Learn how to play "La Grange" on bass. It sports 24 jumbo frets with dotted inlays that are easy to grip; this specific type of neck profile offers more leverage, although you might find fretting notes higher up as a bit harder than usual. The P/J-style pickup configuration offers many flavors of low-end from a fuss-free passive setup of two independent volume controls and tone. We’d happily take any of the following, but let’s start with the Yamaha BB234, the first among equals…, A classy build with an awesome vintage-modern vibe, Price: $299/ £314 | Body: Alder | Neck: Maple, bolt-on | Scale: 34” | Fingerboard: Rosewood | Frets: 21, medium | Pickups: Custom V3 single-coil (bridge), Custom V3 split-coil (middle) | Controls: 2x Volume, tone | Hardware: Vintage-style bridge, lightweight open-gear tuners, chrome | Left-handed: Yes | Finish: Vintage White, Black, Teal Blue, Natural Satin, Raspberry Red. Yamaha’s TRBX series has a similar body shape to the Jackson Spectra and Ibanez Soundgear basses, but here there’s a clever twist on the recipe by using a mango veneer on top of a solid mahogany body. This package features the ‘bare bones’ of a bass player’s rig; it is comprised of a lightweight gig bag, a couple of guitar cables, a guitar strap, and a small 15-amp Fender Rumble. It might take you some time to get accustomed to this idiosyncratic type of fret indication, although it’s quite rewarding in the end. Generally speaking, Jackson doesn’t have a lot of budget models in their assortment, but the ones that they do offer are unparalleled in terms of versatility and quality of tone. MusicAlley is supported by its audience. We hope that you’ve learned something new today and that you managed to find your own best budget bass guitar. The only thing that you might not like so much about it is the top-lock, although it does bring quite a few benefits to the table as well. What separates this bass from other active-magnet bass models is the fact that you can switch the magnets on and off by pushing (or pulling) the master volume knob. Stay safe and rock on, guys! Oscar Schmidt Electric Bass 3/4 Size. This bass features a 1.5-inch nut made of plastic and Jackson’s sealed die-cast machine heads; they offer superb intonation, and they’re generally very easy to operate. However, Ibanez’s Gio series delivers once again, and we’re wrapping our review of the top 10 best budget basses for beginners with the GSR105EX bass guitar. Aim to strike a balance between quality and economy. However, there are several exceptions, and we’ve picked Dean’s Edge 09 as the best-looking budget bass guitar in our review. Is it a happy medium? We love the high-quality swamp ash body that gives a deep, rich sound. A good exercise for the left hand is the … It is also available in several color style variations, all of which look fairly modern. Aside from the volume control knob and the tone knob, there’s also a three-way toggle switch that you can use to switch between magnets (or use them both at the same time), which drastically boosts the tonal versatility of this bass. The Fender-designed Alnico pickups nail those early Jazz tones. For beginners, it’s a no-brainer, but players of all levels would enjoy it. The machine heads hold the tune remarkably well, even for weeks at a time, and they’re pretty responsive in the sense that you will be able to re-tune into different tunings rather easily. In today’s market, that’s easy. Tone-wise, it’s all width and big on bottom. Choosing an instrument requires a bit of preparedness, regardless of how cheap or expensive it is. This is a decent starter bass with a body made of basswood, a C-shaped neck made of maple, and a fretboard made of walnut. Another thing that makes this bass so great for the buck is that it is available in both left and right-handed orientation models. Unfortunately this is something every bass players deals with until calluses are formed. Now, you might say this is not the most original design – it calls to mind basses such as Ibanez’s SR300E – but the contouring is quite different and it makes for a perfectly balanced and eminently playable bass. There are heaps of cool finishes available. Finishes typically pump up the price, and precise cutaways are quite a factor, so we can’t exactly blame the manufacturers for making affordable instruments look as bland as they do. Thank you for signing up to Guitar World. It looks classy and modern, it feels comfy and decently light, and playing it is pure joy. Its projection is phenomenal, regardless of the strength of the amp that it is wired through, although the lack of the second magnet might make the search for the perfect tone a bit of a longer journey. Spector’s entry-level Performer series might not have the active electronics, the grained maple top or the pickups of its high-end models but it has the body shape, that sense of balance and proportion, and a playability that makes it a serious option at this price. Whatever. In fact, there’s a multitude of … But they are definitely a great option to consider for younger players. We’d love to stay in touch, sign up for the Guitar World team to contact you with great news, content and offers. The best-looking budget bass for guitar players. Teacher approved full size electric bass guitar. Electric bass guitars also produced a more substantial low-end rumble that filled … As a beginner, you will also have to choose what kind of pickups you want for your bass. It sports a 1.5-inch polymer nut, sealed die-cast tuners, a sturdy die-cast bridge, and a dual-action truss rod. It’s one of the most versatile beginner-friendly basses, and its value far exceeds the figures on its price tag, so if you’re looking for quality, look no further than the GSRM20 from Ibanez. Its durability is something to marvel at, especially given the fact that it’s made of so many different elements. Here are the best cheap basses for beginners: 1. So what makes for a playable bass?Â, The scale length of a stringed instrument is the distance between the nut and the bridge. There are arguably better basses in the beginner bracket than the Ibanez GSRM20 Mikro, but none that are so well-suited to children, and none come in as cheap as this. Neither is better, per se. The biggest challenge when taking up the bass is getting acclimatized to the fingerboard geography. Ibanez miKro GSRM20. You will receive a verification email shortly. Future Publishing Limited Quay House, The Ambury, The Yamaha TRBX174EW is without any shadow of a doubt one of the best beginner bass guitar models that this brand has released up to this point. Most Beginner Electric Bass are eligible for free shipping. For bass guitars, the industry standard long-scale bass is 34”. The pearl moon inlays are exquisite no matter how you put it, but only the ones in the very middle are actually fully visible. Its active EMG 35DC and EMG 35J … Which is best? Most budget basses offer a couple of different tones while the TRBX174EW offers thousands, which is a huge plus. We love the Yamaha BB234. Whether you are a slap-happy funkster, a burgeoning jazz-fusion futurist, or simply a rocker holding it down in the pocket, the Mezzo has you covered.Â, The best retro-rocking short-scale bass guitar for beginners, Price: $299/£319 | Body: Basswood | Neck: Maple, bolt-on | Scale: 30.3” | Fingerboard: Walnut | Frets: 20, medium-jumbo | Pickups: 2x Gretsch mini-humbuckers (bridge and middle) | Controls: volume, tone, 3-way pickup selector | Hardware: 4-Saddle adjustable bridge, die-cast tuners, Chrome | Left-handed: No | Finish: Tobacco Sunburst, Torino Green, Walnut Stain. This particular pickup combination yields a plethora of options in terms of tone, and you can even adjust the performance of the pickups via 2-band magnet EQ. The Ibanez GSRM20 features standard-issue Ibanez hardware comprised of die-cast tuners, a fixed bridge, and a plastic nut. As far as tone goes, the Edge 09 is mostly made of basswood, which is a rather cheap tonewood. It looks like a StingRay, it feels like a Music Man StingRay, and yet it comes in at the 300-buck mark. In terms of hardware, the Affinity Precision Bass PJ rocks Squier’s Precision split-coil neck pickup and Squier’s single-coil Jazz bridge pickup, as well as two volume control knobs and one tone control knob. This bass also comes pre-strung with D’Addario .045 strings. Pickups (magnets) in many ways define how the bass will perform and sound like. On top of that, it doesn’t have too many control features, and its scale length is pretty short. This, of course, is a good thing, and is by design. Having the right gear is the first part of the battle, and there are many qualities to consider when searching for the best beginner bass guitar for you.Â, There might be many features that you think you need. Given the fact that the market is overflowing with low-cost instruments, finding a quality piece of wood that can withstand a bit of pounding while still sounding right might be a bit more difficult than most people would expect. Setting aside the odd niggle with the finish, this is an excellent build, right down to the period-inspired logo on the headstock and the neck lacquer that makes it look as though it is just off a hundred-show run at a smokey dive bar.Â, Price: $299/£349 | Body: Basswood | Neck: Maple, bolt-on | Scale: 34” | Fingerboard: Maple | Frets: 21, medium | Pickups: 1x H - 1 Ceramic Humbucker (bridge) | Controls: Volume, Hi and Low Cut/Boost | Hardware: 4-saddle adjustable bridge, open-back tuners, Chrome | Left-handed: No | Finish: Mint Green, Black, Vintage Sunburst Satin. First off, it’s exceptional value, so in the worst-case scenario of them losing interest in the instrument it is not the biggest loss. Learn More The 5 Best Bass Guitars For Beginners Reviewed The bass guitar … His passions include quality music gear, King Crimson, and sifting the web for the latest music updates. But this hardly invalidates the Ray 4’s status as one of the best budget bass guitars on the bass market. Guitarists who are crossing over will notice this especially. Bass guitars … The G2220 Junior Jet Bass II also features a maple neck and a walnut fretboard with 20 medium-jumbo frets. Furthermore, there’s the pickup blend switch, as well as the bass boost, which only works with the active pickup mode. The same things that boutique models are comprised of are the features that budget instruments are supplied with, so essentially you should keep an eye out open for similar things, only with a slightly lower standard. This is one of the best basses under $300 for sure. Not only one of the most affordable basses we stock, it's also one of the most highly rat… Hardware is often considered as ‘subsidiary features’, mainly because this term refers to small bits and pieces that generally don’t affect the performance of the instrument in a drastic way. With the exception of pickups, all the hardware pieces need only to be durable. The Luna Tattoo 30-inch scale bass is one of the most brilliantly designed bass guitars in the $200-300 category that have both the looks and the strength to back it up. Initially, its tone and sound are tame and bright, although you will be able to capture a variety of tones with the control knobs. A great example of such bass is the Jackson Spectra Bass JS2. The setup is excellent, and the B-10 bridge a simple, solid design that allows easy adjustments to intonation. Beginning players may also experience pain on fingertips or even blisters. Siri, find me an old-school thunder merchant for under 300 bucks, Price: $269/£209 | Body: Mahogany | Neck: Mahogany, bolt-on | Scale: 30.5” | Fingerboard: Rosewood | Frets: 22, medium | Pickups: 1x Sidewinder humbucker (neck) | Controls: volume, tone | Hardware: Chrome | Left-handed: No | Finish: Cherry, Ebony. Beginners and musicians with small hands will be able to grip it as easily as it was an electric guitar. A big ol’ plank of mahogany with a big ol’ humbucker in the neck position. It comes supplied with a 1.5-inch plastic nut, a two-saddle bridge, and covered mini-tuners that offer premium intonation in comparison to similarly priced models. Some will argue that the passive bass is more dynamic, bringing out the nuances in your playing, and that you need never worry about a battery draining mid-performance.Â, Advocates for the active basses might counter this by citing the hum-cancelling and tone-shaping properties of the onboard preamp. The best beginner bass guitars available today 1. This is a four-string bass that rocks a gloss polyurethane body finish, a dotted fingerboard for easier playability, 24 frets, and the standard 34-inch scale length. BA1 1UA. Other things to consider when choosing the best beginner bass guitar for you include tonewoods. Going with a cheap, budget model in the price range of under $200-300 sounds like a better idea. Maple is the brightest-sounding tonewood that is tough, sleek, and absurdly strong in the sense that it almost completely defines the tone of the instrument it is integrated in. This will cover most styles; ideal for when you’re still trying to work out what sort of player you are. There are several factors that influence the playability of an instrument, including the (initial) action, the size of the frets, the scale length, and of course, the subjective feel of the instrument itself. On top of that, it also sports a single DMT pickup on the bridge and comes pre-strung with OEM .045 strings. There’s only one (middle) pickup in Bronco’s rig, and it’s a specially designed single-coil magnet that packs one hell of a punch. Furthermore, it packs premium-quality hardware comprised of urea-made 1.57-inch nut, a set of die-cast tuners, and D’Addario’s EXL .045 strings. Price: $349/£309 | Body: Poplar with quilt maple veneer | Neck: Maple, bolt-on | Scale: 34” | Fingerboard: Laurel | Frets: 24, jumbo | Pickups: 2x Jackson medium-output mini-humbuckers (bridge and middle) | Controls: Active 3-band EQ, volume (push/pull active/passive) pickup selector | Hardware: HiMass bridge, die-cast tuners, Chrome | Left-handed: No | Finish: Dark Sunburst, Amber Blue Burst, The Spectra Bass series shows the other side to Jackson, decommissioning the sharp edges with a sumptuously contoured, offset double-cutaway body and elongated upper horn.Â. Sound is one of the most important elements of any instrument, but sadly most beginner players can’t differentiate ‘good’ from ‘bad’ in terms of sonic performance. The 5-string Gio rocks a mahogany body with an oiled finish, a maple bolt-on SR-shaped neck, and a jatoba-made fingerboard with 22 medium frets and dotted inlays. If you struggle with fretting a note or climbing a scale, the playability of an instrument is not exactly top-notch. Just like many other cheap beginner basses, this model features a basswood body. Here, it is difficult to say how much the veneer contributes to the tone, but it gives this entry-level bass a pseudo-boutique vibe that’s surely a permission slip for working on your jazz-fusion chops. The Ibanez Mezzo we list below has a 32” scale and you will notice its frets are that little bit closer together, the neck a little more manageable. Recently, I wrote an article detailing the top 10 electric bass guitars for beginners. On the other hand, if you feel pretty natural about pulling licks and techniques, the instrument’s playability is great. Without any further ado, let’s dive into the reviews. The SUB, or “Sports Utility Bass,” Ray4 is the sort of instrument that makes you do a double take when you see the price tag. Just like the rest of the features it comes outfitted with, the hardware that the Bronco Bass is equipped with is pretty simple, yet highly efficient. Contact me if you have further questions or want me to be a sounding board as you walk through this process. Short scale basses typically have a scale length around 30”, or even shorter in the case of the Ibanez Mikro. Some of the most important aspects of every bass guitar are: Understanding tonewoods is a pretty broad subject, but luckily budget basses are generally made of similar materials. The BB234 does for basses what the Pacifica 112 does for the beginner electric guitar: it is living proof that Yamaha knows exactly how to make a formidable instrument of real substance for younger players and those on a budget. Some manufacturers sell beginner's bass kits that come with a bass … This bass is also perfect for people with smaller hands, mainly because the shorter scale length is only complemented by the medium-sized frets. Squier and Fender are brands that have been in the game a bit longer than most, so it’s pretty much obvious that they know what musicians need. The Yamaha TRBX174EW features a mahogany body, a maple neck, a rosewood fretboard, and a top made of mango. 4.1 out of 5 stars 98. There are hundreds of basses that tick those boxes, retailing for less than 400 bucks. Once electrified, instruments that feature this tonewood roar like caged beasts, which is not something many budget basses can boast about. Mahogany-bodied basses such as Epiphone’s EB-0 will typically have a warmer tone, maybe a little softer ‘round the edges than, say, alder or ash.Â. For live performance, using … It also sports two volume control knobs and one master tone control knob, as well as standard .045 strings. The genius of the EB-0 lies in its simplicity. Let’s start off with the basics; this is a four-string bass guitar that rocks a basswood body with a gloss polyester finish, a neck made of maple, and a rosewood fretboard with dotted inlays. The string-through-body HiMass bridge makes for a super-stable bass, and we love that there is push/pull for active or passive performance, meaning a drained battery come showtime is not the disaster it could be. It can also hit all … Its playability is excellent, and due to the peculiar size of its frets, it can easily accommodate technical-savvy jazz players as easily as it can cater to the needs of rock bassists. Thank you for reading my electric bass buying guide for beginners. Although this bass guitar will remain in tune for quite some time before it needs any adjustments, the plastic nut is something you should keep an eye out for. Made from solid Mahogany, the Yamaha TRBX174 Electric Bass is a tough beginner’s guitar that can serve you and the succeeding crop of beginners for years to come. Having multiple magnets will help you find a better tone while single-pickup basses may not be as well-rounded, but they’re generally a bit more reliable. The Mezzo’s neck is shorter than its Soundgear siblings but has the same width and profile, and it will flatter those of us working our way toward busy, show-stopping basslines. ( tuning pegs ), and it offers much in terms of tonal.. Bassist, and a scale length is only complemented by the medium-sized frets poplar and features a gloss finish... You walk through this process over to the tone control knob you be... 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