How to Buy a Guitar, Part 6: Starter Basses

Bass guitar provides the groove in funk, the power in rock, and the variety in jazz -- and if you're shopping for one, you'll still want to keep our electric guitar advice in mind. But you might be surprised what a good starter bass you can get for well under $400 USD. Here, we're only covering 4-string instruments here because that's what we'd recommend when you're starting out; you can find 5- and 6-string instruments, but they're really intended for advanced players with fatter wallets.

Ibanez GSR100EX
It's frankly silly how much value the Ibanez GSR100EX delivers. For a street price of less than $200 USD, you get a no-nonsense solid bass with a beefy humbucker, solid tuners, and a deliciously smooth and thin neck that never gets in the way of your playing. At this price, it simply shouldn't be this good -- or this much fun to play.

Yamaha RBX170
For about $220 USD, the two different style pickups in the RBX170 will let you cover a lot of sonic ground, from deep growls to trebly pops -- or whatever combination you choose, thanks to its independent pickup controls. It's a nice option for musicians who don't want to sacrifice versatility just because they're on a reasonable first-bass budget.

Sterling By Music Man Ray4
Leo Fender kept refining the electric bass he invented, and the Music Man Stingray became a bonafide modern classic. Featuring all the hallmarks at an affordable price, the Sterling-branded Ray4 feels especially well-suited as a rock bass. We love the Ray4's thunderous humbucker, active electronics (a 9-volt battery is required), and ridiculously sturdy 6-bolt neck construction. Plus, it comes in a wide array of colors, which is unusual at a $300 USD price point.

Epiphone Viola Bass
Whereas the other basses on this list are solidbodies, this one's hollow, which gives it some of its distinctive warm tone. However, it's also slightly more delicate; this is a great choice for vintage rock and jazz, but we wouldn't recommend it for anything aggressive. That said, a slim neck and a slightly shorter scale (30 inches from bridge to nut instead of the more common 34) make it a joy to play; there's always someone checking it out our office Viola and remarking how comfortable and light it feels. For a player looking for a vintage look and sound, it's $400 USD well spent.

We've got one or two more things to cover in our final article -- and we might save you some money in the process!

Dan Amrich started his music journalism career at Guitar World and Country Guitar magazines and is the co-creator of Princess Leia's Stolen Death Star Plans. He joined the Rocksmith team in 2014.

*GSR100EX photo by *Ibanez
RGX170 photo by Yamaha
Ray4 photos by Sterling By Music Man
Viola Bass photo by Epiphone

How to Buy a Guitar: 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7

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