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Yamaha BB735A Bass Guitar - Translucent Matte Black

5-string Electric Bass with Alder/Maple Body, 5-piece Maple/Mahogany Neck, Rosewood Fretboard, and 2 Single-coil Pickups - Translucent Matte Black
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Yamaha BB735A Bass Guitar - Translucent Matte Black
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True Innovation Any Bassist Can Appreciate

At first glance, the Yamaha BB735A 5-string bass is a workhorse instrument capable of a wide range of bass tones. Look a bit closer, and you'll find a slew of innovations that make it a truly unique bass. Its 6-bolt miter neck joint transmits more string vibration to the body for impressive sustain, as does its Vintage Plus bridge with diagonal body-through stringing. The BB735A's switchable active/passive circuits deliver impressive sonic versatility, with automatic level matching for both circuits. Factor in stainless steel hardware to resist corrosion over the years, and the Yamaha BB735A is truly a bass to treasure for a lifetime.

Impressive sonic control and active/passive operation

With its specially tuned active/passive circuit, the Yamaha BB735A boasts a sonic range that has impressed bassists at Sweetwater. The switchable active/passive circuit features a level-matched output, which means you won't have to adjust your output volume when changing circuits. In active mode, you have comprehensive sound-shaping potential with the 3-band EQ. In passive mode, the treble control becomes a master tone control. And instead of a selector switch, a blend control allows you to find the perfect balance for its YGD Custom V7 pickups.

Innovating basic concepts

When it comes to building a better bass, Yamaha took nothing for granted with the BB735A. For example, the bolt-on neck is joined to the body with six bolts, two of them mitered (joined at a 45-degree angle). Yamaha's engineers determined that this offers more efficient transfer of vibration, leading to improved sustain and resonance. The innovation continues with the Vintage Plus bridge with diagonal body-through stringing, where strings pass through the body to the bridge at a 45-degree angle. This reduces stress on the string and also contributes to better vibrational transfer.

Convertible saddles offer two distinct voicings

The Vintage Plus bridge actually offers multiple stringing options — you can pass the strings through the body at a 45-degree angle or pass them through the tail end of the bridge. And whichever you choose, you can further dial in your tone via the convertible saddles. Each saddle has a rounder side for a slightly softer sound and a more angled side for a slightly tighter tone. And with the ability to convert each string's saddle individually, you can fine-tune your bass tone on a per-string basis with this bridge.

Yamaha BB735A 5-string Electric Bass Guitar Features:

  • Alder/maple/alder multi-lam body construction for maximum tonal impact
  • 6-bolt miter neck joint for improved vibrational transfer from strings to body
  • YGD Custom V7 pickups with alnico magnets for an organic, well-defined sound
  • Active/passive tone circuit with volume matching for consistent output
  • 3-band EQ in active mode, treble control becomes your master tone control in passive mode
  • Pickup blend knob for dialing in your ideal pickup combination
  • Vintage Plus bridge with diagonal body-through stringing for better vibrational transfer
  • Convertible saddles offer 2 distinct voicings that you can set per string
  • Brass saddles for deep low end, steel bridge plate for added brightness
  • All screws and springs are stainless steel to resist corrosion
  • Lightweight tuning machines for improved balance

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Tech Specs

  • Number of Strings: 5
  • Left-/Right-handed: Right-handed
  • Body Shape: BB Series Doublecut
  • Body Material: Alder/Maple/Alder
  • Body Finish: Satin Polyurethane
  • Color: Translucent Matte Black
  • Neck Material: 5-piece Maple/Mahogany
  • Neck Shape: C
  • Radius: 23.625"
  • Fingerboard Material: Rosewood
  • Fingerboard Inlay: Bars
  • Number of Frets: 21, Medium
  • Scale Length: 34"
  • Nut Width: 1.692"
  • 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 balancer, 3-band Active EQ, Active/Passive switch
  • Strings: D'Addario EXL, .045-.130
  • Case Included: Gig Bag
  • Manufacturer Part Number: BB735A TMBL

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Customer Reviews

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Rated 5/5

Nice bass guitar

This is a nice Yamaha 5-String bass guitar. This is my third Yamaha bass guitar and my second BB model bass guitar. Much like the 4-string BB714BS, it is heavy in weight. It is a quality bass guitar. Frets, neck profile, build quality, paint job, hardware and electronics are all excellent. One issue was the split-pickup cover was making a click sound when my finger tapped it. I removed the cover and added a thin padded two-sided tape so the cover wouldn't hit the bobbin underneath. It wasn't happening to the other half of the split-P or J-bass pickup. I've had it for almost a year and it was a demo model. I like the tones I can get from it in either passive or active mode. I play it in a church music group where I go through a DI box into the soundboard. Sounds fine. Lately, I have been going through a multi-effects pedal for IR miked-amp effect. The soft case is nice and is not a low-budget item. I don't find the need to get a different gig bag or hard case for it.
Rated 4.5/5

Great Bass, but overly conservative factory setup

For the most part, the BB735A is an incredible bass. I first saw one in a music store window on a trip to upstate New York a year ago, and have been lusting after it since. I'll go over the positives first, then hit the one big nitpick at the end.

First, this is an incredible value. In hand, it does not feel like a sub-$1000 instrument. I fully intended to use this as a project bass, ripping out the pickups and preamp in short order. That won't be happening. I am astonished at how nice these stock Yamaha pickups sound right out of the gate. The preamp is also perfectly matched and only serves to augment the natural sound of the bass. The transparent black finish is not incredibly transparent, but does look very very nice. My wife, who never comments on my musical instruments said it was sexy. I cannot overstate how uncharacteristic that reaction was.

The BB735A is also has a very solid construction. The miter bolts make the neck joint feel very solid. The body itself is also very resonant when played acoustically. It just sings. All of the hardware components are excellent. Again, much better than you would expect at this price point.

After some tweaking the bass also plays very well. Neck relief was set perfectly right out of the gate. It's always nice when you don't have to adjust the truss. The action at the bridge was very high at ~5mm on the G at the 17th fret. The hardware, being of excellent quality, made it very easy to set to the preferred 2mm.

The one major nitpick is that the nut slots were set *extremely* high for the E string in particular, and moderately high for the A & D strings. B & G slots were mostly fine. Not sure what happened at the factory. The E-string slot has about 1/2 the thickness of the string rolling over the top. As it was, playability was very stiff at frets 1-4 on those three strings. I am comfortable with filing down the nut slots, having done it on parts builds in the past. But do know that this is something you may encounter with this instrument.

Nut issues aside, this is an otherwise wonderful instrument. The neck profile is very nice for a 5-er. The pickups are astonishingly sweet. The preamp is well-matched to the bass. The body is comfortable and resonant. The trans-black finish looks sharp. Overall, it's a winner.
Rated 5/5

Best Budget 5 String!

This thing is killer! Yamaha has got all these awesome details on their instruments that I would have never thought to do, but make a significant difference in performance. The pickups sound great. They do a great job of maintaining classic P and J sounds that everyone is used to while adding some extra punch from modern, active electronics. And if active isn't your thing, you can just switch it off! Even the soft case it came with is outstanding quality.

I can't recommend this enough for any bass player who is looking to get into 5 string, or just wants a super solid workhorse instrument.

p.s. Jason Koons was a great help!
Music background: Recording artist, Church musician
Rated 5/5

My new favorite bass

I bought this with the intention of getting comfortable on a 5 string. To my surprise there was very little learning curve! On day 1 everything felt super comfortable and I was right on track. This bass looks and sounds killer. The active/passive toggle is a HUGE feature. Pickups sound amazing. A bit heavy on the highs, but it is very easy to find a setting that fits perfect in any situation.
Rated 5/5

Incredible Bass for the price

I was looking for a road/tour worthy back up bass. After weeks of research, I started getting my hopes up with high expectations for this bass. When it arrived, every bit of my expectations were met. What impressed me most was the craftsmanship & material of this BB735A. Coming in at close to 9lbs was a major plus as well. Yamaha, Sweetwater & Sales Engineer Bob Furlong knocked it out of the park.
Music background: 40+ Years
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