The best bass guitars

Below includes our list of the 10 best bass models on the planet we feel are worth
looking at. If you’re just starting out, our beginners bass guitar article may helpful.
Lastly, let us know in the comments any questions or critiques you have of our picks.
We hope you’re able to find the best bass for you, and of course, enjoy!

From https://www.wirerealm.com/guides/top-10-best-bass-guitars

Fender Standard Fretless

Check pricing\reviews of the Standard Fretless: US | UK

First and foremost with Fender, you know you are getting proven quality
and reliability. The Fender Standard is a 4-string fretless (what is
a fretless bass?) electric bass with an alder body and a good-looking
maple neck. The offset-waist body shape gives this model a light and
comfortable feel while you are jammin’ and it also has a playable narrow,
fast-action neck with a fretless rosewood fingerboard that makes it pretty
easy to learn on. The Standard Fretless supplies a wide range of
beautiful bass sounds from two standard jazz bass single-coil pickups
that add some tonal versatility. This model also comes with vintage-style
jazz bass control knobs which give it a crispy, clean look while you’re
slappin’ some bass on stage.

The Standard Fretless sits on the higher price point in this guide, but it
should not be hard to justify spending the money knowing it is a Fender,
as Fender’s are considered one of the top-dogs in the guitar world. If you
wanted an immediate answer for which bass to buy and not look back, this is our pick.
To top off our list and give you one of the best bass ever created, we have the
legendary Fender Standard Fretless. However, we just hope your budget allows.
Otherwise, continue reading and we’ll give you some alternatives. If you want some
sample sounds, check out this Standard Fretless demo.

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ESP LTD F-104
See reviews\price of the F-104: US | UK

This one has an almost devilish look to it, with the black body and pointy
edges that give it a true rockstar feel, making it one of the best bass
guitars if you’re more a traditional rock feel and look type of  person. The
F-104 is an electric bass that has a basswood body with a maple neck
and a rosewood fingerboard. This model comes equipped with a LTD DB-
4 Bridge and LTD tuners so that it’s able to hit all different types of bass
sounds. It also comes with bolt-on neck construction and a 35” scale with
24 extra jumbo frets in case you’re looking to ever change out the neck or
replace the frets. The pickups are passive ESP designed SB-4B & SB-4N
with active EQ, both of which are fairly easy to get used to.

The ESP is moderately priced, and if you are into the black, rocker-finish
of this bass, then the F-104 is yours for the taking. It’s known for its super
smooth and dreamy metal sound; however, we’ve heard of many other
bassists playing this, such as jazz, pop, and even country — it knows no
bounds, although preferred by metalists everywhere. Up next as the best bass guitar we
have the dark ESP LTD F-104, and I’m not just saying that because of its black finish.

Ibanez AEB5E
Read reviews\prices of the AEB5E: US | UK

This Ibanez bass features a 32” scale AEL body, spruce top,
mahogany-colored body, and albalone rosette chrome die-cast tuners
which give it a clean look and overall feel. The AEB5E supplies a
punchy low-end sound, whether amplified or not, and with the acoustic
touch, it’s agathis body and sides give the bass a warm tone in any
setting. This model also comes packed with an Ibanez piezo pickup and
Ibanez AEQ-202T preamp with 2-band EQ and on-board tuners which
allows for quick-n-easy tuning, and simple amplification with a natural
acoustic coffee-shop sound. The AEB5E gives your music a warm,
natural resonance that make songs come alive and lighten up the
setting that you’re playing in.

This model provides very good sound for the price you are paying, and
should be considered a steal at such a friendly price. We know who
grab this alongside their traditional solid-body electric bass to keep their
tool belt prepared. The Ibanez AEB5E is an acoustic-electric bass that delivers good
playability, has an attractive design, and is very affordable, which makes it one of the
best bass for starters.

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Rogue LX200B
Check pricing\reviews of the LX200B: US | UK

The Rogue bass guitar features a bolt-on maple neck, a quick and user-
friendly fretboard, and a covered traditional-style split; the latter two
features are designed to make learning on the bass easier. It has a black
basswood dual cutaway body which gives it a traditional bass guitar look.
The LX200B also comes with 2 single-coil pickups, 2 volume and 2 tone
controls. Out of the 2 pickups, one is a J-style hambucker bridge pickup,
and the other is a P-style split coil neck pickup; having two allows you to
capture a wider range of vibrations from your bass. Albeit it does have a
traditional look, the dual die-cast machine tuners and black hardware do
give it a trendier design and finish.

If you’re looking to become a bass-slappin’ machine, then you should look

into buying the Rogue LX200B, which serves as a good stepping stool in
your advancement as a bassist. Not to mention you’ll be saving some
damage to your wallet at the same time. Here we feel another model that
is one of the best bass guitars out there right now, the Rogue LX200B.

Fender Mustang PJ
See prices\reviews of the Mustang PJ: US | UK

As stated previously, The Rolling Stones as well as My Chemical

Romance have been known to love this one. This model is a 4-string
electric bass with an alder body, maple neck, rosewood fretboard, and 2
single-coil pickups. The Mustang PJ is one of the best bass guitars that
combines the hard-hitting tone of a precision bass with the soft touch of a
jazz bass. It is smaller than the standard Fender Mustang-style body, and
also has a short scale which makes this bass comfortable for people with
smaller hands and even youngsters.

It has a “C”-shaped maple neck and a small 30” scale that makes sure
every note you play with a strong harmonic richness is not ignored. Out of
the two pickups, one is a P-bass split single-coil middle pickup, and the
other is a J-Bass single-coil bridge pickup. This is definitely one of the
more high-end bass on the market, however, it is also reasonable for a
beginner to learn on as well. You’ll be getting a great learning curve with
this as well. You can’t go wrong with the Fender Mustang PJ.

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Fender American Elite
Read reviews\price of the American Elite: US | UK

We now look at one of the most sophisticated bass on the market,

the Fender American Elite. We call this sophisticated because it sits on
the higher price point in our guide – but with price comes quality! Not to
mention when I texted my dad during the research for this article, this was
his first and only answer for “the best bass hands down”. In terms of build
and specifics, it is a double cutaway 4-string electric jazz bass with all-
new fourth generation dual noiseless single-coil pickups. It has an on-
board 18-volt preamp so it allows for more headroom along with less
noise. This model also has a compound profile neck, and a newly
redesigned Fender contoured neck heel – comfort is key.

The “HiMass” vintage bridge and new bone nut give the bass a natural,
good-looking, arguably classic design. It also includes a redesigned
“ABS” elite molded case with TSA locks – most, if not all models in this
guide do not come with a case. As I said above, this is probably the best
bass for someone who is experienced and has a little more of a budget. This thing is
serious.

Sterling by Music Man S.U.B. SB4

See prices\reviews of the S.U.B. SB4: US | UK

When I look at bass, I think two of the most important factors in deciding
which to buy is the size of the bass and if it’s going to be comfortable to
play with. The SB4 fits both of these needs. If you’re looking for
something with a slimmer body, then the S.U.B SB4 is definitely one of
the best bass guitars for you. It has a narrow 37mm nut width that makes
it a fairly easy-to-play bass. The hardwood body is smaller than most
bass in this guide and it offers a 2-band active preamp and high-output
humbucking bass pickup.

It also has a standard 34” scale that makes for easy learning and
playability. The Sterling is moderately priced and supplies all tools
necessary to learn and become a successful bassist, and like I said
earlier, if you’re looking for something a little more compact, then this is
your guy. Moving further in our guide, we have the creation of Sterling by
Music Man, the S.U.B. SB4.

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Squier Affinity
Read reviews\pricing of the Affinity: US | UK

It has a contoured solid alder body, which is the same style of choice
from the great Jimi Hendrix. The pure vintage tone comes out of 3
single-coil pickups, taking on flavor of classic rock tremolo with 5-way
switching. It also features die-cast tuners which provide easy tuning and
stability for the pay you are paying. The headstock has a classic ‘70s
“big” feel, and a vintage 6-screw rocking trem. The maple neck on this
model plays pretty fast, but also feels good enough to where it’s not too
fast. The Squier Affinity is definitely the most economical and practical
bass in our buying guide. This model may be best for someone who is
trying to learn how to play, but doesn’t have the largest of budgets. If
you’re looking for something simple and some bang for your buck, then
look no further than the Squier Affinity.

Dean EAB
Check price\reviews of the EAB: US | UK

The EAB is a full-sized bass guitar that has a good-looking spruce

top and mahogany body, which I am a big fan of. It produces a
deeper, fuller tone that other bass in this guide cannot match. It has
a 34” scale and 1-⅝” nut – both pretty standard for an acoustic bass.
The Dean is a good starter bass, as it can be played with or without
an amp. It is also loud enough for jamming with acoustic guitar
players, and has the necessary on-board electronics to let you take it
on stage if you’re performing, giving us great versatility to stem
across multiple bass applications. This is one of the best bass for
home recording because an acoustic bass spits out solid sound
without having to worry about wasting time rigging up speakers in
your home.

However, it does come with a passive piezo pickup system if you like
to plug-n-slap some bass. Here we have another acoustic-electric
bass, the Dean EAB — it is very affordable, and if an acoustic bass interests you, this
may be the perfect fit.

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Schecter Guitar Research Riot-5 Session 5
See reviews\prices of the Session 5: US | UK

The aged natural look really shows off the swamp ash body and the
maple neck. It is also definitely one of the more complex bass on the
market, as it has 5 strings and a 3-band EQ which lets you dial in to any
tone. The Riot-5 comes with a pair of “EMG” pickups that give it a little
more flexibility in handling anything that is thrown at it. The “EMG” 35DC
dual coil combined with the low-noise preamp give you a very stout
performance with minimal noise. If you’re into more of a mid-range
sound, the Schecter also features a “EMG” 35J split in the bridge
position to fit your taste.

The Schecter Riot-5 is a little pricier, but if you’re into creating some big
bass tones, then don’t miss out on this bad boy, sitting last but certainly
not least. Finally to our last model, the Schecter Riot-5 Session 5,
which is one of the best bass guitar if you’re into something flashy.