Best Bass Guitars Under 500$
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7 Best Bass Guitars Under 500$

When it comes to budgeting, purchasing any type of instrument is always difficult. You want to produce the greatest results possible… Maybe stretch your budget a little further so you can get one with better pickups or a nicer paintjob.

If you can get past the entry-level range and into the $500 range, you’ll find a great combination of price and performance. You’ll find bass guitars with fantastic designs, tones, and features at reasonable prices right here.
In this post, we’ve featured some of the greatest Bass Guitars Under 500$. There is something for every bassist among these, as they cover a wide range of styles and brands.

Affordably priced AND of high quality? So far, so good – let’s check them out!

Top 7 best Bass Guitars Under 500$


ESP LTD B-204SM FL – The Most Eye-Catching Bass Guitar Under 500$

Features

  • With unique coloration and grain pattern, spalted maple is a great look to stand out from the crowd
  • An excellent choice in a fretless bass that includes an ash body with a spalted maple top in Natural Satin finish
  • The extra thin U-shaped 5-piece maple/jatoba neck has great playing feel and 24 fret indicators to quickly hit your pitch
  • You also get passive ESP Designed SB-4 pickups, along with an active ABQ-3 EQ, and good-looking black nickel hardware

Specifications

BrandESP
Size4-String
ColorNatural Satin
Item Dimensions LxWxH49 x 4 x 17 inches
Top Material TypeMaple
Back Material TypeMaple, Basswood
InstrumentGuitar
Item Weight12 Pounds
Operation ModeElectric
Number of Strings4
Pros
  • If you like natural bass guitars, this is a real head turner
  • Comfortable, fast neck
  • A fantastic value for money mid-priced instrument
  • Loads of mwwaaahh for your buck
  • Plenty of tones to experiment with from the pickup/EQ combination – and virtually no hum
Cons
  • Quite a heavy bass – but well-balanced. You’ll need a pretty wide strap
  • The B-204SM-FL is supplied with roundwound strings. Some users have complained that these mark the fretboard.

This bass is one of the most visually appealing instruments in Bass Guitars Under 500$ category. The spalted maple top is stunning. ESP has gone all out to create a bass that will turn heads with the B-204SM FL.

Is it as good to listen to as it is to look at? That is precisely what we discover in our comprehensive ESP LTD B-204SM FL review. Beyond the spalted maple top, we look at why this bass is worth purchasing.

In a nutshell, it’s a four-string fretless bass that no one will ever believe costs less than $500. It has passive pickups, an active equaliser, and a string-through bridge. Determine our review to see if this is the bass for you.

Yamaha TRBX304

Features

  • 34″ Scale Length
  • Maple & Mahogany 5-Piece Neck
  • Solid Mahogany Body
  • Rosewood Fingerboard
  • Neck Pickup: MHB3n humbucker Bridge Pickup: MHB3b humbucker

Specifications

BrandYAMAHA
Item Dimensions LxWxH121.5 x 45.5 x 9.5 Centimeters
Back Material TypeMaple
InstrumentGuitar
Item Weight4 Kilograms
Pros
  • Excellent design and build quality
  • Performance switch makes it easy to set up your desired tone
  • Decent sound
Cons

Bass Guitars Under 500$ list is incomplete unless it includes at least one Yamaha model. We chose the TRBX304 for this occasion because it is one of the best bass guitars under 500$. This fantastic kit includes an instrument that works and works well. There are improved features, standard high-quality core performance, and pretty much everything that first made the TRBX line so popular.

The bass has the same all-too-familiar design as the rest of the TRBX line. This model features two active humbucker pickups that are a force to be reckoned with. The tone is expressive, yet it is also adaptable to your needs.

Best of all, the price is simply too good to pass up. Whether you want stronger music or simply want a bass guitar that can do it all, the Yamaha TRBX304 is an excellent choice right now.

Ibanez SR300E SR Standard

Features

  • Wood: Maple with rosewood
  • Neck joint: Bolt-on
  • Truss rod: Yes
  • Pickups Active or passive pickups: Passive
  • Pickup configuration: SS
  • Neck: PowerSpan dual coil
  • Middle: Not applicable
  • Bridge: PowerSpan dual coil
  • Brand: Ibanez
  • Series or parallel: Parallel

Specifications

BrandIbanez
ColourAutumn Fade Metallic
Item Dimensions LxWxH134.6 x 48.3 x 11.7 Centimeters
Back Material TypeMaple, Mahogany, Rosewood
InstrumentGuitar
Pros
  • Mahogany body provides warm tone with plenty of sustain
  • Three-way pickup switching with Power Tap makes it possible to achieve a variety of tones
  • Sweeper EQ gives you more tonal options than many similar-priced basses
  • This is an affordable bass and a great value
Cons
  • Some buyers have noted that the pickups can be somewhat noisy
  • In some cases, buyers have reported quality control issues

For a long time, Ibanez has been at the top of the bass guitar market. With such a strong history, it’s natural to assume you’re in good hands with the Japanese manufacturer, and the SR300E SR Standard verifies this. Embraced by bassists over the decades, the iconic series continues to excite with its smooth, fast neck, lightweight body and perfectly matched electronics.

This is an extremely well-made instrument right out of the box. It has better pickups and more control options than any other Bass Guitars Under 500$. The SR300E 4-string electric bass is priced like a beginner’s instrument, but it has features that make it anything but a cut-rate starter axe.

In our complete Ibanez SR300E SR Standard review, we examine whether such versatility comes at the expense of quality. However, if this bass lives up to its promises, it will be a strong challenger.

G&L Tribute JB2

Features

  • 34″ ScaleTwo Leo Fender-designed / Paul Gagon-specified G&L Alnico single-coil pickups
  • Swamp Ash body
  • Hard-Rock Maple neck with Maple or Rosewood fingerboard
  • Medium C shape neck profile
  • 22 medium jumbo frets, nickel
  • Traditional open-back tuning keys
  • Leo Fender-designed G&L
  • Saddle-Lock bridge
  • Dual-volume and master tone electronics
  • Case sold separately

Specifications

BrandG L Guitars
Colour3-Tone Sunburst
Body MaterialSwamp Ash
Back Material TypeMaple
Neck Material TypeMaple
Pros
  • Natural design
  • High resonating sound
  • Affordable Price
Cons
  • Fretless Design – a fretless bass guitar may not be suitable for all types of guitar players. It does require a balance of pressure and accuracy to get the best sound.

Most individuals who aren’t interested in guitar history will tell you that whatever Fender is offering now is the best Leo Fender had to give. Needless to say, this is not the case. Leo departed Fender early on to found G&L, where he produced some of his best work.

The superb quality of G&L instruments is well known among Bass Guitars Under 500$. The G&L Tribute JB2 is one of the models that fits comfortably in the mid-range. This bass combines everything we liked about the Fender P-Bass with Leo’s later ideas. The JB2 is a great performer because to its exceptional build quality, classic style, and unbreakable circuitry.

In terms of sound, this is a force to be reckoned with. It delivers the pounding as well as a nice fat tone on command. JB2 appears to be an enhanced version of a Fender P-Bass thanks to its two G&L Alnico single-coil pickups.

Squier Deluxe Active Jazz Bass IV

Features

  • Active Electronics
  • Quick Release Battery Compartment
  • Side Dot Position Inlays
  • Knurled Chrome Control Knobs

Specifications

BrandSquier
ColorBlack
Item Dimensions LxWxH51.5 x 15.25 x 4 inches
Top Material TypeMaple
Back Material TypeMaple, Basswood
InstrumentGuitar
Item Weight15 Pounds
Operation ModeElectric
Number of Strings4
Pros
  • The giveaway price.
  • Excellent playability.
Cons
  • A few minor finishing issues.

When a bass player’s wants Bass Guitars Under 500$, the majority of bass players do not even consider Squire as an instrument brand. We’ve covered a few of their models from the aforementioned line, and they’re clearly on point.

But does this brand have what it takes to compete with more pricey bass guitars? Yes, the answer is yes. The Squier by Fender Deluxe Active Jazz Bass IV is sufficient proof. A well-made bass guitar that comes with a set of active single coil Jazz Bass pups is enough to draw the attention of any bassist.

In many aspects, this bass incorporates many of the traits that distinguish Fender basses. Sure, it’s a simplified rendition, but the tone is clear. Regardless of what you read online, this bass guitar is more than capable of producing a balanced, high-quality sound.

Schecter Stiletto Stealth 4

Features

  • Fingerboard: This guitar features a rosewood fingerboard
  • Strings: This guitar comes in 4 string options
  • Body: Features a basswood body, maple neck
  • Tones: The Stiletto Stealth delivers a bombardment of building-shaking tones capable of filling any mix

Specifications

BrandSchecter
Top Material TypeMaple, Rose Wood, Basswood
Body MaterialRosewood
Back Material TypeBasswood
Neck Material TypeMaple
Fretboard Material TypeRosewood
Number of Strings4
Pros
  • High value for money
  • Attractive design
  • Strong tone
Cons
  • Pickups are in-house, not an outside brand
  • Only one volume and one tone knob

Schecter has been creating some of the most stylish and capable bass guitars available since they exploded all over the world. One of the Bass Guitars Under 500$ we’re looking at is the Schecter Stiletto Stealth 4. This axe has it all: aesthetics, sound, and power.

The best part? At the moment, it’s far under $500. Some would even argue that is comparable to some of their $1000 bass guitars. The only aspect of Stiletto 4 that has been called into doubt is the tonewood used. Although basswood has been commonly utilised in both budget and premium guitars, some individuals object to Schecter’s choice for this model.

Stiletto has the type of sound you can do just about anything with, thanks to a combination of active pickups and a rather robust EQ section. This bass is naturally at home in metal land, but it is also quite adaptable. Stiletto 4 outperforms its price range for the most part, which isn’t surprising given that Schecter reduced the price from the mid 600s. According to all reports, the Schecter Stiletto Stealth 4 is the best value option in this price range.

Hofner Ignition Vintage Violin Bass

Features

  • One of the World’s Iconic Guitars
  • Fully Hollow Body
  • Hofner Style Tailpiece

Specifications

BrandHofner
ColorSunburst
Item Dimensions LxWxH53 x 17 x 6 inches
Top Material TypeSpruce
Back Material TypeMaple
InstrumentGuitar, Violin
Item Weight10 Grams
Number of Strings4
Pros
  • Low end tone is fantastic
  • Very good looking guitar
  • Light and easy to play
Cons
  • Hard to tune

Paul McCartney transformed Hofner’s 500/1 Violin Bass into the must-have bass of the 1960s and beyond, much as John Lennon and George Harrison did for Rickenbacker.

While only a select few will enjoy playing on an original, those who want Bass Guitars Under 500$ can now enjoy this Hofner Ignition Vintage Violin Bass. Despite being built in China rather than Germany, it has traditional retro appearance, with a symmetrical violin body constructed of spruce and flamed maple and a 22-fret maple/beech neck.

It comes with a set of Hofner Ignition Staple Nickel humbuckers for a warm vintage tone and, as we say in the complete review, performs admirably for Bass Guitars Under 500$ price bracket.

What Can You Expect from Bass Guitars Under 500$?

Finding bass guitars Under 500$ will undoubtedly leave you wanting a little more for your money. However, with a good quality, playable bass available for under $200, why enter this category at all?

Fortunately, the basses in this price range are worth the extra money. Whether you prefer vintage styles, classic models, or more out-there current aesthetics, you will be confronted with a wide selection of more daring designs.

More exotic woods, like as spalted maple, or more appealing finishes are frequently found. But it’s more than just looks, as pickups increase, controls grow more adaptable, and technology becomes more trustworthy.

Sure, we’re still a long way from the luxury market, but with $500 in your wallet, you can get a lot more quality.

Last Words

The devices we’ve highlighted today are only a taste of What Can You Expect from Bass Guitars Under 500$? price bracket. The beauty of this market is that it is brimming with high-quality models that have something to offer everyone, whether you are a beginner or a seasoned bassist.

We hope you find our chart and short advice useful in your hunt for a low-cost mid-range bass, whether it’s your first or fifth!

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