I took note back in the 1980's that Billy Sheehan was playing Yamaha Basses with the David Lee Roth Band; so I believed then that Yamaha built some good Bass Guitars. I just purchased a new Yamaha bass, and i like it myself.
Never played on that was less than good. Some are fantastic. The Japanese made models from the 80's are typically pretty special.
I bought a Yamaha BBN4-III new back around 2002 or so. Not the prettiest bass I've ever owned (it had a "natural wood" look with a light satin finish, but the wood didn't look that great), but it sounded great and was a good player. I used it live and in recordings, but traded it two or three years ago for a 2006 MIM Jazz (I'd always wanted a Jazz).
I look at Yamaha and Ibanez basses, as being good alternatives to the traditional Fender basses. I kind of see those 2 brands in the same light.
Overall they're very good basses. Few if any Japanese companies offer a poor product. Yamaha has been a major player in the gear market for many years and they have their fans. Which model did you buy?
I can't remember the model number. It has a Mango Wood veneer top over a Mahogany body. Not an expensive bass, but very pretty to look at. I figure it would be a good bass to possibly upgrade the hardware on, if I deem it necessary later. This specific one has a stunning piece of veneer on it. Crazy wood grain. It seemed like it was the best looking bass at GC that day. Every person I've shown it to has thought it was beautiful. It has a Passive P/J pickup configuration.
I own an older music man, a mid 2000's stingray 5, a MIM jazz bass, a Dean edge 4 pro, a mid 80's Ibanez BTB and a Yamaha TBRX 505. The Yamaha is the best balance of sound quality, reliability, and ease of use/maintenance, and it's the least expensive bass i own. 10/10, would recommend hands down.
So, you bought it on looks, alone? Lucky for you that Yamaha does make excellent basses in all price ranges, from the "student" models such as you have, up to very pro level, and accordingly priced, instruments. I used to own two Yamaha basses; the first I got was purchased in the summer of 1986.
Generally, Yamaha instruments across the board are just a good bet to compare favourably with more flashy brands who have similar products at much, much higher prices.
While Yamaha certainly makes good affordable instruments, I was under the impression that Ibanez's instruments at about the same price tag generally are of slightly higher quality.
Possibly, not really sure. They do seem pretty comparable but I prefer the neck feel of Yamaha over the (to me) too narrow Ibanez necks. If I were to spend big bucks on one or the other my money would be on the Yamaha,such as the various JP or NE models.
Good, you got a nice bass. Did you check out any Peavey basses as you seem to like their amps and are from their home state?
I didn't notice any Peavey bass guitars in my local GC that day. I did once own a Peavey 5 string bass, and I thought it was pretty nice at the time. I was mostly looking at Yamaha and Ibanez this time around. .
The only Peavey product I remember owning was a 1516 cabinet that I used with a Walter Woods MI-100-8 amp, back in the early '80s, before I moved to Los Angeles.
+1 I got one of these a couple years ago, to have a 5er and active electronics, and I'm very impressed with the quality. I think it cost around $350, and like @DarrellM5 said, it's very well constructed and sounds great.
It sounds like you have a RBX174EW. I had one & the only thing I didn't like were the plastic tuning machines.
