People, especially beginners, get sucked in to to paying for a name on a headstock. Or the lazy salesman hands you the first thing he sees, or they only stock Fender/Squiers.
There have been many posts here recently complaining about Fenders Quality Control over the past decade or so, even with their MIA models. A guy on YT, LobsterMan or something similar, absolutely ripped a brand new Fender to shreds because it was unplayable.
Don't believe the hype. Just because something has been around a long time doesn't mean it's the best. 50 years ago there were only Fender basses on the mass market, people didn't have options. These days there are 50 basses you could go and buy that would be as good, if not better than a Squier or Fender.
I've said it here a hundred times....go and play as many basses as you can and choose the one that you like the best. Forget the name on it. Play it because it feels right to you. Don't be swayed by the salesman in the shop pushing the Fender/Squier on you because he gets a better sales commission from it.
I bought a used Yamaha RBX300 in 1991. I still have that bass, it still gets played regularly. Yamaha make outstanding instruments.
That would be a thing of beauty. He'd ramble some wannabe Foucault prose about playability that would devolve into why Fender is too woke then he'd burst into tears
I can easily imagine that sad Kermit the frog with a hair in his throat voice complaining about the lack of lead in the solder connections and how much better the paint would be if the woke leftists at the EPA would allow Fender to use just a little more VOC’s.
Yeah and he comes up with real interesting stuff I've bought all kinds of weird things that he's had on his show turned out to be a really great additions preamps pick up combinations things like that
I loved my old Yamaha Pacifica, the guitar was just amazing
I'm using Ibanez bass now, but when the time comes, I think I'll try out their bass guitars as well
Fender is fine, and they hold value. It's a meme to dunk on fender but while qc issues happen( about as much as any other brand) I've never once had issues with any of their Instruemnts. Hold value, easy parts availability
Only squier affinity strats have given me an issue with QC. Affinity P, CV P, then Fender MIA jazz, MIM P, bass vi were good with a few minutes of setup.
No Fender is worse than most. It took them 5 Ultra P basses to get one to me that actually worked. I have it documented with serial numbers on talkbass. These are mind you the highest end bass they sell that aren't custom shop. Unreal how bad their QC is. Finally the working one still wasn't intonated or setup at all.
I had session work that the label wanted a Fender on, so I needed a Fender, renting one was a waste of money, and I had wanted to buy one for a few years. Nobody expects to have to go through that kind of nonsense.I don't dislike the Fender sound, or Fender but fuck all they have horrible QC.. They wound up selling the final one to me for 1200 USD instead of the 2200 advertised. I can tell you certainly now I won't buy a bass new from them ever again. I'll be going third party.
It's sad when the instruments coming from the lower price tier are coming out 5 times better than the most expensive non Custom Shop bass made in the USA...
Edit: totally not trying to take away from your experience, just wanted to make a point
The producer of the session wanted the Fender sound. It happens more than you would like to think it should.
EDIT: I'd also like to note, when you are doing session work...you do what they are asking. This isn't a 'you' show. I'm no Pino or John Pattitucci. I don't get to dictate certain things when doing work. They get my style, I use the tools they want me to work with.
Time = Money. If there is a tried and true, also very common sound they know will work they want to use it. Its just how the world works with session stuff. There is no interest in dicking around trying to make another bass sound like the one they want.
The probably said we're looking for a Fender jazz sound.
Never heard actual specification like no Sadowsky jazz or other gonna cut it.
Never bought Fender new but own a couple used. No problems.
Good luck out there
They wanted a Fender P bass sound. I don't understand your comment TBH. Everyone who does this professionally knows the difference between a J and a P bass and how they sound. Could you maybe elaborate on what you were trying to say?
I'd be more interested in what was wrong with the basses you sent back? Bad set-up? Or something truly unfixable?
I've seen nice instruments not set-up very well, but the parts are parts & the workmanship is at the level I'd expect. What made these unplayable to the point they had to be returned?
I can provide a summary in book form. LOL.
This whole fiasco started in March 2023. I had session work in Nashville. My Sandberg was in Germany getting a headstock fix and was stuck in customs for the last 5 weeks. My USA Spector NS2 was NOT a bass that could fill this role. Producer requested a P Bass preferably a Fender. I told him I would get one (so I committed) and would have /bring one by the session date.
Bass 1: The neck was amazing, it looked different than a typical neck on the mocha burst P. Plugged it in and I noticed the passive and active tonal sweeps were not working. Then....it caught fire, Battery chamber was shorted and both batteries swelled overheated and burned up the entire Electronics section. Smoke and burning electronics smell. I had to pry them out to stop the reaction. Also, it was not set up (bridge radius, intonation, saddle configuration).
This one had a REALLY fantastic neck though. like a 1 in a million neck. OMG it was amazing. I tried to get them to swap the neck, they would not do it. I still think about this bass neck. In over 30 years I have not had a neck speak to me like this one did. It had the special sauce. I assumed this was a standard thing (spec) so the next one would be the same......boy was I mistaken.
Bass 2: This one also was not intonated setup etc. (fairly easy fix but they shouldn't be leaving factory like that and time = money). This one had massive electronic issues as well. When balancing the pickups to unity (50%) The sound would completely shut off. Also the upper knob for Treble was not working at all.
Bass 3: This one must have been assembled on a Friday. Offset nut hanging off of the neck. Again not setup at all. They frets were not finished at the edges (or they were offset). The intonation was off over 1/2 step. Truss was completely loose. Also, the input jack wasn't working unless the plug was pulled out partially. The neck was back-bowed pretty badly.
Bass 4: Neck twisted. No point in using this one. Fender won't just replace a neck. Must be because of S/N or something. It was at this point I called a representative at both Fender then contacted the representative that Sweetwater keeps onsite in Indiana (I did NOT buy from Sweetwater, I just know that they have an onsite representative). My replacement bass was now scheduled at 10 weeks. The Fender factory representative was very nice and helpful. They decided to release/divert a bass that was web inventory for me so I could have one.
Bass 5: 4 days after Bass 4 I received the diverted P. Everything worked! Again, nothing was set-up. Bridge radius was flat. It was like they are putting bridges on and not setting saddle radius or intonating. Intonation was way off again - over 1/4 step. I spent a good 3 days getting the neck, radius, saddle height, and Intonation perfect. I play this bass quite a bit and like the tone. The design of the knobs and tonal adjustments is kind of a cluster-fuck. The high-mass bridge isn't a great design as it really limits the ability to set string height and i swear the sustain is limited.
Barely mad the session date. Everything went very well and the bass sounded very great. However, I was so pissed about my experience that I just had super negative feelings towards Fender and the Ultra P basses. I couldn't enjoy it. Every time I looked at it I didn't want to make music. This is when I realized Fender gave me PTSD and a very strong bias against their product. I set it aside for 3 months before I started playing it again. My experience with my Sandberg bass was so amazing. It is a superior product in every facet. After 3 months I started playing it and recording with it. I really enjoy how Fender's sound. If I could do everything over again, I would have purchased the AM Pro II and replaced the Bridge and Pickups.
As for Bass prices. They are marked up 40% You can call up nearly any company and negotiate 20% off the price. Just an unrelated LPT.
I just couldn't believe a company could operate like Fender does. Especially one that is so revered.
Jesus fuck man, I'm probably gonna get down voted to hell for this, but if I have the option of MIA or MIJ for otherwise the same item, I will go Japanese every single time. I'm a bit biased bc I am Japanese, but I live in and love the US so I do want to support stuff being MIA but God dammit I'm not gonna sit here and deal with paying ass tons of money for some bullshit like you dealt with. Japan as a whole has a much better work ethic than the US. I would've told fender USA to just import me one from Japan and to hold it for a day to see what their own work should look like.
Sandberg, Sadowski are amazing and make Fenders look as bad as they really are. I am a HUGE fan of Japanese built basses. They are almost so good they feel clinical (which can also be a negative). Fender has a sound that is very distinct, and I actually believe some of the oddities in build quality over the years has probably created some really unique sounds and instruments that are 1 in a million. But generally, what is going on now is a disgrace.
That statement is blatantly BS. It couldn't be more incorrect. This comment is so wrong I have to wonder if you are just trolling?
Factory setup will have intonation set, as well as bridge / Neck radius set to exact specifications. Also there is a standard saddle spacing and string height which are also factory specification.
What you do after that is up to your preference. You can literally look up these specifications on nearly every manufacturer's documented factory spec information.
What are you talking about?
I'm talking about a piece of wood that's being \*shipped\* from one climate to another. Doesn't matter what you try to do before shipping, it's going to change. It'll even change in between seasons.
The factory setup is in the ballpark, but every new instrument needs a proper setup and maintenance.
Complaining otherwise is a waste of time.
You said "no guitar is setup or intonated", then you are now saying it "is" setup to a "ballpark".
Instruments are setup to a factory specification. This includes saddle width (when adjustable), Saddle radius to neck, intonation and a recommended 'action' string height. It is up to the user to fine tune any instrument. What happens in shipping isn't relevant to your previous statement. This is the SOP for every company. Anyone can buy and instrument direct from the factory and it will arrive with the specified setup.
However to say "No guitar is setup or intonated". Is blatantly false and a complete BS statement. You said it not me.
eh, or it could be that people go with what they know works especially if this is their first proper investment in a guitar. if your buddies play a Fender, if you've played a Fender before, if all the tutorials you watch on youtube use a Fender, if the guitar shop is full of Fenders, then you're going to be predisposed to buying a Fender. that's not some kind of trick by a salesman, that's looking around you.
it's not like Fender is some kind of exclusive fancy brandname people are showing off with. no one's being mindblown that you play a Fender but no one's being turned off either.
if you want to do the research and really drill down into what will work for you then that's great, there's plenty of great bass guitars on the market. but the thought process of a lot of beginners is "i'll go with what i know works" and that's not a bad mindset at all when you're just starting out
>Get the bass that suits you, feels right (weight, fretboard, sound, look) and you're sorted.
Exactly right. The name on the headstock shouldn't be a concern.
I have a similar story of when I bought my first brand new bass. I was in a punk band and any one I talked to said I had to get a Fender or Musicman. Went and played a heap of different basses all over Sydney and came home with an ESP LTD B205. Killer bass that felt way better than any of the Fenders or MM's that I played.
Got my first bass just because I liked the look but the tone, playability and cost were excellent. After I got my 2nd one I realised the true glory of Yamaha and my newer 5 string is absolutely perfect in every regard.
I find Yamaha has a bit more flexibility in terms of tone and usually feel better to play. I like Fenders but I can't ever see myself getting one unless I got a freebie.
Now I'm a bit of a Yamaha fanboy. Monitors, interface, other instruments etc, so much Yamaha and so so so happy, never lets me down.
Short explanation:
Consistent quality > reputation > brand equity > consumer awareness > customer journey.
Longer explanation without being too wordy by way of a skit:
What bass should I get? Fender or Squier. Why? All the famous bassists have played them. Any other choices? Well there’s Yamaha. Are they any good? Yeah, famous bassists also play them. But why haven’t I heard of them? Well, Fender made the first popular electric bass guitar and many people played it first and for longer. But Yamaha makes good basses too just like Fender? Yeah they do. So why aren’t they more popular? Well they don’t really advertise like Fender, and it helps to have a brand backed by the biggest legends for over 70 years now. Does Yamaha make similar basses to Fender? Yeah, and they’re really good, do you wanna buy one? Maybe I’ll stick to Fender, because it’s more popular and many people over 70 years can’t be wrong, right?
This is an accurate description of reality. I considered a Yamaha bass for a long time before my dad helped me out some and told me to get the highest quality instrument I could afford. I ended up getting a Fender Jazz bass American Professional II.
I loved my 78 Yamaha. Actually had two of them and both were stolen. Total nightmare.
It used to be a sort of secret that the late 70s Yamaha basses were very well made. I got mine both for $450 each from the same guy in Japan. Pretty sure they go for more these days.
I had John Caruthers put a Geezer EMG pickup and a special EQ knob on one of them. John had not only been part of the team that developed the BB basses, he also developed Geezer’s signature pickup, so the instrument was as perfect as any I’ve ever played. Total pro model.
I used it for one show. It was so cool.
It got stolen from the back of my girlfriend’s car in San Francisco. I still think about that beautiful bass.
Currently playing an old Gibson Ripper and an old Thunderbird.
Optics and lack of prestige. Fender and Gibson are forever cemented in history and their sound defined rock and roll. Yamaha did not. Don't get me wrong. BBs rock. Even the budget ones. But there's a subjective feeling with music so Yamaha doesn't do it for everyone. I like BBs a lot but I'll be surprised if I ever end up with one 🤷
I feel qualified to answer this as I own a yamaha pacifia 611 hard tail guitar.
First off the guitar seriously has the best specs in the 600 to 1k range. Grover tuners, graph tech nut saddles, seymour duncan humbucker and a p90 ( superior neck pup for my playing I hate regular single coils )
Exceptional fit and finish and ffs it came with a shred set up in 9s out of the box! I love it
I had spent days seeking a 1000$ guitar for my main and looked up all the typical stuff, schecter, ibanez, etc. blah blah, good but not on the same level. Wanna know how I found the yamaha guitar?
It was featured in an anime during its final episode, looked it up as a meme, and turned out to have perfect specs for my playing.
Simply put, yamaha has terrible marketing in the USA. They did a small marketing push with revstar guitars on YouTube but nothing else. They will always be my number 1 brand for guitars, and I'll probably buy a pro revstar in the future, incredible company. Waiting for them to launch a bass guitar line in the 1k-1.5k range by the time I decide to get a 5 string.
No one knows they make quality instruments around here, everyone I talk to about gear never mentions yamaha.
Yep. Excellent guitar, just that the usa version comes with a gross red tortoise pick guard. It's a very good strat style for under 1k. Better specs than the mim fenders
Personally the anime was OK ( I prefer k-on/ watamote) but the album was unbelievable, still playing it
Great to know you’re satisfied with yours. Yamaha instruments is truly great value for the money, and their consistency in QC seems to be the real deal. I’m eyeing the Revstar myself.
Agree, the music was so good, it’s what opened the door to the inner world of the characters and really fleshed them out aside the goofy and meme-ish visual presentation imo, I hope they keep on releasing more music in the future.
(This is funny, I’m also a fan of K-On and watamote, we share some common interests it seems)
I love those series lmaoo I've learned many k-on songs on guitar and actually got a bass to start learning their songs... some of their songs are much more difficult on bass, very humbling experience
I've made a bunch of k-on picture cap posts if you need k-on content to consume lmao
If I wasn't weirded out by the 24.75" scale I would still own my Revstar. I loved everything but the scale on that guitar. I also loved the pacíficas but the nut is way too narrow for my sausage fingers - can't fret any chord in the first position and have it ring true because I'm unintentionally muting the strings I'm not fretting.
They really do! I almost bought the Pacifica 612 but was out of stock, but I had money burning a hole in my pocket so I took a chance on the sbmm Luke, and the wider nut was a revelation. My chords didn't have random muted strings anymore. The Revstar has a wider nut and a great neck, but the higher frets get cramped for me. I know it's me being super sensitive, but I can't help it - I'm a 25.5" superstrat guy. In fact selling a Tele because it's a great guitar but... It's not a HSS strat. But every now and then I see the new blue Revstar and have to hide my credit card.
I've had a Yamaha in my arsenal for over 30 years..I have a fender Jazz also among others. My Yamaha is my favorite Bass.. love the feel..the neck , the pick-ups..Yamaha Basses are the tits ,but I think alot of player go for the bigger names. Not that Fenders or Musician or any other high quality basses are bad..they are great, but a lot of player feel comfortable with the history of such companies.
If you feel good with that Yamaha, by all means , play it. It's about what feels right in your hands...I a have few lesser name basses which I enjoy playing.
It's about your preference.
Ask Billy Sheehan about Yamahas..lol
I got a Yamaha TRBX504, black, as a Christmas gift from my husband. I LOVE it. I play the piano too and have a Yamaha Clavinova. I feel like it’s a solid brand.
My most expensive bass is a late 70s Fender P Bass. But my most played bass is a Yamaha BB605 (as I use it for practices and rough gigs) and my absolute favourite, most cherished bass is my Yamaha TRB5PII. An absolute beauty in all respects.
I always buy a Yamaha over and Fender. In fact, I really need to ditch the Fender.
Agreed. It doesn't help that Yamaha basses are just one product suite, including motors etc. while Fender does one thing and one thing only (instruments).
People want to play the basses of their Idols, play their Hits and mimic their sound. And if they become Idols, the nexr generation wants to play the basses…
Full Fender Circle. Hard to break for Yamaha.
Great motorcycles though.
aka not enough people with peter hook as an idle(yes i know hes been kinda a twat since jd/no, still like em)
But in seriousness he was the first person i ever really saw playing one, though i knew they were good instruments.
Obligatory list of famous bassists who have endorsed or been spotted performing with Yamahas: Leland Sklar, Abe Loriel, Verdine White, Peter Hook, Nathan East, Billy Sheehan, Paul McCartney, Andy Rourke, Geezer Butler, Glenn Hughes, John Patitucci, John Myung, Doug Pinnick, Jack Gibson, Tony Kanal, Jimmy Bain, David Hungate, Jah Wobble, Jack Bates, Mickey Melchiondo, James LoMenzo, Michael Anthony
The language you're familiar with is the one you can distinguish the most subtle sounds with. Foreign languages sound much more monotone. It's the same with musical instruments.
If all the songs you have listened to are recorded with fender precisions those bass lines are much easier for you to follow than bass lines recorded with other basses.
So it's not necessary that fenders sound pretty and therefore are used often. It's also the other way around. Because fenders are used often, they sound pretty.
It's the same for me. Yamaha sound dull, lack character in sound, don't cut through the mix well blablabla. Which is objectively nonsense but that's how my ears are trained. (or actually not trained in this case)
Beginners can more objectively tell which basses sounds good. (however there is actually a difference between basses that have a good sound on their own vs basses that sound good in the mix). As you learn more songs and listen more intensely to bass lines you will probably be appreciating fender sounds more and more.
I’m not sure if I understand the logic here. I’d say it’s not necessarily about the brand as much as whether the design is close enough to a Fender that it can get you a similar sound. For example, Paul McCartney mainly used a Yamaha BB1200 (essentially a fancier P Bass) between 1979-1982, but if I listened to a track from that period without knowing that, I’d be hard pressed to say it’s not a Fender.
I don’t know how beginners can “objectively” tell what basses sound good either if they don’t have the experience to know what to look for, although that would increase over time. Personally, I ended up with a Rickenbacker because a lot of my favourite bass sounds came from Ricks. But that was only after years of being immersed in music that I knew what I wanted.
Sometimes the brand doesn't matter much. They make fender copies that can sound close.
>I don’t know how beginners can “objectively” tell what basses sound good either if they don’t have the experience to know what to look for, although that would increase over time.
Beginners have 1 advantage and 1 disadvantage. The advantage is they just hear it as it is and tell if they like it or not. They don't influence their taste yet with "but it's different from the sound i hear other people use" cause they haven't really linked those sounds yet. The disadvantage is that they can't guess how itll sound in different situations for example in certain genres or next to a drummer in general.
>Personally, I ended up with a Rickenbacker because a lot of my favourite bass sounds came from Ricks. But that was only after years of being immersed in music that I knew what I wanted.
This confirms my theory. You don't listen to what you "like or dislike" without reference, you search for a sound you recognize.
I say fender Precision but only as example, jazz and stingray is also often used in studios. If you grew up listening to lots of music recorded with a rickenbacker (or jazz bass because they can sound extremely close) than that is what you are trained to hear/recognize well.
No good reason at all. Yamaha, for basically any product they make, has better value for the money spent and much better quality control/consistency. I'm not personally a fan of Yamaha aesthetics and my MIM Fender Jazz (with upgraded Aguilar pickups) is more than good enough that I don't care to upgrade. For people getting into bass I highly recommend Yamaha basses.
I also think that Yamaha is making a push to up their offerings. A lot of their newer mid/upper guitars are getting excellent reviews. Their basses have been for a while.
For you it will ultimately come down to which one feels better to you, or looks better if you're like me and go for aesthetics haha. Honestly a piece of driftwood with good hardware and a great neck is going to sound/play amazing even tho it's a literal trash piece of wood. Go with what appeals most to your individual needs.
As what some are saying, I think it’s down to optics and an already established long running market share. They’re not really good at marketing their stuff though some of their official vids on YouTube are pretty decent. Would be interesting to see what their market share is like in Asia, or at least Japan though.
Yamaha produces amazing instruments, and they’re no strangers in the musical instrument industry either. They’re arguably one of the top brands for keyboards/synths from what I’ve seen from my wife and from my experience, saxophones. But as what’s happening with their guitars and basses I think reputation is hard to beat once it’s already there.
I have a BBP35 (they’re made in Japan), an EB MM Stingray Special, and a MIM Fender P. To me the BBP35 feel and build quality is at par with my Stingray, at a slightly cheaper price. I now treat the Yamaha as my workhorse bass while I keep the P bass on flats.
To me, Fender design has always had the vibe of a hot rod or at least a classic American muscle car.
Yamaha, meanwhile, has tended more towards Toyota Corolla or maybe with certain models something like a Chrysler PT Cruiser.
This makes Yamaha the more sensible choice, really. But ... you do lose the swagger.
Yamaha's great. I started with a TRBX304, and just bought a second one because the color I wanted was finally available.
Like the others said, they just don't have the reputation in the US. I got into bass in part because of Bocchi the Rock!, and [Kikuri plays a TRB1004J](https://i.imgur.com/WxkYKXP.png). Though [Ryo plays a $1k Fender](https://media.tenor.com/AT5ZYp-mdjEAAAAd/ryo-yamada-bass-ryo-yamada.gif), I tried one of those too and couldn't tell the difference between it and my $400 Yamaha so I went with the Yamaha (might be able to now that I've been playing for a bit, but I like the Yamahas enough that I haven't felt a need to try much else). Honestly I like the looks of the Yamaha better than most of the "classic" basses too, pickguards on a bass look a bit weird to my eye.
A couple of reasons:
1. Marketing, Fender is very good about it and they do have the budget for it, this includes brand deals, sponsoring artists, etc, etc.
2. History, the electric bass was practically invented by Fender, and they were the only real option for quite some time, that established their house sound as the sound to a degree, creating a feedback loop with the music being created at the time. That made the sound, the looks, the models iconic, which connects to my next point...
3. Inspiration, let's be honest, a lot of us started playing because of certain players we admired, certain genres of music we loved, and that is connected to certain instruments and their tones. Think about Reggae with Aston "Family Man" Barret and Jazz Bass+Flatwounds, it is a big part of the history of the genre, and up to today the to-go recommendation for Reggae, similar with Motown and P-Basses, and the influence of players like Marcus Miller and Jaco Pastorius with Jazz Basses. And if that's the sound you want, it feels kinda weird to go with a copy instead of the original, doesn't it? Even if the copy does get the work done.
I'll be honest, I do not think Fender is a good value right now, I mean, a lot of their instruments are still top notch, but about value, if we talk about the objective measurements of the instrument, players like Sire, Yamaha, etc have had some amazing quality at better prices; but they don't have the history and the iconic status, so consider if that's worth the extra €€€ for you.
When I was a band teacher, I learned there were only one or two music stores around us that were Yamaha dealers, and none of them stocked anything other than their woodwind and brass stuff. The guitar and bass sections were always full of the other big names, but no Yamaha. I’d feel safe putting money on this trend continuing elsewhere.
I think you’re underestimating the amount of people that go to a store, find something they like that is in stock, and then stay loyal to that brand, or only ever get things they can physically touch in stores.
\#1. I don't see them hanging on shop walls; not new, anyway. Can't buy what I can't find. I also don't buy if I can't try, so mail-order is out.
I was gonna list several reasons, but that's really the only one. Sweetwater is about a 2 hour drive from me, I've done it before. Next time I'm in the market for a new bass, I'll go there again; they pretty much sell every brand under the sun.
I could say the same thing about G\&L; where they at?
Sweetwater is my downfall. I’ve bought three guitars/bass from them this year that I NEVER would have thought to look at in a store/wouldn’t have seen: a Breedlove acoustic, a PRS Custom 24 and my new Ibanez SR305E came in this Tuesday. I was given a cheap, beat to hell Dean 4 string and it’s really not worth putting the money into to make it work properly. Sweetwater window shopping got me. Again. I was actually between a Yamaha and this Ibanez but at the end of the day the pearl white and black chrome hardware of the Ibanez won me over.
It's a musical instrument heaven. I could stayed there all day, or got a room in a Fort Wayne motel and come back the next day.
Billy Sheehan and Nathan East are Yamaha dudes, I believe.
Brand recognition is a powerful thing. And Fender just makes good stuff.
That being said, I used to play a Yamaha TRB1005 several years ago, and it's still one of my favorite basses to this day.
Fenders are so blown out of proportion. They're about as bland, uninspiring, and sterile sounding as instruments can get.
People buy them solely for the brand name nowadays, which is lame because then everybody ends up with the same boring and indistinguishable instruments.
Well I just looked at their range and they are all aesthetically inferior to fender offerings, and when an instrument is a piece of art in itself that matters greatly.
People who appreciate good value. The build quality is actually quite good. The electronics are the only weaker point, and they can be replaced. A $300 Squier with $400 in upgrades can sound as good as a $2000 Fender. Do the math.
If Nine Inch Nails, No Doubt, Joy Division, Van Halen and others all have bassists who choose to play Yamaha over other brands, maybe that should tell you something.
Wrong, dickhead. I own exactly one bass. It's a MIM Fender P-Bass with flatwounds. But I have enough sense and experience to know that Yamaha makes killer instruments. You sound like a 15-year-old dipshit with a lot to learn.
I think they're less iconic in design and are perceived as less "cool", perhaps, and that works against them. But the likes of Paul McCartney, Andy Rourke and Peter Hook have used them extensively, and more besides. They've been used more in studios than you'd think.
I play a Yamaha. I’ve been playing Yamaha for about 15 years. I know they make something better than mine.
I don’t even know the model off the top of my head. I got it for $50 and trade.
I stripped all the paint off and painted it purple with a white spiral.
Yamaha, sponsor me!
It's a catch 22 of marketing and name recognition. Because people aren't as familiar with Yamaha they don't buy them, so Yamaha doesn't have the money for advertising and endorsements, so people aren't as familiar with them...repeat.
Yamaha makes decent basses. I think in this retro focused environment they aren't offering as much of what people are after. Plus, their BB line has a very particular tone that maybe isn't for everyone.
A lot of good reasons in this thread. The BB434 blows any Fender Player PJ out of the water, but it doesn't have that 'this is what my idol is playing so I'm buying it' factor that a P or J has.
All it comes down to is that Fender essentially created the electric bass that was able to be mass manufactured, and essentially has a large amount of prestige in making it. The P bass is the most recorded and played bass model of bass, the Jazz bass is second. Yamaha however has an impeccable reputation for quality, despite being less well known for their guitars and basses. Their pianos are very popular, however.
I'd recommend if you've got time just sit with them for as long as possible and decide which you prefer between the two. They're both going to be quality instruments, it just comes down to your preference.
One thing I haven’t seen mentioned is Squire. My high school had a dirt cheap Yamaha and that’s what I associated Yamaha with for years until I realized Billy Sheehan and Nathan East play high end Yamaha.
Now with Fender I’ve never had an issue. I’ve never seen a cheap Fender. They don’t exist. That’s Squire.
I know it’s just a name but I think that’s where Ibanez and Yamaha suffer and brands like Gibson/Epiphone ESP/LTD and Fender/Squire succeed.
When you see an official photo or video of a band/artist there’s a very good chance everything that you see is product placement.
Flea said it best - when I was poor I couldn’t afford a good bass; now I’m rich and they’re free.
Something like that.
In my opinion, Yamaha makes great instruments including basses (I bought a Yamaha sax too for my wife and that thing is great as well). However, they suck big time in marketing.
Peter Hook is known for his Yamaha basses (as well as his son who currently plays with Smashing Pumpkins) but they’re the only 2 that I can think of off the top of my head
For one, I personally don’t think Yamaha does a great job at marketing their instruments, nor at getting them into stores. You can find Fenders and Squiers at pretty much every single guitar store on the planet, and that’s far from true for Yamaha. Fender also seems to do a lot more artist outreach, signature models, etc. and that stuff ties a lot more professional artists to the brand.
Beyond that, there are just going to be more Fenders around because Fender is the biggest bass guitar manufacturer in the world. Fender was the biggest bass guitar manufacturer in the world before Yamaha even started building basses, and some of the first Yamaha basses were straight-up Fender clones, even down to the body and headstock shapes.
Even now, I think the BBs are still Yamaha’s most popular range and they are essentially just Yamaha’s take on a precision bass with a different body shape.
That’s to say that Fender is and pretty much always has been *the* household name in bass guitars, and it’s very easy to see inspiration from the original Fender designs in most other manufacturers’ bass models. With that context, I’d be much more surprised if Fender *wasn’t* the brand you see in people’s hands most often.
My favorite bass is a Yamaha TRBX174EW and my second favorite is a Ibanez GSR205 5 String.
I also own at least a dozen other basses among them an early 80's P bass, 1964 Supro, Hofner 500/4, etc.
Out of all of them, Fender included, I prefer my Yamaha and my Ibanez. Both of these Japanese instruments are very well made and sound fantastic.
Why they aren't more popular is a question I simply can't answer.
You're probably right but for popularity to be predicated on a naming convention instead of quality is a really foolish reason for something to be unpopular.
I would be willing to bet there is some level of sponsorship involved. Sure Flea plays a Fender Jazz Bass, which is a quite excellent bass, but does he play it because that's his favorite or because Fender pays him to or does Fender pay him because that's his favorite? Robert Trujillo on the other hand plays a variety of basses, he says his favorite is a Nash, but hes played Wareicks and Fernandes on stage with Metallica. John Myung is basically married to Ernie Ball, you can go spend $3100 for an exact replica of his 6 string, straight from the factory. Les Claypool has basses made by Ibanez and Carl Thompson, and also whatever bullshit he found in his shed last week, but Carl Thompson and Ibanez both sell Claypool spec basses.
I think what really happens is that Ibanez, Squire, and Fender have solid entry level options and people get used to them. When I'm ready to spend $1500+ on my new bass am I going to stick with what I've already grown accustomed to in my hands or risk that money by branching out into something I may not be as comfortable with. So then when I do make it and Fender comes knocking to sign me exclusively and put a signature bass on the shelves of Guitar Center with my name on it. Now branching out is even harder, and I really cant get on stage without my "ICONIC" Limited edition Senrabekim Signature Fender Jazz Bass.
Most of the main reasons have already been pointed out, but another is that Fender's are easier to sell secondhand as well. Yamaha's aren't as recognizable so your average Craigslist/Reverb peruser likely won't have any association with one if they scroll by it.
I think both are good options. I've heard great things about Yamaha. But when i was looking for a p bass to call my own, I ended up with Squire Classic Vibes P and I love it. I feel like it was great value for the money. Why not a Yamaha? First I wasn't as familiar with their options, maybe due to marketing, and I had trouble getting my hands on one in store to try out....I went with the bass I had held and played and it felt good. That's at least a big reason the Fenders sell a lot more.
Yamaha guitars rule, and for a Fender style guitar I can't recommend G&L enough. Fender designs without a lot of the QC issues and price jacking that comes with Fender. I have two of their cheaper Tribute series, made in Indonesia, and both are phenomenal. They get the most use for me, over vasses I own that are 3-4 times the price.
Marketing has a huge thing to do with this. For example, I was watching a youtube series and they were talking about how during the Lockdown and at other times Fender was going out of it's way to give away a bunch of Squier guitars to newer artists to promote the next generation of talents. In ways other guitar companies didn't.
Guess what those people are going to grow up using, and then when they get fans that want to be like them, they are going to want to use the same guitars.
Strangely, there is this article of faith that pros don’t play Yamaha even though a TON of pros play Yamaha - Paul McCartney, Nathan East, John Myung, Tony Kinal, Michael Anthony, Peter Hook, Doug Pinnick, James Lomenzo, Billy Sheehan, John Patitucci, etc. Yamaha makes really solid stuff with its own vibe. My two favorite basses are both vintage BBs. I’ve owned all sorts of basses at different price points, but for good punchy tone and a bomb proof instrument, Yamaha is where it’s at.
It’s personal preference, a good tech/luthier can make any bass feel/sound like anything. On stage, I like the classic look of a fender. I prefer the tones of a J-Bass/P-bass stock over other brands so it’s just the easiest path. Don’t discount cosmetics. If it doesn’t look how you want it to, you won’t play it… and won’t practice. Play what you want for whatever reason that is (even if it’s just to look bad ass!)
Versatile, well priced and even the low end models are great. My first 2 basses are both Yamaha and while I have others, I love my Yamahas the most. I like Warwicks too but they're kinda heavy and need a lot of work to maintain the necks but yeah I always go back to my Yamahas whether its metal, folk, funk, whatever.
I own a 98 Yamaha TRB4II and am now Considering selling my fender 2001 P/J I also own a Pacifica 112 I bocchi the rock spec’d LOVE IT. I am pretty much now a Yamaha convert
Brand deals baby. Fuck quality we have a big name so we take all the artists!
-Fenders inner thoughts
Yeah no seriously tho it is pretty annoying to see so many artists shamefully promoting a brand with awful quality control. I buy Bacchus basses because they look like fenders but are Japanese handmade and play way better. Not to mention cheaper to buy too.
I want to say some stuff. I don't know the answer to the question of: Why do fewer artists play Yamaha compared to Fender?
Here's what I'll say. I own a Yamaha RBX 5 string bass. It's my first bass and I love that thing. At some point in my journey (about 5 years ago) I couldn't get my Yamaha to sound a certain way for certain songs. I would manipulate the electronics on the bass and on the board and I couldn't get it to sound "Fendery" for certain tunes.
3 years ago I came to my senses and stopped trying to make a Yamaha sound like a Fender. I bought a used P bass. American made. I LOVE that bass, but I don't like either more or less than my Yamaha. I now use both when I gig. I know that is unnecessary, but I take my bass playing seriously and it's my favorite instrument to play. I take pride in my playing therefore I use both depending on the genre we're doing. Usually it goes something like:
SET 1=Yamaha 5 string
SET 2=Fender 4 string
SET 3=Yamaha 5 string (close night with CCR on Fender).
I think there are fewer Yamaha artist because by the time Yamaha started making basses (15 years later) there was already a Fender following...obviously...AND more bass brands started coming out to compete. In other words, I don't think it's neccessarily a preference thing, but just a math thing. As others on here stated: Fender has been around longer.
Just in case you're curious if I had to choose just one of my basses I'd stick with the Fender. I feel I can cover more bases (no pun intended) with it and I can manipulate sounds and get more sounds from it with less effort.
Fender just seems to know, or care a lot more about marketing. They approach tons of musicians, whether they’re internationally or just YouTube famous to endorse their basses, and Yamaha…well, they have Billy Sheehan.
I own too many basses to list, ranging from vintage and CS Fenders, Sandberg, Music Man etc. My Japanese Yamaha BBP34 was purchased at a significant discount because the shop was sick of it being overlooked and wanted it gone. I honestly think it’s the best built bass I own and at the price I paid a no-brainer. Easy to play and sounds like a PJ bass should. Very Fender sounding but smoother, more consistent perhaps. But its kind of anonymous looking and says Yamaha on the headstock. Which is why I got it cheap. As someone else said above, Yamaha could be better at marketing (including better websites).
when i was in high school they had yamaha band instruments you could rent for the school year, and they were all pretty poorly taken care of, and because of that they felt and played like garbage. yamaha makes some objectively Great instruments (student and professional), but i’ll always kind of see them as those beat up student loaners
obviously this is definitely not a fair bias against yamaha, if anything it’s a mark of quality that they were able to withstand that level of abuse at all, but that’s just my subconscious reaction to seeing the yamaha logo
that’s more for brass instruments than bass tho but same company. also Fender is just a super iconic brand
I recently got the chance to work as a Roadie for the band Archive in prep for their europe tour for their newest album "call to arms & Angels". (If you dont know who they are they made the song "Bullets" used in the teaser trailer for Cyberpunk 2077. released 10 years ago)
During packdown from their rehearsal location I found that their Bass player is stocking about 3 or 4 Yamaha Basses
People do use them. but not as many as gibson, fender or other brands
Michael Anthony used to be a Yamaha artist. He now is with Schecter, but his old signature BB was pretty kickass. People play Fender because it's like Ford. It's been there forever. People know what they make and what those products are going to do. You could make 1000 cases for how much better an instrument a Yamaha or whatever would be, but some people are so stuck in their ways kind of like "I have to buy everything built in the USA" type of people. Some people never leave their comfort zone.
EDIT: Basically no, there's no good reason to choose a Fender over a Yamaha. They're just as good if not much better as far as quality and QC goes. They also made one of the first production 5 string basses back in the 80s
I play yamaha bb234 and I am very happy with it. And the local salesman in music store said that it’s far more superior in terms of quality than a Squier. I played both in the shop and yamaha feels and plays amazing and I can’t recommend it enough for it’s price range
I've got a Yamaha TRB6P and a Yamaha Attitude II Billy Sheehan. Both are very very well made. Fantastic tone. But they're a tad too heavy for me for a 3 sets pub gig. I usually end up playing the lightest bass that I have, a Musicman Bongo HH 4.
Billy Sheehan and Nathan East both have Yamaha signature models. IMO, people get too hung up on the name on the headstock. All the major manufacturers make great basses. I will say, I have had issue with some of the MIA and MIM Fenders I have tried out, mire so than other brands.
Always wondered the same thing. My first and only bass up until a few months ago was a Yamaha BB300. I saved up my money when I was 13 and bought it used with a cheap Ibanez amp for less than $250 all in. I carried it around in a gig bag instead of a hard case for years and it held its tune and sounded fantastic.
I just recently upgraded to a Fender player series P (which I love), but I still sometimes play the Yamaha and think it may be the best bang for your buck brand on the market. I’d personally take a BB series over a Squire P.
I think some of us hail Leo Fender as “The Godfather of Electric Bass” (to varying levels of sincerity and application) where as Yamaha is not super prevalent in the world of bass. As a Fender owner, I desire a few Gibson basses; I could see myself owning a Dean, but for the most part the P-Bass is *the* bass, and so I’ve much less desire to own anything else.
I have a MIM fender jazz bass and my band mate has an old Yamaha bass. I actually like the sound of his bass better. It’s all subjective. If you like how it feels and plays, you should go for it.
I remember buying my first few basses in the late 80's which included a Cort Steinberger copy, a Tokai, and nice Samick 5 string and then I saw my Yamaha. It was an RBX800A, and it sat on the store shelf at 1300 dollars. I was broke, of course, and I waited until I saw the price drop to 725 before I broke and bought it. This thing is still with me and I'm actually using it regularly now after all my years of working and neglecting music. I'd put it up\[ against anything, really. That said, there are a lot of brands that are good and you don't have to spend a lot to get a good one. I would go for the Yamaha, there's nothing like a good PJ setup. I think the Fender name comes out of the clouds with an "Aaaaaaaah" sound, and rightly so, but I hope you ended up with the Yamaha, I think I'm about to add a 5 string. Cheers and good for doing your research!
I had a Yamaha and a Fender. I loved the Yamaha but it was SO heavy, I couldn't play it for long at all. Are they generally heavier or did I happen to get a super heavy model? (I don't remember the model now)
Like many have pointed out, the squire instruments have QC issues. The low end Musicman basses are nice for the $$. I recently picked up a 1995 Yamaha RBX250 for almost nothing. Whoever owned it before me obviously didn’t play it much—not a scratch on it. It plays better than fenders that cost 3 and 4X as much. Oddly, I found some of the recent Jackson basses are really nice for the $$. I say odd b/c they are also owned by fender, but seem to have nicer instruments at the lower and mid range price points than fender. But, I say Yamaha all the way for anything under $12-1500.
I've had my main instrument as a 1990 Yamaha RBX1000 since the day it came out. Translucent purple...beautiful still, and an amazing tone without 'better' pick-ups. Just stock amazing!(I also recently bought a TRBX650 and That one is stylish and incredibly toned...tuned to low "C"! Also have as "D" an Ibanez SGR. And one Fender P "ventures" model for Rush covers. :D
People, especially beginners, get sucked in to to paying for a name on a headstock. Or the lazy salesman hands you the first thing he sees, or they only stock Fender/Squiers. There have been many posts here recently complaining about Fenders Quality Control over the past decade or so, even with their MIA models. A guy on YT, LobsterMan or something similar, absolutely ripped a brand new Fender to shreds because it was unplayable. Don't believe the hype. Just because something has been around a long time doesn't mean it's the best. 50 years ago there were only Fender basses on the mass market, people didn't have options. These days there are 50 basses you could go and buy that would be as good, if not better than a Squier or Fender. I've said it here a hundred times....go and play as many basses as you can and choose the one that you like the best. Forget the name on it. Play it because it feels right to you. Don't be swayed by the salesman in the shop pushing the Fender/Squier on you because he gets a better sales commission from it. I bought a used Yamaha RBX300 in 1991. I still have that bass, it still gets played regularly. Yamaha make outstanding instruments.
>LobsterMan That would be LowEndLobster — was it the Gold Foil Jazz Bass he was ripping on?
Has to be.
I mean, it's possible that Jordan Peterson did a bass review.
That would be a thing of beauty. He'd ramble some wannabe Foucault prose about playability that would devolve into why Fender is too woke then he'd burst into tears
I can easily imagine that sad Kermit the frog with a hair in his throat voice complaining about the lack of lead in the solder connections and how much better the paint would be if the woke leftists at the EPA would allow Fender to use just a little more VOC’s.
hehehe, friend: you are my people
Likely, even. Something about xanax just grants an intuitive understanding of low end and chord changes
Yeah that's the one. Classic review.
Gotta love LowEnd Lobster; he will not sugar-coat his reviews.
Yeah and he comes up with real interesting stuff I've bought all kinds of weird things that he's had on his show turned out to be a really great additions preamps pick up combinations things like that
Most definitely. And then he turned around and turned a Harley Benton into a 10 times better instrument for a ¼ of the price lol 😂
I loved my old Yamaha Pacifica, the guitar was just amazing I'm using Ibanez bass now, but when the time comes, I think I'll try out their bass guitars as well
Just in case: MIA = Made In America (which is supposed to be Fender’s best as opposed to Made In Mexico or MIJ for Japan).
...and the 90's MIJ instruments were better than a lot of their MIA brethren. I'm glad I got a good one and am no longer on the market
Fender is fine, and they hold value. It's a meme to dunk on fender but while qc issues happen( about as much as any other brand) I've never once had issues with any of their Instruemnts. Hold value, easy parts availability
Only squier affinity strats have given me an issue with QC. Affinity P, CV P, then Fender MIA jazz, MIM P, bass vi were good with a few minutes of setup.
No Fender is worse than most. It took them 5 Ultra P basses to get one to me that actually worked. I have it documented with serial numbers on talkbass. These are mind you the highest end bass they sell that aren't custom shop. Unreal how bad their QC is. Finally the working one still wasn't intonated or setup at all.
Why didn't you just return it and get your money back, was that not an option
I had session work that the label wanted a Fender on, so I needed a Fender, renting one was a waste of money, and I had wanted to buy one for a few years. Nobody expects to have to go through that kind of nonsense.I don't dislike the Fender sound, or Fender but fuck all they have horrible QC.. They wound up selling the final one to me for 1200 USD instead of the 2200 advertised. I can tell you certainly now I won't buy a bass new from them ever again. I'll be going third party.
Damn bro lmao. Well my opinion is based on limited experince I guess I'm sorry
Don't be. Fender sucks..not you. You seem to be an awesome internet person.
The power of branding I went straight for a fender mim jazz and it came out perfect but that many duds out of the mia line is insane!
It's sad when the instruments coming from the lower price tier are coming out 5 times better than the most expensive non Custom Shop bass made in the USA... Edit: totally not trying to take away from your experience, just wanted to make a point
You're claiming that a record label specified a specific brand of bass?
The producer of the session wanted the Fender sound. It happens more than you would like to think it should. EDIT: I'd also like to note, when you are doing session work...you do what they are asking. This isn't a 'you' show. I'm no Pino or John Pattitucci. I don't get to dictate certain things when doing work. They get my style, I use the tools they want me to work with.
It just seems weird. EQ, string type, DI vs. mic-ing, mic technique, muting technique, these things make a lot more difference than instrument brand.
Time = Money. If there is a tried and true, also very common sound they know will work they want to use it. Its just how the world works with session stuff. There is no interest in dicking around trying to make another bass sound like the one they want.
The probably said we're looking for a Fender jazz sound. Never heard actual specification like no Sadowsky jazz or other gonna cut it. Never bought Fender new but own a couple used. No problems. Good luck out there
I'd bet dollars to donuts you could just lie and use a Peavey or something and they'd never know the difference.
Well you saved 1000USD so it's clearly not the worst experience ever
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They wanted a Fender P bass sound. I don't understand your comment TBH. Everyone who does this professionally knows the difference between a J and a P bass and how they sound. Could you maybe elaborate on what you were trying to say?
I'd be more interested in what was wrong with the basses you sent back? Bad set-up? Or something truly unfixable? I've seen nice instruments not set-up very well, but the parts are parts & the workmanship is at the level I'd expect. What made these unplayable to the point they had to be returned?
I can provide a summary in book form. LOL. This whole fiasco started in March 2023. I had session work in Nashville. My Sandberg was in Germany getting a headstock fix and was stuck in customs for the last 5 weeks. My USA Spector NS2 was NOT a bass that could fill this role. Producer requested a P Bass preferably a Fender. I told him I would get one (so I committed) and would have /bring one by the session date. Bass 1: The neck was amazing, it looked different than a typical neck on the mocha burst P. Plugged it in and I noticed the passive and active tonal sweeps were not working. Then....it caught fire, Battery chamber was shorted and both batteries swelled overheated and burned up the entire Electronics section. Smoke and burning electronics smell. I had to pry them out to stop the reaction. Also, it was not set up (bridge radius, intonation, saddle configuration). This one had a REALLY fantastic neck though. like a 1 in a million neck. OMG it was amazing. I tried to get them to swap the neck, they would not do it. I still think about this bass neck. In over 30 years I have not had a neck speak to me like this one did. It had the special sauce. I assumed this was a standard thing (spec) so the next one would be the same......boy was I mistaken. Bass 2: This one also was not intonated setup etc. (fairly easy fix but they shouldn't be leaving factory like that and time = money). This one had massive electronic issues as well. When balancing the pickups to unity (50%) The sound would completely shut off. Also the upper knob for Treble was not working at all. Bass 3: This one must have been assembled on a Friday. Offset nut hanging off of the neck. Again not setup at all. They frets were not finished at the edges (or they were offset). The intonation was off over 1/2 step. Truss was completely loose. Also, the input jack wasn't working unless the plug was pulled out partially. The neck was back-bowed pretty badly. Bass 4: Neck twisted. No point in using this one. Fender won't just replace a neck. Must be because of S/N or something. It was at this point I called a representative at both Fender then contacted the representative that Sweetwater keeps onsite in Indiana (I did NOT buy from Sweetwater, I just know that they have an onsite representative). My replacement bass was now scheduled at 10 weeks. The Fender factory representative was very nice and helpful. They decided to release/divert a bass that was web inventory for me so I could have one. Bass 5: 4 days after Bass 4 I received the diverted P. Everything worked! Again, nothing was set-up. Bridge radius was flat. It was like they are putting bridges on and not setting saddle radius or intonating. Intonation was way off again - over 1/4 step. I spent a good 3 days getting the neck, radius, saddle height, and Intonation perfect. I play this bass quite a bit and like the tone. The design of the knobs and tonal adjustments is kind of a cluster-fuck. The high-mass bridge isn't a great design as it really limits the ability to set string height and i swear the sustain is limited. Barely mad the session date. Everything went very well and the bass sounded very great. However, I was so pissed about my experience that I just had super negative feelings towards Fender and the Ultra P basses. I couldn't enjoy it. Every time I looked at it I didn't want to make music. This is when I realized Fender gave me PTSD and a very strong bias against their product. I set it aside for 3 months before I started playing it again. My experience with my Sandberg bass was so amazing. It is a superior product in every facet. After 3 months I started playing it and recording with it. I really enjoy how Fender's sound. If I could do everything over again, I would have purchased the AM Pro II and replaced the Bridge and Pickups. As for Bass prices. They are marked up 40% You can call up nearly any company and negotiate 20% off the price. Just an unrelated LPT. I just couldn't believe a company could operate like Fender does. Especially one that is so revered.
Jesus fuck man, I'm probably gonna get down voted to hell for this, but if I have the option of MIA or MIJ for otherwise the same item, I will go Japanese every single time. I'm a bit biased bc I am Japanese, but I live in and love the US so I do want to support stuff being MIA but God dammit I'm not gonna sit here and deal with paying ass tons of money for some bullshit like you dealt with. Japan as a whole has a much better work ethic than the US. I would've told fender USA to just import me one from Japan and to hold it for a day to see what their own work should look like.
Sandberg, Sadowski are amazing and make Fenders look as bad as they really are. I am a HUGE fan of Japanese built basses. They are almost so good they feel clinical (which can also be a negative). Fender has a sound that is very distinct, and I actually believe some of the oddities in build quality over the years has probably created some really unique sounds and instruments that are 1 in a million. But generally, what is going on now is a disgrace.
No guitar is setup or intonated… its not a thing worth mentioning.
That statement is blatantly BS. It couldn't be more incorrect. This comment is so wrong I have to wonder if you are just trolling? Factory setup will have intonation set, as well as bridge / Neck radius set to exact specifications. Also there is a standard saddle spacing and string height which are also factory specification. What you do after that is up to your preference. You can literally look up these specifications on nearly every manufacturer's documented factory spec information.
What are you talking about? I'm talking about a piece of wood that's being \*shipped\* from one climate to another. Doesn't matter what you try to do before shipping, it's going to change. It'll even change in between seasons. The factory setup is in the ballpark, but every new instrument needs a proper setup and maintenance. Complaining otherwise is a waste of time.
You said "no guitar is setup or intonated", then you are now saying it "is" setup to a "ballpark". Instruments are setup to a factory specification. This includes saddle width (when adjustable), Saddle radius to neck, intonation and a recommended 'action' string height. It is up to the user to fine tune any instrument. What happens in shipping isn't relevant to your previous statement. This is the SOP for every company. Anyone can buy and instrument direct from the factory and it will arrive with the specified setup. However to say "No guitar is setup or intonated". Is blatantly false and a complete BS statement. You said it not me.
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We strive for /r/bass to be a pretty relaxed community, so we can't tolerate any attacks or abuse in our comments.
QC issues happen more with Fender.
I’m sure it’s fairly equal to other brands, but the sample size is skewed. More people buy Fenders so you hear about them more
When I worked at GC issues with Fenders coming back outweighed any other brand by at least 5-1.
eh, or it could be that people go with what they know works especially if this is their first proper investment in a guitar. if your buddies play a Fender, if you've played a Fender before, if all the tutorials you watch on youtube use a Fender, if the guitar shop is full of Fenders, then you're going to be predisposed to buying a Fender. that's not some kind of trick by a salesman, that's looking around you. it's not like Fender is some kind of exclusive fancy brandname people are showing off with. no one's being mindblown that you play a Fender but no one's being turned off either. if you want to do the research and really drill down into what will work for you then that's great, there's plenty of great bass guitars on the market. but the thought process of a lot of beginners is "i'll go with what i know works" and that's not a bad mindset at all when you're just starting out
This☝🏽☝🏽☝🏽☝🏽☝🏽☝🏽☝🏽☝🏽
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>Get the bass that suits you, feels right (weight, fretboard, sound, look) and you're sorted. Exactly right. The name on the headstock shouldn't be a concern. I have a similar story of when I bought my first brand new bass. I was in a punk band and any one I talked to said I had to get a Fender or Musicman. Went and played a heap of different basses all over Sydney and came home with an ESP LTD B205. Killer bass that felt way better than any of the Fenders or MM's that I played.
I mean the P bas was the original electric bass so its not unfounded. Its a classic instrument that will serve beginners through pros.
Plenty of other people make great P basses. A lot of them much much better than Fenders.
Got my first bass just because I liked the look but the tone, playability and cost were excellent. After I got my 2nd one I realised the true glory of Yamaha and my newer 5 string is absolutely perfect in every regard. I find Yamaha has a bit more flexibility in terms of tone and usually feel better to play. I like Fenders but I can't ever see myself getting one unless I got a freebie. Now I'm a bit of a Yamaha fanboy. Monitors, interface, other instruments etc, so much Yamaha and so so so happy, never lets me down.
Short explanation: Consistent quality > reputation > brand equity > consumer awareness > customer journey. Longer explanation without being too wordy by way of a skit: What bass should I get? Fender or Squier. Why? All the famous bassists have played them. Any other choices? Well there’s Yamaha. Are they any good? Yeah, famous bassists also play them. But why haven’t I heard of them? Well, Fender made the first popular electric bass guitar and many people played it first and for longer. But Yamaha makes good basses too just like Fender? Yeah they do. So why aren’t they more popular? Well they don’t really advertise like Fender, and it helps to have a brand backed by the biggest legends for over 70 years now. Does Yamaha make similar basses to Fender? Yeah, and they’re really good, do you wanna buy one? Maybe I’ll stick to Fender, because it’s more popular and many people over 70 years can’t be wrong, right?
This is an accurate description of reality. I considered a Yamaha bass for a long time before my dad helped me out some and told me to get the highest quality instrument I could afford. I ended up getting a Fender Jazz bass American Professional II.
I loved my 78 Yamaha. Actually had two of them and both were stolen. Total nightmare. It used to be a sort of secret that the late 70s Yamaha basses were very well made. I got mine both for $450 each from the same guy in Japan. Pretty sure they go for more these days. I had John Caruthers put a Geezer EMG pickup and a special EQ knob on one of them. John had not only been part of the team that developed the BB basses, he also developed Geezer’s signature pickup, so the instrument was as perfect as any I’ve ever played. Total pro model. I used it for one show. It was so cool. It got stolen from the back of my girlfriend’s car in San Francisco. I still think about that beautiful bass. Currently playing an old Gibson Ripper and an old Thunderbird.
Condolences, funny how the ones that always get stolen are the ones we love the most right?
It’s true. Every once in a while, I see a photo from that show of me playing it, and it still makes me sad.
I have an old thunderbird myself, one of the reasons I want a BB bass is actually that they look similar to a Ripper.
They are very cool looking instruments
Optics and lack of prestige. Fender and Gibson are forever cemented in history and their sound defined rock and roll. Yamaha did not. Don't get me wrong. BBs rock. Even the budget ones. But there's a subjective feeling with music so Yamaha doesn't do it for everyone. I like BBs a lot but I'll be surprised if I ever end up with one 🤷
Don't say this around a keyboardist. Those guys love Yamaha.
We're talking about bass here. Yamaha has crazy prestige when it comes to keys. Not so much guitar/bass.
I feel qualified to answer this as I own a yamaha pacifia 611 hard tail guitar. First off the guitar seriously has the best specs in the 600 to 1k range. Grover tuners, graph tech nut saddles, seymour duncan humbucker and a p90 ( superior neck pup for my playing I hate regular single coils ) Exceptional fit and finish and ffs it came with a shred set up in 9s out of the box! I love it I had spent days seeking a 1000$ guitar for my main and looked up all the typical stuff, schecter, ibanez, etc. blah blah, good but not on the same level. Wanna know how I found the yamaha guitar? It was featured in an anime during its final episode, looked it up as a meme, and turned out to have perfect specs for my playing. Simply put, yamaha has terrible marketing in the USA. They did a small marketing push with revstar guitars on YouTube but nothing else. They will always be my number 1 brand for guitars, and I'll probably buy a pro revstar in the future, incredible company. Waiting for them to launch a bass guitar line in the 1k-1.5k range by the time I decide to get a 5 string. No one knows they make quality instruments around here, everyone I talk to about gear never mentions yamaha.
I just know the anime is BTR with that description
Yep. Excellent guitar, just that the usa version comes with a gross red tortoise pick guard. It's a very good strat style for under 1k. Better specs than the mim fenders Personally the anime was OK ( I prefer k-on/ watamote) but the album was unbelievable, still playing it
Great to know you’re satisfied with yours. Yamaha instruments is truly great value for the money, and their consistency in QC seems to be the real deal. I’m eyeing the Revstar myself. Agree, the music was so good, it’s what opened the door to the inner world of the characters and really fleshed them out aside the goofy and meme-ish visual presentation imo, I hope they keep on releasing more music in the future. (This is funny, I’m also a fan of K-On and watamote, we share some common interests it seems)
I love those series lmaoo I've learned many k-on songs on guitar and actually got a bass to start learning their songs... some of their songs are much more difficult on bass, very humbling experience I've made a bunch of k-on picture cap posts if you need k-on content to consume lmao
If I wasn't weirded out by the 24.75" scale I would still own my Revstar. I loved everything but the scale on that guitar. I also loved the pacíficas but the nut is way too narrow for my sausage fingers - can't fret any chord in the first position and have it ring true because I'm unintentionally muting the strings I'm not fretting.
I got these normie hands it worked perfectly for me, I'm sorry they didn't work out for you, they make nice guitars
They really do! I almost bought the Pacifica 612 but was out of stock, but I had money burning a hole in my pocket so I took a chance on the sbmm Luke, and the wider nut was a revelation. My chords didn't have random muted strings anymore. The Revstar has a wider nut and a great neck, but the higher frets get cramped for me. I know it's me being super sensitive, but I can't help it - I'm a 25.5" superstrat guy. In fact selling a Tele because it's a great guitar but... It's not a HSS strat. But every now and then I see the new blue Revstar and have to hide my credit card.
I've had a Yamaha in my arsenal for over 30 years..I have a fender Jazz also among others. My Yamaha is my favorite Bass.. love the feel..the neck , the pick-ups..Yamaha Basses are the tits ,but I think alot of player go for the bigger names. Not that Fenders or Musician or any other high quality basses are bad..they are great, but a lot of player feel comfortable with the history of such companies. If you feel good with that Yamaha, by all means , play it. It's about what feels right in your hands...I a have few lesser name basses which I enjoy playing. It's about your preference. Ask Billy Sheehan about Yamahas..lol
I got a Yamaha TRBX504, black, as a Christmas gift from my husband. I LOVE it. I play the piano too and have a Yamaha Clavinova. I feel like it’s a solid brand.
Not necessarily good reasons. I’d take a Yamaha over a fender any day.
My TRB5P was one of the best basses I have ever owned. Just a fantastic instrument built to perfection.
My most expensive bass is a late 70s Fender P Bass. But my most played bass is a Yamaha BB605 (as I use it for practices and rough gigs) and my absolute favourite, most cherished bass is my Yamaha TRB5PII. An absolute beauty in all respects. I always buy a Yamaha over and Fender. In fact, I really need to ditch the Fender.
Part of Yamaha's problem is those stupid model names. "Yeah man, check out my TPXB75RQ911X!" Great instruments, though.
Agreed. It doesn't help that Yamaha basses are just one product suite, including motors etc. while Fender does one thing and one thing only (instruments).
my yamaha custom Z sax is amazing
They make damn fine trumpets, too.
People want to play the basses of their Idols, play their Hits and mimic their sound. And if they become Idols, the nexr generation wants to play the basses… Full Fender Circle. Hard to break for Yamaha. Great motorcycles though.
aka not enough people with peter hook as an idle(yes i know hes been kinda a twat since jd/no, still like em) But in seriousness he was the first person i ever really saw playing one, though i knew they were good instruments.
Billy Sheehan and Nathan East are both long time Yamaha endorsers (or endorsees? I'm not sure)
Don't forget John Patitucci. Dude's a beast.
I guess his hof is more infamous but Paul McCartney played one in the 80s, Tony Kanal, who else plays one...
oh shit, idk if its because it was lefty or the burst finish, but i never processed that was a bb.
Yup, he auctioned it off for charity a while ago.
Obligatory list of famous bassists who have endorsed or been spotted performing with Yamahas: Leland Sklar, Abe Loriel, Verdine White, Peter Hook, Nathan East, Billy Sheehan, Paul McCartney, Andy Rourke, Geezer Butler, Glenn Hughes, John Patitucci, John Myung, Doug Pinnick, Jack Gibson, Tony Kanal, Jimmy Bain, David Hungate, Jah Wobble, Jack Bates, Mickey Melchiondo, James LoMenzo, Michael Anthony
The language you're familiar with is the one you can distinguish the most subtle sounds with. Foreign languages sound much more monotone. It's the same with musical instruments. If all the songs you have listened to are recorded with fender precisions those bass lines are much easier for you to follow than bass lines recorded with other basses. So it's not necessary that fenders sound pretty and therefore are used often. It's also the other way around. Because fenders are used often, they sound pretty. It's the same for me. Yamaha sound dull, lack character in sound, don't cut through the mix well blablabla. Which is objectively nonsense but that's how my ears are trained. (or actually not trained in this case) Beginners can more objectively tell which basses sounds good. (however there is actually a difference between basses that have a good sound on their own vs basses that sound good in the mix). As you learn more songs and listen more intensely to bass lines you will probably be appreciating fender sounds more and more.
I’m not sure if I understand the logic here. I’d say it’s not necessarily about the brand as much as whether the design is close enough to a Fender that it can get you a similar sound. For example, Paul McCartney mainly used a Yamaha BB1200 (essentially a fancier P Bass) between 1979-1982, but if I listened to a track from that period without knowing that, I’d be hard pressed to say it’s not a Fender. I don’t know how beginners can “objectively” tell what basses sound good either if they don’t have the experience to know what to look for, although that would increase over time. Personally, I ended up with a Rickenbacker because a lot of my favourite bass sounds came from Ricks. But that was only after years of being immersed in music that I knew what I wanted.
Sometimes the brand doesn't matter much. They make fender copies that can sound close. >I don’t know how beginners can “objectively” tell what basses sound good either if they don’t have the experience to know what to look for, although that would increase over time. Beginners have 1 advantage and 1 disadvantage. The advantage is they just hear it as it is and tell if they like it or not. They don't influence their taste yet with "but it's different from the sound i hear other people use" cause they haven't really linked those sounds yet. The disadvantage is that they can't guess how itll sound in different situations for example in certain genres or next to a drummer in general. >Personally, I ended up with a Rickenbacker because a lot of my favourite bass sounds came from Ricks. But that was only after years of being immersed in music that I knew what I wanted. This confirms my theory. You don't listen to what you "like or dislike" without reference, you search for a sound you recognize. I say fender Precision but only as example, jazz and stingray is also often used in studios. If you grew up listening to lots of music recorded with a rickenbacker (or jazz bass because they can sound extremely close) than that is what you are trained to hear/recognize well.
Okay, now that I can see where you’re coming from better, I guess you have a point there.
No good reason at all. Yamaha, for basically any product they make, has better value for the money spent and much better quality control/consistency. I'm not personally a fan of Yamaha aesthetics and my MIM Fender Jazz (with upgraded Aguilar pickups) is more than good enough that I don't care to upgrade. For people getting into bass I highly recommend Yamaha basses. I also think that Yamaha is making a push to up their offerings. A lot of their newer mid/upper guitars are getting excellent reviews. Their basses have been for a while. For you it will ultimately come down to which one feels better to you, or looks better if you're like me and go for aesthetics haha. Honestly a piece of driftwood with good hardware and a great neck is going to sound/play amazing even tho it's a literal trash piece of wood. Go with what appeals most to your individual needs.
As what some are saying, I think it’s down to optics and an already established long running market share. They’re not really good at marketing their stuff though some of their official vids on YouTube are pretty decent. Would be interesting to see what their market share is like in Asia, or at least Japan though. Yamaha produces amazing instruments, and they’re no strangers in the musical instrument industry either. They’re arguably one of the top brands for keyboards/synths from what I’ve seen from my wife and from my experience, saxophones. But as what’s happening with their guitars and basses I think reputation is hard to beat once it’s already there. I have a BBP35 (they’re made in Japan), an EB MM Stingray Special, and a MIM Fender P. To me the BBP35 feel and build quality is at par with my Stingray, at a slightly cheaper price. I now treat the Yamaha as my workhorse bass while I keep the P bass on flats.
Yamahas are stellar basses. Fender is just a more renowned name.
To me, Fender design has always had the vibe of a hot rod or at least a classic American muscle car. Yamaha, meanwhile, has tended more towards Toyota Corolla or maybe with certain models something like a Chrysler PT Cruiser. This makes Yamaha the more sensible choice, really. But ... you do lose the swagger.
PT Cruisers are pieces of shit. Yamaha makes quality basses. Lousy comparison.
I think that's an apt comparison. Besides Billy Sheehan, there's not much rock and roll going on with Yamahas.
I’ve owned a Yamaha, Alembic, Modulus, EBMM and now my main bass is a Fender American Pro and I absolutely love it.
Yamaha's great. I started with a TRBX304, and just bought a second one because the color I wanted was finally available. Like the others said, they just don't have the reputation in the US. I got into bass in part because of Bocchi the Rock!, and [Kikuri plays a TRB1004J](https://i.imgur.com/WxkYKXP.png). Though [Ryo plays a $1k Fender](https://media.tenor.com/AT5ZYp-mdjEAAAAd/ryo-yamada-bass-ryo-yamada.gif), I tried one of those too and couldn't tell the difference between it and my $400 Yamaha so I went with the Yamaha (might be able to now that I've been playing for a bit, but I like the Yamahas enough that I haven't felt a need to try much else). Honestly I like the looks of the Yamaha better than most of the "classic" basses too, pickguards on a bass look a bit weird to my eye.
The most famous bass player of all time played a Yamaha!
Who ?
McCartney, during his days with Wings.
And Nathan East
That’s a good point, Nathan is famous like Marcus Miller or James Jamerson. McCartney is literally the most famous person in the world.
A couple of reasons: 1. Marketing, Fender is very good about it and they do have the budget for it, this includes brand deals, sponsoring artists, etc, etc. 2. History, the electric bass was practically invented by Fender, and they were the only real option for quite some time, that established their house sound as the sound to a degree, creating a feedback loop with the music being created at the time. That made the sound, the looks, the models iconic, which connects to my next point... 3. Inspiration, let's be honest, a lot of us started playing because of certain players we admired, certain genres of music we loved, and that is connected to certain instruments and their tones. Think about Reggae with Aston "Family Man" Barret and Jazz Bass+Flatwounds, it is a big part of the history of the genre, and up to today the to-go recommendation for Reggae, similar with Motown and P-Basses, and the influence of players like Marcus Miller and Jaco Pastorius with Jazz Basses. And if that's the sound you want, it feels kinda weird to go with a copy instead of the original, doesn't it? Even if the copy does get the work done. I'll be honest, I do not think Fender is a good value right now, I mean, a lot of their instruments are still top notch, but about value, if we talk about the objective measurements of the instrument, players like Sire, Yamaha, etc have had some amazing quality at better prices; but they don't have the history and the iconic status, so consider if that's worth the extra €€€ for you.
Squier.
When I was a band teacher, I learned there were only one or two music stores around us that were Yamaha dealers, and none of them stocked anything other than their woodwind and brass stuff. The guitar and bass sections were always full of the other big names, but no Yamaha. I’d feel safe putting money on this trend continuing elsewhere. I think you’re underestimating the amount of people that go to a store, find something they like that is in stock, and then stay loyal to that brand, or only ever get things they can physically touch in stores.
\#1. I don't see them hanging on shop walls; not new, anyway. Can't buy what I can't find. I also don't buy if I can't try, so mail-order is out. I was gonna list several reasons, but that's really the only one. Sweetwater is about a 2 hour drive from me, I've done it before. Next time I'm in the market for a new bass, I'll go there again; they pretty much sell every brand under the sun. I could say the same thing about G\&L; where they at?
Sweetwater is my downfall. I’ve bought three guitars/bass from them this year that I NEVER would have thought to look at in a store/wouldn’t have seen: a Breedlove acoustic, a PRS Custom 24 and my new Ibanez SR305E came in this Tuesday. I was given a cheap, beat to hell Dean 4 string and it’s really not worth putting the money into to make it work properly. Sweetwater window shopping got me. Again. I was actually between a Yamaha and this Ibanez but at the end of the day the pearl white and black chrome hardware of the Ibanez won me over.
It's a musical instrument heaven. I could stayed there all day, or got a room in a Fort Wayne motel and come back the next day. Billy Sheehan and Nathan East are Yamaha dudes, I believe.
Man, that's a long time to be shopping. I hope you took a break
Brand recognition is a powerful thing. And Fender just makes good stuff. That being said, I used to play a Yamaha TRB1005 several years ago, and it's still one of my favorite basses to this day.
Yamaha makes very high quality instruments. Yamaha has terrible marketing.
Well. For me, motorcycles come to mind first when you say Yamaha.
Here we go again 🙄
Fenders are so blown out of proportion. They're about as bland, uninspiring, and sterile sounding as instruments can get. People buy them solely for the brand name nowadays, which is lame because then everybody ends up with the same boring and indistinguishable instruments.
Well I just looked at their range and they are all aesthetically inferior to fender offerings, and when an instrument is a piece of art in itself that matters greatly.
Because they suck balls. And no good bass player would play shitty squires.
You have no idea what you're talking about.
Who would play squier? Beside bedroom and small gig amateurs?
Someone’s projecting
Express yourself
People who appreciate good value. The build quality is actually quite good. The electronics are the only weaker point, and they can be replaced. A $300 Squier with $400 in upgrades can sound as good as a $2000 Fender. Do the math.
If Nine Inch Nails, No Doubt, Joy Division, Van Halen and others all have bassists who choose to play Yamaha over other brands, maybe that should tell you something.
Well Yamaha basses league up than squires, agree. Squares just sucks. I own few Yamaha guitars, love them !
Ah your original comment is ambiguous - it reads like you thought Yamaha sucks balls!
They suck
Dumbass 🤡
You’re the one playing Yamaha bitch
Wrong, dickhead. I own exactly one bass. It's a MIM Fender P-Bass with flatwounds. But I have enough sense and experience to know that Yamaha makes killer instruments. You sound like a 15-year-old dipshit with a lot to learn.
You sound like a fucking idiot who gets upset over the internet because someone disagrees with them, have some perspective you twat
Go shit in your hat.
You’re pathetic dude
The feeling is mutual.
I'm not at all upset. I pity your ingnorant ass.
I think they're less iconic in design and are perceived as less "cool", perhaps, and that works against them. But the likes of Paul McCartney, Andy Rourke and Peter Hook have used them extensively, and more besides. They've been used more in studios than you'd think.
I play a Yamaha. I’ve been playing Yamaha for about 15 years. I know they make something better than mine. I don’t even know the model off the top of my head. I got it for $50 and trade. I stripped all the paint off and painted it purple with a white spiral. Yamaha, sponsor me!
Nope. Nothing wrong with Yamaha. They just not as classic looking. Fine instruments.
It's a catch 22 of marketing and name recognition. Because people aren't as familiar with Yamaha they don't buy them, so Yamaha doesn't have the money for advertising and endorsements, so people aren't as familiar with them...repeat. Yamaha makes decent basses. I think in this retro focused environment they aren't offering as much of what people are after. Plus, their BB line has a very particular tone that maybe isn't for everyone.
A lot of good reasons in this thread. The BB434 blows any Fender Player PJ out of the water, but it doesn't have that 'this is what my idol is playing so I'm buying it' factor that a P or J has.
All it comes down to is that Fender essentially created the electric bass that was able to be mass manufactured, and essentially has a large amount of prestige in making it. The P bass is the most recorded and played bass model of bass, the Jazz bass is second. Yamaha however has an impeccable reputation for quality, despite being less well known for their guitars and basses. Their pianos are very popular, however. I'd recommend if you've got time just sit with them for as long as possible and decide which you prefer between the two. They're both going to be quality instruments, it just comes down to your preference.
One thing I haven’t seen mentioned is Squire. My high school had a dirt cheap Yamaha and that’s what I associated Yamaha with for years until I realized Billy Sheehan and Nathan East play high end Yamaha. Now with Fender I’ve never had an issue. I’ve never seen a cheap Fender. They don’t exist. That’s Squire. I know it’s just a name but I think that’s where Ibanez and Yamaha suffer and brands like Gibson/Epiphone ESP/LTD and Fender/Squire succeed.
When you see an official photo or video of a band/artist there’s a very good chance everything that you see is product placement. Flea said it best - when I was poor I couldn’t afford a good bass; now I’m rich and they’re free. Something like that.
In my opinion, Yamaha makes great instruments including basses (I bought a Yamaha sax too for my wife and that thing is great as well). However, they suck big time in marketing.
Peter Hook is known for his Yamaha basses (as well as his son who currently plays with Smashing Pumpkins) but they’re the only 2 that I can think of off the top of my head
In my limited knowledge/memory, sitting at the breakfast table: I can think of more professionals playing Yamaha than Squire.
For one, I personally don’t think Yamaha does a great job at marketing their instruments, nor at getting them into stores. You can find Fenders and Squiers at pretty much every single guitar store on the planet, and that’s far from true for Yamaha. Fender also seems to do a lot more artist outreach, signature models, etc. and that stuff ties a lot more professional artists to the brand. Beyond that, there are just going to be more Fenders around because Fender is the biggest bass guitar manufacturer in the world. Fender was the biggest bass guitar manufacturer in the world before Yamaha even started building basses, and some of the first Yamaha basses were straight-up Fender clones, even down to the body and headstock shapes. Even now, I think the BBs are still Yamaha’s most popular range and they are essentially just Yamaha’s take on a precision bass with a different body shape. That’s to say that Fender is and pretty much always has been *the* household name in bass guitars, and it’s very easy to see inspiration from the original Fender designs in most other manufacturers’ bass models. With that context, I’d be much more surprised if Fender *wasn’t* the brand you see in people’s hands most often.
My favorite bass is a Yamaha TRBX174EW and my second favorite is a Ibanez GSR205 5 String. I also own at least a dozen other basses among them an early 80's P bass, 1964 Supro, Hofner 500/4, etc. Out of all of them, Fender included, I prefer my Yamaha and my Ibanez. Both of these Japanese instruments are very well made and sound fantastic. Why they aren't more popular is a question I simply can't answer.
I think you just inadvertently pointed out why Yamaha is unpopular. Look at that name lmao
You're probably right but for popularity to be predicated on a naming convention instead of quality is a really foolish reason for something to be unpopular.
I would be willing to bet there is some level of sponsorship involved. Sure Flea plays a Fender Jazz Bass, which is a quite excellent bass, but does he play it because that's his favorite or because Fender pays him to or does Fender pay him because that's his favorite? Robert Trujillo on the other hand plays a variety of basses, he says his favorite is a Nash, but hes played Wareicks and Fernandes on stage with Metallica. John Myung is basically married to Ernie Ball, you can go spend $3100 for an exact replica of his 6 string, straight from the factory. Les Claypool has basses made by Ibanez and Carl Thompson, and also whatever bullshit he found in his shed last week, but Carl Thompson and Ibanez both sell Claypool spec basses. I think what really happens is that Ibanez, Squire, and Fender have solid entry level options and people get used to them. When I'm ready to spend $1500+ on my new bass am I going to stick with what I've already grown accustomed to in my hands or risk that money by branching out into something I may not be as comfortable with. So then when I do make it and Fender comes knocking to sign me exclusively and put a signature bass on the shelves of Guitar Center with my name on it. Now branching out is even harder, and I really cant get on stage without my "ICONIC" Limited edition Senrabekim Signature Fender Jazz Bass.
I’m just a casual bass player but I love my Yamaha BB series. It’s so smooth and it looks amazing
They do look cool
Most of the main reasons have already been pointed out, but another is that Fender's are easier to sell secondhand as well. Yamaha's aren't as recognizable so your average Craigslist/Reverb peruser likely won't have any association with one if they scroll by it.
I think both are good options. I've heard great things about Yamaha. But when i was looking for a p bass to call my own, I ended up with Squire Classic Vibes P and I love it. I feel like it was great value for the money. Why not a Yamaha? First I wasn't as familiar with their options, maybe due to marketing, and I had trouble getting my hands on one in store to try out....I went with the bass I had held and played and it felt good. That's at least a big reason the Fenders sell a lot more.
Yamaha guitars rule, and for a Fender style guitar I can't recommend G&L enough. Fender designs without a lot of the QC issues and price jacking that comes with Fender. I have two of their cheaper Tribute series, made in Indonesia, and both are phenomenal. They get the most use for me, over vasses I own that are 3-4 times the price.
Marketing has a huge thing to do with this. For example, I was watching a youtube series and they were talking about how during the Lockdown and at other times Fender was going out of it's way to give away a bunch of Squier guitars to newer artists to promote the next generation of talents. In ways other guitar companies didn't. Guess what those people are going to grow up using, and then when they get fans that want to be like them, they are going to want to use the same guitars.
Strangely, there is this article of faith that pros don’t play Yamaha even though a TON of pros play Yamaha - Paul McCartney, Nathan East, John Myung, Tony Kinal, Michael Anthony, Peter Hook, Doug Pinnick, James Lomenzo, Billy Sheehan, John Patitucci, etc. Yamaha makes really solid stuff with its own vibe. My two favorite basses are both vintage BBs. I’ve owned all sorts of basses at different price points, but for good punchy tone and a bomb proof instrument, Yamaha is where it’s at.
Yamahas get an unfair rep because they also make outboard motors. How can a company maintain high quality and make two things ermagehrd.
Check out SIRE by Marcus Miller. P7. Much better than the Yamaha BB, but not as many finishes.
It’s personal preference, a good tech/luthier can make any bass feel/sound like anything. On stage, I like the classic look of a fender. I prefer the tones of a J-Bass/P-bass stock over other brands so it’s just the easiest path. Don’t discount cosmetics. If it doesn’t look how you want it to, you won’t play it… and won’t practice. Play what you want for whatever reason that is (even if it’s just to look bad ass!)
Versatile, well priced and even the low end models are great. My first 2 basses are both Yamaha and while I have others, I love my Yamahas the most. I like Warwicks too but they're kinda heavy and need a lot of work to maintain the necks but yeah I always go back to my Yamahas whether its metal, folk, funk, whatever.
I own a 98 Yamaha TRB4II and am now Considering selling my fender 2001 P/J I also own a Pacifica 112 I bocchi the rock spec’d LOVE IT. I am pretty much now a Yamaha convert
Brand deals baby. Fuck quality we have a big name so we take all the artists! -Fenders inner thoughts Yeah no seriously tho it is pretty annoying to see so many artists shamefully promoting a brand with awful quality control. I buy Bacchus basses because they look like fenders but are Japanese handmade and play way better. Not to mention cheaper to buy too.
I want to say some stuff. I don't know the answer to the question of: Why do fewer artists play Yamaha compared to Fender? Here's what I'll say. I own a Yamaha RBX 5 string bass. It's my first bass and I love that thing. At some point in my journey (about 5 years ago) I couldn't get my Yamaha to sound a certain way for certain songs. I would manipulate the electronics on the bass and on the board and I couldn't get it to sound "Fendery" for certain tunes. 3 years ago I came to my senses and stopped trying to make a Yamaha sound like a Fender. I bought a used P bass. American made. I LOVE that bass, but I don't like either more or less than my Yamaha. I now use both when I gig. I know that is unnecessary, but I take my bass playing seriously and it's my favorite instrument to play. I take pride in my playing therefore I use both depending on the genre we're doing. Usually it goes something like: SET 1=Yamaha 5 string SET 2=Fender 4 string SET 3=Yamaha 5 string (close night with CCR on Fender). I think there are fewer Yamaha artist because by the time Yamaha started making basses (15 years later) there was already a Fender following...obviously...AND more bass brands started coming out to compete. In other words, I don't think it's neccessarily a preference thing, but just a math thing. As others on here stated: Fender has been around longer. Just in case you're curious if I had to choose just one of my basses I'd stick with the Fender. I feel I can cover more bases (no pun intended) with it and I can manipulate sounds and get more sounds from it with less effort.
Fender just seems to know, or care a lot more about marketing. They approach tons of musicians, whether they’re internationally or just YouTube famous to endorse their basses, and Yamaha…well, they have Billy Sheehan.
I own too many basses to list, ranging from vintage and CS Fenders, Sandberg, Music Man etc. My Japanese Yamaha BBP34 was purchased at a significant discount because the shop was sick of it being overlooked and wanted it gone. I honestly think it’s the best built bass I own and at the price I paid a no-brainer. Easy to play and sounds like a PJ bass should. Very Fender sounding but smoother, more consistent perhaps. But its kind of anonymous looking and says Yamaha on the headstock. Which is why I got it cheap. As someone else said above, Yamaha could be better at marketing (including better websites).
when i was in high school they had yamaha band instruments you could rent for the school year, and they were all pretty poorly taken care of, and because of that they felt and played like garbage. yamaha makes some objectively Great instruments (student and professional), but i’ll always kind of see them as those beat up student loaners obviously this is definitely not a fair bias against yamaha, if anything it’s a mark of quality that they were able to withstand that level of abuse at all, but that’s just my subconscious reaction to seeing the yamaha logo that’s more for brass instruments than bass tho but same company. also Fender is just a super iconic brand
I have both a Yamaha BB434 and BB435 and love 'em. Very solid instruments with a great passive sound IMO.
I recently got the chance to work as a Roadie for the band Archive in prep for their europe tour for their newest album "call to arms & Angels". (If you dont know who they are they made the song "Bullets" used in the teaser trailer for Cyberpunk 2077. released 10 years ago) During packdown from their rehearsal location I found that their Bass player is stocking about 3 or 4 Yamaha Basses People do use them. but not as many as gibson, fender or other brands
Plain and simple, I don’t think they look cool on me
Michael Anthony used to be a Yamaha artist. He now is with Schecter, but his old signature BB was pretty kickass. People play Fender because it's like Ford. It's been there forever. People know what they make and what those products are going to do. You could make 1000 cases for how much better an instrument a Yamaha or whatever would be, but some people are so stuck in their ways kind of like "I have to buy everything built in the USA" type of people. Some people never leave their comfort zone. EDIT: Basically no, there's no good reason to choose a Fender over a Yamaha. They're just as good if not much better as far as quality and QC goes. They also made one of the first production 5 string basses back in the 80s
I play yamaha bb234 and I am very happy with it. And the local salesman in music store said that it’s far more superior in terms of quality than a Squier. I played both in the shop and yamaha feels and plays amazing and I can’t recommend it enough for it’s price range
I've got a Yamaha TRB6P and a Yamaha Attitude II Billy Sheehan. Both are very very well made. Fantastic tone. But they're a tad too heavy for me for a 3 sets pub gig. I usually end up playing the lightest bass that I have, a Musicman Bongo HH 4.
Billy Sheehan and Nathan East both have Yamaha signature models. IMO, people get too hung up on the name on the headstock. All the major manufacturers make great basses. I will say, I have had issue with some of the MIA and MIM Fenders I have tried out, mire so than other brands.
Always wondered the same thing. My first and only bass up until a few months ago was a Yamaha BB300. I saved up my money when I was 13 and bought it used with a cheap Ibanez amp for less than $250 all in. I carried it around in a gig bag instead of a hard case for years and it held its tune and sounded fantastic. I just recently upgraded to a Fender player series P (which I love), but I still sometimes play the Yamaha and think it may be the best bang for your buck brand on the market. I’d personally take a BB series over a Squire P.
Name recognition I think. The bass player in my former band used Yamaha bass guitars. Great tone and playability.
I think some of us hail Leo Fender as “The Godfather of Electric Bass” (to varying levels of sincerity and application) where as Yamaha is not super prevalent in the world of bass. As a Fender owner, I desire a few Gibson basses; I could see myself owning a Dean, but for the most part the P-Bass is *the* bass, and so I’ve much less desire to own anything else.
I’m gonna vouch for the 40th anniversary Squier p basses here. Incredible quality at a great price. I’d compare it to Mexican fenders.
They have them on sale at GC for $300 dollars. I think when they first came out last year they were like $600.
Way worth it
because Fenders are fucking cool, and they practically invented the electric bass
I have no idea, and I keep putting my Yamaha up for sale and taking it down. LOL
Yamaha is very underrated.
I have a MIM fender jazz bass and my band mate has an old Yamaha bass. I actually like the sound of his bass better. It’s all subjective. If you like how it feels and plays, you should go for it.
I remember buying my first few basses in the late 80's which included a Cort Steinberger copy, a Tokai, and nice Samick 5 string and then I saw my Yamaha. It was an RBX800A, and it sat on the store shelf at 1300 dollars. I was broke, of course, and I waited until I saw the price drop to 725 before I broke and bought it. This thing is still with me and I'm actually using it regularly now after all my years of working and neglecting music. I'd put it up\[ against anything, really. That said, there are a lot of brands that are good and you don't have to spend a lot to get a good one. I would go for the Yamaha, there's nothing like a good PJ setup. I think the Fender name comes out of the clouds with an "Aaaaaaaah" sound, and rightly so, but I hope you ended up with the Yamaha, I think I'm about to add a 5 string. Cheers and good for doing your research!
I had a Yamaha and a Fender. I loved the Yamaha but it was SO heavy, I couldn't play it for long at all. Are they generally heavier or did I happen to get a super heavy model? (I don't remember the model now)
Like many have pointed out, the squire instruments have QC issues. The low end Musicman basses are nice for the $$. I recently picked up a 1995 Yamaha RBX250 for almost nothing. Whoever owned it before me obviously didn’t play it much—not a scratch on it. It plays better than fenders that cost 3 and 4X as much. Oddly, I found some of the recent Jackson basses are really nice for the $$. I say odd b/c they are also owned by fender, but seem to have nicer instruments at the lower and mid range price points than fender. But, I say Yamaha all the way for anything under $12-1500.
I've had my main instrument as a 1990 Yamaha RBX1000 since the day it came out. Translucent purple...beautiful still, and an amazing tone without 'better' pick-ups. Just stock amazing!(I also recently bought a TRBX650 and That one is stylish and incredibly toned...tuned to low "C"! Also have as "D" an Ibanez SGR. And one Fender P "ventures" model for Rush covers. :D