Yamaha 1998 BB G5 Bass Transparent Blue Flamed Top Very Good

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The Yamaha BB G5 occupies a specific and respectable place in the BB lineage — a late-1990s five-string built when Yamaha was producing some of the most playable production basses on the market. The BB G5 is the kind of bass that tends to surprise players who pick it up expecting a budget instrument and find something that actually delivers. This 1998 example is the four-bolt bolt-on version of the G5, finished in Transparent Blue over a flamed maple top on an alder body, and it wears that combination well. Alder is the right wood for this application: balanced, present in the mids, with enough low-end density to support a five-string without getting muddy. The flamed maple top is cosmetic, but it adds character to what would otherwise be a workingman's instrument. Two Yamaha single-coil bass pickups drive the signal through a three-knob control layout — volume, volume, tone — keeping things simple and direct. The 34" scale is standard, and the string spacing at the bridge measures a comfortable 3.023", which gives the low B string enough room to speak clearly without crowding the higher strings.

The neck is where the BB G5 earns its reputation. It's a slim maple profile — .818" at the first fret and .953" at the tenth — which is genuinely fast for a five-string. The 20" fretboard radius on the rosewood board means the surface is nearly flat, reducing fret-out during bends and keeping chord voicings even across the 24 frets. Action is set at 3/32" on both the first and fifth strings at the 12th fret — low and comfortable without buzzing. The nut, at 1-5/8" width, has had the low E groove re-glued, which is a common and straightforward repair on these. The gold hardware — die-cast closed-gear tuners, neck plate, and knobs — is all original and in good shape. The body itself is in good condition overall; there is a ding repair on the lower bout bottom, visible in the photos, but the original finish reads well and the instrument has the honest wear of a gigged instrument that was looked after. At 8 lbs 12 oz, it sits in a reasonable weight range for a five-string — not a lightweight, but not a back-breaker either. Ships in a generic case that's in good shape.

SPECIFICATIONS

• Weight: 8lbs 12oz
• Color: Transparent Blue
• Body Material: Alder
• Body Condition: good, ding repair on lower bout bottom shown in pics
• Body Original?: yes
• Body Markings: Flamed Maple
• Body Repairs: yes
• Body Length: 19-3/4"
• Body Finish Original?: yes
• Body Finish Condition: good
• Lower Bout: 12-3/4"
• Waist: 8-1/2"
• Upper Bout: 11"
• Body Depth/Thickness: 1-5/8"
• Strap Buttons: yes
• Strap Button Added?: no
• Scale Length: 34"
• Neck Material: maple
• Neck Profile: slim
• Neck Thickness At 1st Fret: .818"
• Neck Thickness At 10th Fret: .953"
• Action 1st String At 12th Fret: 3/32"
• Action 5th String At 12th Fret: 3/32"
• Neck Condition: very good
• Neck Repairs: none
• Neck Finish Original?: yes
• Neck Markings: dot
• Neck Plate Color: gold
• Neck Plate Material: metal
• Neck Plate Original?: yes
• Neck Screws Original?: yes
• Fretboard Material: rosewood
• Fretboard Condition: good
• Fretboard Repairs: none
• Fretboard Radius: 20"
• Fret Condition: good
• Fret Repairs: none
• Fret Count: 24
• Nut Material: Urea
• Nut Repairs: yes, low E groove re-glued
• Nut Width: 1-5/8"
• Bridge Brand: Yamaha
• Bridge Original?: yes
• Saddle Material: die cast metal
• Saddles Original?: yes
• Bridge And Saddle Screws Original?: yes
• String Spacing At Bridge: 3.023"
• Bridge Condition: good
• Tuner Brand And Model: Die cast gold closed gear
• Tuners Original?: yes
• Changes To Headstock For Tuners?: no
• Tuner Condition: good
• Tuner Screws Original?: yes
• Case Brand: Generic
• Case Original?: yes
• Case Condition: good
• Case Smells?: no
• Pickup Brand: Yamaha single coil bass
• Pickup Count: 2
• Pickup Original?: yes
• Pickup Condition: good
• Pickup Screws Original?: yes
• Pickup Cover Color: black
• Knob Color: gold
• Knob Count: 3
• Knobs Original?: yes
• Knob Condition: good
• Control Cavity Cover Material: plastic
• Control Cavity Cover Original?: yes
• Control Cavity Condition: good
• Potentiometer Count: 3
• Potentiometers Original?: yes
• Potentiometer Condition: good
• Solders Original?: yes
• Wiring Original?: yes
• Output Jack Original?: yes
• Smells?: no

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