Are you in the market for a bass guitar but don’t want to spend more than $500? We know how important it is to have a bass guitar for live performances, practice, and learning, whether you’re just starting or are already an accomplished musician. As many options are available, we understand that it may be challenging and time-consuming to choose one. To aid you in making a well-informed decision, we’ve compiled a shopping guide and evaluations of the best option available this year. Let’s start looking at the best bass guitar under $500 if you’re ready, and then figure out which one is right for you.
Table of Contents
TOP PICKS
Best Overall: Yamaha 4 String Bass Guitar
No products found.
The Yamaha TRBX304 MGR is a very adaptable bass that also produces a superb tone. It’s perfect for bassists of all skill levels since it includes everything you could want. One of the greatest bass guitars for under $500 has a good body shape that provides comfortable playing. In addition to its superb rosewood fingerboard, the TRBX304 MGR has a quick-acting bolt-on mahogany/maple neck.
Best High-Quality: Sterling by Music Man StingRay Ray4 Bass Guitar
No products found.
Compared to the more expensive Music Man Sterling bass, this one is quite a bit more affordable. With its single humbucker, it can produce deep, rumbling bass tones that work well in a wide variety of musical genres, from rock and metal to jazz and funk. The active EQ on board is useful for tone shaping as well, letting you adjust the bass and treble to make yourself more audible in a group. Despite having just one pickup, this bass offers a wide variety of sounds.
Best for Left-handed: Squier by Fender Classic Vibe 60’s Precision Bass
No products found.
The Precision Bass is among the most well-known instruments of its kind. Numerous great recordings from the previous seventy years or more use this bass guitar, which was one of the original solid body models. The Squier Classic Vibe ’60s Precision Bass brings back that vintage P tone. When you plug in your Squier Classic Vibe Precision, you’ll get a rich, full sound with a little more emphasis in the middle.
Best Comfort: Yamaha TRBX305 BL 5-String Electric Bass Guitar
No products found.
The Yamaha TRBX305 is a strong bass guitar that comes in either a four or five-string configuration. They’re fantastic for playing everything from jazz to metal because of their pickups’ ceramic magnets, which help produce a powerful, deep, clear tone. These hum-canceling pickups and an active EQ can produce anything from a dynamic clean tone to a full-on, overdriven rock bass sound.
Best For Concert: Fender Squier Affinity Jazz Bass V
No products found.
Squier, a subsidiary of Fender, has produced this basic Jazz bass. A plethora of bassists, from Flea and John Paul Jones to Geddy Lee and many more, have favored the Jazz bass throughout the years. You can’t go wrong with a Jazz bass, whether you’re playing funk, rock, or any other genre. The goal of the Affinity series from Squier is to provide players with high-quality instruments at a price they can afford.
COMPARE PRODUCTS
No products found.
FAQS
Are cheap bass guitars worth it?
Cheap bass guitars are often made with beginning bassists in mind; they provide a playable, economical entry point for aspiring players. Any of the top inexpensive bass guitars may serve as an excellent backup bass or a less costly choice for performances when you’d prefer not to bring the more expensive gear.
Is bass easier than guitar?
So say, learning how to play the bass demands a separate knowledge foundation and skill set. So, no, playing the bass isn’t always simpler than playing the electric guitar. Just play bass if you can’t play the guitar. This has some relationship to the myth mentioned above.
Do bass players use chords?
Less often than guitarists or pianists, bassists don’t play chords. This is due to the muddy sound that might result from playing several low-pitched notes simultaneously. Playing bass chords might occasionally compete with the rest of the band by taking up too much sound space.
CONCLUSION
There is no more awesome instrument than the best bass guitar under $500. Whether you’re a jazz, rock, blues, or any other form of bass player, we hope our purchasing suggestions will help you choose a bass guitar within your budget.