Doc B Posted January 24, 2008 Share Posted January 24, 2008 I was in Merchant City Music in Glasgow and they had a few RKS six-string guitars on display. They look and are constructed really differently from other manufacturers. Have any of you tried their basses or know more about them? [url="http://rksguitars.com/new/bass.php"]http://rksguitars.com/new/bass.php[/url] Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OutToPlayJazz Posted January 24, 2008 Share Posted January 24, 2008 Never seen these before, but just looked at the website & loved the look of the bublinga one. Would also be interested to know of anyone who's played these or who owns one. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thedontcarebear Posted January 24, 2008 Share Posted January 24, 2008 I've seen them for sale quite a bit, but never tried one as I think they are hideous. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BassDad Posted January 24, 2008 Share Posted January 24, 2008 +1 on the fugly comment Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Soulman Posted January 24, 2008 Share Posted January 24, 2008 (edited) [quote name='OutToPlayJazz' post='126718' date='Jan 24 2008, 10:19 AM']Never seen these before, but just looked at the website & loved the look of the bublinga one. Would also be interested to know of anyone who's played these or who owns one.[/quote] I tried the 5 string SymBass in a local shop here in west wales,it blew me away with it's tone and it was passive!!!1x bassline MM style pickup,the look takes getting used too,but once you try it you will be sold!!it has 19mm spacing and a wide neck with a thin profile from back to front,if you like the 6 string yamaha you have,i presume it's a TRB-6,then i think you will like it,B string was very strong!!but the whole balance of the tonal range on all strings was excellent,it wasn't cheap!!!and i nearly bought it,and still have my eye on it,hope this helps,all the best,J. Edited January 24, 2008 by Yessikris Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
yorks5stringer Posted January 24, 2008 Share Posted January 24, 2008 (edited) At last someone else who has seen and heard of my Bass! I have the one as on the link enclosed below and would have to agree regarding the tone from a passive instrument. It is a neck through design and the wings are part of a separate body, which you can change for different colours or shape (but this is not cheap!). It has a lovely balance and sustain too due to the neck through design. The coolest visual thing however is the controls which you can only just see, 2 knurled knobs set under the bottom of the neck-though so you have a nice clean finish. They have really thought about the design and used good quality components e.g. hipshot tuners and the input jack has a set screw rather than a ring that can loosen off. Apparently they are an industrial design company in the US who came up with a new design stand and then decided to do guitar and basses as well. It was strung with red DR's in the photo (simply red?) but I have reverted to Elixirs as supplied when new. I appreciate that because it does not conform to the Fender shape it will upset some luddites [url="http://basschat.co.uk/index.php?showtopic=11286"]http://basschat.co.uk/index.php?showtopic=11286[/url] Edited January 24, 2008 by yorks5stringer Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Doc B Posted January 24, 2008 Author Share Posted January 24, 2008 [quote name='yorks5stringer' post='126932' date='Jan 24 2008, 02:33 PM']At last someone else who has seen and heard of my Bass! I have the one as on the link enclosed below and would have to agree regarding the tone from a passive instrument. It is a neck through design and the wings are part of a separate body, which you can change for different colours or shape (but this is not cheap!). It has a lovely balance and sustain too due to the neck through design. The coolest visual thing however is the controls which you can only just see, 2 knurled knobs set under the bottom of the neck-though so you have a nice clean finish. They have really thought about the design and used good quality components e.g. hipshot tuners and the input jack has a set screw rather than a ring that can loosen off. Apparently they are an industrial design company in the US who came up with a new design stand and then decided to do guitar and basses as well. It was strung with red DR's in the photo (simply red?) but I have reverted to Elixirs as supplied when new. I appreciate that because it does not conform to the Fender shape it will upset some luddites [url="http://basschat.co.uk/index.php?showtopic=11286"]http://basschat.co.uk/index.php?showtopic=11286[/url][/quote] They look cool to me, especially that bubinga one, but I haven't seen one of the basses in person yet - would be interesting to try. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thumbo Posted January 24, 2008 Share Posted January 24, 2008 I've played 4 or 5 RKS guitars but no basses. The guitars I've played were very nice indeed! On a first impression I thought "Yuk!!" but after I played a few of them my opinion totally changed, they're definately worth a try. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BigRedX Posted January 24, 2008 Share Posted January 24, 2008 I love the look of some of the RKS basses as evidenced in [url="http://basschat.co.uk/index.php?showtopic=5525&view=findpost&p=66658"]this post[/url]. However would say that not all of them are so visually pleasing. There's a particularly ugly one on [url="http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/New-RKS-Original-Solidbody-4-String-A-Body-Bass-Guitar_W0QQitemZ300191129607QQihZ020QQcategoryZ4713QQrdZ1QQssPageNameZWD2VQQcmdZViewItem?_trksid=p1638.m122"]eBay right now[/url]. Last year though there was a gorgeous one in all matt black, which I was very tempted by. yorks5stringer, is yours the one that came up on eBay last year? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wotnwhy Posted January 24, 2008 Share Posted January 24, 2008 [quote name='Yessikris' post='126872' date='Jan 24 2008, 01:13 PM']I tried the 5 string SymBass in a local shop here in west wales,it blew me away with it's tone and it was passive!!!1x bassline MM style pickup,the look takes getting used too,but once you try it you will be sold!!it has 19mm spacing and a wide neck with a thin profile from back to front,if you like the 6 string yamaha you have,i presume it's a TRB-6,then i think you will like it,B string was very strong!!but the whole balance of the tonal range on all strings was excellent,it wasn't cheap!!!and i nearly bought it,and still have my eye on it,hope this helps,all the best,J.[/quote] where abouts in W/Wales are you? and what shop was this? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
yorks5stringer Posted January 26, 2008 Share Posted January 26, 2008 [quote name='BigRedX' post='127197' date='Jan 24 2008, 07:09 PM']I love the look of some of the RKS basses as evidenced in [url="http://basschat.co.uk/index.php?showtopic=5525&view=findpost&p=66658"]this post[/url]. However would say that not all of them are so visually pleasing. There's a particularly ugly one on [url="http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/New-RKS-Original-Solidbody-4-String-A-Body-Bass-Guitar_W0QQitemZ300191129607QQihZ020QQcategoryZ4713QQrdZ1QQssPageNameZWD2VQQcmdZViewItem?_trksid=p1638.m122"]eBay right now[/url]. Last year though there was a gorgeous one in all matt black, which I was very tempted by. yorks5stringer, is yours the one that came up on eBay last year?[/quote] The one on ebay now is particularly fugly, I really like the way they have matched the rear control plate with the rest of the guitar-NOT! I wonder if it is a B grade as mine under the paint has the control plate made out of the same piece of wood as the body. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NickThomas Posted January 26, 2008 Share Posted January 26, 2008 There specs say they weigh in at 12lbs ... they look like they should be lightweight by design . Odd one . Makes me want a bongo even more than I already did Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
greyparrot Posted April 22, 2008 Share Posted April 22, 2008 (edited) i have an a bass in red, the sound, tone and thin profile of the neck are quite amazing. They look weird but when you pick it up and play it, i think they start to make sense! The shape grows on you as they are comfy and the neck is made in a way that you can access all the top frets much like a stieny. It one of those basses that gets a comment whereever you go! Edited April 22, 2008 by greyparrot Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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