9 Best bass guitars [2021]

When it comes to bass guitars, the same idea behind every instrument selection applies. There are many different types of basses and different sounds, that pleases a long range of bass players, from the more experienced, to the beginners. Now the first thing that one has to consider before choosing a bass guitar is that it is not the same as an electric guitar, of course, this sounds obvious but the implications behind this are big, for example; You will have the same strings for a lot longer than with a guitar, there are fewer strings, usually the standard 4 strings, and it may be a bit rougher for a beginner. Little things to keep in mind.

Now if you are sure you want a new bass guitar, you probably would want to go with one of the best bass guitars on the market. These 9 bass guitars offer a variety of qualities, and most of them are affordable to the average buyer.

Hofner IGNITIONSB Electric Violin

This is a design inspired by the original Paul McCartney’s Hofner Violin Bass, which does not fall short in quality and looks.

This electric bass is a product of the German experience which comes as an easy to play light instrument. It features a real spruce top and beautiful flamed maple back and sides. The semi-hollow body and set neck will give you the warm, round tone you expect from the violin bass.

As far as the price goes, it is very affordable and delivers a good amount of satisfaction since you’ll feel like you are getting an instrument worthy of a higher price.

It delivers a good vintage sound that successfully replicates the original as best as it can, which means, great good old Beatles bass sound.

Squier by Fender Vintage Modified Precision Bass

This is one of the best bass guitars out there and also one of the most popular electric basses of all time. Many people believe that this precision bass is the rock n’ roll bass.

It has a body made of agathist and a solid maple neck, which was built to provide a smooth feeling for comfortable playing. Its 20 medium jumbo frets let the players keep their fingers on this bass for a while, without any undesired consequences.

It also has a standard split single-coil Precision Bass pickup and single-coil Jazz Bass pickup in order to give the player variety in terms of tone, which is usually not the case with a precision.

Cort B-001 – 0760 – 0 Electric Bass

The Cort B-001 is a 5 strings electric bass guitar. It has bolt-on construction, maple handle, and a rosewood fingerboard.

This is a good choice if you want to experiment with something different, rather than your standard 4 string bass guitar. It delivers in quality and it has a good price. This bass is recommended for entry-level players who wish to experiment with a 5 string bass.

Maybe South Korea’s Cort doesn’t sound like a very popular brand at first, but they still come as one of the largest manufacturers since the 70s.

Yamaha BB235 BB-Series

One of the latest designs in Yamaha’s storied BB series of bass guitars is the Yamaha BB235 which brings a great sound and build quality to the table. The BB series is commonly known for having a smaller body and good playability.

It has a solid Alder body in order to deliver a quick transmission of sound from the strings to the body and neck, a firmer 6-bolt miter neck joint for improved stability. This bass has custom-wound pickups which enable it to achieve higher output gain without losing sound quality, the new lineup of BB basses is a testament to our commitment to musical excellence.

This Bass also comes with 5 strings.

Sterling by Music Man StingRay Ray4

The way this Sterling was designed is very similar to what Music Man made for their Sting Ray. This model is made with basswood which is very light and soft, and that can be a good thing or a bad thing depending on your particular taste.

It has a maple neck and fretboard with black inlays. Its quality is great and strong, and probably you won’t have to adjust anything more than just tuning it after buying.

Its focus is the low bass range and power, and it makes it stand out a lot more than its mids. It has a good price and quality so this may be one of those to satisfy newcomers, as well as experienced players.

Schecter Stiletto Extreme-4

The Schecter Stiletto Extreme-4 is an electric bass that searches for the perfect combination of heavy sound and a beautiful look to get anyone hooked. The Stiletto Extreme-4 bass offers a great quality sound, and build which can also be a pleasure in terms of playability.

It has a body made of Mahogany with a figured Maple top, a maple neck, rosewood fingerboard, vector inlays, and 24 jumbo frets. It also counts with 2 Schecter humbucker pickups for a heavier sound.

It has a standard price, not too expensive, not too cheap, and sometimes that’s exactly the price you can pay to keep your mind at ease.

Washburn T24NMK Taurus

The Washburn T24 bass is a high-end instrument in many ways, crafted using fine tonewoods, advanced construction, and the best quality parts. It has a high output and a very full tone.

The T24 has a neck-thru body made of mahogany and a maple neck with a rosewood fingerboard and dot inlay. The satin finish gives a feeling of comfort and quickness to it.

This bass is not very cheap and may be a better choice for bass players that already had some experience beforehand.

ESP LTD B-204SM

The ESP LTD has a very clean maple top, string-thru-body bridge, 24 frets, and active electronics. This electric bass guitar has a bright-sounding body with a maple top. It offers a wide array of options, in terms of sound, this means that it can adapt to different genres without being forced. This bass has sound features that will make it an extraordinary experience.

It was built with 5-piece maple to provide better stability, the bolt-on neck is set deep into the body for a good snap and sustain. All the 24 frets are easily playable due to its shape.

The LTD B-204SM has 5 controls that allow you to blend the output of the 2 pickups – full neck, full bridge, or anywhere in between. You can choose between bass, mid, and treble boost/cut controls in order to make your own setting. And of course a master volume control.

Fender Standard Jazz

One of the best bass guitars in history and one of the most popular. This is a 4-string Standard Jazz Bass with two pickups that add tonal versatility and a new body that helps to make a quieter operation. It has an alder body maple neck with modern “C” shape, rosewood fingerboard and dual, single-coil Jazz Bass pickups in a shielded body cavity.

Bass guitars tend to be and heavy, but the Fender Jazz Bass is a Lightweight bass. The Standard Jazz Bass was crafted with the standard body design, but made from alder, which is resonant, but relatively light, which you’ll appreciate after two or three hours up on stage.

The funny story behind the neck is that Leo Fender wasn’t a guitar player, so he wasn’t aware that guitars weren’t supposed to have maple necks. These days, however, the blond maple necks have taken over, becoming a Fender trademark.

In Conclusion

After juggling your options, the idea is always to find the best bass guitar to suit your needs. The most important things to remember are price, string count and bass scale. These three things should be at the top of anyone who desires to play bass.

You need to know how much are you willing to spend; if you are a beginner you should go with a cheaper option in case there are any regrets. The string count matters, since the standard bass has 4 strings, but it can go up to 6 strings and there is no rush to make things complicated if you are a beginner. Last but not least the longer the scale, the more notes you’ll be able to play, however, it can be a bit more difficult especially if the one looking for bass is a young person.

In the end, as always there are many other things to keep in mind, such as aesthetic, weight, and sound variety, thankfully you’ve read some of the best options on the market.