Yamaha TRBX304 4-String Electric Bass Guitar

Five Usable Sounds, One Flick of a Lever.

The Yamaha TRBX304 is where the range turns active — and the feature that defines it is the Performance EQ. Yamaha describes it as “five performance-tuned, full spectrum EQ curves” giving “instant access to essential sounds”: one lever, five voicings, no knob-twiddling in front of an audience.

Behind it sit YGD-designed M3 humbuckers, which Yamaha specifies with “oversized polepieces and ceramic magnets for a clear, powerful tone with incredible definition and depth”. They are hum-cancelling, so the noise that plagues single coils near stage lighting and computer screens simply is not there.

The body is a “sculpted, solid mahogany” design with “mass-optimized 3D” contouring for weight balance, and the neck steps up to five-piece maple/mahogany lamination. Available in Black, Candy Apple Red and Factory Blue.

What You Get for Going Active

The jump from the passive TRBX174 to this is the biggest single step in the range. Three things change, and all three are worth understanding.

Performance EQ — five curves on a lever

Five full-spectrum EQ presets selected by a single switch, alongside master volume, pickup balancer and a two-band bass and treble EQ. Set-and-forget sounds you can change between songs without looking down.

YGD-designed M3 humbucking pickups

Oversized polepieces and ceramic magnets for “clear, powerful tone with incredible definition and depth”, in a hum-cancelling design with an integral thumb rest built into the pickup housing.

Sculpted solid mahogany body

Yamaha's “mass-optimized 3D design” contours the mahogany body for “the optimum balance of tone and comfort coupled with perfect weight distribution” — noticeably more comfortable over a long set than a flat slab body.

Five-piece maple/mahogany neck

Laminated construction for stability and tone, with a fast, slim profile. A 38 mm nut — slightly narrower than the 174's 40 mm — makes the neck feel quicker under the hand.

Die-cast bridge, 24 frets, 34" scale

A die-cast bridge transfers string vibration more efficiently than the 174's vintage-style unit. Rosewood fingerboard, 24 medium frets, 19 mm string spacing and die-cast covered tuners.

Q. What exactly is the Performance EQ?

A lever switch offering five preset EQ curves, each voiced by Yamaha for a different playing style. Rather than shaping a sound from scratch, you select one that already fits — and you can change it between songs in a second. It works alongside the normal bass and treble controls, not instead of them.

Q. Does it need a battery?

Yes — the preamp is active and runs on a 9 V battery. It draws power whenever a lead is plugged into the jack, so unplug the cable when you finish and a battery will last a long time. Carry a spare for gigs. If you would rather have no battery at all, the TRBX174 is fully passive.

Q. Is it worth stepping up from the TRBX174?

If you want onboard EQ, hum-free pickups or a more stable laminated neck, yes — this is a substantial step, not a trim upgrade. If you are still learning and mostly play at home through a small amp, the 174 will not hold you back and the money is better spent elsewhere.

Q. How is it different from the TRBX504?

The 504 swaps the ceramic M3 pickups for Alnico V H5s, moves to a three-band EQ, and adds an active/passive switch so the bass still works if the battery dies. The 304 answers with the Performance EQ, which the 504 does not have. They are different tools rather than simply better and worse.

Q. Should I get the four-string or the five-string TRBX305?

Take the five-string only if you need the low B — for worship, metal, gospel or modern pop that sits below E. The 305 has a wider 43 mm nut and tighter 18 mm string spacing, which some players love and others find cramped for slap. If in doubt, the four-string is the more universal instrument.

Q. Will the humbuckers sound like a P-Bass?

Not quite — and that is the trade. The M3s are quieter, more even and more modern-sounding than the 174's single coils. If you specifically want that classic split-coil growl, the TRBX174 or the BB234 will get you closer.

Q. Is a case or gig bag included?

No — Yamaha does not supply a case with the TRBX304. Ask us and we will match a suitable bass gig bag or hard case before it ships.

Why Buy Your Bass from YMS?

• ✓ Authorised Yamaha Premium Retailer: Buy a genuine India-market Yamaha instrument with official manufacturer warranty support.
• ✓ Set up before it reaches you: We check action, relief and intonation, and confirm the preamp works, so it is stage-ready on arrival.
• ✓ Bassist-focused guidance: Ask us about passive versus active, four versus five strings, string spacing and matching amplification.
• ✓ Support beyond the bass: Gig bags and cases, spare 9 V batteries, straps, stands, cables, tuners, strings and bass amps.
• ✓ Pan-India delivery: Order from anywhere in India, subject to serviceability for your location.
• ✓ Physical-store support: YMS teams in Bengaluru and Mangaluru are available for product enquiries and after-sales guidance.