More often than not, the leading electric guitar brands are also the best bass guitar brands. Years of experience has allowed guitar manufacturers to understand what makes an electric guitar work. This knowledge has then been adapted to create the best bass guitars on the market.
Some brands make bass guitars suitable for all genres of music. Others focus on just one genre so that they can produce the perfect bass guitar for those musicians. That is why some bass guitar brands are more often associated with one particular style of music.
Either way, when looking for a bass guitar, the number of brand names available on the market can be overwhelming. Here is a list of the best bass guitar brands so that you can be sure to spend your money on a reliable name and get the best bass to accommodate your music needs.
Fender
Fender has been well known for over 50 years to make bass guitars that cover a whole range of music genres. That being said, musicians are often most impressed with their percussion and jazz basses which are used in a whole range of genres. That is why you are more than likely to find your favourite punk rock band or pop idol using Fender basses in their music.
They are a brand that tends to stick to the more typical 4-stringed bass guitars. Fender makes sure that their 4-stringed bass guitars are available in different styles, aesthetics and feature an array of adjustable settings. However, Fender has welcomed the addition of a few 5-stringed bass guitars into their ever-growing collection in the last few years.
Even though Fender plays a big part in the bass guitars industry, they make sure that their guitars are affordable. By launching their Player Series bass guitars, Fender has accommodated for budget-friendly playing, while still delivering the high-quality performance that you would expect of their products.
Of course, if you have the money to spare, then why not fork out for one of Fender’s American Original Series basses. Simply put, their American Series builds upon the Player Series to create a bigger and more adjustable sound. Bass guitars in this series are finished to a higher quality, making them seem like a luxury purchase.
That being said, you will not be missing out if you need to stick to a budget-friendly bass. Fender is careful to include everything a budding bassist would need in their Player Series models. Sure, they lack some of the fancy adjustable bits, but it gets the job done far better than the knock-off bass guitar brands.
Warwick
German company Warwick has made a highly praised name for itself in the bass guitar world. Known for their wooden bodies and high-quality finish, a Warwick bass is considered a luxury bass in many musical circles.
Warwick has perfected the ideal bass equation. So much so that they played a large part in what we now consider the modern bass design. Not just basses in the jazz world but also those in the rock and metal genres too.
Built to suit bassists who enjoy a more creative bass groove, Warwick basses are not considered to be your average, run of the mill indie bass guitars.
Like any good bass guitar brand, Warwick has a budget guitar, a more expensive guitar and a better than average bass guitar so that you can find the perfect price for you no matter what your budget may be.
Of course, the chances are that even if you start out playing with one of Warwick’s lower end RockBass guitars, you will keep coming back for more.
Yamaha
Unless you have been living under a rock, you have heard of the brand Yamaha. Contrary to popular belief, they do not just manufacture pianos. They also make some of the highest quality basses on the market while still keeping their price tag relatively low.
Much like Fender and Warwick basses, Yamaha bass guitar models can be used in a whole range of genres and perform exceedingly well. That being said, you will find that they work particularly well in Soul music and R&B genres.
Perhaps the most enticing feature of a Yamaha bass guitar is its resilience, they are designed for long term use without losing their high quality. Well, unless you are one of those rock stars who tend to smash everything up.
Even if your budget lands on the lower end of the price range, you can be sure to get more than your money’s worth when you buy a Yamaha bass guitar.
Music Man
Even though they have not been in the bass guitar game as long as other companies on this list, Music Man is a brand that knows how to progress with its instruments.
A few of their earlier guitars got criticised on various features that simply didn’t work or did not fit the instrument they were trying to make. Music Man listened to those complaints and built a bass guitar for the people.
Now, bass guitars are what they are known for. If you ask a bass player what they consider to be a top brand bass guitar, they will often mention Music Man. That is because the basses they design are great all around.
Sometimes bass guitars are great at one thing but suck at another. They may be perfect for recording the heavy grunge line in a metal track when mixed right in a studio, but on stage, the same guitar may fail. A Music Man bass guitar does not do that. It can keep a consistent, high-quality performance when played both live and privately. That is why many bassists love Music Man. It is a brand that is reliable and is consistent.
Recommended to check out:
