I ordered this Yamaha TRBX504 online after trying it in store. The paint job is called “translucent white” and I don’t really know what that means. The pictures below are on the one hand overly critical, and on the other hand don’t show how it really looks (Google Pixel 6 camera with stock settings, natural light).
I want to say that “it’s fine”, but the small discoloration at the belly cutout and the blue tint somehow bother me. If it was a used instrument, I’d simply accept it as is, though. For 569€, and by Yamaha, I kinda expected more.
What do you think about the quality in general? Is this to be expected for translucent white? How does the blue tint come in there?
I do see the little discoloration/smudge there. It’s unclear to me if that is underlying wood grain showing through or a scuff or something. Personally, I would live with it if the rest is ok. You’ll potentially do far worse to it over time, we all sometimes do. The first day I had my 604 I scratched it
If it bothers you to the point where you can’t pick up the bass, then you have a problem and need to see whether you can fix it with the vendor or seller.
Otherwise, as Howard said, it seems very minuscule and you are likely to get it scratched and dented within a few weeks anyway. I mean, people pay for having their basses hard core aged and what not
Enjoy the bass and accept any existing (and coming) blemishes as making this bass unique and yours!
On my phone it actually looks blue-ish, but I agree it’s probably the wood grain. As I wrote in the other thread, I’m also not in love with the general look and especially the paint color on my 505, but to me it doesn’t matter so much, it’s very comfortable to play. Actually other people seem to like it more than I do (or are overly polite ), but when you look closely it has similar “features” as yours, including a tiny scuff somewhere else
Yes it’s this, for sure. I’ve had 3 “trans white” Fender (including Greenie and Juliette that I refinished in custom colors ) and both had those visible underlying wood grain. That’s the difference between a plain white and a trans white.
This is definitely a “cool white,” which means it has a slight blueish tint to it. Contrast that with an Olympic White or even “warmer” whites (think Ivory or Crème) that have varying degrees of a yellowish, or vintage-y, tint.
I actually really like the trans colors. The brown I posted above is one of the few brown finishes I actually like (apart from stained/natural of course).
I personally think the 504 looks awesome, but I am biased.
Me too and I especially like the trans white. If it was now, I would not repaint Greenie (well … Whitie ?) and just change the pickguard for a black one. (but I still like the Reseda Green so I don’t regret the refin)
For a translucent paint job, I kinda wish I could see more of the wood grain.
My favorite bass ended up having one of the very last finishes I would ever choose to have (tri-color sunburst) but the way it feels, the way it sounds, the way I feel when I play it - I don’t even care about the color.
Enjoy your bass!
(Yamaha wraps their strings? woah - that’s fancy packaging )
Looks like the grain to me. If nothing else is wrong (frets level, good neck) and it sets up like you like, I would keep. If you exchange, you may be swapping one imperfection for another. If I look hard enough, I can find some imperfection in all my basses (and some didnt come off an assembly line), but the ones that setup and play well are gold.
I couldn’t choose between white and brown (both OK in online photos, perhaps I would have a different opinion in person) and since the bass hangs most of the time in my better half’s office, I asked her preference
), but when you look closely it has similar “features” as yours, including a tiny scuff somewhere else
) and both had those visible underlying wood grain. That’s the difference between a plain white and a trans white.
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