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Used yam RBX170 v new squire


mac1012
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Hi there I have introduced myself on the intro section.

I am lookin for a beginner's bass and see that squire come highly recommended , I saw a used Yamaha RBX170 that I realise is discontinued and not knowing squat about bass as curious how this compared to a new squire beginner's mode , the yam was 120 with a guarantee but if the quality is not much different it would make sense to buy the squire


Any info would be a great help thanks mark

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Hi Mark,

You can argue about which is better until you are blue in the face really.

In short:

Yamaha = Great value for money, great build quality with a more 'modern' sound.

Squier = Generally good value for money, anything above their Affinity series is well respected and even then, the Affinity series is not a bad place to start, Squier will give you a more classic sound from the start.

As with any new gear, if you can try before you buy it always helps :)

Best of luck in choosing your new bass

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^^^^^ but with extra emphasis on the try before you buy. I am pretty new to this game and some stuff that the Internet claims is wonderful wasn't for me and some more budget stuff works for me. As an example I tried a Gibson thunderbird because I loved the look and sound, but the feel and position was something I knew I just wouldn't get on with long term. I have several basses but my 'go to' bass is an 80s Aria that is well worn and bought cheap, it just works for me.

So try as many as you can and don't forget that they will sound a lot different through a £2k rig in a shop than a £20 second hand practice amp or similar.

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ok thanks for replies I guess it was more along the lines of whether the Yamaha when it was a current product was a better spec than a new current squire really I get what your saying and I am not going to be that undecided but the used yam caught my eye and wondered whether it was a beginners budget spec when originally current if that makes sense.

The availability of squire is a bit thin on ground a local shop has sx model and another has a make im not familiar with but will look into it they start a 199

But thanks again for advice really helpful

Edited by mac1012
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Bear in mind that your amp will change the sound of the bass too, in terms of comfort definitely try before you buy but I would leave a decent chunk of budget for a good amp.

An amp with EQ options that enables you to change the sound to closer resemble what you are learning can really help with motivation.

Edited by crompers
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ok thanks , I have just seen a shine bass guitar for 70 pound at my local cash generator going to have a look at it later , I have read on here they are ok ish for beginners it will give me something to have a play around with and I will look for a suitable amp , so with an amp my friend said hartke where a good amp so do I need more than just the bass treble tone controls ? I have seen a new hartke 15 watt amp for 80 pounds would that do ?? it dosent mention equaliser is that something of a must have ?

Its not that I cant afford more just I know what I am like when it comes to instruments

Thanks mark

Edited by mac1012
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Nothing wrong with getting something cheap while you work out if it is for you, I borrowed a friend's initially which is also a good shout.

Have a look at the market place on here there are plenty of bargains to be had.

Case in point:

http://basschat.co.uk/topic/303577-bass-collection-nanyo/

Edited by crompers
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I started on a Stagg which was pretty horrible but got me going and gave me the bug to want to play more, the only thing I would say is that when I then picked up a better bass I couldn't believe how much better my playing was instantly. The Stagg hadn't been set up and the action was very high. You don't have to spend a fortune to get a bass that will play well though, if you know anyone who plays then getting them to give a potential purchase a once over is worth doing.

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People quite often pay more for older instruments so yeah don't let age put you off.

This is just an example but keep your eye out on the marketplace it is probably the best place to buy a second hand bass in the UK.

If you buy it and you don't like it you can probably shift it for similar money on here again.

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No it wasn't the age that bothers me far from it I was just curious how it compared spec wise to a budget squire

Or to put it another way what would I be gaining in quality over a new budget squire when i am paying a similar price.

Edited by mac1012
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Never owned a Yamaha bass so I can't comment. I own a Squier bass and a Squier tele. My Squier bass is a Matt Freeman model and it's outstanding for it's price.

I own Yamaha 6 string accoustic and living itm So there you go. As mentioned above Yamaha =modern.Squier P bass= classic.

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Had both basses. My second bass was an rbx170 I bought it used for 80 pounds in 2013 in mint condition. I didn't like the neck as it was a touch too thick I thought (I prefer slim necks). And the upper horn annoyed me. Pickups were a little weak. But was well made and played well enough.
Sold it for 110 pounds a few weeks later.
Its not a better spec bass than a new or older squire.

If I was just starting out myself I would get a new squire jazz bass and probably a new fender rumble v3 15w or 25w model. Those little hartke amps with the half aluminum/paper cones you mentioned I don't trust. As i tried one out in a shop just before last xmas and when I hit an open E the speaker broke! And I wasn't being loud either.

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i had one of the RBX yamaha basses as my second bass (and my first 5 string) Yamaha have a reputation for build quality and great value, i'd be tempted to see if they'll do a deal on the yamaha (gig bag/strings/lead) i think for the same amount of outlay i'd go for a secondhand bass over any new one, you get so much more for your money.
i kept my Yamaha for years, it was only ousted when i bought a custom 5 string, it's still getting regular use by a friend who took it on when i didn't have room to keep it.

i know it has been mentioned before but the basschat marketplace is a fantastic place to get bargains on secondhand gear, If you let us know where in the country you are (approximately) then people might also be able to suggest good local shops with decent stock of used basses, someone might even offer to accompany you to some shops to look over any potential purchases (if you're in the north east then i'd be happy to look over any basses you've got your eye on.)


Matt

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[quote name='mac1012' timestamp='1492502118' post='3280656']
Hi there I have introduced myself on the intro section.

I am lookin for a beginner's bass and see that squire come highly recommended , I saw a used Yamaha RBX170 that I realise is discontinued and not knowing squat about bass as curious how this compared to a new squire beginner's mode , the yam was 120 with a guarantee but if the quality is not much different it would make sense to buy the squire


Any info would be a great help thanks mark
[/quote]

Just throwing out another option, but consider the Harley Benton basses. They have a very good reputation around these parts. I purchased one of their Jazz basses last year and it's a really nice instrument. They even do them in full started bundles with a little amp and strap etc for a price that is less than a 2nd hand Squire.

[url="https://www.thomann.de/gb/harley_benton_jb_75_na_bundle_3.htm?ref=search_rslt_Harley+Benton+Bass_288542_19"]https://www.thomann.de/gb/harley_benton_jb_75_na_bundle_3.htm?ref=search_rslt_Harley+Benton+Bass_288542_19[/url]

I'm sure some other folks will chip on these, but I really think they are good instruments and I have gigged mine when I don't want to take my main bass. The neck is a very nice shape, somewhere between a Fender Jazz and P bass, made from good quarter-sawn maple. The pick-ups are quite mellow and vintage sounding (not a bad thing, but they're perhaps not the best if you want a growling metal sound) and the scratch plate is made from cheap plastic but that really is all I can fault them for.

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thanks for info yes looks interesting the Benton package , id rather go for something like that which is a package for not much outlay , if its good enough for you to gig with then I am sure it would be fine for me, I do like the natural wood look , the mellow tones are fine I am more a jazz , funk type not into heavy metal kind of music , as I said one of my goals would be playing in the church band maybe getting good enough to pick out the root notes (hopefully ) to star with and im pretty sure heavy metal wont figure in the worship lol

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