yamaha bb614
- Thread starter confused
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exin
New member
confused said:
Nice warm and round tone. 614 hotter than the 414 due to electronics.
The feel is nice, the neck isn't too thick, playability when you set it up properly will be very shiok. The stock pickups sound incredibly good for stock pickups, so worth the cash.
Good for old school thumpy music, reggae, R&B .. rock, jazz .. i just wish you could like change pickups if you really want to .. but otherwise a good buy.
Indigo_blues
New member
I don't think you can go very wrong with a bb614... 
I have a BB604 which i bought when i was just starting out on bass a few years ago.. did my research on the internet.. never regretted buying it. You can get a lot of different tones out from it because of its onboard electronics. Its a very versatile bass. You can get deep thumpy, warm round sounds, or mellow and twangy all by adjusting the knobs. I still prefer its more modern look to that of the 614 which is more vintage looking.
btw, i think the 414 is passive so if u are looking for active it will be the 614.
I have a BB604 which i bought when i was just starting out on bass a few years ago.. did my research on the internet.. never regretted buying it. You can get a lot of different tones out from it because of its onboard electronics. Its a very versatile bass. You can get deep thumpy, warm round sounds, or mellow and twangy all by adjusting the knobs. I still prefer its more modern look to that of the 614 which is more vintage looking.
btw, i think the 414 is passive so if u are looking for active it will be the 614.
exin
New member
Re: tanx guys
active pickups/electronics usually have a higher output ... they tend to sound more "alive" compared to passive pickups, but good and bad lah .. some prefer passive basses due to the tone compared to the active ones .. so .. you've gotta find out what works for you and what doesn't ...
confused said:
active pickups/electronics usually have a higher output ... they tend to sound more "alive" compared to passive pickups, but good and bad lah .. some prefer passive basses due to the tone compared to the active ones .. so .. you've gotta find out what works for you and what doesn't ...
Indigo_blues
New member
beez changed the volume pot on my 604 recently and he was telling me that the 604 uses passive single coil pickups but has active electronics to augment the sound. So he said basically u could use it with electronics off for 'passive' and electronics on for 'active'. Best of both worlds. However i usually turn it on cause it gives a 'meatier' sound. Think the 614 should be similar..
However i usually turn it on cause it gives a 'meatier' sound. Think the 614 should be similar..Well, passives are good in the way that your electronics don't colour the sound of your pickup and your wood, but passives lack the raw power that active electronics provide. Passives would sound beautiful if you have proper amplification but that being said, i'm an active man. :lol:
Whether or not a bass sounds good can't really be determined by how flexible the controls are.
A bass may have more tone controls; eg. Bass and Treble boost/cut VS Bass, Treble, Mids boost/cut and Mid Sweep. That doesn't mean it sounds better. Many things contribute to the sound, including the tonewoods used, pickups, preamp and also HOW the preamp is voiced.
A preamp can have more tonal flexibility and still sound like ass if all the controls and parameters are not voiced well.
With regards to which tonewood warps easily, it's really hard to say. Tonewoords typically only suffer major warping when they are exposed to the elements, like exotic basses that are finished with a light oil finish. Most other bass manufacturers slather shitloads of lacquer and hardener on the woods, so they're effectively protected from the elements.
Unfinished maple is a neck wood that warps pretty easily when unifinished, thus it's always good to buy basses that either have gloss or satin lacquered maple necks. I'm not too clear about other tonewoods, all too expensive for my blood.
Hope that helps. Cheers.
A bass may have more tone controls; eg. Bass and Treble boost/cut VS Bass, Treble, Mids boost/cut and Mid Sweep. That doesn't mean it sounds better. Many things contribute to the sound, including the tonewoods used, pickups, preamp and also HOW the preamp is voiced.
A preamp can have more tonal flexibility and still sound like ass if all the controls and parameters are not voiced well.
With regards to which tonewood warps easily, it's really hard to say. Tonewoords typically only suffer major warping when they are exposed to the elements, like exotic basses that are finished with a light oil finish. Most other bass manufacturers slather shitloads of lacquer and hardener on the woods, so they're effectively protected from the elements.
Unfinished maple is a neck wood that warps pretty easily when unifinished, thus it's always good to buy basses that either have gloss or satin lacquered maple necks. I'm not too clear about other tonewoods, all too expensive for my blood.
Hope that helps. Cheers.
Indigo_blues
New member
confused said:
u probably have to decide for yourself... which do u like better in terms of sound, looks and feel? Its all very subjective.
Don't think u really need 3 eq knobs on a bass though. Adjustments can be made on the bass amp. U sure the 614 has 3eq knobs?? Thot it has 2eq and one mid-sweep knob.
Actually, 2 band/3 band is a purely personal thing. Some people like the extra control, some just want to be able to dial a good tone from the bass without having to deal with extra stuff. Oh, and the controls on the 614 are master volume, balancer, treble, mid, bass.
With regards to warping, the age of the wood matters too, the older the wood, the drier it is, and hence less prone to warpage. And most necks will come finished. A manufacturer who uses an unfinished neck is probably gonna get a lot of complaints due to neck warpage, no matter what the wood.
And about the comparison between the sr500 and the bb614, there really shouldn't be any comparisons because both basses are very different. Both manufacturers are quite outstanding though, so go out and try both of them, and see which bass "speaks" to you more.
With regards to warping, the age of the wood matters too, the older the wood, the drier it is, and hence less prone to warpage. And most necks will come finished. A manufacturer who uses an unfinished neck is probably gonna get a lot of complaints due to neck warpage, no matter what the wood.
And about the comparison between the sr500 and the bb614, there really shouldn't be any comparisons because both basses are very different. Both manufacturers are quite outstanding though, so go out and try both of them, and see which bass "speaks" to you more.
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