How to Choose the Best Bass Guitar

Whether you’re a beginner shopping for your first 4-string or an advancing player making the leap to fretless, this article offers practical advice on choosing the best bass guitar for you. Our goal is to provide all the intel you need on important factors influencing the decision, from the number of strings and scale length to body style and pickup type.

Trust us—we know there are a ton of choices. Maybe you love the classic sound of a 4-string Fender Precision Bass, the low-end rumble of an extended-range 5- or 6-string machine for modern metal, or the sweet song of a fretless. You might be a guitarist who wants to have a backup plan or a home recordist who wants to lay down your own bass tracks. Or you might be someone who loves the idea of being an informal conductor (a role bassists often play, usually uncredited). Maybe you just like making the world rattle.

Whoever you are, we’re happy to have you on bass. Let’s get rockin’.

If you’re just starting out, be sure to check out our collection of beginner bass guitars.

What You’ll Need to Know
Types of Bass Guitars: 4-String vs. 5-String vs. 6-String
Bass Scale Length: Short Scale vs. Long Scale
Electric Bass Body Styles: Solidbody vs. Semi-hollowbody vs. Hollowbody
Bass Pickups Explained: Split-coil, Single-coil, Humbucker
Fret Options: Fretless vs. Fretted
How to Choose the Best Bass for Your Genre
Best Bass Guitar for Beginners
How to Try Out a Bass In-Store
Bass Guitar Buying Tips: Questions to Ask Before You Buy
How to Get the Best Deal on a Bass Guitar
People Also Ask ...
The Bottom Line

What You'll Need to Know

So, what do you need to think about when buying the best bass guitar? We’ll break it down by string number, scale length, body style, pickups and fretted vs. fretless. Then we’ll offer recommendations by genre, and even advice on how to try out a bass in-store and get the best deal from Guitar Center.

Let’s dig into what will help you decide on the bass that’s perfect for you.

Parts of the Bass Guitar

Types of Bass Guitars: 4-String vs. 5-String vs. 6-String

Bass Type	Tuning	Scale Length	Key Considerations	Best For …
4-string	E-A-D-G	30"–34"	Narrower nut width/neck, balanced string tension, wide string spacing, lighter weight	Most genres: rock, pop, hip-hop, R&B, funk, blues, punk, metal, country, indie, etc.
5-string	B-E-A-D-G	34"–35"	Wider nut width/neck, harder to mute, narrower string spacing, increased string tension, heavier weight, extended range	Jazz, fusion, progressive metal, Contemporary Christian Music (CCM), theater
6-string	B-E-A-D-G-C	34"–37"	Wider nut width/neck, harder to mute, narrower string spacing, increased string tension, heavier weight, extended range	Jazz, fusion, progressive metal, gospel, soloing

What are the differences between 4-string vs. 5-string (and even, egad, 6-string) basses, you ask? Well, the most common electric bass guitar is the regular 4-string version. It was originally designed to enable guitar players to double on bass and to allow upright bass players to have a more portable instrument.

Fender Player II Precision Bass in Black

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The electric bass’ fourths-based tuning follows the bottom four strings of standard guitar tuning. Early on, this not only made it easier for guitarists to pick up, but actually helped standardize E-A-D-G for orchestral double bass as well—symphonic players and composers had only recently begun to use that tuning.

Four strings are probably the best place for any beginner to start learning, and they’re applicable to most popular genres, including rock, punk, funk, blues, country, folk, indie, R&B, hip-hop, many kinds of metal and more.

On the other hand, lots of jazz/fusion and prog metal bassists are turning to 5- and 6-string basses, also known as extended-range instruments. With the addition of a low B string and, on the 6-string extended range, a high C, bassists have the ability to get far, far heavier tones and extended harmonic range for solos. Best of both worlds, right? Although, this increased freedom does have some impact on the instrument’s design you’ll want to consider before choosing one.

Ibanez GSR205 5-String Bass Guitar in Roadster Orange Metallic

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First of all, extended-range basses tend to have longer—35" or more—scale lengths to keep that low B string from being too floppy. This means you’ll have to stretch more in the lower range of the bass. Combine this with the necessarily wider neck, and you’ll find you’ll have to adapt to reaching further for notes. Switch to a 6-string, and the neck gets wider yet, so it becomes more important to approach it with proper technique (keep that wrist straight) to avoid problems.

Secondly, the added tension of extra bass strings means the neck is probably going to have to be a bit chunkier, even with modern carbon graphite rod reinforcement. After all, you’ve got in the general vicinity of 200 pounds of tension on a 6-string bass neck, and if you’re not planning on using it to shoot arrows, you need some serious strength there.

Both the above factors also mean that your extended-range bass is going to weigh more, so balance and comfort will be important things to look for. All this being said, a 5- or 6-string bass can really extend (see what we did there?) a player’s musical choices.

Schecter Guitar Research SC-6 6-String Bass Guitar

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Bass Scale Length: Short Scale vs. Long Scale

Common Scale Lengths	Playability	Tonal Profile	Best For …
30" (short scale)	Smooth and easy, with closer fret spacing and reduced string tension	Warm, round, thick	Vintage-style bass tones
32" (medium scale)	Nicely balanced, with moderate fret spacing and string tension	Full, rich, versatile	Most styles in standard tuning
34" (standard/long scale)	Traditional feeling, with wider fret spacing and tighter string tension	Focused, punchy, versatile	Most styles in standard and drop tuning (can handle down tuning with thicker strings)
35"+ (extra-long/extended scale)	Presents a possible challenge, with wide fret spacing, tight string tension and thick, chunky necks (found on 5- and 6-string basses)	Bright, tight, articulate	Heavier, down-tuned styles or those where bass is expected to cut through with clarity

The scale length of a bass is the length of the vibrating portion of the string. This is measured from the bridge to the nut.

There are four basic classes of scale length: Short (less than 30"), Medium (30–33"), Long (34") and Extra-Long (35"+). Most basses fall into the long-scale category because that was the scale of the earliest electric bass—the Fender Precision Bass.

Which one will be best for you depends on the fundamental tone you want and how large your hands are. The longer the scale, the more tension it takes to get a string to pitch. The more tension, the stiffer the string feels and the more piano-like the tone is. Changing the scale length also changes the basic tone, or timbre, of a note due to changes in the ratio of tones in the harmonic series generated by the string’s vibratory length.

So, a short-scale bass will have a richer low-end tone and a smoother high end. A longer scale makes for a brighter high-end tone and more “twang” in the low end. That’s one thing to consider.

The other consideration is that bass guitar—especially a longer-scale bass—can be a physically demanding instrument to play due to the distance between frets, especially in the lower positions. Think of it this way—a four-fret stretch from the nut on a standard 34"-scale neck is just about the equivalent to a seven-fret stretch on a 24.75"-scale guitar.

This is one reason—despite legendary Booker T. & the M.G.’s bassist Duck Dunn’s proclamation, “There’s no money above the seventh fret”—you see bass players soloing mostly in upper registers where frets are closer together.

For younger players or players with smaller hands, a short-scale bass can be a good place to start. This is not to say small hands can’t play long-scale basses, but if you fall into that category, try them all and go with what’s physically most comfortable.

Electric Bass Body Styles: Solidbody vs. Semi-hollowbody vs. Hollowbody

Body Type	Tonal Profile	Best For …	Typical Weight
Solidbody	Tight, focused, punchy	Rock, pop, punk, funk, metal, country, indie, R&B	8–10 lb.
Semi-hollowbody	Warm, woody, airy	Jazz, blues, soul, rock, roots, Americana	~8 lb.
Hollowbody	Resonant, round, thumpy	Jazz, vintage pop/rock, folk, Americana	~7 lb.

When you think about an electric bass guitar, you’re probably imagining a solidbody bass about nine times out of 10. The most iconic models in bass history—the Fender Precision Bass, Fender Jazz Bass and Ernie Ball Music Man StingRay, to name a few—are all solidbody instruments, offering some of the punchiest lows, crispest attack and longest sustain.

Semi-hollowbody basses—including the popular Guild Starfire I—are the middle ground between solid and fully hollow. You get a little more air and “bloom” around each note, providing a sort of smooth, earthy sound, with a bit of the punch and sustain solidbody basses are known for.

Hollowbody bass guitars, like the famous Höfner Violin bass, have the most acoustic-like quality to them. The sound is open and airy, with a very gentle attack and mellow, rolled-off highs, so they perform well when you want a vintage-style tone that has an upright bass-style thump.

The majority of the most popular basses available are solidbody. Unless you have very specific tonal requirements that can only be achieved with a semi-hollow or hollowbody bass, you’ll probably be more than happy with a good ol’ solidbody bass guitar.

Bass Pickups Explained: Split-coil, Single-coil, Humbucker

Pickup Type	Tonal Profile	Best For …
Single-coil	Bright, clear, articulate	Rock, funk, blues, country, pop
Humbucker	Thick, punchy, assertive	Rock, metal, modern funk, fusion, CCM
Split-coil	Fat, warm, midrange-forward	Rock, metal, punk, soul, blues, funk, jazz, reggae

Like electric guitars, the electric bass has pretty much two basic types of pickup to choose from—single-coil or humbucking.

Single-coil pickups have a wider frequency bandwidth (more highs, more lows) but can be more prone to picking up electrical noise and interference. Humbucking pickups have a second coil that’s wired in reverse polarity, which helps cancel out unwanted noise at the cost of losing a little bit of highs and lows. This results in a generally thicker tone, but with a little less definition than a single-coil pickup.

An interesting variant is the Fender P Bass-style split-coil pickup. While it may look like a single-coil, the two halves of the pickup are wired in reverse polarity. This helps you get most of the noise rejection of a humbucker with most of the sound of a single-coil. Clever.

Seymour Duncan Quarter Pound PJ Bass Pickup Set

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Active vs. Passive Electronics

Electronics Type	Power Requirements	Tonal Profile	Best For …
Active	9V–18V battery	High output, articulate, “hi-fi,” versatile	Hard rock, metal, fusion, gospel, funk/slap, live performance with long cable runs
Passive	None	Warm, organic, dynamic, mid-forward	Rock, R&B, blues, jazz, country, punk, indie

While we’re on the topic of electronics for your electric bass guitar, we need to touch on the subject of active vs. passive basses.

The original electric basses all had unpowered, passive electronics systems. This means that the tone controls can cut frequency ranges but not boost them. Active, in bass terms, can mean either pickups that have a built-in preamp or a powered preamp that boosts and EQs the signal of passive pickups in the guitar. Active electronics always require power, either from an onboard battery or phantom power from an external power supply.

Let’s dig a little more into that, since there is more than one way for an electric bass guitar to qualify as an active bass.

So, at the fundamental level, active means there are electronics in the guitar that require electricity to work—usually from an onboard battery (occasionally two batteries). What kind of electronics? Usually, some form of preamplification for the pickups. On what are called active pickups, the preamp is built into the pickup itself, and the tone controls will still be passive (i.e., only allow for frequency cut, not boost). The big advantage of active pickups is they are generally low impedance and can drive much longer cable runs without suffering the high-frequency loss a passive pickup would.

An active preamp system, on the other hand, can be used with either passive or active pickups and provides both the advantages of a low impedance output we just mentioned, plus active EQ. This EQ can be anything from standard treble/bass knobs that can boost as well as cut frequencies to a 4-band EQ with sweepable high- and low-mids, offering some serious sonic control.

Aside from the long and exceptionally quiet cable runs, what are the advantages and disadvantages of the two types of active? It’s all about the tone. Both active pickups and active preamp systems deliver a cleaner, more full-bandwidth signal to your amp or recording interface/console, sounding bigger and punchier. With the active preamp’s EQ section, you can contour your sound in much more detail.

There are really only two minor drawbacks here. First, an active system can sometimes result in a slightly “compressed” sound that’s a little less dynamic. Generally, this is because the system is slightly underpowered, either because it’s time to change the batteries, or you’re playing aggressively enough that you’re running up against the available headroom of the preamp.

If the latter is the case, and you’re running on only a single 9V battery, you can usually solve it by upgrading to a dual-battery, 18V power supply. (Pro Tip: The techs at Guitar Center Repairs will be glad to help you out with that).

The second problem is also battery related. With a purely active system, when the battery goes dead, the bass goes dead. This is why almost all active preamp systems have a bypass switch that enables the bass to run in passive mode.

Fret Options: Fretless vs. Fretted

Bass Type	Playability	Tonal Profile	Best For …
Fretted	Straightforward, traditional	Precisely intonated, bright, percussive	Beginners, rock, pop, punk, metal, funk/slap
Fretless	More intricate, requiring precise technique and ear training	Smooth, vocal, expressive	Experienced players, jazz, blues, fusion, R&B, Latin

The first reason to play a fretless is for the tone. It’s round and warm with a midrange growl that’s almost vocal in quality. It’s a tone that’s even more unique to the player than usual, because it’s your finger actually making the note—not simply pressing a string against a fret. When you listen to different fretless players like Jaco Pastorius, Sting, Bakithi Kumalo (Paul Simon’s bassist on Graceland) or The Band’s Rick Danko, the difference in individual touch is what makes each one identifiable almost immediately.

The biggest reason, many players feel, is control. You have more control over all the aspects of the bass’ sound with a fretless because it’s a more direct connection to your hand. And some techniques, like sliding harmonics, aren’t really possible on a fretted instrument. A fretless bass will demand more practice and working on ear-training skills, but fretless players, en masse, will say it’s more than worth the effort.

Fender Jaco Pastorius Fretless Jazz Bass in 3-Color Sunburst

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If you’re a fan of bassists like Pino Palladino, Les Claypool, Victor Wooten or Bill Wyman, you’re already familiar with the sound of a fretless bass. The fretless electric bass used to be seen as a sort of oddball choice, but more and more bassists seem to be looking for that silky-smooth, vocal-like tone and are willing to put in the extra hours refining their technique.

While it may not be the ideal choice for an absolute beginner, if you’ve already been playing a while, a fretless can be a great addition to your arsenal.

How to Choose the Best Bass for Your Genre

Genre	Common Bass Tones	Top Bass Choices
Rock/Metal	Authoritative, punchy, midrange-dominant	Ernie Ball Music Man StingRay or DarkRay, Fender Precision Bass, Schecter Stiletto models, Ibanez SR models
Funk	Bright, articulate, dynamically responsive	Ernie Ball Music Man StingRay, Fender Jazz Bass
Jazz	Smooth, round, mellow	Fender Precision Bass, semi-hollow or hollowbody models, fretless basses
Pop/worship	Clean, clear, thumpy	Fender Precision Bass, Fender Jazz Bass, Ernie Ball Music Man StingRay, Yamaha TRBX or BB models, Ibanez SR models

Rock/Metal

When it comes to rock and metal bass tones, you typically want authoritative low-end punch and a dynamically consistent, almost compressed sound, where every note seems to hit at roughly the same level. Technique plays a big part in that, but opting for active electronics—such as those found in Ernie Ball Music Man StingRay and DarkRay basses, or Schecter Stiletto models—can get you going in the right direction.

Fender Player II Moonlight Drive Precision Bass

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You can also sculpt your bass’ low-mid and upper-midrange frequencies to get the power and cut required for rock and metal tones. Players tend to want to scoop their mids and really crank the lowest frequencies, but that midrange content is essential for articulation and layering up with the guitars in a mix. The Fender P Bass is also awesome for rock and metal because of its high-output split-coil pickup and naturally thick, low mid-forward sound.

Funk

Funk bass players value brightness, articulation and dynamic responsiveness to lay down their grooves, from fluid fingerstyle lines to percussive slap rhythms. There are two popular choices here: the Fender Jazz Bass and, once again, the Ernie Ball Music Man StingRay.

The J Bass, with its pair of single-coil pickups, easily handles the brightness and articulation we’re talking about, and it’s got a really satisfying “growl” that responds to slap technique beautifully.

Ernie Ball Music Man StingRay Special H Bass Guitar in Hot Honey

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And then we have the StingRay. Simply put, it’s the funk bass. As one of the primary testers during development in the mid-’70s, it was practically designed for Louis Johnson—a prolific funk bassist who helped pioneer slap technique. Its burly humbucker and active preamp let you dial in the perfect amount of midrange clarity and high-end sizzle to get the funky “snap” players crave.

Jazz

For straight-ahead jazz, you’d normally go for a mellow, round sound with the highs rolled off a bit. Ironically, the Jazz Bass—as versatile as it can be—is sometimes too assertive for traditional tones, and some players opt for the boomier-sounding P Bass instead.

Guild Starfire I Semi-Hollow Bass Guitar in Pelham Blue

Shop Now: Guild Starfire I Semi-Hollow Bass Guitar in Pelham Blue

But this is also a great opportunity to explore semi-hollow, hollowbody and fretless models to accomplish vintage-style jazz sounds. Their inherently smooth, thumpy voices lend themselves perfectly to loungey, late-night club sets.

Pop/Worship

When it comes to pop, worship or any style of vocal-centric music, you want your bass to play a supportive role. Generally, that’s a nice clean sound with a strong fundamental, splash of compression and just enough midrange to hear each note without being smeared.

Honestly, if you’re diligent with amp settings, you could probably get away with just about any bass you wish, whether that’s a Precision Bass, Jazz Bass, StingRay, Ibanez, Yamaha …

Yamaha TRBX174EW Mango Wood 4-String Bass Guitar

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And frankly, you can apply that takeaway to every genre. While there are certainly favorites for particular styles, and it’s never bad to play to a bass’ strengths, the most important factor is that you get an instrument you’re inspired to make music with every day. You can do a lot of tone sculpting on the amp and effects side.

Best Bass Guitar for Beginners

Now, we’d like to take a little time to look at some of the best choices Guitar Center has for the beginning bass player. There are several criteria that go into making a great electric bass guitar for beginners:

It needs to be comfortable to play. When you’re starting, you need to play a lot. Heck, you want to play a lot. The more comfortable your instrument is to play, the easier that is.
A beginner bass should offer great value for the money. Affordable is relative, and sometimes a beginner will start off on a pro-level bass because they can. But if it’s easy for you to buy, it’s easier to just get started playing. Better to keep that boutique custom shop bass in the back of your mind—and set it as a reward for yourself when you hit a particular goal—than put off getting started any longer.
It should sound good—maybe even awesome. The better it sounds, the more you’ll play. This leads us to the last point.
Your first bass should make you want to keep playing. If your instrument ticks off all the points above, you should look forward to every practice session, then every jam with friends, then every band rehearsal and so on. Music is fun, and it shouldn’t hurt. Now go get ’em! But first, one last word for aspiring bassists:

While lots of musicians, including some pretty famous ones, are self-taught, you’re always better off starting with a good instructor to make sure you’ve got proper technique down from the get-go.

And sometimes you need someone to help nudge you back on track if you wander off. Guitar Center Lessons are a great way to get started, get back to playing after a long hiatus or simply to refine your skills. We’ve got instructors at all levels, in all styles, and it’s easy to set up a lesson plan and schedule that will work for you.

How to Try Out a Bass In-Store

Straight away, if you need a pick, strap or bass amp to do a proper demo, don’t hesitate to ask one of our store Associates—they’ll be more than happy to help.

Worth also keeping in mind: You don’t have to put on a technical clinic when you’re sitting down to audition an instrument. If you’re a beginner and this is your first bass, you can ride one note as long as you need to while you’re listening to its sound, feeling how comfortable the body and neck are, considering how heavy it is, observing whether it sits stable in your lap or tilts down at the headstock (neck dive) and more.

By all means, go crazy if you’re able. But don’t worry about impressing anyone—just make sure you’re happy with your bass. Here’s quick list of things to check:

Is the neck comfortable?
Does the bass feel balanced, or does it tilt in your lap?
How’s the action and overall setup? Will it need some tech work right away?
How noisy are the electronics, if at all?
Most importantly, how does it sound amplified?

Bass Guitar Buying Tips: Questions to Ask Before You Buy

You should always ask for clarity on any unfamiliar feature or spec. Again, one of our Associates will be able to answer—or quickly find the answer—for you, so you know exactly what you’re getting into.

You might also be interested in whether any alternate finishes, pickup configurations or fingerboard materials exist. Many times, there are several variations of a particular model, though they might not all be available on the store floor.

How to Get the Best Deal on a Bass Guitar

If you’re in the store, it’s never a bad idea to ask if we have a sale going on or if one is around the corner. However, Guitar Center also offers a 45-day price-match guarantee, meaning, if you find the exact same bass from an authorized dealer (including us) at a lower price than what you paid, show us the product listing and your receipt, and we’ll refund you 100% of the difference.

You can also save money by selling us any old music gear you have and trading up to your new bass. If you have a qualifying item to trade in, you can get 10% off the new bass, in addition to your trade credit.

Don’t forget to shop our used inventory, either. We have a huge assortment across our 300+ stores; you never know what you might find.

Vintage 1965 Fender Jazz Bass

Pictured: Vintage 1965 Fender Jazz Bass

The Bottom Line

Now that we’ve laid it all out, the next step is the hardest one—deciding which bass is the best for you. If you’re having trouble making up your mind, stop by your local Guitar Center and talk with an Associate, or call 855-770-3373 to speak to one of our knowledgeable Gear Advisers—you can also chat online. We want to make sure you get the right bass so you can help keep the music going.