Yamaha - rbx 375

sinister · 01-07-2006, 04:19 PM

I've owned this bass for 3 months or so, gigged with it and have been playing seven months or so, before this I've used an aria stb series jazz bass (= sin) and an rbx 274.

Its got an RRP of £280 however I found it on www.soundsmusical.com for £220 making it extra worth it.

Onto the bass, here's my own;

I'll get a better pic with a proper camera up approx. whenever i remember

For those who can't count, it's a five string. It has 24 frets and two humbuckers, active eq with high and low knobs, the bridge is of a drop in style and the neck is painted. Also you get to the truss rod at the body end of the neck.

I wouldn't call it a beginers bass as it far advanced from the 274 but niether is it as quality as the 775. It sits firmly in the middle being cheapish yet quiet good.

Tone 4/5

You can get a suprising amount of tone out of it too, super bassy and deep right through to trebly. Whatever tone you choose I feel you can always tell that it is an active bass, I've never really been able to completley mimick a passive bass tone with it, which put me off a bit at first because that was all I was used to after getting used to it though I appreciate the ability to get so many tones without having to go upto my amp.

Quality 3.5/5

The workman ship and circuitry is generally good.
However around the electronics cover it is missing some paint and I had to take it to get fixed when a wire on the pup selectector knob decided to fall off for no reason.
Also I have heard that some of the rbx 375s drain their batterys super quickly, luckily mine isnt like that but watch out for that anywho.

Five stringness 3.5/5

I find the string spacing to be quiet tight which does make fingerstyle a tiny bit easier but takes some getting used to with slap.
The low B has a bit of flop to it but I've never really noticed on any other 5 string that I've played being much different.
The neck is also quiet large, causing it to fall whilst using the bass sitting down. Neck dive isn't a problem whilst standing though. If you are used to a bass with a very thin neck though the thickness could come as a bit of a shock.

Overall 3.5/5

I would recomend this to anyone who is a beginner and is sure they will want to continue playing bass for years to come but dosnt want to burn a gigantic hole in their wallet. If you are an avid slapper though you may want to consider another bass as the combination of a big neck pick up and 24 frets leaves little room to slap.

If this bass was stolen and I had to buy a new one I'd probably buy this one again but would seriously consider alternatives such as a middle ibanez.

I'm probably being a bit harsh with the overall but I feel alot of other people are over biased to their basses and mark it up to far.

Well that's the end of the review, I fear I may have gone a bit too much but I had alot to say on this bass. Later guys.

Machines · 01-08-2006, 07:46 AM

A very fair review, and from my experience of the RBX375 - accurate.

fingerstyle · 01-10-2006, 01:05 AM

I still prefer the older model.. RBX365, they're prettier. I dunno, I've played a few of the 37's but they all seemed a bit cold to me, compared to my 365. But yeah, mine drains batteries quickly aswell, if I leave the cord plugged in whilst not using it. WHich I don't anymore, so yeah, booyah!

Toddler · 01-25-2006, 05:59 AM

Nice review.. i played the 4 string version the other day.. it's not all that different to my 270, but still a nice guitar. I'm not a big 5 string fan.

Charmand G · 01-26-2006, 07:01 AM

I still think Yamaha makes some of the finest beginner/amateur-basses on this planet, but their design has become more uglier though. I like the old -96` RBX350-design better.

sinister · 01-26-2006, 09:41 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Toddler

Nice review.. i played the 4 string version the other day.. it's not all that different to my 270, but still a nice guitar. I'm not a big 5 string fan.

I find it quiet alot different from the 270 that I used to play.
Firstly active eq which is endlessly more useful than the passive system.
I found any adjustment to any of the knobs on the 270 made it hiss loads.
The bodys a bit more curvier and its got the 3d headstock thing for extra cool points.

Also the 270 I had was the most hideous green colour.

IMO five strings all the way. Not quiet as over the top as 6, not as constricting as 4.

I massivly lowered the action on my rbx375 the other day, it feeels soo much better now.

metal_bassist88 · 01-26-2006, 12:58 PM

Yeah the Yamaha RBX375 is a great bass in my opinion. The B string was a bit loose when I got it but, a change in strings has tightened it up loads.
It really is s good bass for my; fairly cheap, good quality decent tone. It seems to sound good on any amp ive used so far. Also luckly mine doesnt seem to eat batteries too quick (2 in 3 months). The string spacing was a bit hard to do slapping on at first but you get used to it.

01-07-2006, 04:19 PM	#1
sinister Blka Bla Join Date: Feb 2005 Location: UK Posts: 689	Yamaha - rbx 375 I've owned this bass for 3 months or so, gigged with it and have been playing seven months or so, before this I've used an aria stb series jazz bass (= sin) and an rbx 274. Its got an RRP of £280 however I found it on www.soundsmusical.com for £220 making it extra worth it. Onto the bass, here's my own; I'll get a better pic with a proper camera up approx. whenever i remember For those who can't count, it's a five string. It has 24 frets and two humbuckers, active eq with high and low knobs, the bridge is of a drop in style and the neck is painted. Also you get to the truss rod at the body end of the neck. I wouldn't call it a beginers bass as it far advanced from the 274 but niether is it as quality as the 775. It sits firmly in the middle being cheapish yet quiet good. Tone 4/5 You can get a suprising amount of tone out of it too, super bassy and deep right through to trebly. Whatever tone you choose I feel you can always tell that it is an active bass, I've never really been able to completley mimick a passive bass tone with it, which put me off a bit at first because that was all I was used to after getting used to it though I appreciate the ability to get so many tones without having to go upto my amp. Quality 3.5/5 The workman ship and circuitry is generally good. However around the electronics cover it is missing some paint and I had to take it to get fixed when a wire on the pup selectector knob decided to fall off for no reason. Also I have heard that some of the rbx 375s drain their batterys super quickly, luckily mine isnt like that but watch out for that anywho. Five stringness 3.5/5 I find the string spacing to be quiet tight which does make fingerstyle a tiny bit easier but takes some getting used to with slap. The low B has a bit of flop to it but I've never really noticed on any other 5 string that I've played being much different. The neck is also quiet large, causing it to fall whilst using the bass sitting down. Neck dive isn't a problem whilst standing though. If you are used to a bass with a very thin neck though the thickness could come as a bit of a shock. Overall 3.5/5 I would recomend this to anyone who is a beginner and is sure they will want to continue playing bass for years to come but dosnt want to burn a gigantic hole in their wallet. If you are an avid slapper though you may want to consider another bass as the combination of a big neck pick up and 24 frets leaves little room to slap. If this bass was stolen and I had to buy a new one I'd probably buy this one again but would seriously consider alternatives such as a middle ibanez. I'm probably being a bit harsh with the overall but I feel alot of other people are over biased to their basses and mark it up to far. Well that's the end of the review, I fear I may have gone a bit too much but I had alot to say on this bass. Later guys. Last edited by sinister; 01-09-2006 at 04:43 PM.

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01-08-2006, 07:46 AM	#2
Machines MX Ashdown Club Join Date: Jul 2003 Location: Solihull, UK Posts: 3,082	A very fair review, and from my experience of the RBX375 - accurate.

01-10-2006, 01:05 AM	#3
fingerstyle MX Aussie Bogan/Vette 6 Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Ballarat, Australia Posts: 986	I still prefer the older model.. RBX365, they're prettier. I dunno, I've played a few of the 37's but they all seemed a bit cold to me, compared to my 365. But yeah, mine drains batteries quickly aswell, if I leave the cord plugged in whilst not using it. WHich I don't anymore, so yeah, booyah!

01-25-2006, 05:59 AM	#4
Toddler Bass Player Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Western Australia Posts: 11	Nice review.. i played the 4 string version the other day.. it's not all that different to my 270, but still a nice guitar. I'm not a big 5 string fan.

01-26-2006, 07:01 AM	#5
Charmand G MX Warwick Club -Freak- Join Date: Sep 2003 Location: Norway, Oslo/Bodø Posts: 496	I still think Yamaha makes some of the finest beginner/amateur-basses on this planet, but their design has become more uglier though. I like the old -96` RBX350-design better.

01-26-2006, 12:58 PM	#7
metal_bassist88 Chris... Join Date: Aug 2005 Location: Leicester,England Posts: 258	Yeah the Yamaha RBX375 is a great bass in my opinion. The B string was a bit loose when I got it but, a change in strings has tightened it up loads. It really is s good bass for my; fairly cheap, good quality decent tone. It seems to sound good on any amp ive used so far. Also luckly mine doesnt seem to eat batteries too quick (2 in 3 months). The string spacing was a bit hard to do slapping on at first but you get used to it.