No love for Yamaha?
Posted: Mon Nov 06, 2017 3:11 pm
I had some time to kill while I was in Austin this weekend so I hopped into the local Guitar Center and started noodling around on some of their bass stock. The one I played and loved the most was the Yamaha TRBX505 - wide range of tones, very light, awesome neck, and a fit and finish that would compare with basses four times the price. And you can find them used for around $400 if you're patient and know where to look. Holy shit, Batman, daddy likey!
But that's the problem - I've found them go for $400, but they very rarely go on sale. And they seem to be impossible to find locally, leaving one to buy online and trust that UPieceofShit doesn't break it during delivery. I asked the GC employee why and he said that for some reason nobody seems to buy Yamaha guitars or basses - the marketing doesn't work, no new or hot artists are playing them (but a lot of jazz artists do), and most seem to think the company is only good for motorcycles and percussion, the latter thanks to Yamaha's stranglehold in high school and college marching (and these mother fucking legends).
So what do y'all think? Do you think Yamaha's guitars and basses don't get enough love, or do you think they're right where they want - in the jazz and percussion world?
But that's the problem - I've found them go for $400, but they very rarely go on sale. And they seem to be impossible to find locally, leaving one to buy online and trust that UPieceofShit doesn't break it during delivery. I asked the GC employee why and he said that for some reason nobody seems to buy Yamaha guitars or basses - the marketing doesn't work, no new or hot artists are playing them (but a lot of jazz artists do), and most seem to think the company is only good for motorcycles and percussion, the latter thanks to Yamaha's stranglehold in high school and college marching (and these mother fucking legends).
So what do y'all think? Do you think Yamaha's guitars and basses don't get enough love, or do you think they're right where they want - in the jazz and percussion world?