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The Yamaha Corporation has a rich history of manufacturing quality musical instruments since 1887. They introduced their first bass guitar in 1965 and notable musicians such as Paul McCartney, Michael Anthony and Nathan East have all played a Yamaha bass at some point in their career.
While Yamaha produces a wide array of bass guitars for every skill level and price range, the RBX series has remained the most popular because of its clean action, dependable electronics and affordable price point.
RBX 170
The RBX 170 is a stylish bass designed for the beginner or intermediate player. It has a slim neck which helps those with smaller hands to cover four full frets.
When you take a look round at the reviews of people who have one of these basses, you see reports that when played at different positions on the fingerboard, the bass typically won’t have the annoying fret rattle associated with some lower end instruments.
The neck is made of solid maple with a rosewood fingerboard and attaches firmly to the body through bolt-on construction. Even moderate playing can affect the tuning of many inexpensive basses, but the RBX 170 seems to maintain its tuning well for the price point.
RBX 374
With a bolt on maple neck and a full 24 fret rosewood fingerboard, the RBX 374 is a well crafted and distinctive instrument. The neck is enameled with black matte and the available finishes on the alder style body include metallic red, black, dark oriental and silver.
The electronics section contains two active humbucker pickups and battery operated active controls. The RBX 374 affords easy access to the volume knob and two band equalizer. The playing action is good, although lowering the bridge may be good for a comfortable slap technique.
There are many available sound contouring options that provide a variety of realistic, natural tones. Boosting the treble and lowering the bass will give the instrument a sharp percussive sound for funk and pop. Different EQ settings can customize the sound for a variety of musical styles such as rock, jazz and hip-hop.
RBX 375
The RBX 375 is the five string version of the RBX 374. Yamaha has included all of the same features in the RBX 375 along with a high “B” string. The extra string presents bassists with an opportunity to explore harmonic territory that is simply unavailable on a four string bass. Particularly for those who enjoy soloing, the RBX 375 offers exceptional creative possibilities.
The bass contains two newly designed high output pickups and includes a blending control to create a variety of different tones. Besides metallic red and silver, the RBX 375 is also available in mustard pearl.
