Yamaha TRBX305 5-String Electric Bass Guitar

Five Strings, Five Sounds, One Lever.

The Yamaha TRBX305 is the five-string version of the TRBX304 — the same active platform with a low B string added. If your music lives below bottom E, this is where the range starts answering that.

The defining feature is still the Performance EQ: Yamaha's “five performance-tuned, full spectrum EQ curves” on a single lever, giving “instant access to essential sounds” without dialling anything mid-set. Behind it, YGD-designed M3 humbuckers with “oversized polepieces and ceramic magnets” deliver power without the hum single coils suffer from.

The five-string neck is its own thing: a 43 mm nut with 18 mm string spacing and a much flatter fingerboard radius than the four-string. Sculpted mahogany body, five-piece maple/mahogany neck, 24 frets. Available in Black, Factory Blue and Mist Green.

Should You Be Buying a Five-String at All?

This is the question that matters most on this page, and it deserves a straight answer rather than a sales pitch.

Low B on a full 34" scale

Five strings tuned B–E–A–D–G on the same 34" scale as the rest of the range. A full-length scale keeps the B string tighter and more defined than a short-scale five would manage.

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. Change voicing between songs without looking down.

YGD-designed M3 humbucking pickups

Oversized polepieces and ceramic magnets for “clear, powerful tone with incredible definition and depth”, hum-cancelling, with an integral thumb rest. The clarity matters more on a five — a muddy low B is a common failing on cheaper instruments.

Flatter fingerboard radius for five-string comfort

The 305 uses a much flatter board than the four-string models. Across a wider neck a flatter radius keeps the string height even under the hand, which makes chording and fast runs across all five strings considerably easier.

Sculpted mahogany body, five-piece neck

Yamaha's “mass-optimized 3D design” contours the body for weight balance — which matters more on a five-string, since the extra tuner adds weight at the headstock. The five-piece maple/mahogany neck resists twisting.

Q. Do I actually need a five-string?

Only if you need notes below bottom E, or you want lower positions to fall under the hand without shifting. If neither is true, the four-string TRBX304 is easier to play, easier to slap on and cheaper. We would rather you bought the right one.

Q. How different does the neck feel from a four-string?

Noticeably wider — 43 mm at the nut against 38 mm on the TRBX304 — with the strings slightly closer together at 18 mm rather than 19 mm. Most players adapt within a few weeks, but if you slap a lot, the tighter spacing takes real getting used to. Try one if you can.

Q. How is it tuned?

Standard five-string tuning is B–E–A–D–G, adding a low B below the four-string's bottom E. Your existing four-string fingerings all still work on the top four strings.

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. Carry a spare for gigs. The TRBX505 above it adds an active/passive switch so the bass still works if the battery dies mid-set.

Q. Will the low B sound tight or muddy?

The full 34" scale is the important part — it keeps the B under proper tension rather than flopping. The M3 humbuckers are also voiced for definition. It will not match a dedicated high-end five-string, but it is well clear of the woolly low B that cheap five-strings are known for.

Q. How is it different from the TRBX505?

The 505 swaps the ceramic M3 pickups for Alnico V H5s, moves to a three-band EQ, and adds an active/passive switch. The 305 answers with the Performance EQ, which the 505 does not have. Different tools rather than simply better and worse.

Q. Is a case or gig bag included?

No — Yamaha does not supply a case with the TRBX305. Note that a five-string needs a bag or case cut for the wider neck, so ask us and we will match one that actually fits.

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: Tell us what you play and we will tell you honestly whether you need five strings or four.
• ✓ Support beyond the bass: Five-string 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.