- as this was the only page getting any hits from my old site I decided to update and include it here, it’s kinda design based -
I first came across this bass back in November 2000 I opened Guitarist Magazine and there it was, I immediately fell in love with this weird looking bass it had a style like nothing else on the market but I’d just finished uni and was skint; so even if I could have found one I wouldn’t have been able to afford it 
At that time when I walked into music shops there seemed to be two kinds of basses, traditional Jazz/Precision style basses (so many clones!) or sleek modern styled basses like the one owned at the time; a lovely looking green Yamaha RBX 760. There didn’t seem to be any risk takers building basses during the late 90′s or if there were no one was stocking them. Although there are quite a few out there now I’d quite like, if only I could justify it to my girlfriend! 
I love the design, it’s a contradiction of styles that just works for me. Although you could say it’s based on a traditional Jazz bass the design differs in many ways. It’s fun without looking cheesy, it has a design heritage dating back to the 60′s but it still looks fresh.
The body is a weird reverse cutout that’s been elongated, it looks sleek; slightly like a reverse Rickenbacker 4003 but with a little less class. The balance isn’t great but you can forgive that because it looks amazing.
The angled ergonomic headstock shape dates back to the 1960′s and the original SG line of guitars it gained the range the name “Samurai”; I love the simplicity of the design.
Nothing on this bass is complicated, the electronics are passive, the pickups are nice and punchy, within seconds you can dial in the tone you’re looking for.
Eventually the model was discontinued but I managed to pick one up on ebay, its blue and it became my favorite bass to play.
Body: Solid alder
Neck: Maple, with rosewood fingerboard
Scale: 34″
Nut Width: 1.57″
Frets: 20
Electronics: 2 special-design Yamaha single-coils, Individual volume controls, Master tone
A few years later I managed to get hold of a SBV550 in red which has a Precision style pickup while retaining the Jazz pickup at the bridge, the tone is noticeably different to the standard SBV500 you can get that nice Precision bass thump with the bonus of getting back some of the Jazz bass tone if you want it.
This bass was never to my knowledge available in the UK.
The only time I’ve ever seen one of these on stage Fumi from Polysics was playing a 550.
I’ve found a little bit of the history in the Yamaha Guitar Database.
SB-1C
Release November 1968 until around 1971
SB-2
Release April 1966 until around 1967
SB-2A
Release November 1967 until around 1971
SB-5A
Release November 1967 until around 1971 sales
SB-7A
Release November 1967 until around 1971
I love the design of these things and the sound is just what I’m looking for.
Hi Mal.. Yes I do.. Not certain how to contact you via here though as not willing to put e-mail address here . .
Clem, you posted a few days ago that you had a 500 and 550 for sale. I’m interested, do you still have them? How can we proceed? Malcolm
Great basses.. I have an SBV500 and a SBV550 going for the right price.. Also a rare SBVJ2, again for the right price..
Great stuff..
I’m looking for one of those, if there is any offers let me know please.
I’d totally buy your sbv 500. gmail: bluestreak225
I have a blue sbv 500 signed by Polysics. It’s for sale for the right price.
I have NEVER found any of these for sale and have wanted one for years. If anyone is selling theres hit me up please. I promise to use it to actually create music. It will be well loved and cared for.
Thanks!
Hi Paul, that is the 550 I have, I thought the fretboard may have dried out a little because it’s quite pale and was uplayed for a few years (until I got it), seems it was like this when you imported it? I find it quite a light SBV too, it sounds great. Any info on the 550 would be welcome Paul, I know that it was made in 2002, how did it end up in Wales and what is the difference with the pots? Cheers.
in answer to blakutak’s question, the bassist for Supercar is Miki Furukawa (the SBV800MF is her signature bass) and she’s playing a modded SB-5A (or possibly 2A which only had one neck pickup).
Quite possibly – if the Seafoam green 550 above has a paler than usual fingerboard and 1 meg pots then I owned that one too ;O)
I’m not sure but I think I may have bought my red 550 from you Paul.
I used to own 16 of them at one time – 6 SBV500s – 4 SBV550s – 1 SBV800MF – 1 SBV-J1 – 1 SBVJ2 – 2 SB-5As – 1 (probable) SB-7A (which looked slightly different to the one on the Yamaha website, because it had an angled headstock and no string tree). So if you pick up an unusual variant there’s a good chance I owned it at one time :O)
Yes, that’s the one! I’ve been looking for a 550 for ages and it was only a 20 mile pickup (sorry about that but I see you already have a 550 so don’t be too sore! ; ) Yes, a nice bonus is that colour (though I would have bought any one) I haven’t seen too many in Seafoam, I’ve found playing those basses always gets a lot of interest on it’s look and more so it’s sound, they will get harder to find because they are so very easy to like! Very cool look, very cool sound!
Dam YOU!!!! I wanted that!
Saw it on ebay the other day and was thinking of making a bid. It’s a lovely looking bass and that colour is really unusual. Hope you enjoy it.
I have 2 of these (a 500 in red bought around 6 years ago and I recently scored a 550 in seafoam green which had been sat unplayed in a cupboard for years!) I see the 500 for sale now and again but the 550 was very hard to find in the U.K.(after 6 years looking!) I think they are beautiful, they sound and play so well and have so much character, the pickup’s are hotter than any other passive bass I’ve played and the neck is Jazz-like nimble, I’ve been playing professionally for 25 years and have been through Wal, Musicman, Jaydee, Warwick, Fender but none has made me smile and keep coming back as much as the SBV!
Glad to see this page up, I was trying to show it to a friend of mine a while ago and it was gone.
thanks!
i’m just curious…maybe it’s a customized one? ah, never mind…
nice band btw!
Hi, blakutak. I have no idea other than the basses you mention. Looks really good though, guess they had to go with a more Jazz style pickup config for the modern ones.
If you really want to know you should ask this guy, he’s the man for obscure guitars n basses
http://guitarz.blogspot.com/
haven’t been playing mine so much recently
Just started playing with a serious ROCK band and it doesn’t fit so well so have been playing a lakland 44-01
Check us out http://www.thiscausticlife.co.uk/ become a fan, tell your friends
hello, i watch this video about japanese band called supercar. and the bassist is using either sb-5a or sb-7a. but without thumb rest and both of the pickups is tilted. do you know what type that bass is?
you can watch the video here http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uAdcVDNtFA4
thanks before!
There is a reissue in short or medium scale (30″ and 32″)? Those SBV-500 and 550 are long scale instead of the original medium scale.
I’m glad you liked the songs, kevin, thanks!
I have gotten a lot of compliments on my sbv500, i used to put it on stage as a backup, but mostly to show it off. I keep hoping to find another, a blue one would be sweet!!! they also made a six string electric that is exactly like it, I met a guy who has one and tried to buy it…no go…It would have made a nice mate for the bass!
I wish we could get yamaha to break out the blueprints & bust out a few more of these basses, just so I can have 2 reds and 2 blues; then they could wait another 10 years.
It may sound selfish, but I like having something that not very many people have even seen, much less owned.
(that’s just me talkin’)
I own 3 of these and i am always on the look out for another one( I have a yellow,black and Blue) The Blue is the best looking IMHO and my favorite! I have NEVER seen ANYBODY with one of these and they seem to get harder and harder to find( I have seen 2 on ebay in the last 3 years..the last one sold for $800.00!!!!) I am always getting compliements on my SBV 500 and people wating to buy it on the spot with offers as much as $700.00( I only paid $450.00) I am not willing to part with it( should there are other bass guitars w/ more features but these have the sound and is way fun to play!!!!) great Blog BTW!
I’ve just had a listen and it’s good stuff!
wow, i’m an awful typist!
I have come across a lot of people talking about the Yamaha SBV 500 bass. I have been playing for 25 years and i love mine…more than me Fender jazz bass…more than all my basses. i picked it up at a pawn shop i was working at in 2001, it was a year old, still had the clear film on the pick guard, and not a lick of fret wear…mint condition. I bought it because it looked cool. I was in a metal band at the time and never really played it. 2 1/2 years later i joined a blues band and the ibanez soundgear sr800 just sounded awful for it, so I broke out the sbv 500. it just filled in the sould with this creamy but sharp tone that i had somehow not noticed before. It quickly bacame my #1 bass. In 2007, in need of some cash i pawned it…big mistake. i was two days late and it was gone. I have since been searching for another one and have been sick about it ever since… today i walked into that same pawn shop…there it was not one like it, it was the same one, it had been misplaced the whole time. I was never sold what are the chances? I gladly paid $250.00 for it and it will NEVER see a pawn shop again!
if you own one of these basses and don’t like it you can contact me at django68@live.com, or django68@rocketmail.com. i will give you a good sum of money for it.
if you love your sbv 500, cherish it, chances are, you will have a hard time finding another. peace all!!!
you can hear my sbv 500 at myspece.com/urbanbleu on the songs “other side”,”alley cat”, and “lonely road”.
Hey there ,I have a red sb 2a,from the sixties if your interested.