Yamaha BB2025X

[pelrsn]

Always enjoy your reviews man.

How about reviewing the bb1024 / bb1024x? Can't seem to find any serious reviews of that bass.

[boddumblues]

Soundwise I think this bass stands out - great work Ed :-)

[funkbass71]

Ed, in regards to the ground/hum sound this bass has which many other basses with single coil pickups suffer from. You mentioned there's a way around it to avoid that from happening..so my questions is; Is that something that's got to must be done while the instrument, or something that can be done by a qualified Luthier / bass guitar tech. I do appreciate your hard work, dedication and all the great information and guidance you bring through these videos...keep up the good work. Best Regards!

[BassGuitarMag]

@funkbass71 - the solution is to put a split coil or stack humbucker in the bridge position. Or... really crazy but doable is put a dummy coil under the pickguard to act as a hum canceler for the single coil. Yamaha could have done one of these things... but they didn't. And to be fair, they are not alone. Many P/J setups have the same issue. For some people it's not a big deal. I personally prefer to be able to avoid hum, but that's just me.

[byjuu246]

When you made that

comment about the

single coil hum, you

said there was a

way around it;

EXPLAIN PLEASE!!!!!!!

[BassGuitarMag]

@byjuu246 - Make the pickup a split coil or stacked coil. Single coils hum by themselves... no way around that.

[juniormendoza80]

ed by their expression sr I realize that this model does not meet your expectations for anything that sounds too dull beginning and its sound is not agradabale and worst of all, the cost is, sounds a lot better RBXA2 model, the cost is ridiculous of this model for the sound quality is poor, greetings from Venezuela

[makke1977]

Does anyone know if this has the option to choose top-load or string thru?

I have seen photos where it seems it also has an option for top-loading.

[yuenyen92]

i want that bass so fucking much~~~

[44matej44]

any chance for reviewing yamaha attitude bass?

Have a nice day! Matej

[steelcitysi]

Great review! So helpful.

Ed, I understand the nut is nickel. Will there be problems if I make drastic changes in string gauge? Not sure how I would file the nut for a larger gauge or fill it in for a smaller gauge.

Also, do you have any experience with the BB1025 - it's supposed to be the same as the BB2025 but without ARE and IRA.

[BassGuitarMag]

@steelcitysi - Well, going to a smaller gauge would not require filling in the nut. If you went to a significantly larger gauge you might have to file it... But I don't remember how big the slots were. Even nickel can be filed though. I have not played any of the other models.

[GORFF987]

Amazing sound

[FingerLickinGoood]

This looks like a p bass crossed with a stingtay and a rick.

[The1Kong]

Hmmm, MusicMan manages to take away disturbing humm by a "Phantom-Coil" - and it works! This should be not that expensive, so that Yamaha could do something similar. I won´t pay € 2.749,-- (that will be USD 3.590,-- !!!) for a humming bass...

[2bluefor1]

Pretty bitchin'bass.....The extra metal on the body gives it a heavy duty vibe...Ed,in terms of puchiness,how does this puppy compare to your Fender Precision 5? Thanks for what you do....

[seanfunk1]

Knowing how much research and artist involvement went into these basses I find it hard to believe that the J was left as a true single coil without good reason. I'm interested to find out why it wasn't a stack - I feel another phonecall coming on...

[BassGuitarMag]

@seanfunk1 - Well, maybe I made this out to be a bigger deal than it is. A lot if PJ basses have the same situation. Anyway, I myself am not a PJ guy. I like Ps and I like Js...

[seanfunk1]

According to Yamaha UK the strings are Yamaha strings made for them and not available generally :-(

[jasonsgroovemachine]

@seanfunk1 I know of a couple places that carry them in the US. Wholesalers mostly. If you want em that bad you may try looking up Harris Teller and see if you can get em that route. juststrings(dot)com may have em as well.

[seanfunk1]

@jasonsgroovemachine hi, I already have one of each - see my other comment! Thanks for the heads up. :-)

[AttitudeCastle]

@seanfunk1 I'm pretty sure you can order them? They are Nickle and they sound great! I didn't take them off the BB414 Or Yamaha Attitude i had till they were totally dead!

Anyone know if you could Do something to get rid of the Single coil hum (like internally too the bass)? I'm not tech =S.

These basses sound WICKED in an old school rock situiation!

[kaz3kag3gaara]

@AttitudeCastle

You could replace the whole electronics bit, which would get rid of the hum, but it would likely change the whole sound of it.

[AttitudeCastle]

@kaz3kag3gaara Thinking about one could just use a noise suppresser pedal then you wouldn't have to mess inside the bass!

[seanfunk1]

Ed, i like your skepticism about the ARE and IRA treatments too! What demonstrates that these treatments work is when you play the BB2025x unplugged, it absolutely sings. I have a BB2025X and a BB2024X and they have become my main squeezes for what I do. Great custom shop basses and a great objective review. Peace Sean

[BassGuitarMag]

@seanfunk1 - Yeah, bottom line is they sound great. If I could play the same bass before and after the IRA and ARE treatments, I'd feel like I could make a judgement about how effective it is. But whatever they did, the bass responds great.

[AttitudeCastle]

@BassGuitarMag I read some where that ARE is based on the particles of sap which remain in the wood and that those crystalise over decades, so Yamaha cause the Sap too crystalise i "think" (minute amounts of sap though!)

[SerraGames]

Rotosound strings?

[BassGuitarMag]

@SerraGames - I don;t think so. They were factory strings, but they didn't feel or sound like the to me.

[Skullslasher6]

Wow, from what I'm hearing this is pretty bad. What settings were you running that bass through? Was it in flat eq? That thing sounds tone dead- even for a pj.

[BassGuitarMag]

@jonsparrow15 - I have decent equipment but not incredible. The trick with YT is to keep your audio level below -3db. Their compression really kicks in after that.

[njtguy]

Nice bass.I do agree about the single coil hum.A bass with a price tag like this one should not have it.Not a big deal,it still has that BB series sound that it's known for.

[njtguy]

Hi Ed,That is a nice bass,but I agree about the hum from the pickups.A bass with a price tag as the BB2025X should not have that at all.Not a big deal,it still has that vintage BB series sound that it's known for.

[DominoDylan]

The hum never really came across to me as a problem since I've been playing, but I play a heavier more progressive style so it kinda just comes across to me as a second layer or just a reassurance that the bass volume is up.

I've had problems during practice where I've started a song with my volume off haha.

Seems like a perfect bass to have slung way low, and just attacked with a Steve Harris finger, or Duff Mckagan pick style.

[BassGuitarMag]

@DominoDylan - I don't mean to blow the hum up into a big issue, it's not... just a minor annoyance.

[chardbass]

I like your reviews Ed- really honest and informative.

[DominoDylan]

THAT BASS LOOKS AND SOUNDS LIKE A MUSICAL ORGASM!!!!!!!!

[cmfalco46]

Hi Ed, nice review! I've been looking for a new bass, right now I have a pbass mimic that's worth about fifty dollars. It sounds okay, so I won't sell it, but I do need a new bass (four string). Is there something you recommend? I've heard Hamer Cruise basses are good, I like the jazz, and I don't think I can afford anything over 700 bucks.

Please help!

[BassGuitarMag]

@cmfalco46 - The MIM Standard Jazz is a nice bass for under $700, so it the SBMM SB14, the Lakland 44-01 too.

[cmfalco46]

@BassGuitarMag Thanks!



[derthed]

Hello Ed, Great review! I own a BB415, a fine bass for it's 430 euros, and easily upgradeable (bridge, tuners). A BB2025X costs around 2500 euros here in Europe. So there should be some serious quality differences here that justify the price difference?

So far I haven't had many hum problems with my BB415. (Maybe if I'm playing right next to my amp).

Greetings from the Netherlands,

Theodoor

[BassGuitarMag]

@derthed - Yeah, this bass is in a different league, they may look similar - but materials and workmanship are much better on the 2025.

[borcemiovski]

is this bass is bolt-on or neck thru?great rewiew ed.

[BassGuitarMag]

@borcemiovski - Bolt on.

[maliester]

IRA? TERRIBLE abbreviation.

No, it's not better than IRS

[proxyflamer]

Thanks For the Review!

[nicoptw]

All that IRA and ARA stuff sounds like bulls$% to me. Its for mith lovers to buy it. I´d go with your "whatever, it sounds great". You are the best.

[puciak89]

sounds like squier

[AnEcumenicalMatter]

hi ed love all your work i was wondering if you can help me im looking for a great 5 string that i can turn to all styles something with a versatile well rounded styles apart from the obvious companies like warwick and music man, could you suggest any other companies i should take a look at? many thanks ed keep up the great reviews

[BassGuitarMag]

@AnEcumenicalMatter - Guess it depends on your budget, and if you prefer 34" scale or 35". For 34" I'd go with Music Man. I have 3 of them, and I think they make an excellent B string. For 35"... I'd look at Lakland. This is of course, just my personal taste, not to say there are no other choices.

[killmeandit]

i am so glad that you tested this bass with a pick, keep it up!

[viperBSG]

Yamaha Instuments are underated. There awesome.

[JosephGallagher]

Ed, a little confused here; the 2025X is available on 4 strings too or did you mean only the 2025 models is?

[BassGuitarMag]

@JosephGallagher - they offer both a 2024x and 2024 model.

[coeball]

Great vidoe Ed. On my cheaper BB the single coil is noticablely hotter than the P pickup, is this the case this series of BBs?

[BassGuitarMag]

@coeball - Didn't notice that. It definitely pops more, has more cut... but not really louder.

[BassGuitarMag]

@chickenandababy - Thanks, will do!

[dino777bass]

always loving Ed's review, your fan in Taiwan!

[BassGuitarMag]

@dino777bass - Thanks.

[teehee45]

you are a champ ed

[slappingpopping]

=/ i have a yamaha BB614 i wish i went for the passive model although ive got victor wootens signiture on it now and i cant sell it ahah

[Tooltrocity]

Great review as always Ed! I'm kind of disappointed by the newer basses like these that seem to just duplicate something that's already on the market. EVERYONE has a P or a P/J style instrument it seems. They all sound basically the same and yeah, I understand there's all of the "under the hood" stuff that makes it different, but not very drastically. I wish everyone was coming out with things that sounded vastly different from each other like a Fender Jazz vs Status S2. Now THAT is unique.

[BassGuitarMag]

@Tooltrocity - Well the whole point with this bass was to offer something traditional and passive. Lots of people are looking for that. For my taste, a Status S2 is the last thing I would want, but that's just me.

[Tooltrocity]

@BassGuitarMag

I understand that, but I'm just saying that there seems to be a lack of diversity in a lot of the market nowadays. I just feel like everyone makes a P/J clone. Although I guess if you're going to want to market to the largest group, you're going to market to a crowd that likes the traditional passive. It makes sense but I just noticed it recently I guess.

[BassGuitarMag]

@xXTheVirus - Sadowksy, Spector, Fodera, Fender, lots of people make good PJ instruments, including Yamaha.

[ButtUglyJeff]

Is the hum in the single coil enough to be a deal breaker on this? It seems the street price on this is around $2800, and there are alot of instruments in this range that are dead quiet. What are your thoughts?

Thanks.

[BassGuitarMag]

@ButtUglyJeff - Not if you like the bass.

[DavidLopezJr]

What's the way to killing the hum? Shielding it? 

[BassGuitarMag]

@DavidLopezJr - it comes form having one single coil pickup on it's own, not in a hum cancelling pair. You can make the bridge pickup a split, or a stack coil and eliminate the hum.

[CodyCEngdahl]

@BassGuitarMag Couldn't you also have one of the pickups reverse wound?

[BassGuitarMag]

@CodyCEngdahl - The P pickup is two separate coils wired together, they hum cancel. The J pickup is a single coil. To avoid hum, you would have to make that one a split coil, or stacked coil. A single coil will hum on it's own. It is not always a big deal, in most cases, a little hum won't hurt. But in some rooms, you might not be able to use that pickup without major hum.

[CodyCEngdahl]

@BassGuitarMag That's right, I forget that the split coil really isn't single but an offset humbucker, and even if they both were singles, you'd have to blend them to get any hum cancelling.

[matrixman609]

another fantastic review

[emgcarra]

Thanks Ed.

[iwantagoodnameplease]

Some sexy new riffs :D

[BassGuitarMag]

@iwantagoodnameplease - I'm trying not to play the same lick all the time, people seem to bitch about that alot.

[Craydon]

@BassGuitarMag Hey I didn't say anything but when you're looking into getting into bass like I am, you kinda want to hear a bunch of different stuff, see what's out there. See what's possible, you know?

[amr0306]

Hey Ed, did it strike you as being heavy in physical weight, or just average for a 5-er?

Andy

Canberra Oz

[BassGuitarMag]

@amr0306 - It wasn't overly heavy, maybe more than I want, but I'm a bit picky about weight. I'd put it around 10 lbs.

[bullguit]

No sign of this bass on the Yamaha website...

[BassGuitarMag]

@bullguit - I think it's new to the US market.

There is info on the Yamaha Japan site

[95thanasis]

excellent review once again! i'm a big fan of you and your channel. i just want to thank you for all the information about every instrument / amp you present. great job!

[BassGuitarMag]

@95thanasis - You're welcome!

[fetterpenner1]

is it 34'' or 35'' scale?

the B sounds pretty nice!

[BassGuitarMag]

@fetterpenner1 - 34" scale.

[JonasGerman]

sounds very evil :) Akin to some warwicks i heard before

[fetterpenner1]

is it 34'' or 35'' scale?

the B sound pretty nice!

[SteveUrkeI]

Yay, a new video! Best birthday present ever!

Yamaha always impresses me, especially with their 5 strings.

[thesplage]

That line starting at 3:07 is swwwweeeeeeeet man!

[canvoodoo]

like to see a review of the MTD KZ just got a 5 string version and for the money its incredible

[toiletfarm]

Yamaha makes really nice, highly underrated stuff, but this particular bass is hideous. Too much chrome. Sounds good though.

[BassGuitarMag]

@toiletfarm - Check out the BB2025, no chrome.

[wakomaniac45]

i hope your allowed to review a Carvin bass soon specifically the lb series or the sb4000/5000

[BassGuitarMag]

@wakomaniac45 - I have a call in to Carvin right now, just a matter of them getting one to me.

[wakomaniac45]

@BassGuitarMag

good luck and hope to see you playing carvins soon i never looked back once i got one you may aswell

[clarinet343]

Sounds good!

[hasegawamiki]

Interesting....

[fingerboy18]

Why not a dummy coil? Hmm, shame.

[xxxMiruku]

i came

[sixup55]

Wow! Listen to that B string! Sweet!

[spynae]

I like Yamaha's buzzwords.

[osogordo3]

My first bass was a yamaha BB(5500? i think......numbers were blurred)I was very inexperienced so i dont remember much about it.....24 fret 3 way pickup selector a volum and bass/treble knob........i think lol

[tukangbaso]

God, that thing sounds really good..

[kalisota]

Not a big fan of 5 string basses, or the sound of the B string.

[TechSmack]

that thing sounds good!

[elpactodejohnson1]

the exposed blades and too much iron around the pickups are an invitation for microphonics... and both unnecesary, but anyway the bass sound awesome

[JosephGallagher]

@elpactodejohnson1 Excuse my ignorance but... What does "microphonics" mean?

[elpactodejohnson1]

@JosephGallagher when you touch something metalic (screws, polepieces, etc) near the pickup and it produce a loud click noise

[JosephGallagher]

@elpactodejohnson1 Oh, so you meant some sort of "isolation" deficit?

I find that common on almost every single coil bass; touhing the bridge or evenjust the strings would stop the hum

However I understand what you mean, it's a nuisance =/

[webstank]

Great review

Thank you...

[MCgoogles1000]

great video! I really like how you posted the pickup configuration in text instead of having to saying it every time. Looks like a promising bass!

[vokes420]

Nice one Ed. I'd love to see you do a Mikey Bass fretted/fretless bass review. Or at least get your opinion on them.

[BassGuitarMag]

@vokes420 - Sorry, never heard of Mikey Bass.

[vokes420]

@BassGuitarMag ok thanks anyway. They have a switch on the bass that retracts the frets into the fingerboard. Mind-blowing really

[lidesnowi]

Man you are a super cool guy/ bass player!

I got the feeling that you are into ZEN?

[BassGuitarMag]

@lidesnowi - Zen? And bass playing? Seems like a stretch to me.... ;)

[dumapies]

2800$???????????? my god

[BassGuitarMag]

@dumapies - Be glad I didn't quote LIST price! But if you look at Sadowsky, US Lakland, Mike Lull.... they cost that or more. And even though this bass is Yamaha, it is on that level of quality. Plus, it's made in Japan, expensive to produce guitars there.

[dumapies]

@BassGuitarMag

true that, I picked up a Lakland 44-64 custom for 900$ at a guitar store and its been the best bass I've played to date

[dillydean]

nice review man

[jonatura]

Killer sound!!

[achickensandwich]

Wow, this is the first Yamaha that I think looks really cool.

Can't say I approve of "IRA" as a choice of abbreviation though...

[BassGuitarMag]

@achickensandwich - Better than IRS!

[jonjonjonmw3]

LOVING the B. what kind of strings were you using in this demo?

Thanks!

[BassGuitarMag]

@jonjonjonmw3 - Stock factory strings... don't know what brand. Yamaha? Never heard they made strings, but maybe?

[BassDude50000]

thts a sweet slap lick about 6 minutes into the vid

[abassplayer4life]

It's been a while since your last video. Good to see you on the set again. Thanks for another great review..

David

[happyfac3]

man, that B is heavy!

[5Mag1cs]

Once again, Ed you're the man!!

[bgressman82]

nice