I completely agree with you. Even about the black headstock looking only really great on the black version. Their 400 series sound essentially perfect to me.

Outstanding review: Knowledgeable bassist, focuses on the two things that matter: build quality and sound quality for the price point. You sold me, but on the older version! Great comparison, thanks!

@soundslikeben

Жыл бұрын

Much appreciated!

Thanks for the demo. I purchased the BB434 last yr. It's become my main bass. I have a few others. the weight is perfect too.

@soundslikeben

5 жыл бұрын

Thanks for watching! I agree about the weight; I’m very thankful at the end of a long gig.

I had a BB1024, which I just LOVED...I got a BB434 (in that beautiful burst) at a great price, and reluctantly moved on the 1024 as I needed to thin my collection. I kept the 434 mainly because it was lighter. For me, though, the 1024 just edges it in tone. In a lot of ways I regret selling it. I think, generally, BBs are some of the finest basses on the planet!

@soundslikeben

4 жыл бұрын

Love that burst. I keep being tempted to move my 1025X to thin the heard, but every time I track with it - especially dance / pop, lookout! And so it stays.

Hi, Ben. I came across your video while searching for reviews of the BB434. I am now more convinced that the BB434 is going to be my next 4 string. Thanks for making this video.

@soundslikeben

3 жыл бұрын

Thanks for watching and commenting, Simon. I am still enjoying mine :)

The P pup on Bb434 has nail that nice Pbass vibe, but both pickups run on 1025 has really nice smooth modern tone.

Great review! Two excellent basses and fantastic value.

@soundslikeben

5 жыл бұрын

Thanks, Al!

The white 5 string sounds like it using humbuckers. So thick and full. I like that, but it may cause some to wonder how to get a bright tone outta it coming from a Mexi P or J. Stainless roundwounds and a low setup would be the perfect bass for everything for me!

Thanks for this comp! I am amazed at the quality and tone on these BB's. As one who has been accused of being a tone snob, they have my attention for sure.

@soundslikeben

4 жыл бұрын

Thanks for watching, Michael! I really think Yamaha is doing something right with either the wood selection or the wood drying for these basses. They are resonant in just the right way.

to each their own, maple fretboard and black headstock looks cool imo.

Nice review! I have the TBS and I think the black headstock is ok due to the black pickguard but I agree on the other colors. I preferred the 434 vs the 734 as I dislike active circuitry. I'd love to find the BBP34 to play but I bet it's not that much better, mainly the metal parts?

Thanks for the video, great comparison!. I think a more even head-to-head bass off would be between the BBP34 and the BB2024X. 1024X is a higher bass with respect to the BB434. Greetings and thanks again!

I have a special love for yamaha basses and have 12 in my collection.

@soundslikeben

Жыл бұрын

Right? Yamaha FTW

Months ago I got the bb234 in natural, I prefer to see the wood. . I love the look and its a keeper but its got some neck dive if that bothers anyone. Its solid build is very heavy feeling to me or it could just be where the balance puts it. . Personally I give mine 10 on looks/build and a 6 on comfort/playability. Looks great with the others tho. Its fun to pull out and work with and its also fun to put back in 30 minutes and grab a light comfortable bass.

thank you Ben for the review! It helped me to make decision to go for bb434. By the way very nice riff, is it a famous one?

@soundslikeben

5 жыл бұрын

Thanks, Valera. It is from Two Trains by Little Feat.

Great bass review. If you wanted to stay to the traditional blade pickups, perhaps try the Nordstrand Big Blades.

@soundslikeben

3 жыл бұрын

Thanks for watching and for the recommendation, Billy!

Thanks man

I share your opinion on the headstock. Sadly that's kept me from being more interested in these. The ones I've tried have been great.

I leave the older lineup tbh, I loved the way those pickup looked with the blade pole pieces, the metal ring around pick-ups and even the much fatter sound

@soundslikeben

4 жыл бұрын

They really do sound fat. Tracks very well.

@DigBipper188

3 жыл бұрын

Yeah. I personally would have maintained production on them, or at least had a version of the 434 that had pickups that were wound identically to the older BBs... The neck pickups on even the 424 and 425X are absolutely magnificent despite not being rails like the 1024 and up!!

Thanks for the great comparison video! Although the pickups on the BB1025x have much stronger output than the new BB434 models, I do prefer the sound character of the BB434. The BB1025 series can be pretty aggressive, the new models sound a bit more vintage.

@soundslikeben

5 жыл бұрын

Thanks for watching! I go back and forth on it so much. At this point, I’m happy to own both.

Just bought a used 1025x and waiting for it to arrive... I’m amazed how hard it is to get hold of these nowadays

@soundslikeben

5 жыл бұрын

Congrats on the new bass!

@DigBipper188

3 жыл бұрын

yeah. I would have thought with the number of popular musicians picking up Yamaha bass gear nowadays that they would have become more common... Saying that, could be a rare instance of a bass that's "almost too good to sell", so they might have a bunch of them in the wild with barely anyone willing to sell... Which any manufacturer could tell you is a hard feat to achieve!

I typically find bridge pickups on most basses to be utterly unusable on their own, but the one on the 1025X is actually pretty impressive.

@SonicXRage

8 ай бұрын

Agreed. I almost can't stand the sound of bridge pickups most of the time, but the 1025X has a very good one.

Love BB basses, the only downside to them is the 21 frets, it'd be nice to have 24, I mean they have great yamahas with 24 frets too but not in that shape.

Yamaha make great basses for sure, but for me the pickups on the older 1025X have a more solid sound. I think the new range are more of a cost cutting measure, still good basses but not as good as the previous 1024X and 1025X models. Nice playing by the way, great demo.

@soundslikeben

4 жыл бұрын

Thanks, Belman5. It does seem like they found a way to lower the cost, especially at the high end of the range, but I must say I am a total fan of the new neck joint. I like both of them. -\_(;-)_/-

great review thanks. the white sounds 'bigger' to my ears which would come from the extra wood on a 5 string. both sound great.

@savanaviolenta

5 жыл бұрын

I would say it sounds boomier not bigger.

I think I will look for a five string version and drop an EMG hz PJ set into it, and call it a day.

Your point about the black headstock is completely superficial and petty, and i completely agree XD nice video, good job

Digging the background music, Mercy, Mercy, Mercy - Cannonball Adderly quintet for those curious

@soundslikeben

4 жыл бұрын

Good catch, Ken! It's a fun and easy arrangement for solo bass.

@kenthane8424

4 жыл бұрын

@@soundslikeben I thought it was "Two Trains" by Little Feat... You have a better ear than me!

@soundslikeben

4 жыл бұрын

@@kenthane8424 You're correct as well, Ken! Two Trains is the main groove in the bass comparisons. Mercy Mercy Mercy is in the background while I'm speaking.

Strange, my BB 435 also came with a wobble tuner on the G string apparently its a common issue for the G string

Hey Ben, have you ever played G&L SB-2 model and can you compare it to BB434 in terms of tone and playability? Cheers and keep up with great work!

@soundslikeben

4 жыл бұрын

Hey Predrag, although I have played one in a store, I have never owned a SB-2 long enough to make a comparison. In general, I feel like G&L deserves more love than they get. I also like that you can specify neck shapes with their basses. Thanks for watching!

As the proud owner of a 425X, the lower end version of your 1025X, it's intriguing to hear just how different the 434 sounds compared to both of them. It has a much brighter overall tone to it very similar to what you'd get from a Fender P-bass with an additional J pickup in the bridge. My 425X is a little more low and lower-mid happy in terms of its frequency response and it REALLY shows when you chuck a little bit of overdrive in front of it and chuck it into the bridge pickup position. The only other bass I can think of that could get close to a BB would be the later models of the Yamaha SBV-550. Sadly though those basses are quite rare and clean examples are really going up in price lately.

@soundslikeben

3 жыл бұрын

Yeah, the girth of the older generation is something to behold.

You‘re consistency in person.

I like the PJ set that Yamaha has on BRX intro basses they sound better than the one's you have on BB434. Who knew!

@savanaviolenta

3 жыл бұрын

PJ set on entry level RBX to sound better than YGD pickups on BB434? That's a joke. I know BB pickups outplay the ceramic cheapo pickups on those beginner rbx basses every day any day.

were you playing the BB434 with stock strings or what kind of other strings?

The 434 has a lot more tonal range to my ear, its a shame it doesn't get quite as thick as the 1025. I would be tempted to to play with the tone cap in the 434 to thicken the tone just a tad.

@DigBipper188

3 жыл бұрын

That it does. This will be because they've changed the windings on the pickups when they went with a more conventional PJ setup. They must have gone with lower impedance pickups, meaning the coils have fewer windings than the ones on the BB1024/1025 pickups. By doing this, they will have reduced the output of the bass a bit, but for that regained some of the higher frequency response that the older BBs didn't have due to being much hotter pickups.

Mine had broken tuning key from Sweetwater. I choose them to send another 435. It had 2 broken tuning keys. Should have kept the 1st bass and had them send keys. It had mojo.

Great video have you ever played the trbx series Yamahas

@soundslikeben

4 жыл бұрын

Thanks for watching. I have played them in store, but have not spent a ton of time with one.

I was originally leaning towards one of the Mexican-made Fender Player Series P-Basses as my official "starter" bass, but man considering what that Yamaha BB434 brings to the table (especially regarding the price I usually see it listed at, WHOA!) I might have to seriously rethink that. Biggest selling points for me were the classic "PJ" pickup configuration (same as the Fender Player Series Jaguar Bass which is in the same ballpark price-wise, but the Yamaha pulls off that iconic P-Bass split-coil pickup sound much better by comparison) as well as being able to customize your own pickup settings due to Yamaha finally standardizing them. Might still get a Fender P-Bass at some point, especially if I see one with a maple fretboard that's tailor-made for southpaws like myself. In the meantime, that Yamaha has already gone straight to my Amazon wishlist (and I honestly don't mind the black-painted head stock with the sunburst body since the rosewood fretboard manages to tie it all together from an aesthetic standpoint anyway, lol). Nice comparison between the old and new BB models and yeah, DEFINITELY hold on to that 1025X as it has too much character going for it and those unique-styled pickups add to its historical value on top of that! ;-)

@soundslikeben

4 жыл бұрын

Thanks for watching and for the thoughtful comment. I keep recommending the BB434 to new players because it is so good at this price point and it’s a great platform to upgrade.

@PeekaPeep

4 жыл бұрын

@@soundslikeben Speaking of the price, I'm not even sure Fender can compete with the likes of Yamaha anymore. Closest they have to the BB400 Series is their recent American Performer line and those basses are more than double the price of their Japanese counterparts. For that much money, you'd think they would've added a body-thru feature for the strings at least like they did for their even pricier American Pro Series! Heck, if Yamaha ever decides to roll out more color variations to choose from (head stock included, lol) as well as a left-handed option for their long-revered BB line they would really have the bass market cornered like never before...

I find the 1025 to be a price range higher than the 400. I believe the only difference between the 1025 and the 2025 was the wood treatment. The only thing I don't like about most BB basses with the J is the amount of interference you get from the single coil. Less noticeable on the higher end models (owning the BBP35 too) but could still do with them being humbucking single coils, especially for the prices paid these days.

Notice the pole spacing on the P pickup vs the Jazz pickup. The sound is two round on the P pickup and Bartolini does not make a P pickup to fit this application. I think Aguilar does.

@soundslikeben

4 жыл бұрын

I have seen a few 434s and 435s with upgraded Bartolinis, but since they were all for sale, I guess the owners were ultimately not satisfied with the mod. Either that or G.A.S. struck again. ;)

Same problem. From Sweetwater. 1st bass had 2 broken tuners. Had a choice between having tuners sent or another bass. Went with another bass. And you guessed it, another broken key. The first bass a got sounded really good. The one I have now? It's ok. Damn decisions.

@soundslikeben

4 жыл бұрын

Ah. Sorry you are having those troubles. If the bass just sounds okay, I would move on to something else. I just popped a fresh set of strings on mine before a gig. Really enjoying the lively sound of this one.

Sounds great!

@soundslikeben

5 жыл бұрын

Thanks, Leo!

the new BB434 sounds much softer, maybe its due to the wood used for the body? but a simple suggestion would be to upgrade the pots to 500k or even 1 meg pots to brighten things up a touch. I did that to my Fender Geddy Lee jazz bass and man it had so much punch and treble people thought it was a Ric 4003 lol

Why did you have the bass volume so low in the mix?

Review cort c4 plus zmbh please

Great review. My opinion is that 1025X sounds better than 434. It has warmer, deeper and fuller sound. 2024 and 2025 basses sounds as good as 1024/1025 or in my opinion even slightly better. I have BB2024X and it is best bass I ever owned or had in my hands. My other basses were Wal, Alembic Rogue, Warwick Thumb, Music Man Sting Ray, Music Man Bongo, G&L L-2000, G&L LB-100, G&L JB, several Fender basses, Suhr Jazz Bass, Mike Lull Jazz Bass...etc... I have had in my hands many different Foderas, Ken Smiths, MTD:s, Tobias basses, Mayonese, Alembic Series I and II...I cant remember all. Nothing is better than BB2024X. I think that back pickup sound of 434 is surprisingly thin. Still all Yamaha basses are great. Best brand in the world.

@soundslikeben

4 жыл бұрын

Thanks for watching. I have owned a few of those brands too (Wal, G&L, Alembic). Horses for courses, but I do love those Yammies.

@savanaviolenta

4 жыл бұрын

Well, man sound is subjective thing, it's not that one is better than the other, they're just different.

im sold on the BB434...

1025 sounds lot thicker. I didn't know 1025 was this good.

Ben, how do you think these would compare to a Mexican Player P Bass, in both tone and build quality? Plus weight.

@soundslikeben

4 жыл бұрын

I have found the BB434 to be more consistent in terms of build quality, but there are some truly great MIM Fenders - you just have to play them in store to try before you buy.

Nicer tones from older model

hi, I would like to know about the neck profile and the whole weight of the Yamaha bb434 in comparison with the prior bb serie ( I ow the Yamaha bb714bs).

@soundslikeben

10 ай бұрын

It is a little tough to compare the profiles of these two because one is a 4 and one is a 5-string. With that said, they feel pretty similar from a standpoint of being very middle of the road C shaped profiled. Not too deep or shallow. Rounded on the back. Normal fingerboard edges (not huge rolled edges).

The, 1025 has a much more usable sound at the neck pickup. More solid and less round.

@davidlucky178

4 жыл бұрын

Yes, older model more growly sound that i like.. newer bass is like less character

BB234 or TRBX174 ?

I prefer the sound of the 1025, but the 434 would probably sound just as good with better pickups. Also like v/v/t control setup better

@andesneko

4 жыл бұрын

I doubt it would sound "as good", but it is very good for the money and would only be better with better pickups. Japanese Yamaha's just resonate better, and that's all in the wood, hardware and construction.

Hi, have you tried to compare the BB434 with Squier Affinity P bass? Which one is better in terms of tone versatility and which have better low punch?

@soundslikeben

4 жыл бұрын

I have not spent a ton of time with the Affinity P, but I do have a Squier Classic Vibe. I’ll give the BB434 the edge for versatility because of the addition of a J pickup, but I like both basses. The BB434 is also has a more resonant body. The Classic Vibe has a great neck feel and sound.

@vaduzcrew

4 жыл бұрын

@@soundslikeben thanks for the insight. Really appreciate it!

Oh also, how bad is the neck dive on the 5 string bbs?

@soundslikeben

3 жыл бұрын

Hi, Alfie. Thanks for watching. Headstock dive is present on the BB1025X, but it is not as bad as some other 5s like the Sire V7. This is in part because the 1025X has a fairly heavy body, or at least mine does.

I like the bridge on the 1025, but overall the 434 for me. I have the BB734 since last year and loving it, but just wish I could change the bridge pickup, not because of the sound, I love it, but because of the HUM, it's crazy loud, I know single coil pup on any make will hum, but I think Yamaha should have addressed this early on with a noise cancelling pup. Good review and thanks.

@soundslikeben

5 жыл бұрын

Interesting. I wonder if it is a grounding or shielding problem on your particular bass. I get a little hiss from the bridge pickup if the treble is all the way up on my 434, but no noticeable hum.

@savanaviolenta

5 жыл бұрын

@@soundslikeben the hum is present on the 2024/5 bass ,so Yamaha made it on purpose.After watching all the revies of previous BB series I can certanly say the BB424X is my favorite,it just growls and encompasses the whole track like a warm blanket and sits perfectly in the mix.The upper models have "better" specs,but I don't like how they sound.

@samboyd4393

2 жыл бұрын

Mine is dead quiet. For me the best bass I've ever owned. I've had this bass (734A) longer than any other. Plays like butter.

I’m new to bass. Can you string this bass E to High C? Also, is there a lot of fret buzz on this model?

@Jogandoasaudade

Ай бұрын

You could do the string replacement but would also need to replace the nut. As for frete buss, might just be a string height preference.

I prefer the sound of a bass played with a pick.

To comapre it correctly BB434 vs BB424,BB734A vs 1024,in your demo the 1024 is a higher model than the 434.From the old BB series the BB424 has the best P bass tone,check out the BB734A ,this bass is sick!!!

@soundslikeben

4 жыл бұрын

I prefer the passive BB434 with the all alder body and the new neck joint. The 734 has the same neck joint with the sandwich construction body with the maple core.

@savanaviolenta

4 жыл бұрын

@@serpico975 I have both so cannot recommend each one of them enough.

I think the 1025x should be going against the BB735 as it is the upper middle range of the new BB line. 1025x is the middle of the previous. Ps, I own a 1025x and it is a beast of a bass :D

@soundslikeben

4 жыл бұрын

Thanks for watching and commenting, Kevin. Perhaps, but the BB735 is active and the 1025X is not. But really, I was making a comparison with the basses I own. I could see the BBP35 being a good comparison too because price-wise, it is closer to the 1025 than the 2025.

@andesneko

4 жыл бұрын

Sounds Like Ben It has a passive switch. But really, the 1024 and 2024 only differ in wood treatment. The 700 series isn't as high end as the 1000 series.

@hztjtao

4 жыл бұрын

BB2024/2025 is created with selected cream of the crop wood then treated. BB1024 is not chosen wood and not treated. It reflects in the sensitivity to touch and ability to vary tone color based solely on yr fingers even before touching any controls.

I LOVE the black with maple fretboard. If they will sell it to me for 540 not 599 Ill buy it. Waiting on Sweetwater now. Don't like the teal Have a sunburst YEA BB 434M Love the video!

@soundslikeben

10 ай бұрын

If the teal had a natural or matched headstock, I'd be all over it.

@InterestingWorldLove

10 ай бұрын

On the 30th last month I order the and paid the extra $60 for no fretboard. Still waiting my be another 2 weeks or more. LOL @@soundslikeben

Which bass is better for you, yamaha bb434 or squier vintage modified pj bass ?

@soundslikeben

5 жыл бұрын

Joshua Kevin I haven’t spent much time with the Squier VM PJ. On spec, I prefer the alder body on the Yamaha, but the Squier also sells for $200 less than the Yamaha. If price is a strong consideration, you may want to look at the BB234 for $299. You give up the 6 bolt neck joint, but still get the alder body.

@135_joshuakevinpramudya9

5 жыл бұрын

@@soundslikeben thanks a lot for the information.

Is the Yamaha BB434M made in China/Japan/Indonesia? Thanks

@soundslikeben

Жыл бұрын

Made in Indonesia.

Do you have 250k pots or 500k?

@soundslikeben

4 жыл бұрын

Which bass are you asking about?

Have you experienced a very low output from this bass? It plays and sounds outstandingly, but it seems to me that has a much lower volume than many other basses.

@soundslikeben

Жыл бұрын

I don't have the BB435 any more, but I don't recall that being an issue with this bass when I had it. Are your other basses active? That could be the difference.

@antonioriccardini1396

Жыл бұрын

@@soundslikeben All passive. I've decided to set the pickups closer to the strings and the output has improved.

What's the difference between bb 434 and 234

@soundslikeben

Жыл бұрын

The most important differences to me are the neck joint (super cool 6 bolt neck joint with angled bolts on the 434), and the upgraded pickups.

Just another example of why you would need both basses. You would have it covered.

I am watching this video so likely but to buy a new bass guitar it is a dream for us...😓

@soundslikeben

5 жыл бұрын

Thanks for watching, Lawan. I have seen some great used deals coming up on the BB434 and 435. Might make it a little more attainable. Good luck in your quest!

The 434 sounds skinny and weak next to the 1025.

Plenty of cost cutting in the new line of BBs, especially the BBP Japanese made ones. The quality and wood choice is simply not as good compared to the higher priced bb2025/2024. It sounds like a cheaper bass should in the new line of basses. Own both bb2024/2025 and new bbp34, sold the bbp34 in a month time as the older bb2024/2025 is simply a few classes above.

@soundslikeben

4 жыл бұрын

The 2024/2025 are special instruments for sure.

The old one w the thicker P pup is better. It shakes the floor.

@soundslikeben

5 жыл бұрын

Thanks for watching!

The 1025X sounds lifeless compared to the BB434. I recommend the EMG PJ hz set for your BB434. The EMGs are a blade design but you would not know it. The harmonics, depth, and detail are all there. I also have a set of EMG 40 hz's on another bass. I won't recommend them to my worst enemy and they will be replaced. EMG must be out of their minds.

@soundslikeben

4 жыл бұрын

What didn't you like about them?

BB1025X Sounds way better to my ears.

@soundslikeben

4 жыл бұрын

It is so interesting to me how many people have a clear preference, but they don't all prefer the same bass. They really do sound quite different. Thanks for watching!

BB1025x all day.

What is this bassline? Sounds a bit like Steely Dan.

@soundslikeben

Жыл бұрын

That is the bass line to Two Trains by the great bassist, Kenny Gradney.

1025!!!!!)))))

Don't be left handed and want one.

I can't take anymore.

@soundslikeben

4 жыл бұрын

Only a BB can help ;)