New Yamaha RBX5 A2

I saw an Ed Friedland review on YouTube for the Yamaha RBX4 A2 and was blown away. Here was a 7.3lb bass with the kind of growl that I've always heard in my head but never yet got out of a bass. The light weight was important to me, since I have a torn rotator cuff that makes standing with a heavy bass pretty painful in no time at all. I have a TBC 4-banger that is also very light, but it has a piano-y tone that I'm not too keen on.

I looked online for the price. $549 on MF, about $300 off retail, but Zzounds had it for an incredible $279. And, they had a five-string model (RBX5 A2), which I could not find anywhere else, for just $299 ($939 retail). Not even on the Yamaha website. I've been wanting a fiver, have played many at GC but never found one I dug. So, for that price, with that tone, at that weight, it was worth a go. Though no reviews anywhere online. . .

Very, VERY pleased with it. It is amazing light and the tone is great. Great fundamental, super-growly E and B, with some slight piano tones on top. Even with a so-so amp (Hartke 3000 thru an Aguilar B210) in a boomy room, it sounds good. Good set-up out of the box, though I dropped the strings a touch. Good fit and finish. No problems at all. It makes a great first fiver and a fine companion to my Yammy BB414. My Mike Dirnt likes it too (both are basic black).

Dislikes? The styling is ok, but I could do without the pinstripes and the lighted volume knobs. The silver body edging is also a little funky. But I understand the stripes tend to flake off anyway and you can remove the battery for the lights. And while I like the look of black, it tracks fingerprints and smudges like nothing else. But those are small quibbles. It is a killer, professional bass for about the price of a Squire.

Apparently Invalid Link Removed also has them for that price. I'm still stumped. Seems way too cheap, but I'm just playing and smiling.

Here's another Invalid Link Removed of someone playing the RBX4 A2. Good player, sounds sweet.

Ok, a quick snap. RBX5 on the right (uh, obviously).

I expect other models with different designs will come out using AIR, if these enjoy any success (GC won't stock them, due to the RGX's poor sales, so that does not bode well). I guess with a "futuristic" technology they wanted a futuristic look, but I think that was the wrong call. I don't mind the basic look that much, if only it didn't copy their cheapest basses (and get cheesed up with stripes and lights). But I expect the AIR design requires or at least benefits from a non-sculpted body.

Anyway, the lights do serve the small function of showing how high the volume knobs are (they dim when turned down), but I can't really see them when playing anyway. On the plus side, the knobs are aluminum, like the bridge, and the pots are great quality.

Nobody asked, but fyi, the scale is 34". That's making my transition from 4-string easier. Still getting a little lost in the strings, though (I could never play 6-string!).

Ian Perge said:

All have failed to the point where the RBX4/5 A2 hardly got a shot at the American market (expecially the 5-string) before it was pulled.

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Unreal! So this model is being pulled from the American market? Now the price makes sense, even if nothing else about this does. I've only owned a few other brands (Washburn (x2), TBC, Fender (x2), Ibanez), but I've been happiest by far with my Yamahas. They simply play and sound great right out of the box. Can't say that about any of the others. The Washburns were both cheapo lemons, fair enough, but don't even get me started on my Mike Dirnt P . . .