Yamaha TRB5II lefthand Review

History:

Purchase: I was looking for a fivestring lefthand bass for around 700 euros, but all I found was cheap crap that sounded hopeless, played like a broomstick, or very expensive high-end basses. Finally I found three basses of my liking, a Cort B5, an Ibanez SR885 and this Yamaha. The Ibanez dropped off the list because of its lacquered neck, which felt sticky and was way to thin. The Cort proved to be of non-consistent quality, as I found some of the same model that were quite different. Non-straight necks, necks that weren't smooth, necks in way too wide pockets, bridges mounted in very strange angles... Non of this was evident on the Yamaha. Great, fat yet comfortable, smooth neck, and none the least a GREAT sound! I bought it at Rock Palace, The Hague, the Netherlands, for 1100 euro's.

What I Like About This Unit: Most of all I fell for the neck. The feel of it is just superb! It has normal string spacing, while most other fivestrings have narrower necks which I find very uncomfortable on a bass (even though I'm a guitarist). It just feels nice and fat, without being too fat. And thanks to the 35" scale, the overall sound is nice and tight, yet still very warm, deep and rich. You get lots of sustain, which I find very important too. It's also very quiet. The electronics give no noise at all, only if you turn up the treble all the way.

What I Do NOT Like About The Yamaha TRB5II lefthand: Have found nothing I don't like about it yet. But maybe I will in the future. I have heard the strap buttons may come loose after some time when used intensively, and the gold hardware wears. But we'll see what the future will bring.

TRB5II lefthand Quality: Solid two-piece light ash body, ergonomically shaped and comfortably curved on top and back. Three-piece maple neck, rosewood fingerboard, connected to the body with six bolts. Solid brass bridge and tuners, nickelsilver frets, Yamaha dual humbuckers, active three-band EQ, pickup balancer and volume, nice ash veneer on top of the headstock in the colour of the body. Looks very sturdy built, and feels very sturdy too. This bass looks like it can take some abuse and gigging.

Summary: I LOVE THIS BASS! It just plays fantastic, sounds great, and gives you incredible value for the money it costs you. I'm incredibly happy with it and wouldn't trade it for anything.

Rating of this product: 4

This Yamaha Bass Guitars Review Submitted By: Jeroen Gahrmann

Date: 2003-09-30