Noob Potential Setup

[Zoop Soup]

Alright, so I'm a beginner picking up a bass to start playing in my school jazz band. I have an amp and bass picked out, and I'd like to see what you guys think of my choices. (The amp wouldn't be used in concerts, the school would provide them. They'd be practice only for now.)
The bass is a Yamaha RBX170.
The amp is a Ampegg BA108 25 Watt.

Also, should I consider getting new strings or would the vanilla ones work fine?

 

[BrokeDownSouth]

Buy used, you get a lot better quality for less.

 

[hrodbert696]

You'll do fine with those to learn on. Yamaha and Ampeg are good brands. When you DO need your own amp to play with a band, you'll want something more powerful than the BA-108, and chances are you'll eventually want to upgrade the bass as well, but this is a good starting point. Likewise, stock strings are fine to learn on. Once you start trying to create a specific tone, or just once they wear out, you'll have time to try something more specific. Welcome to bass world!

 

[SoVeryTired]

That's a pretty good start. As said, you'll change over time when you learn what you like (and when you know what you're about, buying used is a good call).

 

[lundborg]

The Yamaha is probably a good bass, most important is to have it properly set up.
For amp I would rather choose the BA110, with the 10" speaker

Good luck!

 

[MakoMan]

That's a great starter combo you have picked out there. The RBX170 is one of the better beginner basses and will always be a fine backup if you upgrade. The BA108 is just about the best practice amp on the market.. great tone and a ton of features compared to most practice amps.
While buying used can save some dough, it's hard to go wrong new with the two items you picked out. They are a great deal new and won't lose much value if you decide to sell either of them later.