Best Bass Guitar Brands

Why do you think producers insist on Fenders all the time?

Get a good Fender, and it won't be beaten. That's why classics can easily fetch over $20,000. You just can't beat them. Will an Ibanez increase in value 20 years from now or be firewood? I think you know the answer.

Own a Jazz Bass by them - very beautiful. Also tested the P & J basses by them. Not a Precision pickup fan, but still pretty nice punchy tones. Won't find anything better than a Fender, in my opinion.

I have had a Precision bass for seven years, and it remains awesome! Best bass I have ever owned.

I have two Ibanez basses (SRMS 805 multi-scale and an SR 250), and there's simply no comparison. The price is unbeatable, for one. I got an amazing quality multi-scale bass for $1000, where the competition was offering similar quality for $1500+. Plus, the tone is unbeatable, especially for metal.

Unbeatable sound, unbeatable looks. Sorry, but Ibanez is just the best! Comfort, speed, playability... Never mind metal. I slap the hell out of my Prestige everywhere I go and play funk until I can't funk anymore. The SDGR Prestige is just awesome.

I have one, and it has a great sound! Rounded and sweet. I also have a StingRay. I think it is more modern than the Rick sound. However, it could be more versatile.

The Ric 4001/4003 can give you that Squire/Lee treble punch, the Lemmy grunge, or the Macca flat wound mellowness. An extremely high-quality and versatile instrument.

One of the best rock/metal basses of all time. Very universal and versatile sound.

Fender and MusicMan are the best. I mean, they made legendary basses like the EB StingRay, Fender Precision, and Fender Jazz Bass. Rickenbacker 4001 bass and Gibson Thunderbird are also amazing.

I have a StingRay 5, and I treat it as if it were my child. Amazing basses with amazing tones - nothing more you can say than that, really. You can't go wrong with MusicMan.

The chunky humbucker sound they give is amazing. Music Man basses are pricey for all the right reasons.

Forget saying ESP can't handle jazz or softer styles. Sure, it can hit some metal riffs, but I have gotten sweet, rich tones from the same ESP bass just as easily. A good bassist can get tones for any style out of basses as well-made as those from ESP.

Very good for metal. Not great for anything lighter, but still sounds amazing. You can get some great Metallica sounds out of them.

Simply the best tone for dark and heavy music. Don't need anything else.

Gibson gives a great tone. The Epiphones aren't that bad either. The Thunderbird is beautiful.

Rock and blues need Gibson basses... a little bit more than Fenders or Ricks for me.

I have a left-handed SG short scale. I've tried others, and there's no comparison - it's comfortable, not heavy, and sounds amazing!

Any company that mainly focuses on bass is good for me. Robert Trujillo uses Warwick, and the tones are amazing. I think this should be number 1 or 2. I've used Ibanez basses too. Warwick and Ibanez are the best in the business.

From the Vampyre to the Fortress, back to the Thumb and around to the Infinity, Warwick produces the most powerful basses I've ever heard. Even their subsidiary budget line, RockBass, produces an absolutely fantastic sound.

Warwick is like the BMW of bass guitars. I own two, and they are the best! I own 3 Fenders and a MusicMan also, but Warwick is best in my opinion!

Schecter is my favorite, but I really like Ibanez a lot too. I think right now I just feel comfortable with Schecter's thin C bass neck. It's kind of like a slimmer version of a StingRay neck, if that makes sense. Very comfortable and very stylish.

It's a good, affordable bass with awesome sound. I play at my church, and everyone thinks it sounds awesome.

My love bass is the Hellraiser Extreme-5.

Great for grunge/metal. Ranges from the Mike Starr sound to the Rex Brown sound. This will be the second bass brand I'll probably buy.

My absolute favorite bass, hands down. The sound is unmatched, and the curved body fits just right. I just bought another!

Really? Schecter made the top 10 before Spector? Spector would blow most of the top 10 out of the water!

Tried multiple, mainly the P & J-styled versions. Tried one with a humbucker. Not as good as MusicMan, but still nice. Yamaha never fails to make a good instrument.

Yamaha bass guitars sound really good. I have one, and it's really good.

I've had a 4-string Yamaha bass for years, and it has clear sound and an excellent neck.

I am an owner of a Lakland 55AJ, and it serves me perfectly. The playability and sound are some of the best I have ever played. The 35-inch scale makes the bass sound so tight, and the graphite-reinforced neck is very stable. Not to mention that the preamp LH3 is excellent with very versatile mid control.

I have 2 Laklands and have played many others, including some "boutique" basses, and still find myself always digging out my trusty Laklands night after night at my shows. I have a Skyline 55-01 with Nordstrand PUs and the OBP-3 Pre, and a straight-up stock Lakland 55-94 that are the best workhorses I have ever played. Nice work on the basses, and keep up the great craftsmanship, y'all!

I think this bass will make a difference! I have one and it is amazing! Try it. You won't regret it! Great for any kind of music, also a good price!

I have a Cort GB34A bass, and it has an awesome sound. Try it, and you won't regret it!

I love the design of the grip on the fretboard. The reducer bulge and curve at the back make playing on stage or in the studio for long hours such a relief. MTD designs totally rock, and because I play different styles, I don't have to switch guitars on stage. With one instrument, I can easily adjust my tone as the style of music changes from funk to soul, RnB, hip-hop, and even jazz. I LOVE MY MTD!

Most of my basses are Ibanez. I have owned the Prestige for almost 5 years - it's amazing, but MTD is best. Plus, you can order your own design.

I have a Dean Edge 10, and it sounds pretty sweet, not gonna lie. Slick tone.

I have a Metalman ML, and it's seriously amazing. The Dean humbucker sounds beautiful, with deep growling that cuts through the music. Value for money is second to none. Looks fantastic.

I bought a Washburn in 1983 with my month's pay, even though it was in the budget range of basses then. It is solid and reliable. I have played and owned a few others, but I still reach for the good old reliable. Well made. High mass bridge, through-body strings, P pickups have that characteristic tone, and the neck is slim like the J bass. No doubt there are boutique brands that do all of this too, but not for the price.

I started playing bass on a Washburn. I've played around with a few other makes on occasion, but I still prefer the Washburn.

I have a MetroLine J vintage style, and it beats any other bass I own or have ever played in every aspect. Of course, it is a matter of taste in the end, but these basses are pure quality. Not a single defect, and everything is how you expect. I have never seen electronics like those in my life - not in Lakland, MusicMan, PRS, and certainly not Fender (as much as I love American P bass).

Really, no comments? When you get tired of messing with mass-produced junk, buy a big S.

I tried two Peaveys and two Ibanez basses on the same day. I liked one of each. I've never heard a Precision pickup sound so punchy and nice.

I have a Kramer Striker bass from 1987. Loved it then, and it still sounds great 30 years later. It has a hotter sound with more treble than most basses. Good for heavy metal or punk.

Best basses for any genre, from my experience.

The tonal variety is absolutely endless.

I like them.

I've got a Mockingbird I play on, and it looks and sounds great.