Most of us will agree that learning an instrument is one of the most rewarding things you can do. We might be biased, but we believe the guitar is one of the most rewarding of them all… If you can get over the initial stinging fingers, it is a passion that is likely to stay with you for life. However, selecting a suitable introductory instrument can be a little bewildering, particularly in the world of the best beginner bass guitars. The options for budding bassists have never been greater! Since there is such a cornucopia of beginner basses guitars out there you’d be forgiven for feeling a little overwhelmed.
However, that’s where we step in. We’ve put together this guide to get you off on your bass-playing journey on the front foot. A great beginner bass will inspire you to pick it up again and again with a combination of smooth playability, a comfortable design, and a wicked finish. We understand that you may not want to spend loads of money on your first instrument, so we’ve been very careful with our criteria for what makes the perfect beginner bass guitar on a budget.
Whether you’re looking for something affordable that plays well, or you’re after a smaller body for extra comfort? Perhaps you’ve got a bit more money to invest in something that’ll take you to the intermediate stage? There will be a bass on this list for you. If you’re new to the bass guitar, make sure to check out our buying advice section for more information. If you want to see the best beginner bass guitars available today, then keep on scrolling!
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A most inviting bass with a vintage-modern body shape and design, the BB234 has an exceptional build, with a warm and rich low-end that’s got a surprising amount of tones given the fuss-free control setup. This will cover most styles; ideal for when you’re still trying to work out what sort of player you are.
The Ibanez DXP and DXJ pickups are versatile and dynamic, giving you that ‘best of both worlds’ configuration. The comfortable and smooth short-scale 30” neck, while slightly wider than some beginner bass guitars, is a dream to play. Additionally, if you’re looking for a comfortable bass, the Talman’s offset body is ergonomic and lightweight.
There’s just a single ceramic pickup to keep things simple, but it’s placed right at the center of the body to give it a great sound. Similar in tone to the early Fender Precision Bass guitars, it delivers a nice vintage-tinged growl that’s sweet in the high end with plenty of oomph in the lows.
You will find a wide range of tones here, with thick and warm low-end and that elastic bounce in the upper mids and baritone twang with the treble dialed in. 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.
The TRB series is ideal for honing your craft, making full use of the two-octave fingerboard, and zipping up and down that svelte neck. Roll back the tone to dig into that rich mahogany warmth for some truly viscous low end or jack it up for punchy, articulate tones.
You can tease all kinds of inspiring tones out of this, from the electric bounce of funk to more bruising low-end thunder for rock’n’roll, or simply roll back on that treble for woody jazz. The StingRay neck profile offers a taste of its top-dollar sibling’s feel, and, likewise, the fully adjustable bridge gives you a similar amount of control over string height and intonation.
From the comfortable ‘C’-shape neck profile to the sturdy hardware, there is plenty of bang for your buck here. The PJ pickup configuration offers a little more versatility than a traditional P-Bass by introducing a bridge Jazz Bass pickup, allowing for more sonic exploration.
If you are looking for an entry-level bass for kids to get started on, this is a definite contender. That said, we’re pretty sure bassists at all levels and all ages would have big fun on the Mikro. Its pokey scale lends itself to a nice rounded thump, but play around with the pickups and work the EQ on your bass amp and you can accommodate most styles.
Starting on a 5-string bass isn't really that much different from learning on four strings, although we wouldn't recommend it for very young players. If you must go lower however, the Ibanez GSR205B is a great option. Excellent value with fantastic playability, it's got a built-in EQ knob which can help you coax some ultra-low bass tones.
P/J pickup configuration offers wide range of tones
Reasons to avoid
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A blend control knob would be nice
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Some players prefer an active bass
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.
A most inviting bass with a vintage-modern body shape and design, the BB234 has an exceptional build, with a warm and rich low-end that’s got a surprising amount of tones given the fuss-free control setup. This will cover most styles; ideal for when you’re still trying to work out what sort of player you are.
There’s no blend control or pickup selector, but playing around with the individual pickup volumes allows you to set the mix how you like it, with the tone knob on hand for fine-tuning.
Best budget
(Image credit: Ibanez)
2. Ibanez Talman TMB30
A quirky offset offering from Japanese shred royalty
Our expert review:
Specifications
Body: Poplar
Neck: Maple
Scale: 30”
Fingerboard: Jatoba
Frets: 20
Pickups: Dynamix P neck pickup, Dynamix J bridge pickup
Controls: 2x Volume, 1x tone
Hardware: B10 bridge
Left-handed: No
Finish: Black, Ivory, Mint Green
Reasons to buy
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Stylish offset design
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Dynamic, versatile pickups
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Super playable neck
Reasons to avoid
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No left-handed option
You may be more acquainted with Ibanez producing mean-looking, fast-playing, shred-tastic electric guitars, but let us tell you, the Japanese giants have knocked it out of the park with the offset Talman TMB30 bass.
Hitting the market in ’94, the Talman body shape was Ibanez’s nod to vintage guitar design. Taking inspiration from brands like Danelectro and Fender, the Talman was versatile, well-made, had a fast neck and was a little less pointy in design. All features of which are proudly represented on the TMB30 bass.
The Ibanez DXP and DXJ pickups are versatile and dynamic, giving you that ‘best of both worlds’ configuration. The comfortable and smooth short-scale 30” neck, while slightly wider than some beginner bass guitars, is a dream to play. Additionally, if you’re looking for a comfortable bass, the Talman’s offset body is ergonomic and lightweight meaning younger players and gigging musicians alike can find use of it. All of this for under $250? It’s no wonder the TMB30 has ended up on our list of best beginner bass guitars!
Best for kids
(Image credit: Squier)
3. Squier Sonic Bronco Bass
A tiny bass guitar that’s perfect for younger guitar players
Our expert review:
Specifications
Body: Poplar
Neck: Maple
Scale: 30" (762 mm)
Fingerboard: Laurel
Frets: 19
Pickups: Ceramic Single-Coil
Controls: Master Volume, Master Tone
Hardware: 4-Saddle Standard bridge, Die-Cast Sealed tuners
Part of a brand new range of beginner-friendly guitars from Fender, the Squier Sonic Bronco Bass is a short-scale guitar that will fit nicely into the hands of younger players. Featuring the trademark build quality as well as a range of cool colors, it’s the perfect entryway into the world of bass guitar.
There’s just a single ceramic pickup to keep things simple, but it’s placed right at the center of the body to give it a great sound. Similar in tone to the early Fender Precision Bass guitars, it delivers a nice vintage-tinged growl that’s sweet in the high end with plenty of oomph in the lows.
It’s nice and lightweight unlike some of the other bass guitars here, so won’t strain necks and backs too much when playing standing up. Considering the price point you’re getting a lot of bang for your buck with the Bronco Bass, and the fact it’s available in some less usual color schemes will make it seriously appealing for new players.
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.
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’s a full two-octave fretboard and a neck that makes easy lifting of busy basslines.
You will find a wide range of tones here, with thick and warm low-end and that elastic bounce in the upper mids and baritone twang with the treble dialed in. 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.
Best for jazz
(Image credit: Yamaha)
5. Yamaha TRBX174EW
An exotic-looking bass with a great feel and an even better price!
Finish: Translucent Natural, Root Beer, Tobacco Brown Sunburst, Black
Reasons to buy
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Extremely comfortable neck profile
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Reliable Yamaha quality control
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Ergonomic body shape
Reasons to avoid
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A few dollars more could get you active electronics
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 an exotic wooden veneer on top of a solid mahogany body.
Exotic wood? Yes, why not, bass guitar design has always been one for using the so-called exotic tonewoods in pursuit of fresh adventures in low-end tone. 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.
And that’s what the TRB series is ideal for; honing your craft, making full use of the two-octave fingerboard, and zipping up and down that svelte neck. Roll back the tone to dig into that rich mahogany warmth for some truly viscous low end or jack it up for punchy, articulate tones.
Hardware: 4-saddle adjustable bridge, open gear tuners
Left-handed: No
Finish: Black, Mint Green, Ruby Red Burst Satin, Trans Black Satin, Trans Blue Satin, Vintage Cream, Vintage Sunburst, Walnut Satin
Reasons to buy
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It’s super-playable
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Good enough for intermediate players
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Plenty of finish options
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Excellent range of tones
Reasons to avoid
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Long-scale format might be cumbersome for younger players
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. It looks like a StingRay, it feels like a Music Man StingRay, and yet it comes in at the 300-buck mark.
You can still tease all kinds of inspiring tones out of this, from the electric bounce of funk to more bruising low-end thunder for rock’n’roll, or simply roll back on that treble for woody jazz. The StingRay neck profile offers a taste of its top-dollar sibling’s feel, and, likewise, the fully adjustable bridge gives you a similar amount of control over string height and intonation. Altogether it feels like a pretty grown-up bass.
Perhaps most notably in the electrics, there has been some downsizing. Where the flagship Music Man StingRay 4 models have an active 18V pickup and preamp with 3-band EQ, the Ray4 has got the 9V active pickup and preamp combo with simplified 2-band hi and low cut/boost controls. But really, that's a minuscule price to pay if it means this bass comes to you for a tenth of the price of a full-fat USA model. There's no denying that the Ray4 is one of the best budget bass guitars on the market today.
Pickups: Ceramic split single-coil (neck), ceramic single-coil Jazz Bass (bridge)
Controls: 2x Volume, 1x tone
Hardware: 4-saddle standard bridge, vintage style tuning machines
Left-handed: No
Finish: Charcoal Frost Metallic, Lake Placid Blue, Black, Surf Green, Olympic White
Reasons to buy
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Iconic Precision Bass tones
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Versatile PJ pickup configuration
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Comfortable satin neck
Reasons to avoid
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It may be too large for some
As instruments go, Fender’s Precision bass guitar is perhaps one of the most revolutionary of them all. Being the first electric bass guitar ever created, the P-Bass helped shape modern music as we know it. So, how does Squier’s affordable Affinity P-Bass stand up to that reputation? Pretty darn well we’re happy to report!
The Affinity series is the second tier of instruments in Squier’s range, sitting just above the newly introduced Sonic range. This Precision Bass is a fantastic representation of the Affinity series and a feasible affordable option for beginners looking to earn their stripes on an iconic bass.
From the comfortable ‘C’-shape neck profile to the sturdy hardware, there is plenty of bang for your buck here. The PJ pickup configuration offers a little more versatility than a traditional P-Bass by introducing a bridge Jazz Bass pickup, allowing for more sonic exploration.
With plenty of finishes to choose from, the Affinity P-Bass will cater to most budding bassists out there, no matter what their taste of credo. However, this bass is pretty long, meaning it may not be the best option for younger players out there.
Best for small hands
(Image credit: Ibanez)
8. Ibanez GSRM20 Mikro
The best short-scale bass for small fingers
Our expert review:
Specifications
Body: Agathis
Neck: Maple, bolt-on
Scale: 28.6”
Fingerboard: Jatoba
Frets: 20
Pickups: PSNDP split-coil (middle), PSNDJ bridge
Controls: 2x Volume, 1x tone
Hardware: Ibanez B-10 bridge
Left-handed: Yes
Finish: Starlight Blue, Black, Pearl White, Orange Metallic, Brown Sunburst, Transparent Red, Weathered Black, Metallic Purple, Walnut Flat
Reasons to buy
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Ideal size for young bassists
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The price is a giveaway
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Small bass, big tones
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Lots of finish options
Reasons to avoid
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Some players need a longer scale
If you are looking for an entry-level bass for kids to get started on, this is a definite contender. 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. Second, well, courtesy of its short scale – which is generously short of 30” – and slim neck profile, the chances of that worst-case scenario are minimal.
That said, we’re pretty sure bassists at all levels and all ages would have big fun on the Mikro. Its pokey scale lends itself to a nice rounded thump, but play around with the pickups and work the EQ on your bass amp and you can accommodate most styles.
There are heaps of cool finishes available. The setup is excellent, and the B-10 bridge a simple, solid design that allows easy adjustments to intonation.
Controls: 2 x volume, 1 x master tone, Phat II Active EQ
Hardware: Ibanez B15 bridge
Left-handed: Yes
Finish: Walnut Flat, Black
Reasons to buy
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Playable neck profile
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Powerful Phat II active EQ
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Excellent value for money
Reasons to avoid
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Too big for younger players
There's nothing wrong with jumping straight in with a five-string if that's what you want to do. At the end of the day playing an instrument you're inspired by is the most important thing when learning, and the Ibanez GSR205B does a brilliant job as a beginner 5-string bass.
Two humbuckers ensure powerful tones that capture the lower registers brilliantly. You'll need to do a little tweaking in some cases to get articulation on the low string but the Phat II active EQ is a powerful tool for helping you sculpt your sound.
We found the neck to be ultra-playable despite the extra string, although it will be difficult for very young players to grasp. It's got that trademark Ibanez playability, however, and will keep beginners nice and comfortable while they get up to speed with the instrument.
Buying advice
(Image credit: Future)
How to choose the best beginner bass guitar for you
You can trust Guitar World
Our expert reviewers spend hours testing and comparing guitar products so you can choose the best for you. Find out more about how we test.
The biggest challenge when taking up the bass is getting acclimatized to the fingerboard geography. There’s a whole lot of neck on a bass guitar. It's longer, wider and the frets are further apart – guitarists who are crossing over will notice this especially.
Annoyingly, you’ll naturally get a little pain in the fingertips as you first start playing. This will pass in time, and your fingertips will harden. In the meantime, just take a break when things start to get a bit sore. Finding a beginner bass that plays well will make this bedding-in period easier – so if you’re particularly worried about your digits feeling done for, try a few different basses out and see which one feels the most playable.
Should I go short or long scale?
The scale length of a stringed instrument is the distance between the nut and the bridge. For bass guitars, the industry-standard long-scale bass is 34”. This is considerably longer than a guitar, but it helps the bass maintain string tension and keep the tone and feel while playing in lower frequencies. It can be a bit of a stretch for some, but if you get used to a long-scale bass then you'll have a much wider range of products to choose from when you come to upgrade.
Short-scale basses typically have a scale length of around 30”, or even shorter in the case of the Ibanez Mikro or Squier Mini Precision Bass. Sometimes these are preferred for their more rounded low-end, which can really work well when playing with other instruments. But they are definitely a great option to consider for younger players and cheaper short-scale basses are often aimed at this market.
If you'd prefer something in the middle, then a medium-scale bass is probably the one for you. Medium-scale basses are less common and usually come in around the 32” scale. The Ibanez Mezzo in this guide has a 32” scale and you will notice its frets are that little bit closer together, the neck a little more manageable.
Do I want an active or passive bass guitar?
Passive basses generate 100 percent of their sound through their pickups. Active basses will have an onboard preamp, typically powered by either one or two 9V batteries. These boost the bass’s signal, and will likely have a 2 or 3-band EQ to cut or boost certain frequencies.
Neither is better, per se. 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.
Advocates for the active basses might counter this by citing the hum-canceling and tone-shaping properties of the onboard preamp. Many like that the active signal is a little more compressed, evening out your playing.
While it can be difficult to find an active bass for under 400 dollars we have a few active options here, such as Jackson’s most-excellent Spectra, which has a push-pull feature on the volume control to engage or bypass the onboard preamp.
(Image credit: Future)
Is 'tonewood' important for beginner bass guitars?
When choosing the best beginner bass guitar for you, it's good to know which wood your bass is made from, and how it affects your tone – hence the term 'tonewood'. 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.
Just as mahogany evokes Gibson, Alder-bodied instruments always call to mind Fender guitars, with full-bodied clarity and solid low end, while basswood offers a typically well-balanced tone with a decent bit of weight to the low end.
Other tonewoods you might encounter here include poplar, which is largely balanced but doesn’t have a particular tonal bias. This ‘blank canvas’ approach might excite some, but it’s not the be-all and end-all.
Which is best? Whichever feels and sounds the best to you. That’s all that matters.
How we test
When testing a beginner bass guitar, not only do we need to evaluate it as an instrument in its own right, but we must do so through the lens of a beginner player. Our writing team were all beginner guitarists at one point or another, which gives us fantastic oversight when choosing beginner instruments.
With a beginner bass guitar, the first thing to consider is who exactly is going to use it. Bass guitars are large pieces of equipment, thus we need to make concessions as to whether or not they're suitable for younger players. A 5-string bass is great, but for a younger player, there's little chance playing one would be comfortable. Likewise, not every learner is younger, so we have to determine whether an adult player would find the instrument usable.
As with any instrument, we'll start by examining the build quality of it. Do the knobs and tuners feel solid, is the finish free of any blemishes and has the whole thing been well put together? We'll go over the instrument with a fine toothcomb to check for any cracks or subtle hints of poor crafting.
Next, we'll plug it in and play all over the neck to get a feel for the playability. Are the fret ends nice and smooth? Does the fretboard feel well lubricated or is it dry? By trying a variety of riffs, licks, chords, and even bass solos, we're able to ascertain whether or not the instrument will be playable for a beginner.
Finally, we'll look at the sound. Plugging the instrument into a variety of sources is crucial to determining how well it sounds. We'll run it into a bass amp, direct into an audio interface, as well as through an amp modeler to get a good overview of how it reacts in different scenarios. We're looking for articulation from the pickups and variety from the EQ controls on the bass guitar itself so we can determine whether or not it's rounded enough to appeal to the myriad of styles a beginner bass player is likely to go through.
Read more about our rating system, how we choose the gear we feature, and exactly how we test each product.
Jonathan Horsley has been writing about guitars since 2005, playing them since 1990, and regularly contributes to publications including Guitar World, MusicRadar and Total Guitar. He uses Jazz III nylon picks, 10s during the week, 9s at the weekend, and shamefully still struggles with rhythm figure one of Van Halen’s Panama.
