Just introduced at Summer NAMM 2017 from Yamaha was the BB735A 5-String Bass.

Right from the moment the bass arrived for review and I put it in my hands, I was ready to get it out on a gig. The Yamaha BB series basses have been updated and the new look and features are pretty darn spectacular. The BB initials stand for Broadbass and my personal interpretation is that this bass will cover a broad range of styles with its great tone. The BB735A is part of the BB700 series, the workhorse bass

Honestly, I had a lot of fun playing this bass and did some things on a gig I would not normally do and it just felt right.

The Yamaha BB735A, for me, brought back that feeling of going to a music store, which I rarely do these days, and just picking up basses and playing them. Have you ever picked up that “one” bass in the music store, and things just started happening? Well, the BB735A is that bass. Or if you prefer a 4-string, there is the BB734A model too.

When on a gig with a new bass, I always ask others and the sound guy how it sounds.

I didn’t have to do this on the gig, they actually came to me and stated how much they liked the sound and tone of the bass. Here’s another thing too. I changed the bass, mid, and treble settings in between songs and every single setting I pulled up, fit the song and what I needed.

A few other things I really like about the Yamaha BB735A is the 6-bolt miter joint for the neck. While there is nothing special about having the 6-bolt miter neck joint, there is for this bass; two of the bolts are angled at 45 degrees, just like Billy Sheehan’s bass. This gives the neck a lot more stability, especially if you like to push on the neck like Billy does. Another thing I like is the design of the pickguard, low battery indicator, and the fact that it has an active/passive switch for the EQ.

The specifications for the Yamaha BB735A 5-String Bass are that the body is made of Alder and Maple, with Maple being the center core, increasing the stiffness of the body for better sustain.

The neck is five-piece Mahogany and Maple, a little thinner than the prior BB Series basses, and is completed with a 21-fret rosewood fingerboard with medium frets.

The pickup setup is the P/J style with YGD Custom V7 pickups that have Alnico magnets, which help give the BB735A it’s uniquely defined tone and sound. The neck pickup is the VSP7n split single coil and the bridge pickup is the VSC7b single coil.

Controls are Volume, Balance, Bass, Mid, and Treble with an active/passive switch. When in passive mode, the treble control is used for tone.

Let’s not forget the bridge. While the strings can go through the bridge or body, when going through the body, the strings go at a 45-degree angle, which is less stressful on the strings. Not to mention that the bridge is equipped with a saddle that allows two more different angles for the strings, which can give you a softer sound or tighter sound. The saddles for the bridge are brass, giving that classic deeper low end.

Both the Yamaha BB735A and BB734A are available in a Matte Translucent Black, Black Coffee Sunburst with a Satin Polyurethane, or Gloss Polyurethane finishes.

The BB735A 5-String Bass, this could be the bass for you.

Check out the Yamaha BB735A 5-String Bass at Amazon.com or at a Yamaha music retailer near you!

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