Great Bass Guitar Brands (From Budget to Wallet-Busting)
I've been playing bass guitar for almost four decades. Here are some of my favorite bass guitar model lines, from budget/entry level all the way up to wallet-busting works of art.
Budget
These are great brands to consider if you're just starting out on the bass.
My fave budget guitar brand also makes some excellent entry-level basses, with features like active pickups normally not found in the budget price range.
Ibanez brings their decades of experience to bear on this great budget entry.
The originator of the electric bass, Fender, has a great addition in the budget category with their Debut series.
GLARRY's entry level bass is a great platform for those looking for an inexpensive option to modify.
Sire's Marcus Miller line of basses are affordable and immensely popular due to their excellent value for money.
Mid-Range
These brands offer an excellent combination of features, tones, and value.
Ibanez's foray into the extended, multi-scale bass market has been a home run so far.
Lakland's Skyline series of basses are absolute tone monsters!
The player line offers all of the things that make the Jazz style bass great in a reasonably affordable package.
They don't come much more fun (in looks or tone) than the Bongo!
Ibanez's BTB line are heavy, but offer amazing sustain.
Premium
The best of the best when it comes to bass!
Michael Tobias is one of the world's best luthiers, and his custom basses are works of art.
The original premium multi-scale, fan-fret bass makes is still the best.
Fodera makes stunning, statement-making basses that are exceptionally smooth to play.
Regularly selling for $10K+ on the *used* market, WAL basses are rare and among the best in the world.
For decades, Alembic has pioneered the convergence of art and craftsmanship when it comes to electric basses.