Reviewer: Todd Burns
Manufacturer: Yamaha
Model: Attitude Limited II
Price: $1100

Neck Type: Maple, bolt on
Fingerboard: Maple, fretted, scalloped last 5 frets D & G strings
Body Type: Alder
Finish: Seafoam Green
Pickup(s): DiMarzio Model One, DiMarzio Model P
Controls: P Volume, Master Tone, Model One Volume (see review). Dual Outputs.

Factory set up needed tweaking. I had to have the nut re-cut, some frets leveled, some fret edges beveled, and the action set up.

The neck is big with a wide string spacing and the fingerboard is relatively flat with a radius of somewhere around 12" or 16". The scallops in the fretboard allow you to bend the strings a little easier or so the theory goes. The fret markers are a combination of a dot and a block inlay. They are a little different looking. The headstock is very long and it won't fit into a Fender hardshell case. I had to get the Yamaha case.

The body is reminiscent of a Fender Precision but in my opinion, looks better. The finish is pretty decent, but nothing really spectacular. The dual outputs sit in the body at an angle kind of like on a Stratocaster.

The hardware is pretty good. The bridge is very solid with a lot of mass. I really like the Hipshot Xtender Key, it makes tuning down to D a snap. There was about a ten minute learning curve for me to learn how to tune it, but after that it was a piece of cake.

The DiMarzio pickups are great. They are passive but they are really hot. They each have a plastic housing which eliminates the "pop" you get when a string bumps into a pole piece. The Model One is capable of massive low end. The Model P has more mid-range and can cut through in the mix. I have noticed that if you turn down the volume on the P pickup even a little bit, you lose the highs rapidly. I usually leave my volume control maxed.

If you can take advantage of the dual outputs, you have an incredible amount of control over your tone. You can send the Model One signal to one amp EQ'd for lots of low end and the P signal to another emphasizing mids and highs. You don't need two amps to use both pickups, however. Both the P volume control and the master tone control are switches. If you push on them they perform another function. The P volume, when pushed, combines the signal from the P and Model One pickups and routes them to the output jack closest to the bridge. In this mode it becomes a master volume control. The master tone control, when pushed, cuts the highs of the Model One pickup.

Overall I am very happy with this bass. I view it as a hotrodded P Bass. It is not the most elegant or refined instrument out there, but it does provide some unique features in a familiar package. [Todd Burns]

From: Matt Schmill's Bass Review Gear Page
http://www-eksl.cs.umass.edu/~schmill/bass-rev.html
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