The most accessible of the 80's Japanese explosion, the class made up of:
Ibanez Musician
Yamaha BroadBass ('BB')
Aria SuperBass ('SB')
. . . and the 2 not so well known,
Daion Power MkXX
Tune Bass Maniac
The 3000S was the result of Yamaha wooing Jeff Berlin as an endorser. JB had tried the BB1200 and BB2000 (the real antecedent of the 3000) and liked them, save for MUCH thicker necks, almost like bad-CBS/Fender Precision necks. So they reduced the neck for him, and later when things did not work out for JB to endorse them, they went ahead and sold this slim-neck version as the BB3000S. Maple/mahogany neckthru with alder wings, and the 'chocolate-stripe' (macassar) ebony fingerboard with some suspiciously familiar-looking MOP oval inlays and gold parts.
The clear finish ones like this one are more rare than the typical Vintage White ones. The brass is EASILY touched up with Brasso, steelwool, what have you. The open gear keys are adjustable, very rare, via the key that Daion is including with this axe, as well as the original brown case with celery-colored fur interior.
The neck pickup is a typical PBass, meaty tone. The aft blade pickup is one of these bass' signature features: Lots of aggressive back-pickup J-like tone, nothing else like it. Can be really squawky with lots of mid boost!! The best I can tell you: Full tone, but not a lot of that unuseable deep, deep end meat that sometimes overpowers a PBass, thicker than a Jazz. Recording engineers in Nashville STILL rave about what great recording basses these were, and used ones don't NOT last long here.
First rate construction. For somebody after something Fender-like in a neckthru and just a little different, something you don't see every day, these things are the cat's ass.
These are a sentimental favorite of mine from the six-night-a-week days of mine in the 80s and 90s. This is a really nice axe and the price is at the top of the range, BUT they're RARELY offered in clear finish AND with the original case and wrenches, so the price is in line with reality.
This will REALLY make someone a very nice axe.
Thank God it's not a 5000 ! !
J o e y
