I played all the bass's at guitar center or i thumbed around on several until i found the one i liked that fit my wallet. latter i would like to get a really nice instrument but i feel like learning now is more important.
Price: $180.00 (new)
Where Obtained: GUITAR CENTER HOUSTON
What we have here is an Indonesian metallic red Yamaha RBX 170. there are many like it but this one is mine.
I had to have it set up right outta the "box". the neck needed raised a little. the guys at rockin robin here in houston did a great job of that for me.
Sound Quality:
I am playing through windows XP with a creative audigy sound blaster card and creative speakers with a 8" sub woofer. its cheap for now. i also have a crate gx 15 that sounds horrid
Its a cheap bass but i am only a lowly begginer.
For the price, you really cannot go wrong. It has better electronics than other basses in the price range and it is backed with a five year warranty. The finnish is also a lot better than other beginner basses. The neck is smooth, no protruding frets and looks like the more expensive basses. The P/J offers versatility in tone, you can play any style.
Price: $395.00 AUD (new)
Where Obtained: Guitar Factory
Made in Indonesia. Agathis Body, maple neck with rose wood fret board, with mother of pearl inserts. P/J passive pickups. 24 frets. Three control knobs. One for each pick up and master tone. Other basses in the same price range have less features, so its good value for money.
The playability on this bass is good. It has a good sized neck, ie not too thin and not too thick. It has an adjustable neck and bridge so its just a matter of getting the action you like. The P/J setup is very versatile, I can play anything from metal, grunge, to smooth R&B and slap. It came with dull sounding strings. good for beginners as its kinder to the fingers, but you will want to repplace them after a few months.
I play anything from metal, grunge, to smooth R&B and slap. It sounds good with all these styles. But the sound leans more towards metal/rock sounds. For the price, its as good as it gets with the electronics. I play through a Nemesis 210 250W most of the time. It has an adjustable gain, so I dont miss much with the pickups being passive. Overall, the versatility is there, its just a matter of playing it right.
5 year warranty comes with this bass. I have had the bass for 5 months and no problems at all. I have knocked it a couple of times, it has minor scratches but nothing that affects its sound, or playability. I have a bad habit of stepping on my cables. I've done this a few times and the jack is hholding up to the torture.
I didn't try many basses, but I chose this one because it's comfortable, sounds good, looks good and because it's dead cheap for it's features (The price I got it for would normally get an average-quality bass. This one is worth the money). If my bass were lost or stolen, I might buy it again, but I'd look at other basses first. The only thing that's missing in this bass is a 5th string. All in all it's a great bass for beginners and probably would appeal to intermediate and advanced bassists too.
Model Year: 2002
Where Obtained: United Trading Import (Yamaha Dealer)
I bought this bass from a Yamaha Dealer. Actually it was the only model left in the shop (all the others were sold out) so I tried it out. I liked the sound, the shape and the feeling, so a few days later I came back and bought it. This one was made in Indonesia. The 4-stringed RBX 170 has a lightweight agathis body, a comfortable maple neck, a 24-fret fully accessable rosewood fingerboard and a die-cast bridge (I think it's chrome). There's one P-style and one J-style pickup. Each Pickup has it's own volume control and there's one tone control. The electronics are passive. The one I bought has a shiny black finish, and with the typical RBX "Shark Fin" shape and the Y shaped tuners, this bass just looks good.
The best thing about this bass is that I can't find anything wrong with it. It's suitable for all situations and styles. Being very comfortable and light, this bass is a joy to play.
The RBX 170 sounds very good, although obtaining the perfect sound for playing Funk and Slap Bass means altering the amp's equalizer. I preferably play Rock and Metal and the sound is perfect for those two styles, but only when the pickup near the bridge is turned down. Sometimes the sound might be too full in that situation but lowering the bass in the amp's equalizer a little bit fixes the problem.
I'd rely on this one to withstand practically anything. The strings also stay in tune for a long time. I had this bass for about a year and a half and the only modifications it went through was a minor truss rod and string height adjustment (personal preference). Every now and then I keep experimenting with the pickup height though. I also didn't notice that the bass is affected by climate changes. All in all a durable and reliable bass.
I looked at all the other comparable models and some (much)more exspensive ones.Allthough money wasn't an issue,I just couldn't fork out the dough for the "IN" styles that everyone else thought was cool when this one performed most superbly.Also i did have my bass stolen and i immediately bought the exact same model.The salesmen at guitar center even gave me a discount when they found out it was stolen.all in all,"MORE BANG FO THE BUCK'
Model Year: 2004
Price: $180.00 (new)
Where Obtained: Guitar center
An excellent bass.Fantastic action and great sound for the price.
The neck on these basses are almost flawless.It has and does compare to $1300.00 washburns and the like.It is simple and straight forword.
I use a crate bx-25 practice amp with active shape.It has a rich sound quality and can keep a range from one end of the spectrum(zeppelin) to the other(slayer)without loosing quality of sound.This bass is great for stage or studio as its light weight allows for easy handeling.
This is by far the most resilient bass I've owned(and I've owned many).It seems to almost always be in tune or very very close at all times.The hardware is cheap but strong.It seems not to be effected in the rainy seasons or the dry heat.
Price: $169.00 (new)
Where Obtained: GUITAR CENTER
I REALLY LIKE PLAYING THIS YAMAHA BASS. IT FEELS REALLY COMFORTABLE. IT HAS A LIGHT WEIGHT AGATHIS BODY, WHICH IS GREAT ON THE BACK.
THE NECK IS NOT TOO WIDE, IT HAS FOUR STRINGS, AND MY SMALLER HANDS FIND PLAYING IT EASIER THAN ON SOME OTHER BASSES.
THE TUNERS ARE MADE NICE AND TIGHT. I REALLY LIKE THAT. I FOUND I HARDLY LOSE THE TUNE. I LIKE A GUITAT THAT KEEPS IT'S TUNE AFTER ALOT OF PLAYING. THIS YAMAHA RBX 170 IS THE ONE FOR ME.
AS MY FIRST TIME OUT LEARNING THE BASS,I FEEL AT EASE LEARNING ON THE YAMAHA I CHOSE. I HAVE TO PRACTICE ALOT, AND THIS GUITAR IS EASY ON THE HANDS !!
I WOULD RECOMMEND IT TO ANYONE AS A FIRST BASS. I HAD TRIED OTHERS BEFORE SETTLING ON THIS ONE. I EVEN WENT AGAINST THE OPINIONS OF STORE PATRONS. THIS IS HOW CONVINCED I WAS,THAT I WAS BUYING THE BEST GUITAT FOR THE MONEY. I PLAYED MORE COSTLY ONES, AND THE WEIGHT ON THE SHOLDER PUSHED ME BACK TO THE YAMAHA. WHILE PLAYING THIS BASS IN CHURCH SERVICES, I FOUND IT BLENDS IN NICELY. IT ALSO CAN TEAR IT UP TOO !! HA, HA
VERY VERSATILE BASS.
TRY THIS ONE OUT THE NEXT TIME YOUR AT YOUR LOCAL MUSIC SHOP. I BET YOU WILL BE IMPRESSED. IF NOT...OH, WELL...
HAVE FUN PLAYING IT ANYWAYS....
WITH THIS BASS
I FOUND NO FLAWS IN THIS BASS.
IT SOUNDS GREAT. IT IS BOTH DEEP AND LIGHT. IT CAN CARRY YOU JUST ABOUT ANYWHERE YOU WANT TO GO !!
I AM LEARNING ALOT OF DIFFERENT SONGS, AND THIS BASS HAS THE RIGHT SOUND FOR EACH ONE. THAT IS GOOD FOR ME.
IT HELPS ME SOUND GOOD IN A GROUP SETTING. IT BLENDS IN WELL WITH THE DRUMS AS WELL AS THE GUITAR...AND KEYBOARD.
I JUST BOUGHT THIS BASS THIS YEAR, 2003. I THE PAST THREE MONTHS I HAVE SEEN NO PROBLEMS. I SEE NO PROBLEMS ARISING. IT APPEARS TO BE MADE WELL.
THE ONLY THING I REPLACED, BY CHOICE, WAS THE PLUG SHIELD. I WANTED IT TO BE METAL. IT CAME WITH A PLASTIC ONE. I PUT MY BASS THROUGH SOME WEAR AND TARE, AND I THOUGHT METAL WOULD PROTECT IT ALOT LONGER.
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