New Yamaha RBX5 A2

[optikhog]

I think this is a really cool bass -- the light weight and the overall "funky-ness" of the thing really tickles my fancy. My problem is with the hollow-body aspect of the tone. In the sound clips, it sounds a little "boxy" to my ears. I would really need to hear one live through a rig.

I also hear the 'boxniess' when heard through a pair of headphones or little speakers but that sound is gone when I use mine in a full band setting - it sounds almost exactly like a passive jazz when run through a rig. I'm patiently waiting to put together the $ for a Sadowsky outboard pre to exploit that sound with mine...

 

[JZQuantum]

Got mine last week and so far love it to death. 7-3/4 lbs, well made and sounds great too. Here are some pics since there don't seem to be too many of this one on the web. Notice the fully shielded electronics!

Yamaha Aerodyne FTW

Can someone measure the string spacing for us? Thx.

 

[Wademeister63]

Can someone measure the string spacing for us? Thx.

I checked it and forgot!!

I think it was 18MM, will confirm that this evening.

 

[Wademeister63]

Bridge spacing is 18MM, nut width 1.700 or 43MM if you prefer.
34" scale length and it looks like about 18" radius on the fretboard to the best of my measuring ability at home.

 

[Grayson73]

Btw I just saw that MF has these for $249.00 with the 45 day warranty. If you want one, now would be the time to pick one up. Looks like they're going fast.

Use Coupon Code THNX for $20 off at the last checkout page (after choosing shipping option).

Makes it $229 shipped!

 

[Bongolation]

Coupon Code THNX for $20 off

I would have been able to resist this until you brought that up.

OK, OK, so...I did it. I hate you.

So, in case I missed out on it somewhere in the thread, what's the country of origin on these?

Funny, but I really wanted to get the guitar version of this model, but missed out on a sale on them at GC a year or two ago.

Still...when is 7.5 pounds a particularly light bass?

 

[mcdonap]

I would have been able to resist this until you brought that up.

OK, OK, so...I did it. I hate you.

So, in case I missed out on it somewhere in the thread, what's the country of origin on these?

Funny, but I really wanted to get the guitar version of this model, but missed out on a sale on them at GC a year or two ago.

Still...when is 7.5 pounds a particularly light bass?

Indonesia is the country of origin.
I think 7.5 lbs is pretty light compared to most basses I've owned. That said, my RBXA4 is under 7 lbs.

 

[RedsFan75]

Basses are usually considered light if they come under or at 8.5, as they usually average 9-10lbs.

7.5 is VERY light for a 5 string.

 

[optikhog]

Basses are usually considered light if they come under or at 8.5, as they usually average 9-10lbs.

7.5 is VERY light for a 5 string.

+1 - my Washburn and G&L 5'ers each weight 11. And I thought my SX was light at 9.

After a couple of weeks' use on this thing, I must say that I'm starting to like it more and more each time I play it. I'm still using the stock strings, which are going to be replaced soon with Blue Steel mediums. The neck on this bass is just fabulous and fits my giant meat hands perfectly.

I've begun to hear the nuances of the tone and I'm thinking I'll just stay passive with it rather than adding the ouboard pre I was considering. There's a nice treble 'bump' up around 4.5K when the tone knob is left WFO, which can be grating when practicing but gives me almost perfect accenting in a band setting. I've been using it with a Zoom B2 as well at practice and have found that kicking the eq up gently at 2.4K and 3.6K gets me very close to the sound in my head, which is amazing for a $300 ($229 now, heh) bass. It also just has boatloads of low-end, the lows sounding very similar to the G&L when its bass knob is turned ~85%.

 

[MikeBass]

How does the tone compare to the BB you have itting there next to it??

 

[RedsFan75]

+1 - my Washburn and G&L 5'ers each weight 11. And I thought my SX was light at 9.

After a couple of weeks' use on this thing, I must say that I'm starting to like it more and more each time I play it. I'm still using the stock strings, which are going to be replaced soon with Blue Steel mediums. The neck on this bass is just fabulous and fits my giant meat hands perfectly.

I've begun to hear the nuances of the tone and I'm thinking I'll just stay passive with it rather than adding the ouboard pre I was considering. There's a nice treble 'bump' up around 4.5K when the tone knob is left WFO, which can be grating when practicing but gives me almost perfect accenting in a band setting. I've been using it with a Zoom B2 as well at practice and have found that kicking the eq up gently at 2.4K and 3.6K gets me very close to the sound in my head, which is amazing for a $300 ($229 now, heh) bass. It also just has boatloads of low-end, the lows sounding very similar to the G&L when its bass knob is turned ~85%.

I hear you on this, and another thing that surprised me was the sustain. It is amazing. Better than any of my other basses.

 

[optikhog]

I hear you on this, and another thing that surprised me was the sustain. It is amazing. Better than any of my other basses.

Agreed, and the ease of which I can ring in harmonics is silly. We have one tune where i do a few pitch harmonics and they rang out so beautifully on the Yamaha when I tried the first time that there were smiles all around the room.

 

[Bongolation]

7.5 is VERY light for a 5 string.

Ah, OK...I thought that figure was for the four-string version.

 

[Bongolation]

Wait. Can this thread have gone on for five pages without anyone mentioning the exclusive onboard "color organ" (remember them?) that glows brighter with the intensity of your playing?

More than anything else, this silliness did it for me. I have to see this in action!

 

[mcdonap]

Ah, OK...I thought that figure was for the four-string version.

I still think 7.5 pounds is light for a 4 string bass.

 

[Bongolation]

I still think 7.5 pounds is light for a 4 string bass.

Yeah. This cheap Spector sitting here by the bed is 8.5#, for example. I was just thinking that the weight of the RBX4 would somehow be less if they were making such a big point of it, calling it "Revolutionary Super-Light" on Yamaha's page. Light, sure, "Revolutionary Super-Light"...well.

 

[optikhog]

Wait. Can this thread have gone on for five pages without anyone mentioning the exclusive onboard "color organ" (remember them?) that glows brighter with the intensity of your playing?

More than anything else, this silliness did it for me. I have to see this in action!

I'll see if I can get someone to video us at the end of January - I plan to use mine on stage on the 30th for a gig.

My singer and guitarist call it 'bass bling'.

 

[RedsFan75]

Ah, OK...I thought that figure was for the four-string version.

My four comes slightly over 6 and 1/2.

 

[Bongolation]

My four comes slightly over 6 and 1/2.

OK, NOW I'm impressed!

Mine supposedly shipped today. We'll see!

 

[Tripper]

Got one from AMS...I'm really excited about it. It'll arrive Thursday (if UPS is to be believed).

I played a white one at my local Best Buy (it's one of the weird/cool ones with a musical instrument store inside). They had it for $499, and I was tempted at that price. It had such a nice, resonant sound with no dead spots, and sounded like a really good Jazz bass (which is a tone I adore).

Then I saw it online for $299, in BLACK, (which to me looked way cooler, and way less "iPod"), and I was almost certain I wanted it.

THEN while doing a little more research, I saw Ed Friedland's video over on YouTube, and knew it was exactly what I was looking for...

I'm very intrigued by the RGX, too, since I'm also a guitarist, and am considering picking one of those up, too. I have a harder time justifying it, though, since I'm not gigging as a guitarist right now.

I like the idea of the LEDs on there. It would be neat if you could set them so they flashed based on your playing.

Tripper