Buying your first bass guitar is exciting. The bass guitar is an amazing instrument that plays a critical role in a band. However, finding the best bass guitar for beginners can often feel intimidating if you don’t know what you’re looking for. In the following article, we have sought to review the best beginner bass guitars and best bass guitar starter kits so that you can find the right bass guitar for you. We looked at both bass guitar starter packs and individual beginner bass guitars so depending on your situation and what equipment you already have you may not need to buy a starter kit.
If you’re ready to try an intermediate level bass guitar or simply what to learn more about the different types of bass guitars, you can also read our guide on the best bass guitar brands.
What criteria did we use?
To determine the best beginner bass guitars, we looked at a number of different factors including sound quality, price, online reviews, company reputation, and overall value for the price.
- Sound quality is important to make sure you are getting a beginner bass guitar that makes you sound the best you can. We have spent tens of hours listening to these different bass brands to make sure we know which ones have the best sound quality.
- Buying a bass guitar at an affordable and reasonable price is very important. We have evaluated all of the following brands on their price points.
- Online reviews: We have scoured thousands of online reviews to make sure that users agree with the rankings we have made.
- Buying a bass guitar from a company with a great reputation is important. Not only do the companies below provide great quality instruments, they also provide great support for the instruments they sell.
- Finally, we have looked at everything that is provided in the instrument package for the price to make sure you are getting the most instrument for your money.
Best Beginner Bass Guitars
1. Squier by Fender P Bass Guitar Starter Kit
As a leader in guitars and basses, Fender’s P bass guitar starter kit has to top our list. This bass is part of their Squier line of basses which is well-known among beginner bassists. We personally think that it is the best bass guitar for beginners.
The kit includes everything you need to get started playing bass. You not only get the Squier bass guitar, you get a 15-watt Fender Rumble amp (our #1 rated bass guitar amp), an instructional DVD, electronic tuner, gig bag, cable, and strap. You don’t even need a bass teacher to get started learning bass guitar.
The bass itself has a satin maple neck and maple fingerboard allow for smooth playing up and down fret board of this P-Bass. It is unmatched in the beginner level of bass guitars for musical tone which is what you’d expect from the number one seller of guitars and basses.
2. Davison Guitars Bass Guitar Starter Kit
A popular brand of beginner bass guitar because of their affordability, Davidson Guitars’ bass guitar starter kit is a great way to learn the bass guitar. Starting at under $130 for a complete bass kit, it’s hard to beat the value this outfit provides.
This bass guitar comes with everything you need to start playing bass including an amp, gig case, and cables. The bass guitar is a full 45 inches so you get to learn on a full-size bass guitar. It has a high gloss finish, maple neck, diecast tuners, and dual pickups.
While you probably won’t want to use this bass guitar once you have become experienced, it makes a great instrument to learn on and you certainly can’t beat the price.
3. Ursa Bass Guitar Starter Kit
Certainly not as well-known as other brands on this list, the Ursa bass kit provides great value. Coming in at under $150 for a complete package to quickly begin playing bass, this starter kit also comes with the bass guitar, amp, cables, bag, and strap. The included instructional DVDs provide easy-to-follow lessons so you can learn at home.
The bass guitar has a fast rosewood fretboard with 21 jumbo frets. A split P-Bass type passive pickup offers a full sound. The bass itself is 3/4 size (42″) so it is great for younger children who may not be able to play a full-size bass guitar.
4. Fender Affinity Jazz Beginner Bass Guitar
Yep, another Fender bass guitar for beginners. While this bass guitar may be from the same company as our #1 starter kit, don’t think for a second that these two bass guitars are the same. The Fender Affinity bass guitar is intended for jazz which requires a different set up than the Precision series above. If anything, the Affinity Jazz bass is similar to its cousin the Vintage SS.
The Affinity has two single-coil pickups that offer a great range of classic and contemporary tones. This is a great bass guitar for beginners but does not include any accessories such as an amp or cables. You will need to buy these on your own.
5. Yamaha TRBX174EW
Yamaha is well-known for their phenomenal musical instruments. The TRBX174EW is no exception. It easily has the best sound quality of any of the beginner bass guitars on this list, but it is also the most expensive. Unfortunately, the package includes only the bass guitar so you will need to buy the other accessories on your own. Our recommended accessories can be found below.
The Yamaha bass guitar features an exotic mango top and vintage style bridge that gives it a distinct look compared to other beginner basses.
Optional Accessories
While many of the beginner bass starter kits above come with everything you need to get started, for some of them you’ll have to buy some accessories such as bass amps and tuners. You can check out our favorites below.
Conclusion
Buying a beginner bass guitar is certainly an investment, but hopefully this list helps to settle your nerves. You can’t really go wrong with any beginner bass guitar starter kit, but again we do recommend the Fender Precision Bass starter kit. If you are looking to eventually upgrade your beginner bass to something more higher-end, you can always check out our best bass guitar brands review.
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