TRBboy Posted February 4, 2011 Posted February 4, 2011 Amazing! Wanted a cheap bass to customise a little, and just finished it tonight. I'm absolutely blown away with the results! I've played basses costing 5 times more which haven't hit the spot in the same way! Yamaha RBX270 black off Gumtree £ 70 Wilkinson bridge w/brass saddles £ 15 (I think) Dimarzio model p/j (cream) £100 Cream speed knobs. £ 5 CTS wiring kit. £ 15 TOTAL. £205! It sounds friggin awesome! I've owned a fair few basses, and this is amazing for the money i've spent. Would highly recommend this recipe for anyone looking for an inexpensive bass that plays and sounds great, or as a decent backup. Quote
henry norton Posted February 4, 2011 Posted February 4, 2011 I bet it sounds all the sweeter for the money you paid. DiMarzio are the mutts nuts when it comes to a good Precision replacement. Quote
FlatEric Posted February 4, 2011 Posted February 4, 2011 [quote name='TRBboy' post='1115912' date='Feb 4 2011, 09:22 PM']Amazing! Wanted a cheap bass to customise a little, and just finished it tonight. I'm absolutely blown away with the results! I've played basses costing 5 times more which haven't hit the spot in the same way! Yamaha RBX270 black off Gumtree £ 70 Wilkinson bridge w/brass saddles £ 15 (I think) Dimarzio model p/j (cream) £100 Cream speed knobs. £ 5 CTS wiring kit. £ 15 TOTAL. £205! It sounds friggin awesome! I've owned a fair few basses, and this is amazing for the money i've spent. Would highly recommend this recipe for anyone looking for an inexpensive bass that plays and sounds great, or as a decent backup.[/quote] I'm with you on that one. I bought an RBX270 Fretless, about 5 years ago - love it. Lent it to loads of players - all said the same and mine is stock! Thump away!! Cheers. Quote
TRBboy Posted February 4, 2011 Author Posted February 4, 2011 Yeah, you've gotta hand it to yamaha - even their cheap basses are well built and play fantastically. I've owned quite a lot of basses and worked in guitar stores for 7 - 8 years, and I think they take a lot of beating for the money. I would probably choose an RBX270 over an MIM Fender any day! Quote
TRBboy Posted February 5, 2011 Author Posted February 5, 2011 In case anyone's interested, I thought I'd upload a couple of photos of the new improved RBX. [attachment=71319:IMG_0490.JPG] [attachment=71320:IMG_0492.JPG] Quote
Conan Posted February 5, 2011 Posted February 5, 2011 But does it sound/play three time better than a Sue Ryder P? Quote
TRBboy Posted February 5, 2011 Author Posted February 5, 2011 (edited) No idea Conan, I've never met Sue but I'm sure she's lovely. Perhaps it's worth starting a new topic for "Cheapest, most awesome bass ever!!!". Might be interesting..... Edited February 5, 2011 by TRBboy Quote
DanOwens Posted February 6, 2011 Posted February 6, 2011 My main bass is a Yamaha RBX360. First bass I bought and still my go-to. I use shedloads of effects, so to me having a good neck is the key thing; mine is amazing to play! Quote
Bassnut62 Posted February 7, 2011 Posted February 7, 2011 (edited) Not sure if this counts, but I nearly had the best £200 bass ever. It was in a pawn shop, but I didn't buy it there and then cos I didn't know what it was then. It turned out to be a late 80s USA G&L Asat Bass ultra rare Leo Fender signature model. I stepped out of the shop to call some dealers to find out exactly what it was and what it was worth. The pawn broker was only asking £185 - the dealers said where is the shop?! So by the time I got back from only 25 yards down the road someone had bought it! Doh! This story still hurts even now and it was over 5 years ago. Edited February 7, 2011 by Bassnut62 Quote
ead Posted February 8, 2011 Posted February 8, 2011 I've done a similar thing to my RBX270FL. Only difference is I went for a Wilkinson type bridge, SD vintage style PJ pups, rewired to VVT (was VBT), new jack socket and some new flat wound D'Addario strings. Overall cost was £260 as my bass was £90 (evilbay) and the Sd's were a bit more expensive. Really please with the result, the VVT is particularly pleasant Pic for your delectation: [attachment=71579:Bass_RBX_270F.JPG] Quote
LawrenceH Posted February 8, 2011 Posted February 8, 2011 [quote name='TRBboy' post='1117052' date='Feb 5 2011, 09:01 PM']In case anyone's interested, I thought I'd upload a couple of photos of the new improved RBX.[/quote] Black bass plus cream Dimarzio pickups and knobs = epic style win. Love it! Quote
TRBboy Posted February 28, 2011 Author Posted February 28, 2011 [quote name='LawrenceH' post='1120269' date='Feb 8 2011, 04:42 PM']Black bass plus cream Dimarzio pickups and knobs = epic style win. Love it![/quote] Thanks dude! Plain black basses bore me..... Quote
chipmunk_jr Posted May 25, 2011 Posted May 25, 2011 I am currently doing up my RBX 270 which I bought for £40. Was wondering what pickups you would recommend to put i'n it??? I currently play in a melodic metal band if that help on what I should buy. UG. Quote
TRBboy Posted May 25, 2011 Author Posted May 25, 2011 In my opinion you really can't get better than the Dimarzio's. I was so impressed with the model p/j in my RBX, I've since upgraded the pups on my jazz bass to Dimarzio Ultra Jazz. I've tried quite a few different pickups over the years, and I much prefer these to anything else I've owned or tried. They really are great VFM. Quote
ead Posted May 26, 2011 Posted May 26, 2011 I've heard very good things about Wizard pups too... Quote
merello Posted May 27, 2011 Posted May 27, 2011 Yamaha is a great bass maker - always sound great! Quote
TheGreek Posted May 31, 2011 Posted May 31, 2011 There are loads of these for sale on eBay, Gumtree and Preloved - most for less than £100...I think I saw one with a 25w amp for £80... Quote
TRBboy Posted May 31, 2011 Author Posted May 31, 2011 They are truly awesome for the money. I picked mine up towards the end of last year in VGC off Gumtree for £70! I've had various Yamaha's, and for me this RBX hits the spot better than my BB414 did. IMHO the pickups were the real weak point on the BB; I fitted an Aguilar preamp but there was still something missing from the core tone, but there's no way of replacing the pickups without chopping it about. This RBX270 on the other hand, with the Dimarzio's and decent pots, etc. = SWWEEEEET!!! Quote
SoVeryTired Posted July 15, 2011 Posted July 15, 2011 I've not got the best £200 bass ever, but it's possibly the best £80 bass ever (okay, £98 if we're including strings). Yamaha RBX360 (which I think is the older equivalent of the 270 - all the specs seem the same apart from having a master volume and blend rather than two individual volumes) - £50 from eBay Full professional set-up (including repairs to cracks in headstock) by Andy Viccars - £30 My plan, funnily enough, was to see if I liked it and then to upgrade it with cream Dimarzio P/Js (sound familiar?!). However, on plugging it in to a proper PA system, the anticipated buzz and thin sound never materialised. Just pure thunder, instantly controllable and shapeable. It produces internal-injury-inducing levels without ever sounding anything like a cheap instrument. I can't quite believe I've got guita pedals that cost more than it. The only upgrade I plan on now is straplocks (although, having said that, it's not the heaviest instrument ever). Yamaha deliver fantastic instruments at low prices, and somehow they don't hold any value second hand. Which is good for those of us in the know. Shhhhh... Quote
TRBboy Posted July 15, 2011 Author Posted July 15, 2011 [quote name='SoVeryTired' post='1305315' date='Jul 15 2011, 11:02 PM']I've not got the best £200 bass ever, but it's possibly the best £80 bass ever (okay, £98 if we're including strings). Yamaha RBX360 (which I think is the older equivalent of the 270 - all the specs seem the same apart from having a master volume and blend rather than two individual volumes) - £50 from eBay Full professional set-up (including repairs to cracks in headstock) by Andy Viccars - £30 My plan, funnily enough, was to see if I liked it and then to upgrade it with cream Dimarzio P/Js (sound familiar?!). However, on plugging it in to a proper PA system, the anticipated buzz and thin sound never materialised. Just pure thunder, instantly controllable and shapeable. It produces internal-injury-inducing levels without ever sounding anything like a cheap instrument. I can't quite believe I've got guita pedals that cost more than it. The only upgrade I plan on now is straplocks (although, having said that, it's not the heaviest instrument ever). Yamaha deliver fantastic instruments at low prices, and somehow they don't hold any value second hand. Which is good for those of us in the know. Shhhhh... [/quote] Sounds great dude, what a steal! I really think they're WAY better than most other low priced instruments, and even some considerably more expensive ones! Mine gets played more than any of my others, mainly because I leave it on a stand in the living room as my practice bass because I don't care if my 20 month old son gets his sticky fingers all over it! Quote
SoVeryTired Posted July 15, 2011 Posted July 15, 2011 [quote name='TRBboy' post='1305328' date='Jul 15 2011, 11:12 PM']Sounds great dude, what a steal! I really think they're WAY better than most other low priced instruments, and even some considerably more expensive ones! Mine gets played more than any of my others, mainly because I leave it on a stand in the living room as my practice bass because I don't care if my 20 month old son gets his sticky fingers all over it![/quote] Yep, the low 'value' means these basses will get a lot more playing time than the ones that you're to scared to take out of the case! Quote
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