Interested in learning how to play the bass guitar? You’re not alone! The bass is one of the most popular instruments around, and there’s a good reason why. It’s versatile, it’s fun to play, and can be used in quite a few styles of music.
Almost every band needs a bass player, and really good ones can be hard to find – so your bass guitar skills are likely to be in demand. But before you can start playing, you need a bass guitar to play and learn. So, how much does a bass guitar cost?
If you’re an experienced player, you may wonder what is so different about more expensive basses, whether it’s really worth it to upgrade, and if so how much to spend.
In this article, we’ll cover how much bass guitars cost and what key factors drive the price. We’ll also provide some tips on how to find affordable options that still offer great quality. Let’s get started.
Hard data on bass guitar prices (as of late 2022)
Let’s start by answering the question about bass guitar prices with some basic facts and data, then we’ll get into more details on what drives different bass guitar prices.
Now that you have a rough idea about the price range for bass guitars, let’s walk through a few key factors that typically affect bass guitar prices.
Prices vary based on type of bass guitar
One of the biggest factors that can affect the price of a bass guitar is the instrument type.
There are three main bass guitar types:
1) Electric
2) Acoustic (including electro acoustic)
3) Fretless
Electric bass guitars are the most common. They are also called solid body electric basses because the body of the guitar is one solid piece without openings. An electric bass guitar is the type of bass that you’d most commonly hear in most rock, pop, or R&B songs.
Acoustic bass guitars are great for playing unplugged, or in smaller settings where amplified sound is not necessary. They typically have a hollow body with one or two f-holes (sound holes) that help to project sound like a traditional acoustic guitar. Many acoustic basses also have pickups so they can be played through an amplifier when more volume is needed. These are sometimes called electro acoustic basses. Acoustic basses can be helpful for learning because it’s easy to practice at a lower, non-amplified volume level. However, I generally wouldn’t recommend choosing an acoustic bass unless you specifically feel that the sound of an acoustic bass is the right fit for the musical style that you want to play.
Fretless bass guitars are unique because they don’t have metal frets, which are metal strips placed at intervals across the neck of the guitar. Most regular guitars and bass guitars have frets because it allows you to play a specific note by placing your finger anywhere behind the closest fret. With a fretless guitar, instead of playing notes only at fixed intervals corresponding to frets, you can push down your finger on any part of the neck to achieve very small variation in tone, similar to the neck of a cello or violin. With this approach, fretless basses achieve a unique sound by skipping the frets altogether.
A note on the upright bass:
There is actually an additional category of bass called the double bass, or upright bass. This type of bass is often significantly more expensive than the other types above (on average). It is also a lot larger and in some ways more complex than the more common bass guitar types above. I mention it here for completeness, but due to its specialized nature and features, I will cover double bass features and pricing in a separate article.
Prices charts based on bass guitar type
Here are some charts to illustrate the price differences based on common bass guitar types:
4-string electric bass guitar prices
5-string electric bass guitar prices
6-string electric bass guitar prices
Fretless bass guitar prices
Acoustic bass guitar prices
Other factors affecting bass guitar prices
In addition to the general guitar type, here are some additional important factors that affect the price of a bass guitar.
Bass Guitar Construction Materials
The construction of a bass guitar also affects its price. Bass guitars can be made with different materials, such as wood, metal, or composite materials.
Bass guitars made with solid wood are typically the most expensive because wood is a premium material. Metal bass guitars are more affordable, and composite materials fall somewhere in the middle. Special types of wood or attractive wood finishes can have a significantly higher price.
Special types of bass guitar construction
One type of bass you might come across is the short scale bass. Although it’s not that common for most players, short scale basses are unique because they have a much shorter neck. Because of the shorter neck, they can’t play the same full range of notes as a long scale bass. However, they are smaller and easier to travel, and can be easier for younger kids to manage as a first bass guitar due to their smaller size and lighter weight. Looking at short scale basses is one way to find a relatively cheap bass if you are just getting started or if you want something easy to transport.
One other special type of construction is the hollowbody or semi hollow bass guitar. This type of bass is smaller than a normal acoustic bass, but is still made of wood and hollow inside. It’s almost like a hybrid between an electric and acoustic bass, and these tend to be a bit more expensive due to their special construction.
Number of Strings
Standard bass guitars have 4 strings, but there are options to get five string or six string basses as well. Basses with the additional strings are a bit less standard, and may also require a wider neck on the guitar to accommodate the additional strings, so more strings can lead to a somewhat higher price. A five string bass adds an additional lower/deeper pitched string, while a six string bass adds the same plus a higher pitched string.
Bass Guitar Brands
The brand of a bass guitar can also affect its price. Some reliable brands are more expensive than others because they are known for their quality and craftsmanship. Others might just be popular brands, meaning that the higher price is associated with the name recognition vs. a real difference in quality.
In general some of the established bass guitar brands in the entry to mid-range are Yamaha, Ibanez, and Squier. In the mid-to high-end range, brands like Fender, Warwick, and Rickenbacker, are well-regarded.
Bass Guitar Pickup Types
Pickups are the name for the special built-in microphones that help capture the sound of guitar strings so that they can be electronically amplified. The type of pickup that is used can affect the tone of the bass in various ways, so this is another factor that can affect price.
The two most common types of bass pickups that you may see are: humbucker pickups (also called split coil) and single-coil pickups. Split coil pickups (or humbuckers) are found on many basses, and tend to produce a nice thick sound especially on the low end. Single-coil pickups are another common type of pickup found on jazz basses and are known for producing a bright sound.
Bass guitars can have one or more of these types of pickups, or a mix of both. There are also other types of pickups with specialized features that can add to the costs of a bass guitar’s electronics.
Other terms you may see that partly relate to pickups are jazz bass (J bass) vs. precision bass (P Bass). These terms were originally introduced by Fender, which first introduced the precision bass as the first mass market electric bass guitar (it used and still uses a single pickup). The jazz bass was introduced later as a higher end model with two pickups and a thinner neck. It produced a sound that appealed especially to jazz and funk musicians. The jazz bass tends to cost more than the precision bass due to the additional pickup among other factors.
Active pickups use batteries to provide extra power to boost or amplify the signal from the pickup coils, which can help produce a more powerful sound for certain playing styles or environments. Active pickups use a nine-volt battery, inserted into the guitar and thus add somewhat to a guitar’s electronic complexity.
Bass Guitar Controls
The control knobs on a bass guitar let the player adjust the sound of the instrument. The most common type of control is a volume knob, which allows the player to adjust the overall volume of the bass. Other types of controls include tone knobs, which allow the player to adjust treble and bass frequencies, or make other adjustments to tone by adjusting the signals from the bass pickups.
More complex pickups and tone controls can add to electrical and mechanical complexity, which can add to the instrument’s cost.
Bass guitar package deals (a.k.a. value packs)
If you’re comparing multiple bass guitar options, make sure you understand what all is included in the price. For example, bass guitars are sometimes offered in a package deal that comes with a case, or sometimes even a strap, and small amp. If that’s the case, make sure you know whether other basses that you’re comparing prices against also include those items.
Speaking of bass guitar accessories, let’s review a few additional items to consider.
Additional items to consider in your bass guitar budget
If you’re working out a detailed budget for you bass guitar journey, make sure to consider the following items in addition to the cost of your guitar.
Bass Guitar Strap
If you’ll be playing on stage or with a band it’s likely you want to be able to play standing up, which means you need a good strap to help hold your guitar to free up your hands for playing.
Bass Guitar Case or Gig Bag
If you’ll be traveling at all with your instrument, you need a way to protect it during transport. You don’t want to risk dinging it by not carrying it in a proper case. A hard shell case offers the most protection, but can also be heavy and expensive. In many cases or for occasional transport, a padded gig bag is enough. If you’ll be gigging extensively or traveling with your band, you’ll want to spring for a hard shell case.
Bass Guitar Amp
Similar to a regular electric guitar, most electric bass guitars are intended to be used with an amplifier, and they can be very hard to hear if you try to play or practice on them without an amp.
At a minimum, most bass players will want to have a small practice amp at home to make it easy to hear and get the right deep tone out of your bass.
If you’ll be playing out in public on stage with a band, an amp can be even more important. If this is you, we have a separate series of articles that goes into more detail on how to pick the best bass amp.
If you’re only going to be recording at home on your computer and not playing out with a band, you could potentially get away with just software amps and effects to hear and record your bass. But that can be a little clunky, and you also need to make sure you have the right interface to hook it up to your computer so I don’t suggest this approach for most people.
Instrument Cables
Nothing too sexy about this one, but you’ll need at least one instrument cable to connect your bass guitar to your bass amp.
Bass Guitar Strings
Thankfully, at least with most playing styles, bass strings don’t seem to break nearly as often as regular guitar strings, and most bass guitars will come with a set of strings already installed. However, you may want to upgrade your strings depending on the sound you’re going for, and you will eventually need to replace them so it’s good to factor this into your budget.
Bass Guitar Tuner
Technically this one is optional, but it is super helpful to have an automatic tuner around to make it easy to check the tuning of the strings on your bass before you play. Due to the low tones of a bass guitar, it can be tricky for newer players to get the tuning just right just by listening, so a tuner to double check the frequency of your strings helps a lot. Tuners come in multiple forms including plug-in tuners, clip-on tuners, and guitar tuning pedals.
Bass Effects Pedals
This item is totally optional, especially for new bass players. But it’s worth knowing that there are many options available to modify the tone of your instrument using bass guitar effects pedals. Volume pedals, octave pedals, and distortion pedals are just a few examples of options here. Again, they aren’t necessary for a beginner, but they can be a lot of fun and really help you dial in the right sound. They also can add up fast, which is why I mention it just for awareness.
How to find affordable options that still offer great quality
When picking a bass guitar, many of us are looking to balance quality with cost. You don’t necessarily want to just buy the cheapest option, you want a quality instrument. But you also don’t want to spend more than you need to get your hands on a bass that sounds great.
To find a bass with great quality at an affordable cost, I recommend looking for used options. You can find some amazing deals on sites like Craigslist or eBay. Just make sure to do your research before making a purchase, and only buy from a reputable seller.
Another great way to save money on a bass guitar is to buy a starter kit. These kits generally include an amp, a strap, strings, and other essential accessories. This can be a great way to get started playing without breaking the bank.
Of course, if you’re looking for the absolute best quality bass guitar money can buy, you’ll need to be prepared to spend a bit more. But, in my opinion, it’s worth it to invest in a quality instrument that will last you a lifetime.
In general, you can expect to spend anywhere from $100 to $10,000 on a bass guitar. Of course, the sky is the limit if you’re willing to spend more. But, for most of us, finding a quality bass guitar in the $500-$1,000 range is a great sweet spot
A few popular bass guitar players and the bass guitars they use
Famous professional musicians often get sponsored or can afford to buy premium instruments, but they can often still get great sound out of instruments that are within reach for most bass players.
For example, Flea from the Red Hot Chili Peppers uses a Fender P Bass that costs around $500. Geddy Lee from Rush uses a Rickenbacker 4003 that costs around $1,700. On the other hand, Bootsy Collins from Parliament Funkadelic uses a custom made bass that costs over $10,000.
How to pick the right bass for your budget
The good news is, you don’t need to spend thousands of dollars that much money to get a great sounding bass. But, if you’re shopping it’s good to be aware that the sky is the limit when it comes to how much you can spend on your instrument.
If you are thinking about spending a lot for a premium bass, make sure that you test it out first, and make sure that you can really hear (or feel enough) of a difference to make the additional cost worth it for you.
Personally I don’t feel there is one ‘right bass’ for any given person. I’ve owned multiple basses over the years and have come to love each one for its own strengths, quirks, and personality.
The bottom line is this: there is no one-size-fits-all answer to the question of how much bass guitars cost. But you should be able to get a solid beginner bass for under $300, and a very good bass for between $500-1000. I wish you luck on your bass-playing journey and hope you have a lot of fun with your new bass guitar.
