I bought this as my first bass and I don't think I could've been happier with it. Did a lot of research beforehand as I didn't know much about the instrument and I knew it wouldn't be possible for me to try it out at a local store. What it came down to was the price, the brand, the look, the pickup configuration and finally the onboard electronics (or the lack thereof):
-Price: As I'm a complete beginner I don't want to drop too much/too little money from the get-go. Something to grow into without breaking the bank.
-Brand: I wanted something from a brand I could trust not to break or have any issues with early on as it would probably hinder my learning process.
-Looks: The look speaks for itself but is of course a most subjective matter. I personally like the more rocky-metal looking instruments but it's not too far into that category to alienate the player from fitting into any genre with the '174.
-Sound: Again, as a complete beginner, I didn't really know which sound I wanted to go for so I think the compromise here with a P/J pick-up configuration was a good call. I plug this into my computer as I don't have a real amp and the sound I get is pretty great!
-Electronics: From my perspective it really was a no-brainer for someone that's just starting out to get a passive instrument. No fumbling with batteries and such. It's just you, your instrument and trying to learn how to play.
So all in all a very solid experience so far and I am confident that I did a really good choice beginning to play bass using the TRBX 174 from Yamaha. Its form and feel along with its sleek look makes it a joy to pick up and play and it doesn't hurt that it sounds great too :)
