Best Budget Bass Guitars

These days the market is flooded with cheap bass guitars. And when we say cheap, we mean cheap and good! Great news for the compulsive bass buyer’s bank account, but all that choice does make selecting the best cheap bass guitar for you a little bit trickier.

That’s where we come in. Every bass here is worth your money; you’ll just need to choose the features that are most important to you. And we’ve got you covered there too – we’ll help you make your choices with our essential buying info. Let’s get started!

What is the best cheap bass guitar right now?

We can’t recommend the five-string Sterling By Music Man SUB Ray5 enough. From the pioneering disco grooves of Bernard Edwards, Flea’s funk-metal and classic pounding hard rock from AC/DC’s Cliff Williams, there’s no shortage of bassists who’ve pinned their flags to the Stingray mast. 

It’s a bass with broad appeal, not too contemporary for those of a classic/vintage bent, yet still very much a modern player’s instrument. If you’re after great budget options, the Sterling is the best cheap bass guitar around.

The Yamaha TRBX 305 does a similar job, albeit, in our opinion, in a slightly less aesthetically desirable package. Don’t fancy a five-string? Both instruments are available as fours. You’ll save a bit more cash too!

How to buy the best cheap bass guitar for you

Choosing a bass at this price is no different to the more expensive kind – you just need to identify the features that are most important to your playing style. Thankfully, there’s a raft of high quality and fully-featured instruments available, and you’ll only have to compromise on the more esoteric materials and hardware.

A few of the basses in our list include active EQ. Powered by one (or sometimes two) 9v batteries, these circuits give your signal a hefty boot up the backside. In need of super-bright highs for slap? Or ultra-low-end punch for modern pop or down-tuned metal? Go active! It really is an affordable option.

If you’re into blues, classic rock or generally more vintage sounds, a passive bass may be a better choice. Some say passive instruments have more character, but it’s a can of worms we won’t open here!

Staying on the vintage theme, you may like to consider a short-scale bass. In general, what they can lack in low end they make up for with a characterful punch in the lower mids. Again, it depends what music you’re into.

Finally, there are considerations for more technically adept players, too. Top fret access may be vital if you regularly venture up to the dusty end, but so also is the fretboard radius. A flatter (higher radius) ’board generally makes speedy licks a bit easier.

The best cheap bass guitars you can buy

Sterling By Music Man cannily offers both four- and five-string variants of this classic bass at wallet-friendly prices. We reviewed the five in 2017, discovering that the thunderous bottom end of the Music Man remains. And, though some may bemoan the lack of a midrange EQ, the SUB Ray5 remains as versatile as its more expensive siblings.

The robust build quality impresses and it’s a highly playable bass too: string spacing is narrow enough that diehard four-stringers should be happy with the inevitable wider fretboard, and that comfy satin finish neck makes for easy position shifting too.

Versatility, build quality and really very few compromises. This is a great bass that you can buy with confidence.

We’ve come to rely on Yamaha’s sturdy build quality and the TRBX 305 is no exception, featuring die-cast nickel hardware, a laminate neck and a general reassuring air of roadworthiness.

A typically modern bass, there’s a characteristically powerful tone that projects well, helped in no small part by the active EQ. You’ll find bass and treble to explore the frequency extremes, but, like the Sterling, no midrange control. Yamaha’s EQ preset switch is a nice touch. Instant slap tone? Yes, thank you very much! Top-end roll-off for a fingerstyle solo? Just flip the switch.

Some may write off the Yamaha for being too clinical. We’d say it’s a great workhorse, especially if you’re looking for modern tones.

It was perhaps inevitable that Squier would appear on our list eventually, so extensive is the company’s range of affordable basses. Squier refreshed the entire Classic Vibe series earlier in 2019 and these models actually represent their midrange prices.

Channeling the look of the early P basses and featuring an alnico split-coil pickup, Indian laurel fretboard and vintage style bridge, there’s a lot to love here. And, like it says on the box, there’s certainly a classic vibe, albeit limited to two finishes – either Olympic White or Three-Colour Sunburst. We’d recommend checking out Squier’s ’60s and ’70s CV variants of both the Precision and Jazz bass. There’s sure to be something to suit you.

Facing stiff competition in the marketplace, the Gretsch Junior Jet II manages to stand out with cool vintage styling and great playability.

Tonally, there’s a smooth, rounded punch without too much bite or tonal harshness, best suited towards classic rock, ‘70s punk or, if you opt for the neck pickup, a warmer Beatles-y vibe. If you prefer a beefier, more contemporary sound, however, you may prefer to look elsewhere.

With its short scale neck, Gretsch’s diminutive Les Paul-esque single-cut is highly playable, with a familiar charm that should see you racing around the fretboard in no time. If you have small hands or if you’re after the punchy midrange only a short-scale bass can really deliver, the JJII might well be for you.

Featuring the classic PJ pickup configuration (a split-coil neck position humbucker and a single-coil at the bridge) and two-band active EQ, the retro-styled budget Ibanez appears ready to punch above its tonal weight.

Expect warm, not too lively traditional sounds; though it’s great to see active EQ on this budget model – the ability to add bass or treble helps bring a more modern touch to the TMB100’s sound.

In terms of playability, there’s a vintage feel from the 20-fret neck. The rounded body and rear contour aid comfort, though the top horn impedes a little top-fret access. Still, it’s part and parcel of this design and hardly a deal-breaker, so if the looks appeal, this minor gripe shouldn’t deter you from parting with your cash.

Squier’s bass offering includes Jazzes, Precisions, plus Jaguars and Mustangs too. So why, you may wonder, have we recommended a second Precision in this list? Well, here in Squier’s perennial entry-level Affinity series, the Precision model gives you the best of several worlds.

First, the PJ pickup configuration gives you an extra bridge pickup from a Jazz bass. It’s essentially two basses for the price of one in terms of your tonal options.

Second, the Affinity PJ is also available bundled with a 15-watt Rumble amp, a padded gigbag, strap, cable and subscription to Fender Play. You’ll need to loosen the purse strings a little, but it’s a great deal.

The Affinity series is aimed at beginners, of course, so expect it to be less posh than other Squiers, but it’s all you need to get started.