Looking at the TRBX bass series of Yamaha released on 2013 is going to be a mouthful of choices. Starting from the four-string entry level TRBX174 for beginners on a minimum budget, up to the mid-priced yet still affordable Yamaha TRBX304 and TRBX504, which are also available in a five-string version.
Let’s put the TRBX174 for now on the side line to focus more on the Yamaha TRBX304 features and compare it with the TRBX504 to have better assessment of their similarities as well as differences for players to know what will they get from these two basses. Added info regarding the TRBX Series can be found in the Yamaha site and by looking through this Yamaha catalog.
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- Yamaha TRBX304
- Contoured double cutaway body made out of solid mahogany
- Bolt-on neck crafted in 5pc mahogany/maple combination
- 24 medium jumbo frets rosewood fingerboard marked by inlay dots
- Set of Yamaha designed tuners
- Equipped with a die-cast 4-saddled bridge
- Hum canceling Dual-coil pick-ups on the neck and bridge, featuring an over-sized pole-pieces and ceramic magnets
- Controlled by a master volume for the overall sound, pick-up blend knob to go hundred percent on the neck/bridge in vice versa or just in between, master EQ comprise of bass & treble, and a 5-way switch blade not for selecting pick-ups, but to give you five unique tone profile namely slap, pick, flat, finger and solo
- Yamaha TRBX504
- Contoured double cutaway body made out of solid mahogany
- Bolt-on neck crafted in 5pc mahogany/maple combination
- 24 medium jumbo frets rosewood fingerboard marked by inlay dots near the low E-string
- Set of Yamaha designed tuners
- Equipped with a die-cast 4-saddled bridge-cast
- Alnico V hum-canceling quad-pole pick-ups that can go from active to passive with a flick of the toggle switch, changing the whole voice of the bass
- Controls are the master volume, pick-ups balancer to go full capacity on the neck, bridge or in between, toggle switch, bass cut, middle cut, and treble cut
Body and Neck: Both bass guitar exhibits a balance 3D design contoured double cutaway body without a scratch plate made out of solid mahogany. This shape of bass without sharp edges is consistent in optimizing comfort and playability beneficial for long hours of play, by equally distributing the body to neck weight ratio almost perfectly.
Specifying the wood used, mahogany bodied bass guitar is best known for producing deep warm fat tones, which is essential for a low pitch instrument. Giving it a distinct characteristic in sound to blend well playing on a full band.
Neck profile and wood use is also the same, it is slim tapered like on a traditional J-bass crafted in 5pc mahogany/maple combination with 24 medium jumbo frets rosewood fingerboard marked using inlay dots positioned in the center for the TRBX304, while on the TRBX504 near the low E-string.
Species of wood is not specified that may vary, but on a broader perspective they have an identical design and maybe the same or close in the materials use.
Pick-ups: The bass guitars has active electronics on-board. Yamaha TRBX304 is equipped with hum canceling Dual-coil pick-ups on the neck and bridge, featuring an over-sized pole-pieces and ceramic magnets. This pick-ups are controlled by a master volume for the overall sound, pick-up blend knob to go hundred percent on the neck/bridge in vice versa or just in between, master EQ comprise of bass & treble, and a 5-way switch blade not for selecting pick-ups, but to give you five unique tone profile namely slap, pick, flat, finger and solo.
On the other hand, Yamaha TRBX504 has a alnico V hum-canceling quad-pole pick-ups that can go from active to passive with a flick of the toggle switch, changing the whole voice of the bass. Differentiating the two means when on passive state, it gives an organic or traditional vibe on the sound, while on active mode, it is more modern or with an aggressive bite. In case the 9v battery runs dry during active state in the middle of the stage indicated by a LED light on the back, no need to worry because the bass can go to passive with the same level volume as the active. Other controls on the TRBX504 are the master volume, pick-ups balancer to go full capacity on the neck, bridge or in between, bass cut, middle cut, and treble cut.
Hardware: TRBX304 and 504 bridge section is equipped with a 4-saddled bridge in chrome and has a Yamaha designed tuners that keeps the bass spot -on the right pitch.
Final Thoughts: For high definition punchy tones with a lot of option for versatility on an affordable price, the Yamaha TRBX304 and 504 got it all covered. Each bass presents different qualities of useful options a bassist can use, whether you’re a beginner or already a pro needing another stage ready bass guitar.
Yamaha TRBX304 is fun to play especially when using the 5-way EQ switch for multiple sound. Working like a preset to go from slap, pick, finger, solo and a blank tonal canvas, the flat by finding a suitable position for you using the knobs. If in case the ceramic pick-ups of the Yamaha TRBX304 is not enough for you, the ![]("//ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=mccoy2015-20&l=am2&o=1&a=B00GEC06P2")
TRBX504 using quad-pole alnico V that can switch from passive to active for better output, and also capable of providing a range of tones is the one to select.
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