many Sweetwater bassists. The BB734A's active/passive switch offers two different characters while also being a lifesaver if you find yourself without a battery.

Yamaha BB734A Active Bass Guitar Features:

  • Powerful, active version of a classic bass
  • Modern appointments such as lightweight tuners for better balance
  • 3-piece alder/maple/alder body offers a clear tone with plenty of punch
  • YGD Custom V7 Alnico V P/J pickup setup is versatile and intuitive
  • Active preamp with 3-band EQ will nail any tone you need
  • Onboard active/passive switch instantly selects between 2 tonal characters
  • 5-piece maple and mahogany bolt-on neck is incredibly stable
  • The neck's 6-bolt miter neck joint ensures the bass sings with clarity and sustain
  • Thinner neck profile for a more modern feel

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Tech Specs

  • Number of Strings: 4
  • Left-/Right-handed: Right-handed
  • Body Shape: Yamaha BB Doublecut
  • Body Material: 3-piece Alder/Maple/Alder
  • Body Finish: Satin Polyurethane
  • Color: Translucent Matte Black
  • Neck Material: 5-piece Maple/Mahogany
  • Neck Shape: Slim BB profile
  • Radius: 10"
  • Fingerboard Material: Rosewood
  • Fingerboard Inlay: Bars
  • Number of Frets: 21, Medium
  • Scale Length: 34"
  • Nut Width: 1.57"
  • Nut Material: GraphTech Tusq
  • Bridge/Tailpiece: Vintage Plus String-thru Bridge with Convertible Brass Saddles, Steel Plate
  • Tuners: Lightweight Open-gear
  • Neck Pickup: VSP7n Alnico V Split-coil
  • Bridge Pickup: VSC7b Alnico V Single-coil
  • Controls: 1 x master volume, 1 x pickup balance, 3-band Active EQ, Active/Passive switch
  • Strings: D'Addario EXL, .045-.100
  • Case Included: Gig Bag
  • Manufacturer Part Number: BB734A TMBL

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Customer Reviews

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Rated 5/5

Monster Bass

First off, I want to give a shout-out to my Sales Agent, Kenny Stratton. I called Sweetwater a few months ago, asking about this bass, but is was out of stock and due to the pandemic, there were delays re-stocking, so Kenny reserved one for me, and as soon as they became available, I received a call back and was able to place the order in no time. I applied for the 24 month, no interest promo, and the bass got here in about 2 work days. Exceptional service all in all. Thanks Kenny.

Now, on to the instrument itself. The bass is gorgeous in person. Honestly the online pictures don't even do it justice. The matte black is sleek. The neck feels smooth to play and is somewhere in between a Jazz and Precision bass, leaning toward the P. Very comfortable indeed. Out of the box, it came with a nice comfortable action. Just a quick tuning, and was good to go. It comes with D'Addario nickel strings, which I've used before and personally prefer them for their cost effectiveness. Sound wise, this bass is a beast. It has many tonal options with its EQ and active/passive modes. Used it at our worship group's rehearsal so far, and just loved the beefy sound I was able to get from it. Definitely Yamaha makes some darn good instruments, at affordable prices. As a cool little bonus, it has one of the nicest gig bags I've ever seen. Good protection overall, with a nice soft interior, a flap to hold the neck in place, straps for carrying like a backpack, and some nice pockets to fit cables, tuners, etc. Goes perfectly with it.

Now to the only "downside". The bridge "J" type pickup is not noiseless, by any means. There definitely is a bit of a hum that comes from it, specially if you dial it all the way up. It's fixable with a bit of tweaking, and is really not a big deal for me, but I feel like it's worth mentioning for anyone looking into it. All in all, I have to highly recommend this bass, as it's just too good, at the price point to look over.
Music background: Bass Player for Christ
Rated 4.5/5

Superb Value

I purchased this bass as a backup for my Musicman Caprice. I am pleased to report that this bass is more than up to the task. It rivals the Caprice, which cost more than twice the price, in every way and offers wider tone pallet. Money well spent!
Music background: Busker
Rated 5/5

Incredible bass!

This really is an amazing instrument. Passive/active switch and pickup options lead to great variety of tones. I tend to favor the precision pickup, but that is what I was looking for in a new bass anyway. Bass feels sturdy and looks amazing, and plays like a bass twice its price.

Also worth noting the gig bag included is so much better than I expected. I was surprised to see it included a gig bag and was expecting nothing more than I plastic dust cover but it is the best gig bag I have.
Rated 5/5

Great Do All Bass Guitar

This bass has it all when it comes to features. It has a string through body, a 5 piece neck, a unique neck body attachment method, a solid bridge, a J and a P pickup with a pickup selector, bass, mid, and and treble controls (the treble doubles as a tone control when in passive mode), yes this bass is active/passive! What I was very surprised by is that this bass is identical to the BBP34 - their flagship model! Only differences are that the 734A wasn't treated with the IRA acceleration process (which supposedly gives the P34 that well seasoned tone), and was made in Indonesia as opposed to Japan. The 734A, however, also sports active/passive capability which theP34 does not! Oh and one more thing, the 734A is $... less than the P34!

The neck on this bass is has a unique finish on it which is very comfortable to play. It sounds great and has many tone shaping capabilities. Buy this bass, you'll never need another.
Rated 5/5

BB734A Rocks

The BB series from Yamaha has always been excellent. I've played Yamaha for 25 yrs and my BB3000 is king. The 734A is amazing. My first thought was how solid this bass feels and how easy to play. It is as perfect of a bass in feel, comfort, and tone as it gets. The tone is extremely flexible. I highly recommend this bass.
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