There are loads of affordable bass guitars under a hundred dollars on Amazon.com, and some of the best-sellers include Goplus Electric Bass Guitar, Glarry Electric Bass Guitar, IB Electric Bass Guitar, and Polar Aurora Electric Bass Guitar.
Whether you are a beginner looking for an entry-level bass guitar to start with or an intermediate player who believes great music does not always require expensive instruments (okay, we get it; you’re on a budget), you will be thrilled to know that there are plenty of bass guitars under $100.
Budget bass guitars flood the online market and you’re sure to find not just one or two, but a whole lot that you might like! However, you want to make sure you will not get disappointed by fret buzz, wayward notes, and a generally poor quality instrument—even though it’s relatively cheap.
To help you pick out one to bring home, we rounded up four of the best bass guitars on Amazon. These fantastic four finds are selected based on build, sound, and aesthetic qualities as well as playability.
Here they are:
Goplus Electric Bass Guitar
One of the fastest-selling bass guitars on Amazon under $100, the Goplus Electric Bass Guitar Full Size 4 String is lightweight, functional, and fashionable.
Price: $70
User rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars
Features:
- The Goplus Electric Bass Guitar is crafted with both durability and visual appeal in mind. It is constructed with a sturdy wood body for a smooth, fuss-free play. The polished surface lends a shiny, smooth, and attractive finish. It comes in two eye-catching color design combinations: blue and white and black and white.
- If you frequently travel from place to place and loves bringing your guitar along, you’d be happy to know that Goplus Electric Bass Guitar comes complete with a travel bag and straps for portability. The travel bag also has zip closures so you can pop in your music score and other necessary accessories conveniently. Take this lightweight guitar anywhere you want!
- Other than the bag and straps, the Goplus Electric Bass Guitar also comes with a bass pick and an amp cord, so you can play the instrument right away as soon as you have it in your hands!
- Of course, you are curious about what this guitar sounds like. The Goplus Electric Bass Guitar has a warm, bright, and smooth tone that’s perfect for rock and roll, blues, and just about any genre.
Pros:
Great quality at an affordable price; lightweight and comes with complete accessories; beautiful tone with a beautiful finish.
Cons:
Depending on the unit you get, it may need some tweaking here and there; the typical area where users did some adjusting is the truss rod nut.
Check out this review:
Glarry Electric Bass Guitar
One of the best bass guitars at a bargain price, the Glarry Electric Bass Guitar Full Size 4 String performs really well; it is something that even pro-level bassists will have no qualms about using not only for practicing but also for casual play while camping and the likes.
Price: $79
User rating: 4.6 out of 5 stars
Features:
- The Glarry Electric Bass Guitar is crafted from high-quality basswood and rosewood that’s sturdy and lightweight. It comes in 6 different colors: natural yellow, transparent yellow, sunset gold, red, white, and dark blue.
- It has tone and volume knobs so you can easily adjust the sound to your liking. It has the look of full-sized jazz bass, but Glarry Electric Bass is also perfect for rock and other genres with its warm, crisp, and rich tone.
- Weighing only a little more than 3 kilograms, Glarry Electric Bass is easy to bring anywhere. The package also includes a portable bag and shoulder strap for easy carrying, as well as a bass pick and amp cord.
Pros:
Impressive build; no fret buzz or squeals; strings spaced like a standard bass guitar for enhanced playability; comes with essential accessories; and has an assortment of 6 striking colors.
Cons:
It may need some minor adjustments, specifically the truss rod and saddle (well, the package comes with Allen wrenches for this purpose).
Check out this review:
IB Electric Bass Guitar
This one is specially created for beginners to kick-start their musical journey. The IB Electric Bass Guitar is budget-friendly but equipped with decent electronics and hardware to give novice players an awesome experience.
Price: $78
User rating: 4.3 out of 5 stars
Features:
- It is made with a combination of basswood, rosewood, and maple and synthetic materials; although it doesn’t look any more different than the others, this bass guitar offers more than any other bass guitar within the same price range can give.
- This lightweight guitar has a warm and subtly vibrant tone, with the strings placed one pitch lower that is perfect for creating those incredible bass effects. The thicker strings set in higher tension allow for ease of playing, while the metal tuning pegs and metal bridge give a more stable and sustainable sound.
- It has two pickups, a single-coil and a standard normal pickup. It also comes with two tone-controller knobs for those pickups and two separate volume controller knobs, as well.
Pros:
Slim neck improves playability; versatile dual-pickup configuration; neat control knobs; simple and easy to use.
Cons:
Does not come with the usual portable bag and strap (so you’ll have to purchase separately).
Check out this review:
Polar Aurora NEW Full Size 4 Strings Electric Bass Guitar
This bass guitar combines style and performance for under $100. The cutaway design and the eye-catching color combination of dark and light make this a great rock and blues instrument, but of course, it will also perform nicely in other genres.
Price: $99
User rating: 4.4 out of 5 stars
Features:
- The Polar Aurora Electric Bass Guitar is constructed using high density and hard texture wood for durability, finished with a satin-smooth, polished surface to give it that premium look and feel.
- It is created with a traditional headstock and high-quality chrome diecast tuning mechanisms to keep your bass in tune. It also features a piezoelectric guitar pickup configuration that works amazingly well.
- The package includes some accessories: a gig bag, shoulder strap, a pick, and an amp cord so it’s ready for action once you have it!
Pros:
Superb low-budget guitar with durable body construction; excellent hardware and electronic components.
Cons:
Some statics reported for some units; you may have to consider getting better guitar strings for this model.
Check out this review:
In Conclusion
As the market for budget bass guitars continues to grow, the quality of the guitars manufactured for the sudden influx of new guitar enthusiasts has improved. For less than a hundred dollars, anyone can now own a piece of good-quality bass guitar built ideally for beginners.
If you are one of the emerging crowd of guitar players born in the midst of the pandemic, you are probably reading here to have an idea of what affordable guitar to get, or if a cheap guitar will work well.
We’re here to tell you that, yes—good affordable guitars do exist, you just have to know what you are getting! And cheap guitar (or even a used one) should not hold you back from learning to play the guitar; remember that some guitar icons of the music world also rocked with the humblest guitar brands.