Yamaha Broad Bass BB850 Made in Japan late 80s Black

For sale: A great Japanese classic from the second half of the 80s - Yamaha BB850 in black. Made in Japan.

In the Yamaha catalog, the 850 model was positioned quite high, right below the flagship neck-through designs. The Broad Bass series itself is an absolute classic that heavily defined the rock and session tone of that era.

Construction-wise, we have a proven alder body, a maple neck, and a rosewood fingerboard. Interestingly, despite the "Broad Bass" name, this model features a Jazz Bass-style neck – the nut width is 39 mm, and the profile is quite slim, which makes it incredibly comfortable to play. The tone comes from a passive PJ layout (controls: balance/vol/tone). The original alnico pickups deliver a very snappy and responsive sound. The output directly from the guts isn't overwhelmingly hot, but thanks to a beautifully balanced frequency response and highly effective mids, the bass cuts right through the mix. The bridge pickup sounds great too – soloing it brings out plenty of muscle without it "disappearing" like it often does on other PJs. This piece weighs exactly 4 kg.

Visually, I’d rate it as good. The instrument has some years on it, so the finish shows normal signs of wear – there are some scratches on the back of the body and a few minor dings on the headstock. Even so, the bass still looks great and has plenty of character. Technically, everything is in perfect working order: the neck is straight, the frets are in good shape, and the current action is set comfortably at around 2 mm at the 12th fret.

The bass can be checked out and played in Poznań (Poland), but shipping won't be an issue either. I'm throwing in a gig bag.

Private sale, so no warranty, return etc.