Raven RMB-500

This is an update to my earlier review. I've had the bass almost 4 years now, and put it through its paces pretty thoroughly.
The only changes/modifications I've made have been a few different styles/brands of strings, and I changed the stock gold tuners to black gotohs.

The strings it came with were fine, but I wanted to try Elixers, So I put set of Med. Lights (I think) on and was not overly impressed. Sure they felt nice but they didnt sound quite right on the bass. After 3-6 months the coating was shredding so badly I had to pull them off... and on a wild hair I bought a set of Markley flatwounds... what a difference! The flats gave it a very cool, unique thumpy tone very close to upright! wow! I even had a studio engineer, who was very partial to Fender basses, compliment the crap out of it, and he insisted I use the Raven instead of my Fender Aerodyne Jazz Deluxe... So I've used the bass on two CD's now, and it sounds great.

I've made a few minor adjustments, but nothing major... I mentioned in my first review that I would likely raise the action a touch... but I realy havent done anything to it othe that tweak a string here or there. One complaint I do have is the pots are pretty crunchy, especially if the bass is left alone for a time.. but a little pot juice and regular use take care of that pretty well.
I mentioned that I replaced the tuners with black Gotohs, and this is the only real modifcation Ive made... reason being the bass got knocked over and one of the stock tuners got bent. Although I had considered the change before that I probably wouldnt have done it, at least not right away, if that had not happened. The stock tuners are moore than adequate, but there was a very noticeable difference with the Gotohs. They are smoother, tighter and really hold their tune a lot better. And the black hardware just looks cool with the bass' finish. In fact I intend to contact Raven West to see if they can supply a bridge and knobs in black... or offer black on a new bass... hmmm...

The bass has withstood the rigors of live work as well as studio time very well. It has travelled a couple of times halfway across the country in the dead of winter with no adverse effects... neck is still srtraight and true, its been played outside in high heat and humidity... just like a Timex... takes a licking and keeps on ticking.
I almost always bring two basses along to gigs, but only because I play them both... one is the Raven 5 string and the other is the Fender 4 string... (tuned to D.) If I had to rely on it alone, I would not hesitate. Its been a real workhorse. As I mentioned above, I had to replace the tuners, because the bass got knocked over and landed right on the g string tuner, crushing the bushing and bending the shaft... nothing else happened to the bass, so I'd say it held up pretty good all in all.

I havent had to go back to raven for help, but they were very good about answering my questions and communicating with me when I first bought the bass.

I've upgraded my amp rig to a Carvin R1000 through an Avatar 4x10 and Fender 18, and this bass sounds great through it.
I would definitely buy another to replace it, maybe two, for the money...
It has held up well, its nicely broken in, the neck is very smooth and fast.
Overall, 4 years later, it has been a great bass, no regrets and no complaints... I'm constantly getting compliments on its finish and its tone, and friends that have played it have loved it.

Left Handed 5-string version.

Quilted finish double cutaway basswood body.

34-scale maple neck and rosewood fretboard.

Pearl dot inlays, 2 pickups, 2 volume & 2 tone controls.

Gold-toned hardware.

I play for a church band. Our music covers the gamut of contemporary Christian and Gospel, plus popular hard rock, pop, and R&B as each Sunday's theme may require. So I need to be able to mimic a wide variety of bass-playing styles.

I'm not experienced with tone controls (this is my first bass), but after experimenting and tweaking for awhile, I found it flexible enough to handle heavy plucking as well as "slap".

I could only make this bass sound bad by playing it through a miserably cheap cabinet...and even THEN it didn't sound too awful!

Other reviewers indicated that the factory setup is for a low action. I too, verified that this is the case! But after a few hours of playing, I found it needed no adjustment for my playing style (and ability).

I did have an annoying buzz from the G string that after some investigation, turned out to be the incorrect nut...a right-handed nut on a left-handed guitar? For now, I shimmed the groove to correct the situation and plan to contact the site for the correct part. Not sure if the nut was a mistake or a manufacturing defect, but it would be a glaring defect since the bass was built as a left-handed product from the ground up.

The Raven looks to be a quality construction. The blue-quilted finish on my model is stunning and belies its modest price. It feels like an Ibanez bass (and shares some of its looks). This worked for me, as I played a friend's 5-string Ibanez earlier and liked the way it responded.

I did spot some wear on the gold-toned machine keys, (even though this is a NEW bass) and from experience, would expect the finish to wear off if subjected to repeated exposure to finger oils or cleaning products. DO NOT USE BRASSO, MOTHERS, or any other metal cleaning product on the hardware, unless you want to instantly convert your gold-plated hardware to "chrome" (No, I didn't do this to my Raven, but I have had this happen on some other similarly-finished items in my possession)!!

I am an amateur bassist, so I doubt my Raven will ever see the grueling demands of a world concert tour! It serves light duty on weekend church services and will probably look pretty much new for many years.

When not in use, it rests visibly on display in my home studio...I expect it to look good whether or not I'm not playing it!

I am primarily a keyboard musician with several synthesizers, recording gear and rack modules. I also play guitar, flute and percussion, and of course bass.

I played a Fender Precision jazz bass back in 1977, and always wanted a bass of my own. Being a lefty, I grew tired of playing right-handed versions, and decided that my own axe should be custom tailored just for me.

Haven't played bass since '77, and wasn't sure what I needed to look for in a bass, but I didn't want to get caught up spending thousands for a custom bass that will only see light use. I played other's basses and they all seemed to prefer the 5 or 6-string units.

The Raven had the looks and features I desired in a bass, plus it was an affordable left-handed 5-string instrument.

I especially like the orientation of the pearl-dot inlays near the top and side of the fretboard. It's indispensible for amateurs like myself who still have to look at the fretboard for proper finger positioning. I can maintain the correct bass playing stance, instead of looking like I'm playing a slide guitar!

Despite it's modest price, I've gotten lots of compliments about its looks, even from the other bassists, who own high-dollar Warwicks and Alembics!

I don't believe I will outgrow this bass, even as I improve my playing skills. This is my first...AND last bass that I will ever own!

The RMB-500 is on of Raven's 5 string models, made in Korea like all the rest of their stuff. Its got more frets than I can count. Man there's a lot of brass on that fretboard. 24 frets on a 34 inch 4-bolt maple neck, rosewood fretboard with dot inlays set high under the B string for a cool effect, solid body with nice looking quilt top, two soapbar pickups, with tone/volume for each, passive but pretty hot compared to what I had before... the blew that ol' P-J away. I dont know what make they are. Nice double cutaway body style, almost Ibanez-ish. Mine is a nice Blue/Purple burst color with a matching peghead. I'd like to see more color choices offered but hey, they all look pretty nice.
Its got a nice 5-piece bridge and good quality tuners. The gold hardware goes good with the finish. The neck is very playable. I was expecting more of a s;lab, as it is the first 5-string I have played, let alone owned. But I found it much nicer to play than any of the basses I've owned in the past, and as nice as any I've played.
Mine came with a nice gig bag, a cord(nothing fancy) and 3 allen wrenches.
I've only had it for a short time, less than a month, so this is kind of a preliminary review.
Overall an excellent bass for the money. Easily the equal of any number of higher end basses from just about any manufacturer.

I'm pretty versatile as far as playing styles, and this being my first 5-string I thought I would have to adjust things a bit... but it fits right in. I wonder how I got along with that damn P-J... after playing this I realize how much I dislike that thing! I use several amps, a little Crate, an OLD Dano, and a Trace Elliot. This bass sounds great through them all. I use a Zoom 506II and a Crybaby for effects, and the bass gobbles them up as well.
The pickups are pretty hot, more than twice as loud as the P-J's. The controls are tight and wide, lots of available variation in tone there. The B string is awesome... like I mentioned before, this is my first 5 string, so I dont have much to compare that with, but I really really like it! I havent taken it up on stage yet, but I am sure when I do next Wednesday it will do just fine. It rocks in the house, thats for sure. So far its all "Likes" and no "Dislikes" for this one.

The action is a bit low, even for my taste, but it is still very nice. Again, it walks all over that P-J. I will probably crank it up just a hair, but right now I'm happy with it. The fit and finish on this bass are flawless. I can find nothing to comlain about here. The gold hardware is bright and shiny with no wear visible, oh yeah, there is a spot about a quarter inch around that looks like they missed with the dye, right above the bridge. It actually looks kinda cool I think, but you would never notice it unless you were looking for it. The knobs are the solid metal knurled type, nicely placed.
I asked the Raven rep what factory in Korea they used, and all he could say was "it isn't Samick and it isn't Cort!" but if you look at the front of the neck joint, you can see a very striking resemblance to some of the higher-end Ibanez basses, and the same if you look at the back. the bolt pattern and shape of the body at the neck joint is very much like an Ibanez... Hmmm

I am sure that this bass will hold it's own on stage. It is very well made, and all the parts arer hiugh quality. The finish seems tough enough, but time will tell on that score. The strap buttons are fine, nice actually, but I have already ordered the Dunlop Straplok's (Gold of course) I havent had it long enough to comment on the truss rod... but I expect it to hold up just fine. I would definately trust it as a stand alone.. if it means having to go back to the P-J, which I would rather not do! I would probably buy another one like it as a backup if I wanted a second gig rig.

Raven West has been great... they were fast and open with all of their correspondence. I am sure they will back up any warranty work promptly and with no questions.

I have been playing guitar foe 15 years, bass for half of that. I own a variety of equipment, gathered over the ages, some of which I have already mentioned here.
I would have liked to see some different colors availabe. ont get me wrong, this is a beatiful guitar. I alsothink it would look great in a single color, or wih some different combinations. Maybe I will ask that when I buy my next one. I would definately buy another one. Maybe if it were stolen I'd think about upgrading to the active pickupmodel, but who knows. Hope I don't have to find out.
My favorite feature is the overall quality of the bass. I compared it to several Ibanez and Yamaha models, among others. For the money, there was no way I could choose otherwise. It beat them all hands down. I was getting ready to make the order for an Ibanez Soundgear bass when I saw it, and I stopped in my tracks.
I'm glad I did.

The Raven RMB500 is a five string electric bass, with a solid mahogony body, blue purple quilted finish, and 34" bolt-on maple neck with rosewood fingerboard. It has two passive pickups, gold hardware, and 24 frets. Twenty or so years ago I bought a Gibson Victory bass, and half of the attraction for me was the fact that it could play two full octaves on the D and G strings. So the two octaves on every string on the Raven is greatly apprectiated. It has two volume controls and two tone controls, and the output jack is mounted on the side. There's no pickguard, and access to the wiring is through a plate on the back. Accessories included adjustment wrench and strap.

The sound on this guitar is terrific. I like good low end growl with a bit of brightness so the bass can articulate well. With the Raven, I was able to get the sound I wanted quickly, without having to rely as heavily on my effects chain. It's got a wide range of tonal control.

The bass was set up quite well. The intonation needed tweaking, but other than that, I'm still using it as it was from the factory. The action was set low, but I like it that way. Some bassists might want to raise the action a little. The quilted finish is beautiful; this is the prettiest guitar I own.

So far, the bass has held up extremely well. It's lighter than my other basses, which is a big plus when playing live. The strap attachment is incredibly secure; it's never even threatened to come loose. If I had to gig without a backup, this is the bass I'd want to use.

I've had no problems at all, but Raven West Guitar Co. has been very pleasant to deal with. I'm sure they'll be helpful if I ever need customer support.

This is my first 5-string bass, and I figured it would take some getting used to. But the Raven plays so nicely, and it sounds so good, that I just don't want to play the others any more. I would highly recommend the Raven RMB500.