Buying an electric bass: My 8 best recommendations 2024
I can recommend this electric bass for beginners, advanced players and kids. You will also find all the answers to the most important questions before buying.
This text has been translated into English. Please report spelling mistakes to sebastian@musiksocke.com
What kind of guitar are you looking for?
Frequently asked questions:
Electric bass for beginners
There are a large number of electric basses that are well suited for a start. It is important to make sure that the first instrument is of good quality. In order for beginners to have an easy start, they should attach importance to a good string action, smooth mechanics and decent pickups.
The Harley Benton JB-75 NA Vintage Series electric bass is a very popular instrument – not only at the beginning. In my opinion, it offers the best value for money because you get a lot of playing pleasure for a manageable amount of money. The electric bass is easy to play and produces a powerful sound that you would classify more in the direction of jazz. The two single-coil pickups also do a solid job. A successful electric bass that some experienced musicians also uses as a second instrument.
The Marcus Miller V3 AWH 2nd Gen is a good electric bass at a fair price. The workmanship is on a high level, which is noticeable in the good playability. The bass is tuning stable and produces a clear sound that sounds like a typical jazz bass. If you strum a little harder, you get a nice bass tone. The controls could be a little easier to adjust, but if you have studied the technique a little, you can manage it even as a beginner. All in all, a good price-performance ratio.
Electric bass for advanced players
Advanced bass players know exactly what they want. Most of them have decided on a musical style. And there are suitable instruments for every musical style. The variety has developed among electric basses just as it has among electric guitars.
An excellent bass for advanced players is the Marcus Miller V7 Alder-4 TS 2nd Gen. It has two single-coil pickups that pick up a beautiful sound. The V7 is a 4-string long scale electric bass and the string action is already very well-adjusted from the factory. It is nicely balanced and has its strengths especially in slap technique á la Marcus Miller. For an electric bass of this quality, you actually have to spend several thousand euros.
The Fender Player Series P-Bass PF 3TS is a special bass, as it is made of alder (body), maple (neck) and pau ferro (fingerboard). It can be used for many different styles of music and sounds powerful, but rather mellow. If you are looking for a hard-hitting electric bass, you should rather choose another model. Compared to other models in this price range, the electric bass is nice and light and delivers a clean sound that can be changed well with effects.
Electric bass for kids
When playing the bass, kids intuitively learn a lot about harmony, they absorb the rhythm and are well on their way to becoming experts. Well-known companies offer extra small models that are fully-fledged instruments.
Playing an electric bass can be a lot of fun for kids. To make sure it stays fun and the fingertips don’t hurt too much after practising for a long time, the instrument should be equipped with flatwound strings. Of course, perfect string action is also indispensable here.
The Fender Squier Mini P Bass is a great electric bass for kids. It has a small scale length of 726 mm (28.58″) and is therefore easy to play for kids from about 7 years old. Of course, the sound cannot compete with professional instruments, but the Fender Squier Mini produces the typical muffled bass sound.
The Ibanez TMB30 BK is an electric bass specially designed for small hands. With a scale length of 762 mm (30″), it is also easy for kids to play. The sound is clear and powerful. The workmanship is of high quality, even if mainly cheap material was used. On the other hand, the price is also manageable and overall this results in a good price-performance ratio.
Electric bass for crazy people
Here is a bass for crazy people, for absolute enthusiasts and for musicians with the necessary money in their pockets. As with guitars, there are also extreme show models for basses that, despite all their craziness, are of the highest quality and provide great playing pleasure.
The Fodera Richard Bona Imperial 5 is such a model. The special design gives it a very dominant and at the same time absolutely pure sound, which is picked up by two EMG 40s. The body of this instrument is made of ash with an olive wood top. The neck is made of maple with an ebony fingerboard. Added to this is the three-band Emperor electronics devised by Fodera/Pope, which give this masterpiece its sound.
The SYXMSM 17 String electric bass guitar is one of the craziest models I have ever seen. It is a fully-fledged instrument and when you eventually finish tuning it, you can also play on this electric bass. As these are unique pieces, the price is quite high. For that, it is a very exceptional electric bass.
How do I recognize a good electric bass?
A good electric bass must be played extensively. The advantages or disadvantages of an instrument are difficult to grasp with the eyes. First of all, take it in your hands and play it. When ordering online, there is a right of return so that the electric bass can be tried out at home in peace.
Of course, an electric bass must be well-made. Fret purity is just as obligatory as no protruding or sharp-edged bridges.
As with guitars, you should also pay attention to good string action on the electric bass. The strings should not be so low that they buzz when struck hard. But they should also not be so high that they make playing unnecessarily difficult.
Especially with an electric bass, the mechanics at the head of the instrument must be taken into account. The taut strings of basses develop an enormous tensile force. This also applies to the bridge through which the strings are pulled on the body.
All components must be well glued or screwed together, the tuners must be stable but run well and the bridge must be stable. Any wobble, any hairline crack, no matter how small, should deter you from buying. Everything else is often a matter of taste or style.
Whether an electric bass has one, two or even three pickups and whether they are active or passive is a very individual decision. The important thing is that a powerful and typical tone reaches the amplifier. The closer the pickups are to the bridge, the harder the bass sounds. The closer to the neck, the softer. On an electric bass with only one pickup, most of them are placed in the golden middle. Sometimes at an angle, with the lows further towards the hard sound and the highs towards the softer sound.
The neck length of electric basses ranges from short scale with 30 inches (762 mm), to the standard length long scale of 34 inches (864 mm), to the extra long scale with a neck length of most 35 inches (889 mmm) and 36 inches (914 mm). No general recommendation can be made here, as there are high-quality models with all neck lengths.
What accessories do I need?
An electric bass is a friend for life. Rarely does a string break. Nevertheless, you should always have spare strings ready. There are countless strengths and variations for the electric bass. Where to start? If you haven’t found your favourite strings yet, I recommend the Thomastik JF344 electric bass strings. Many bassists play these strings because of their durability and the double bass-like sound. They are flatwound strings that hardly make any squeaking noises.
An electric bass is only as good as its amplifier. It’s worth spending some money and buying a good bass amplifier. However, it is also important to me to be able to transport it from home to the rehearsal room, so it should still be a mobile device. It should also sound powerful and be fun to experiment with. In my opinion, the Fender Rumble 100 meets these requirements. At just under 10 kg, it is easy to transport and has a very good sound for the price.
Picks should not be missing when playing bass. There is a wide range of thicknesses, materials and shapes. In addition, every bass player has his or her own favourite picks. How do you find your own favourites? The best way is with a mixed set. Stronger picks are recommended for electric bass. The Dunlop Electric Pick Variety Pack offers a good selection of 6 different picks. The preferred choice can then be specifically reordered.
To be able to place your instrument safely, you need a stable stand. There are different models, e.g. wall holders, but I prefer very simple stands that stand on the floor and in which you can place the electric bass. A good electric bass can weigh a few kilograms, which is why a stable stand is especially important. I find that the Millenium GS-2001 A is perfectly adequate. Thanks to the rubber coating, the valuable instrument does not get scratched and stands securely.
Everyone who has ever stood on stage knows how helpful a good tuner can be. These little helpers are also available in large numbers for electric basses. It is advisable to spend some money and not buy the cheapest devices. The TC Electronic PolyTune Clip Black Tuner is a great help when tuning. Thanks to the PolyTune technology, all strings can be tuned at the same time. This speeds up tuning enormously. The LED display is also practical, enabling accurate tuning even in poor lighting conditions (e.g. on a stage).
Since real bassists rarely pick comfortably seated, a good strap is indispensable especially for an electric bass. An important criterion for the purchase is the length. Ideally, the strap should be adjustable in length and thus individually adaptable. The look also plays a big role, of course, and so I chose the Fender Monogram Bass Strap BYB. It has a high-quality finish and can be adjusted to any body size.
An effects unit should not be dispensed with either. If you are on stage and want to assert yourself with your electric bass, then effects with chorus, fuzz, compressor and octaver can help. Which combination of pedals is right depends entirely on the band and your own sound. To start with, a compressor is useful to take out the peaks. The Boss BC-1X is one of the best-selling compressors for the electric bass and does its job reliably without distorting the natural sound of the electric bass.
Of course, electric basses should always be transported and protected in good bags or cases. The Thomann ABS electric bass case is not particularly spectacular, but it is solidly built. It protects the instrument with soft padding inside and is very robust overall. If you like it more visually elaborate, you will have to spend considerably more money. However, this case is sufficient for the beginning.
It is also important to take care of the instrument. A cloth for rubbing the strings and some care product should be used regularly so that neither the strings nor the instrument age prematurely. The most important utensils are available in a set. The Dunlop Formula 65 fingerboard care set has all the important care products and a cotton cloth.
What are the best electric bass brands?
I have compiled this list in collaboration with experienced musicians. It includes only established brands that have shown quality and reliability over many years.
How much does a good electric bass cost?
A good electric bass costs between 500 and 2,000 euros. For beginners, there are already good models between 100 and 500 euros. The difference lies mainly in the woods used and the quality of the pickups. Inexpensive models often require better strings. If you want to play in a band, you should invest some money in a good electric bass.
My recommendation for a good electric bass.
What is the best electric bass for beginners?
As an electric bass for beginners, the Harley Benton JB-75 NA Vintage Series electric bass is suitable for approx. 170 euros. It is a long-scale electric bass that is easy to play and produces an excellent sound for this price range.
As an electric bass for advanced players, the Marcus Miller V7 Alder-4 TS 2nd Gen is suitable for approx. 550 Euros. This electric bass convinces many musicians worldwide with its high-quality workmanship and well-balanced weight. The pickups are of high quality and sit very well in the electric bass, producing a beautiful and full sound.
More details about the electric bass for beginners.
⚠️
* For the links marked with a star, we receive a commission on a purchase. The price does not change for you. Please use our link and support the independent work of Musiksocke. Thank you very much!
✔️
The product recommendations made here are based on my experience and conversations with expert musicians. All products presented here meet the criteria of the checklist.
🏦
All prices are incl. VAT plus shipping costs. The amount was estimated by me and may differ from the actual price. As an Amazon partner, I earn on qualified sales. This also applies to Thomann, Kirstein and all other partners.
String instruments:
Wind instruments:
Key instruments:
Drums:
Recording:
