1. Fender Standard Precision
First up we have a simplistic Squier by Fender. It is a shortened scale solid-bodied alder guitar with an appealingly low price which makes for an ideal beginners bass guitar.
That said with a decent set of strings and a complementary amp this thing could be just the trick for those who are more practiced at their art. It really doesn’t disappoint.
It has a comfortable fingerboard and easy to play c-shaped neck, it is put together commendably and seems pretty durable though the knobs could be problematic after a lot of use.
There isn’t too much to say if you know your basses well, this is really a basic option. It has a hard-tail bridge and a standard single coil Fender Jazz bridge pick-up which gives it bright Fender tones. The Jazz pickup is coupled with a traditional split single-coil Fender Precision pick up.
The dials are simple, one for tone and one for volume which makes it an easy to use (especially for newbies) and it has a good range of sounds without any amp EQ settings applied.
2. Yamaha TRBX504 TBN
Now over to another leading industry giant for a look at a 500 series model which is precision engineered to perfection. Yamahas’ prime objective with the 500 series is literally tone which is why extra measures have been put in place with the design and craftsmanship and it is made from premium tonewoods.
It features a solid mahogany body, it has good weight and balance between its neck and body and sits pretty comfortably on the shoulder. It has a typical Strat-like shape with a slim profile slickly contoured cut-outs and ergonomic angling top and bottom conducive with a comfier arm position.
The neck is very smooth and has been crafted with a 5-piece maple and mahogany design, which gives it extra tensile strength against the strings and inevitably makes the intonation more accurate and the pitches more precise in each fret.
The fingerboard is easy to glide over the action is good but needs some adjustment right out of the box.
The pickup is humbucking, with active-passive electronics giving it a grittier analog depth and beefing up the lower E monstrously.
3. Sterling by Music Man StingRay
Next we have the Sterling by Music Man version of the Ernie Ball Music Mans iconic StingRay which presents another solid-bodied option with looks inspired by vintage pieces. It is a stunning bass guitar with a range of retro finishes each with a complimentary pick-guard.
The body is accurately machine-cut from carefully chosen basswood. The bolt-on neck is very strong and features 6 bolts. It is made from maple and sports a strong hardwood (Jatoba) fret-board to accommodate faster fingering.
The pick-up is a custom ceramic double-coil Humbucker style pickup with active electronics that capture your signal and send it to a custom designed 9v active pre-amp. It has 2-band equalization, that lets you adjust the treble and bass mix as well as volume via the Hi and Low Cut/Boost controls which are mounted on a chrome plate.
The head-stock helps keep the neck well-balanced and features its tuning key in a 3.1 layout which allows each string to lie pulled across the nut straight without bending off to an angle.
4. Ibanez GSRM20BS Mikro
If you are looking specifically for a smaller model then a good go-to is the Ibanez Mikro series bass guitars. They are essentially aimed at providing the best shortened-scale models whilst ensuring that they don’t lose their meaty sound with their smaller statures.
This cheap bass guitar has a 28.6” scale neck with a very slim profile to give a comfortable hold and allow for speedy hand movement. The frets are medium sized and it has a pearl dot inlay to help you keep track of the neck notes.
The body is formed from poplar and is contoured into a compact shape, it has a smooth arm-rest and features 3 easy-reach dials which are spaced really well.
It is equipped with a typical P&J pick-up setup each are Dynamix brand which paired together help give a fat popping sound that packs a punch.
The bridge is a B10 bridge which kicks its sustain up gear, it has durable hardware and keeps good intonation.
5. Dean Custom Zone
Next up we have something a bit different and not just because of its nuclear green or fluorescent pink color choices, which are certainly eye-catching. The Dean Custom Zone is full of interesting models that are changing bass guitar manufacturing methods.
The solid alder body is once again that familiar budget curvy double-cutaway shape reminiscent of a devilish Strat. It has a good natural tone which is well picked-up by its single-coil split Piezo. It is actually a passive DMT designed, precision-style bass pickup.
Whilst the single option doesn’t allow for as much pre-amp wiggle room with regards to defining your tone it does manage bright slaps and a mellower Motown-ready tone, though we think its best for rock and heavier genres.
It features a strong bolt-on maple neck with 20 frets up for offer the head-stock has a unique bat-wing design that compliments its outlandish color choice and it sports strong sealed die-cast tuners.
The frets are black, heavy block work so you have no excuse for hitting a bum note.
REFERENCE
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