There’s something exciting about shopping for a new instrument. It may be the guilty pleasure of adding to a pre-existing collection, or the riveting feeling of embarking on a new facet of your life.
Wherever that excitement comes from, it is quickly accompanied by a desire to learn more about the instrument you’re aching to buy and what options are available. So long as that instrument is a bass guitar, you can trust that we’ve got what you’re looking for. Below, we’ll be discussing the best bass guitars at different price points.
If you’re a seasoned bassist or you’ve already conducted your research, then you are all set to do your shopping. However, if you’re new to the bass and you need some guidance, we have a buying guide at the bottom of the page that will get you up to snuff on what you should be looking for in a bass guitar as well as the lingo that I’ll be using in the reviews. This will make it easy to find the instrument best suited for you.
Best Electric Guitars For Jazz (2023reviews)
My Review: The Fender Jazz Bass is one of the most iconic electric basses of all time. While it’s predecessor, the Precision Bass, rivals it’s popularity as the first mass-produced bass guitar, the extra tonal options available on the Jazz Bass cemented it as a classic and allowed it to surpass the P-Bass. Fender’s American Professional line has its most expensive, but also its highest quality instruments available on the market. While Fender is known for producing excellent instruments at every price point, when you play an American Jazz Bass it’s easy to tell that no corners were cut. Though the Jazz Bass is a relatively simple design, it is the chosen instrument of bass virtuosos such as Jaco Pastorius and Marcus Miller.
Build Materials: A solid alder body allows the bass to remain fairly lightweight, while also providing excellent sustain and enhancing low-end. Like most Fenders, the neck is maple with a walnut skunk stripe down the back giving it a traditional look. Though rosewood fingerboards are more popular and common, maple fingerboards are also available.
Hardware, Electronics, and Controls: The HiMass bridge allows better transfer of vibration from the string to the body which adds sustain and brings out the tonewood characteristics of the alder wood body. It also allows for thru-body or top-loaded stringing. The tuning machines have high-ratio gears which aid in tuning stability and more precise adjustments. The keys are vintage clover shapes that compliment the classic headstock shape and add to the classic vibe. The two V-Mod single-coils each have their own volume so you can blend them to your taste, and they are both linked to a master tone control.
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Finish: The body has a durable polyurethane gloss finish. It’s available in a large variety of colors such as classic Candy Apple Red and Sunburst, or more modern finishes like Sonic Gray and Olympic White. The neck has a satin finish which has a natural feel when opposed to gloss necks (it’s also great for players with sweaty hands).
Bottom Line: The Jazz Bass takes the top of the list and the best four-string because it is suitable for pretty much any player in any genre. Its versatility largely outways its popularity and is the main reason that it is one of the most popular basses on the market. While I thought it was fitting to place the Jazz Bass from Fender’s American Professional line in the top place, Fender also has excellent affordable options from their Mexican and East-Asian factories if you are looking for a Jazz Bass on a tighter budget. We will be looking at some of these later on in the list, so stay tuned. Overall, this is easily one of the best bass guitars for the money.
My Review: While the Jazz bass isn’t very disputed as the best passive four-string on the market, this one is probably up for some hefty debate. Nevertheless, it’s my list and I’ve decided to give this top spot to a classic… or the redesign of a classic. While Fender may be the place to go for a traditional and versatile passive bass, where do you go if you want a little extra gain? Ernie Ball Music Man is where you go. The Music Man StingRay Special is one of the most popular active basses on the market, and for good reason. The tone that comes out of this instrument before it even goes through any effects sounds like a bassist’s dream. It’s high-gain growl and three-band EQ makes it perfect for audiophiles of any genre. Though there is a single pickup model available (at a low price) I placed the newer double humbucker model here because of the extra options it provides in tone shaping.
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Build Materials: An ash body gives this bass a brighter and harsher sound when compared to the alder that Fender typically uses. This, when paired with the active preamp, gives the StingRay tons of presence which makes it stand out in any mix. The neck is roasted maple which gives it a beautifully unique look. The StingRay Special is made with rosewood, ebony, and roasted maple fingerboards, so the voice is up to you!
Hardware, Electronics, and Controls: Lightweight tuning machines and a top-loaded bridge plate help to keep the weight down (and your back in good shape). While most active basses have a 9v preamp (older StingRay models included), the StingRay Special boasts an 18v preamp. It also has a three-band EQ and two neodymium humbuckers with a 5-way selector switch for endless tone-shaping options.
Finish: The StingRay Special has a gloss body finish and a satin neck finish. It’s available in a huge variety of colors from Cruz Teal to Burnt Apple, with just about every color in between!
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Bottom Line: If you want a classic bass that can fit into any genre, but you’re itching for an active preamp and EQ, the StingRay Special is perfect for you. However, I haven’t forgotten about the price tag. $2, 300 is steep for even the most serious musicians (especially if that’s how you make your living). Luckily, Music Man also has a company that produces cheaper, more affordable basses called Sterling (similar to Fender’s Squire). We’ll dig into that later on in the list.
My Review: Though the first two basses on the list won their places partially due to classic designs and popular manufacturers, this next bass steals the place for best five-string through sheer quality (and looks, maybe) alone. The Schecter Studio-5 is a gorgeous bass that is anything but traditional. It sports a set maple and walnut neck that runs the entire length of the body, mahogany wings topped with a beautiful Bubinga, and a Honey Satin finish. It’s all topped off with satin golden hardware to complete the look. Of course, it wouldn’t be on this list if it didn’t sound the part as well. It naturally has a beautifully warm tone with a strong low mids presence. With a little extra bite from the 18v preamp and tons of tone-shaping options from the EQ, this bass is golden (no pun intended).
Build Materials: As I mentioned before, this bass naturally has a strong low mids presence. This is due to the mahogany wings. Along with the Bubinga top, the body doesn’t only look beautiful, but it sounds beautiful as well. It has great sustain, a warm overall tone, strong bass and low mids, and a less pronounced, but soft and pleasant high end. The maple neck is broken up by two strips of walnut, giving it a gorgeous double skunk-stripe along the entire length of the bass.
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Hardware, Electronics, and Controls: The two EMG-40hz pickups and 3-band active EQ provide a lot of tone control. Though I’m not personally a fan of gold hardware, it is very much warranted in this case, and it suits the look splendidly. It has Grover triangle key tuning machines and a Diamond Custom five-saddle top-loaded bridge.
Finish: Though a See-Thru Black Satin finish with Black Chrome hardware is available, the Honey Satin finish is much more popular. In my opinion, it’s easy to see why. The natural tints of the wood shine through the Honey Satin finish beautifully and give it a unique look. While you can technically see the wood grain through the Black Satin finish, it all just appears kind of… well, black. To each his own, though!
Bottom Line: If you want a traditional-looking five-string bass, then you’d do best to carry on through the list. However, if you’re willing to try something a bit more modern, you will not be disappointed by the Schecter Stiletto Studio 5. It has a wonderfully warm tone, and it is stunning to look at. Also, those classic vibes come with a price. The Stiletto can go head-to-head with the American Jazz Bass and the StingRay Special, but it’s almost half the price.
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My Review: We’re going back to basics with this one. While the Jazz Bass may be top of the list in popularity, the
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