Yamaha RBX 765A Review

History:

Purchase: I bought my Yammy 5 in Clovis Ca, and paid $800 in late 1997. I bought it to compliment my Jazz Bass. I play modern Worship for a couple of churches, and work with a couple of regional artists.

What I Like About This Unit: I like the versatile tone I get out of it - from a great Jbass/Jaco sound, to a decent Pbass sound. The B string sound is good, and resonates well. I have been using he J bass sounds exclusily as of late and love the tone. Recently I attended a bass clinic with several pro's who brough Modulus's & Alembic's, which my Yammy kept up with. The p-ups are great. I have left it stock because I am happy with the sound. The three tone controls make it easy to dial in a sound. I can get thin with a simple cut to the Bass/Treble boost. You can get big, deep with the opposite adjustments. You can get a bright tone without that annoying clicky sound. I have recorded with it a few times and engineers have been happy with it.

What I Do NOT Like About The Yamaha RBX 765A: I have a hard time getting a good popping sound with it. I play through a Trace Elliot/Ampeg rig and cannot get a good popping sound. No trouble on my JAzz Bass - so I am forced to beleive tat Yamaha engineered the RBX to have a more "earthy sound". Living near the coast probibly hasn't helped with the Gold hardware. It is minor -But I'm finding I have to keep up with the maintenece more.

RBX 765A Quality: The translucent red color with the gold hardware looks nice. The controll cavity is clean and plenty of space for a pre-amp if needed. The standard of construction is high. Although my nut came loose and I had to glue it back on - the problem was it happened during a gig. Ouch.

Summary: I would recommend his bass to anyone who needs to add to their bass arsenal. I have been happy with it & get great comments from many engineers about the tone.

Rating of this product: 4

This Yamaha Bass Guitars Review Submitted By: Jim Pearson

Date: 2003-01-31