Yamaha Bill Sheehan Attitude Special, made in Taiwan 1997, electric blue metallic. This, friends, is exceptionally cool. Mr Sheehan made his name playing for Mr Big, among others; he's a giant of the rock bass world and a noted tonelord. This was the fairly short-lived version of his signature 'Attitude' bass. These were made for a couple of years out of Taiwan and sold at a less eye-watering price than the MIJ models, while still featuring some classic Billy appointments. The neck is fairly slim with a 40mm nut; slightly bigger than a vintage style Jazz Bass but not as big as a traditional P. It's very slick in the hands; the satin finish and 12" radius make it pretty shred-friendly. The body is light and lively but still well balanced against the neck; there's no 'dive' to speak of. The pickup combo and electronics is unique: you get a standard P pickup with it's own volume knob but no tone knob, as well as the signature big passive HB in the neck, which also has a seperate volume as well as a tone control. Basically, you can start off with a juicy, growling P-style tone, then use the neck pickup to dial in a whole world of extra fatness and low-end heft. It's a glorious time. This shiny blue finish with the cheeky red inlays is seldom seen on this model; it looks terrific. This is a brilliant gigging bass; just the right mix of classic class and cheeky spice.   

Model: Yamaha ATT-SPL
Made: Taiwan, 1997 (serial NO20030)
Finish: electric blue metallic, 3-ply white guard
Body: alder
Neck: maple, 1-piece, 34" scale, 12" radius
Weight: 4.060kg
Mods: none
Pickup: split single coil and passive humbucker
Case: original Yamaha brown leather hard case, excellent quality and condition

Cosmetic condition notes: mild finish wear. Headstock has some very light marks on the end. The neck is clean and smooth in the hands, very minor dimples on the back only. The back is pretty clean, just a couple of light scuffs and surface scratches around the body. The sides are pretty clean, just some light dimples on the top horn and near the jack. The front is very tidy, just some light scuffs below the bridge and on the shoulder and some very light play scratches on the guard and top horn. There's a hairline crack in the guard at the neck joint. Overall: very good condition (8.5/10).

Playing condition notes: Action is low, neck is straight, intonation is good, truss rod works. Frets have very little wear, 9/10 for fret life left. All electrics tested and working properly. Set up with fresh 45/105 DR strings.