No matter your musical taste – from atmospheric goth rock of The Cure or Pearl Jam’s Jeff Ament in Seattle to the low-end rumble of extended range five and six-string basses – Guitar Center offers an electric bass guitar to fit your rhythms.
Bass guitars feature several key components, including a neck, fretboard and nut. Other important pieces include pickups that “capture” string vibration and convert them to an electrical signal for your amplifier.
Acoustic-Electric
Acoustic-electric bass guitars have quickly become a favorite among musicians for their distinctive sound and distinct design. Built to be played acoustically, these basses also feature built-in pickups which enable amplification. Perfect for bassists who require versatility with pedals, amplifiers or even just laptops;
These basses come in all shapes, sizes and styles to meet every bassist’s needs. Beginners might start out with something like the Dean EAB Acoustic-Electric Bass which features a solid spruce top with scalloped X bracing that produces rich tones unplugged while its slim-taper mahogany neck boasts 22 fret laurel fingerboard with dot inlays to guide their fingers as they learn basslines.
If you’re searching for an acoustic-electric bass with more power, take a look at the Fender Kingman SCE Acoustic-Electric Bass. Crafted from premium woods like spruce top and mahogany back and sides for full tones when played acoustically or plugged in; its Fishman pickup system accurately reproduces natural acoustic tones while onboard EQ controls allow you to shape them.
Whoever’s searching for an easily portable bass will appreciate options like the Ibanez PNB14E Parlor Acoustic-Electric Bass. Featuring a parlor body shape and African mahogany construction, as well as premium onboard electronics that make this instrument great for any musical occasion – and its 24.7″ scale length make it suitable for beginners as well as experienced players at any skill level.
5-String Electric
A bass guitar equipped with five strings adds an intriguing new sound quality. This variation on the standard electric bass allows it to take on more melodic roles, perfect for music genres like funk and metal that utilize chord work heavily. Furthermore, five-string basses allow greater range when it comes to playing scales, making them especially useful if playing as part of a band.
The 5-string bass guitar is a highly popular choice among musicians due to its versatility and range. You can customize its tone based on its type of wood and pickups used during its construction; alder gives full, clear tones that work with most genres well; basswood can give a more muted sound, which might work better for some genres; maple is often preferred by bassists who favor punchy tones while its durability makes it suitable for hard-working bassists.
Your bass comes in many finishes and colors to fit with your personal style, from natural to black, white, spruce green and even red! Your choice will depend on what kind of music you like listening to as well as personal taste.
If you’re on the market for a new bass, be sure to explore what guitar center has available. Though not quite like visiting your local music store, guitar center still makes for an easy and convenient place to find essential bass accessories – just do your research first before making a purchase decision!
6-String Electric
Bass guitarists typically find their place in heavier musical genres such as rock and metal music, where their duties include setting the beat and adding punchy tones to each composition. Bass players such as Flea from Red Hot Chili Peppers or Paul McCartney from The Beatles have become iconic bass guitarists; indeed they are often considered integral components of bands themselves.
While a bass guitar may appear intimidating at first, its structure and operation is actually not that different than an electric guitar in terms of function and structure. It simply features thicker strings with larger bodies than regular electrics. Basses can be played either with or without picks; most players use picks to help with string acoustic vibration and facilitate playing chords and melodies more easily.
Six-string bass guitars are by far the most popular choice, although five and eight string basses may also exist depending on your musical taste. While most bass guitars use standard tuning for their instrument, you may come across others that utilize alternate tuning which changes its sound and feel significantly.
Ibanez Prestige BTB746 Bass Guitar features an ash wing body with walnut top and mahogany back for deep, rich tones that are balanced across its frequency spectrum. A 35-inch-scale Atlas 5-piece maple/jatoba neck offers superior tone while its 2-octave jatoba fretboard boasts stainless Steel frets to preserve their high-quality, long-term appearance. A Monorail V bridge allows wide adjustments range for superior vibration transfer while each saddle isolation helps minimize sympathetic string interference; Bartolini BH-2 pickups provide tight bottom end while an Ibanez Custom Electronics 3-band EQ allows tonal variations for simple chord work as well as complex soloing.
P Bass
Fender P Bass or “P-Bass,” as it’s affectionately known, was one of the first electric basses to gain real traction in music scene and remains iconic today. From creating melodic bass lines like Jaco to slapping out some Larry Graham style slap bass action, a Fender P-Bass will provide your musical journey with the solid foundation it deserves.
The classic P-Bass design hasn’t changed much since its introduction in 1950 and can still be found today in most models. You’ll still find similar basic features in most current models – these include various body styles and sizes with solid, hard-bodied designs typically composed of wood; alder is particularly favored among bassists because of its rich sound; mahogany produces warmer tones. You may also encounter fretted or fretless neck models to suit any level player; fretted necks offer guidance when placing fingers for finger placement which beginners or those still honing skills need help with when beginning or honing skills development.
Though Fender P-Basses remain a go-to choice among bassists, there are other contemporary companies adding their own twist to this classic design. Jackson stands out with their JS Series basses featuring modern C-shape necks, two humbucking pickups, and more controls than you’ll find on a typical Precision bass. Meanwhile, Japanese company Precision Bass Lyte makes another attractive alternative.
Short-Scale Electric
Short-scale basses differ from their long scale counterparts in that they feature shorter neck and scale length, providing an easier playing experience for guitarists making the switch to bass or those with limited reach. While beginner level instruments, these basses also make great choices for more experienced bassists looking for something different with a different sound or tone.
One of the most popular short-scale electric bass guitars, Fender Vintage Modified Jaguar Bass features a slim maple neck that makes for easy position shifts on its fretboard, while its satin finish minimizes friction as your hand glides across it for smooth position changes. Furthermore, its lightweight build allows players to keep playing for extended periods without becoming tired.
The Sterling by Music Man StingRay short-scale maple fingerboard bass guitar is another fantastic choice for guitarists seeking high-quality yet compact short-scale electric bass instruments. Its single pickup combines parallel, true single coil, and series modes for tones ranging from modern aggressiveness to vintage inspired sounds; plus its powerful output provided by its neodymium magnets is perfect for cutting through mixes.
Some musicians may be skeptical of short-scale electric basses, yet these instruments have been utilized by numerous prominent figures – Paul McCartney played one during his time with the Beatles; more recently Jack Bruce has used one for work with Cream, as it allows him to execute string bending techniques more easily during fast passages in rock, blues or punk music.