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Audiofanzine FR
Published on 11/02/08 at 06:46
(Originally written by machinagoove/translated from Audiofanzine FR)
I'm no features list specialist but the only flaw I can find is that the bass guitar doesn't have a volume control (?) which is quite disconcerting. To turn down the sound, you'll have to turn down both illuminated controls...
UTILIZATION
I'm a faithful MusicMan user and I find the neck of this Yamaha is really comfortable (but it doesn't reach the quality of a Stingray neck).
I like to slap with this model because it sounds punchy and accurate!
Access to the upper frets is perfect, the bass is pretty light and it is comfortable to play with.
SOUNDS
I play power groove music and it's perfect for this style. But it has a "technical-synthetic" cold sound (a bit like Mark King's sound with his Zon). It's all a matter of taste!
I use it mainly for slap playing because it has a slamming, well-defined and accurate sound as well as a good sustain and a very nice "dirty" character.
The sound variations are quite basic, from inaccurate low to precise high.
I also find it's hardly impossible to adjust the height of the pickups because they are screwed directly into the body. But it's not a MusicMan and you can't always have everything you want.
I generally turn all controls all the way. This setting gives me the sound I want otherwise the tone can be fuzzy because of the passive circuitry.
OVERALL OPINION
I've been using this bass guitar for 1 month and I'm totally satisfied. On the one hand it has a great look (illuminated controls and attractive design which influenced my choice) and on the other hand the sound is really good (it gives me a richer palette of sounds). Compared to my MusicMan basses, the RBX sounds less powerful and deep, nevertheless it has a certain character of its own with a typical Japanese electronic touch.
I'm faithful to MusicMan but I have lots of fun playing this Yamaha because it's much lighter and it has a killer slap sound.
To wrap it up, it's a very good "second" bass which I bought for fun rather than for its high-tech possibilities (even if the sound is fully ok and interesting. It's all a matter of taste...).
The finish could be better (the plastic plates on the head are visible as well as the wood around the controls but it's not so important considering the price).
I'm no features list specialist but the only flaw I can find is that the bass guitar doesn't have a volume control (?) which is quite disconcerting. To turn down the sound, you'll have to turn down both illuminated controls...
UTILIZATION
I'm a faithful MusicMan user and I find the neck of this Yamaha is really comfortable (but it doesn't reach the quality of a Stingray neck).
I like to slap with this model because it sounds punchy and accurate!
Access to the upper frets is perfect, the bass is pretty light and it is comfortable to play with.
SOUNDS
I play power groove music and it's perfect for this style. But it has a "technical-synthetic" cold sound (a bit like Mark King's sound with his Zon). It's all a matter of taste!
I use it mainly for slap playing because it has a slamming, well-defined and accurate sound as well as a good sustain and a very nice "dirty" character.
The sound variations are quite basic, from inaccurate low to precise high.
I also find it's hardly impossible to adjust the height of the pickups because they are screwed directly into the body. But it's not a MusicMan and you can't always have everything you want.
I generally turn all controls all the way. This setting gives me the sound I want otherwise the tone can be fuzzy because of the passive circuitry.
OVERALL OPINION
I've been using this bass guitar for 1 month and I'm totally satisfied. On the one hand it has a great look (illuminated controls and attractive design which influenced my choice) and on the other hand the sound is really good (it gives me a richer palette of sounds). Compared to my MusicMan basses, the RBX sounds less powerful and deep, nevertheless it has a certain character of its own with a typical Japanese electronic touch.
I'm faithful to MusicMan but I have lots of fun playing this Yamaha because it's much lighter and it has a killer slap sound.
To wrap it up, it's a very good "second" bass which I bought for fun rather than for its high-tech possibilities (even if the sound is fully ok and interesting. It's all a matter of taste...).
The finish could be better (the plastic plates on the head are visible as well as the wood around the controls but it's not so important considering the price).