« Yamaha RBX-270 »

I purchased this bass in Montreal at Archambault. I played bass a few times way back when, but now I wanted to pick it up again and learn to play it well. So I wanted to start with a good entry-level bass. The store had a few basses in the 300$ range: Yamahas, Peaveys, Squiers and another one which was so crappy I didn't even bother to remember the name! I tried them all and the Yamaha was the one I was the most comfortable with.

The RBX-270 I purchased is a mist green and has a real cool look. Plus, even from a beginners point of view, I though it was really easy to play. I've been practicing a lot on it, and it is really easy to get comfortable with this bass. Plus, I like to possibility of "mixing" between the two pickups, which gives it some good tonal range. And the bass is light on the shoulders.

I had to go back to the store the day after I bought it because of wiring problems. The guys over there fixed it on the spot. Plus the bass was not perfectly adjusted when I left the store. The strings were too close to the frets, which cause a lot of buzz. I adjusted it myself (Yamaha gives you an Allan key with the bass).

So far, everything seems O.K. The instrument looks solid and sharp. The wiring worries me, though, probably because of the incident I had when I bought it. I guess I shouln't worry anymore.

Although more advanced players will probably frown upon such a "modest" bass, I feel it's a very good instrument for the money, and a bass that I won't have to wrestle with in my learning process. If you want to start playing the bass, don't ruin yourself on a high-end instrument. Go for a Yamaha and you will have a lot of fun.

This review was originally published on http://www.musicgearreview.com