Picking out the best bass guitar under $300 with great sound and playability can be tough. There are plenty of bass guitars in the $300 price range, but not all of them are built to the same standards.
You want a bass that will not only helps you learn how to play bass faster, but something that makes you look cool in the process. Finding a bass guitar that is easy to play is one of the most important things when you are starting out. There is nothing worse than trying to play a bass that isn’t set up properly. Don’t worry though. We’ve reviewed a ton of basses made with real tonewoods and quality electronics and narrowed it down to this list of awesome starter bass guitars.
Let’s take a look at some of the most popular top-rated bass guitars under $300, so you can compare their pros and cons to find the right one for you.
Compare the Top Bass Guitars Below $300 in 2020
Contents
- 1 Compare the Top Bass Guitars Below $300 in 2020
- 2 What We Recommend and Why
Here’s a list of the best basses under $300 that will bring your playing to the next level.
- Yamaha TRBX204 GRM
- Gretsch G2220 Junior Jet Bass Guitar
- Yamaha BB234 BB-Series
- Daisy Rock 4-String Bass
- Ernie Ball Sterling by Music Man StingRay
- Dean V Metalman Bass
- Jackson JS2 JS Series
Yamaha TRBX204 GRM 4-String Bass Guitar
Specs, features, and benefits
First up is the beautiful Yamaha TRBX204 GRM gray metallic bass guitar with its basswood body and a maple neck which offer not only great quality but also a nice grip while playing. What’s also great about this bass is that it has four control circuits for changing the Master Volume and Balance, and 2-band active electronics for Treble Control and Blend.
All this in combination makes this Yamaha 4-string bass sound very well-rounded and can is perfect for both jazz and rock & roll gigs as it provides those clear, round and deep tones which won’t be overlapped by other instruments.
Pros and Highlights
- Active electronics – These will help you shape your tone to your preferences and you’ll be pleasantly surprised to find out how much power this bass guitar has.
- P/J pickup combination – This suggests that the bass has a Precision body and a Jazz neck meaning the neck is a little narrower than your standard Precision bass neck allowing you to have a better grip while playing.
- Great for Beginners – It’s easy to use, doesn’t require a huge setup and sits comfortably in your hand. If you’re looking for a great bass guitar to start practicing, you won’t go wrong with this one.
Cons and Potential Flaws
- Pickup switch – There isn’t a pickup switch on this bass, but don’t worry because the control knobs adjust the mix. It may be weird if you’re used to a pickup switch so you’ll have to adjust to it a bit.
Bottom line
It’s really well made in terms of design and the quality of the body, I mean what do you expect from Yamaha, but not only that, it also allows you to experiment and alter the sound to your flavor which breaks out from the boredom of standard bass guitars.
Gretsch G2220 Junior Jet Electric Bass Guitar
Specs, features, and benefits
Another great bass guitar is the Gretsch G2220 Junior Jet Electric in a beautiful black color with a basswood body making it looking lean and mean.
The key feature of this 4-string bass include a shorter scale length of 30.3″ making it convenient for players with smaller hands or players who want to take up the bass, and not to mention the two mini humbucking pickups, a selector switch and a tone knob which let you make a wide variety of sounds.
It’s compact, simple and has tons of power to it and with a little bit of altering with the tuning, you’ll be able to create just the right sound you’re looking for without much effort.
Pros and Highlights
- Compact – As we already said, this bass is shorter and lighter than other bass guitars, making it stand out more, not to mention that if you’re just starting out you’ll be far more comfortable playing this bass than any other.
- A lot of power – One would think that this bass being shorter than other similar ones isn’t that powerful but looks can be deceiving as it has just the right amount of intonation which gives it a great sound when played.
- No buzzing – Certainly a turn off for any bass player or musician, in general, is the buzzing noise from a cheap instrument and fortunately enough this bass guitar doesn’t have the slightest buzz making the sound very clear which is really important when hitting those high notes.
Cons and Potential Flaws
- Shorter than others – Its advantage can be its disadvantage too because most people aren’t used to handling a shorter bass but once you get used to it you might not even like regular basses anymore so proceed with caution!
Bottom line
This short but powerful bass sure is a unique one on the market and if you’re looking for a bass guitar which sits firmly but comfortably in your hand and also has no flaws in terms of specs then you better hurry and gets your hands on this bass.
Yamaha BB234 BB-Series Bass Guitar
Specs, features, and benefits
Next up is the Yamaha BB234 in a beautiful Raspberry Red finish made with a sleek double-cutaway alder body making it appear very smooth and sexy. Looks aren’t everything this bass has to offer as Yamaha always tries to bring changes to both the design and the sound of their instruments.
As far as the features are concerned, this bass has three knobs – two volumes and one master tone, and not only that but because it’s from the BB Series it’s designed with a custom-wound ceramic pickup fit which provides a very vintage voicing for a great tone in any setting.
Also, in terms of electronics, the bass has two Custom V3 pickups, a split single-coil P-style pickup can be found in the neck, and a single coil J-style pickup that sits in the bridge. These features combined provide a clean tone with plenty of articulation and not a lot of room for buzzing noise.
Pros and Highlights
- High-quality design – Literally from the moment you pick it up and start playing it you’ll realize how much effort was put in this bass guitar for it not only to look good but also sound great.
- Sound quality – The tone is as clear as day, sharp and well rounded, not to mention that the whole instrument is nicely balanced for the sole purpose of giving you those crisp and luscious sounds, which, when tuned properly, will certainly be music to your ears.
- Great for pros and beginners – It meets the requirements of both people who have just begun to enter the world of bass guitars and also experienced players who are looking for a high-quality instrument. Either way, you won’t be disappointed.
Cons and Potential Flaws
- It’s flawless, moving on.
Bottom line
Right off the back, you can see that this is truly a well-made and high-quality instrument certainly worth having and one of the best on the market at this price range, which, if you ask me, is a bargain compared to other similar models of different brands of bass guitars.
Daisy Rock 4-String Bass
Specs, features, and benefits
We don’t want our female bass players to feel neglected and it’s great to see a company like Daisy Rock come through with a bass guitar made specifically for the ladies who love playing the bass. It’s beautifully designed with a glossy pearl white finish and a sycamore body.
It features EMG select pickup with an active equalizer, a Master volume, a 12 dB bass cut and a 12 dB treble cut which all suggest that the electronics portion of this bass makes it no less powerful than other bass guitars typically designed for male players.
Also, it’s pretty lightweight and balanced to match the needs of a female bassist meaning you won’t get tired to that extend as you would while playing a regular bass guitar throughout the whole gig, which is certainly something not all bass guitars have to offer.
Pros and Highlights
- Design – Its design is specifically made to fit the female body shape and is lightweight meaning you won’t get tired when carrying it in your arms for long periods of time.
- Power – As we already talked about, this bass is super powerful and can match pretty any other bass guitars with similar features because of its well-rounded and sound and great intonation.
- Set up – As it is a bass guitar made for the ladies, Candy Rock went to the extra mile to make sure when the bass get’s delivered to your door that it’s already set and ready to play, and along with it already being fairly simple to play and tune, you can see how this is a great bonus.
Cons and Potential Flaws
- Equalizer – The bass has a lot of power to it and an issue that can be spotted by an experienced ear is that the equalizer, without fine tuning, can sound a bit dry. However, by adding some grounding and some extra hardware it should sound perfect.
Bottom line
Really well-made design with great electronics and if you’re a lady who likes playing bass guitars but gets tired from having to carry those big bulky basses the entire concert than this bass is certainly for you. Also, guys, if your significant other happens to be a bassist, this is a perfect birthday gift, and she’ll definitely love it.
Sterling by Music Man StingRay Ray4 Bass Guitar
Specs, features, and benefits
Coming up next is the Sterling by Music Man Sting Ray 4 bass guitar in a beautiful glossy black finish topped with a mahogany body and a maple neck and fingerboard. This slim and elegant bass guitar has some great electronics that come with it apart from the looks.
It comes with a nicely designed ceramic humbucker pickup which offers a noise-free tone and drives the sound through the custom designed 9v powered Active Preamp which allows you to change the Volume, Treble, and Bass. The knobs, which are mounted on the chrome control plate, allow you to play with the Individual Volume and the Hi and Low Cut/Boost.
Pros and Highlights
- Well-built design – It’s so beautiful, you might not even want to play it so you don’t accidentally scratch it and it’s not a bass guitar you want to smash on stage as Pete Townshend did back in 1964.
- Great quality – You can’t go wrong with mahogany wood and knowing that the solid body is made from it really makes you less worried about the bass getting damaged, but as we said, it would be a shame if you’d smashed it.
- Nice sound – It has that deep and well-rounded tone which really does get even more powerful once you tune the guitar to get it sounding like you’re in a one-man band.
- Pros and Highlights:
Cons and Potential Flaws
- Tuning – It needs to be tuned more often than other similar bass guitars and mainly because of the string tension but this is nothing major because you won’t have to tune it for every song just remember to tune it before your set.
Bottom line
A great and good-looking bass guitar with lots of nice features, beautiful and easy to play and will certainly appeal to both professionals and beginners. Just remember – please be careful how you handle it and don’t smash it on stage.
Dean V Metalman Bass
Specs, features, and benefits
This bass is surely the most unique one on this list and if you’ve been a metal or rock & roll fan you’ve certainly seen these kinds of bass guitars on stage. This beautiful basswood body and maple neck bass finished in a glossy black color come with a V-shaped body and headstock making it impossible not to pick it up and start playing it.
The pickup of this bass is great for metal music as the low-end response is much stronger than in the higher strings and is even more noticeable with the stock strings. The action of the neck is nice and low and the tone is clear and pretty standard in terms of metal sound, which brings out the overall smooth tone of the instrument.
Pros and Highlights
- Great for metal music – If you’re looking to start a metal band by any chance and you’re the bassist, you’re bound to consider buying this beauty not only because of the looks but also the features, which are specifically designed to make that recognizable metal sound.
- Price – Certainly one of the cheapest bass guitars on this list cost a little above $200, which isn’t a lot of money to spend on such a great bass.
- Easy to play – Despite it looking rigid and stiff, the overall handling of the bass feels quite comfortable and easy to play and tune and is surely an instrument both the pros and newbies will appreciate.
Cons and Potential Flaws
- Casing – Finding a proper case for this bass will be kind of tricky because of its shape and the bulkiness isn’t really rewarding when you’re traveling with it so keep that in mind and buy a proper case for it.
Bottom line
Literally a dream bass for any heavy metal fan and with such a low price you won’t get a better metal bass guitar if you look at other basses with similar features. You’ll certainly be the center of attention at your next gig!
Jackson JS2 JS Series Electric Bass Guitar
Specs, features, and benefits
Last but not least we have the Jackson JS2 in a beautiful snow white finish with maple with graphite neck giving it great reinforcement. The double cutaway poplar body really gives great resonance and the rosewood fingerboard provides a nice grip when playing.
The key features are the dual high-output humbucking pickups with an Active or Passive configuration which produce a great low-end tone and on top of all that the high mass bridge provides firm stability, an improved sustain, and bolder tone.
Pros and Highlights
- High-quality – Because of the woods it’s made from you certainly would expect a high-quality bass guitar and that’s exactly what the Jackson JS2 is.
- Fine tuning – There’s such great control of tuning that you’ll be able to create a wide range of sounds and tones just how you like them and with great ease because of the dual pickups and also the equalizer knob.
- Comfortable – This bass is a bit smaller in size than regular basses but that gives it a more comfortable feel when handling and will surely not put a strain on your hands and back when you play it at the concert all night.
Cons and Potential Flaws
- Considering the price range and its features, there’s nothing wrong with this bass guitar.
Bottom line
A nice and well-rounded bass guitar which will certainly meet your expectations in terms of the sound, handling, tuning and other great features that this bass guitar has to offer and will surely make even the best of pros satisfied.
What We Recommend and Why
You maybe thought it was a dead race between the Yamaha BB234 and the Jackson JS2 as they both don’t have any flaws but in the end, the Yamaha is the better choice and it has to do with the better quality design, much richer tone and also the overall price of the guitar.
Sure, the Jackson JS2 is a bit cheaper than the Yamaha BB234, but at the price point of $300 there is no bass guitar on the market you can buy that will outperform a Yamaha. Side note: please don’t smash this guitar on stage, or any guitar for that matter, you’re not Pete Townshend.