Are you a bass guitar beginner or have back problems? Then it would be best if you had a lightweight bass guitar. Besides their lightweight and size, they have exceptional sound quality. In most cases, bass guitars are heavier as compared to their electric guitar counterparts. But as already mentioned, some people cannot withstand that weight hence the need for lightweight guitars.
For most people, searching for a lightweight bass guitar is a no-brainer. This is where we come in handy. We want to help you get the best light bass guitar. To help you to that end, we will tell you some of the things that you should look for in a lightweight bass guitar before you purchase it.
What Makes the Best Light Bass Guitars?
1. Material used
Besides the weight of the guitar, you need to take into consideration the quality of the material used to make it. When the guitar is made of high-quality wood, it will serve you for a long time.
Various kinds of woods are made in making guitars that are not only light but also durable. Find a guitar that is made from such woods as maple or basswood. The durability of the guitar is an essential factor to consider.
2. Scale
Another crucial thing to consider is the dimensions of the guitar. The dimensions of a bass guitar are also referred to as scale. Generally speaking, a bass guitar with large scales is heavier as compared to its short-scale counterpart.
Therefore, if you are looking for a lightweight bass guitar, go for one with short scales. However, exceptions are allowed.
3. Durability
How long the guitar will serve you is a critical thing to consider. It might be hard to find a long-lasting light bass guitar because most are made of softwood which breaks easily. It is for this reason that we stated above that you should find out the material used to make the guitar.
4. Hardware
The hardware impacts the performance of a bass guitar. Besides the construction of the body of the guitar, the hardware of the bass guitar contributes significantly to the weight of the guitar.
At the same time, the hardware of the bass guitar determines the boutique bass and the cost of the guitar.
5. Price
Price is relative from person to person, but for sure, it is a crucial factor to take into consideration. Bass guitars are available at a wide range of prices. The price of the guitar is determined by a number of such as hardware and material used.
Generally, the cost of the guitar ranges from boutique to budget. Mostly, it is not easy to find a bass guitar on either extreme of the price range.
6. Brand
There are numerous guitar brands in the market today. But, are all the brands the best? No! some companies have specialized in bass guitar manufacture. Such companies have been making bass guitars for decades, so their instruments are great.
Some of the top and trusted bass guitar brands include:
5. Plans
Another critical factor to consider when you want to purchase a bass guitar is your plans for bass. How are you going to use the bass guitar you are buying? Are you going to practice, play for recording in a long session, playing a gig?
Depending on where you are going to use the bass guitar, buy a guitar that will suit your plans. A guitar made of basswood is preferable to one made of maple simply because maple is a bit heavier.
Also read: Best Capos for Bass guitar
6. Pickups
Guitars are available in a wide range of pickups. There are those with humbuckers, single-coils. Besides that, you will find others with passive or active designs.
Bass guitars with a single-coil are considered classic pickups. Also, they are friendly and very simple. Most importantly, they use a single magnet and coil, which in turn impacts the sound quality.
Guitars with humbuckers, on the other end, produce fat sounds but get muddy at higher volumes. But they are best at canceling out any unwanted sounds and interferences from the surroundings.
7. Playability
It would be best if you considered the playability of the guitar you are buying. Consider the neck and shape of the body of the guitar because these two have a significant impact on the playability of the guitar.
About the neck, consider whether you want a fretless or fretted neck. Your playing style will determine the type of neck that you will buy. We would recommend that you buy a fanned-fret bass guitar because they are excellent for certain kinds of playing styles.
8. Tone
The tone of the guitar is an essential factor to consider. Depending on your style, you might want a guitar that blends more than one pickup tone or just a single solid sound.
Most importantly, you need to remember that the type of wood used to make the guitar will have an impact on the tone as well. For instance, if you are looking for a balanced tone, then you should go for a guitar made of alder or ash. On the other hand, if you are looking for a more warm sound, then you should go for a guitar made of mahogany wood.
The Best Light Bass Guitars to Buy Right Now
1. Traveler Guitar TB-4 P-Bass Guitar
The Traveler guitar company has been in the bass guitar industry since ’92. For all these decades, they have mastered the art of making super lightweight and compact bass guitars. The Traveler Guitar TB-4 P-Bass Guitar, which is under consideration, is ideal for bass guitarists who love traveling.
The Traveler Guitar TB-4 P-Bass Guitar is small in size, which makes it easy to pack and carry around while traveling. In terms of sound quality, it has a warm and standard sound.
Besides travelers, Traveler Guitar TB-4 P-Bass Guitar is ideal for beginners and students alike. It comes with an inbuilt headphone amp which gives you the option to play the guitar without disturbing those around you.
At the same time, if you wish to plug in an MP3 player and play along with the tracks, you can do so. Also, the Traveler Guitar TB-4 P-Bass Guitar is comfortable because it’s shorter, which is ideal for 32-inch guitar players.
In terms of design, it has a stage-ready make with exceptional sound quality. What’s more, the Traveler Guitar TB-4 P-Bass Guitar comes with a Seymour Duncan MM-101 pickup which significantly impacts the low-end rumble.
Pros
- Comes with a storage bag
- Lightweight and compact
- Short scales which makes it comfortable
- Small size which can fit in a plane’s overhead compartment
- Comes with an inbuilt headphone amp
- Superb sound thanks to the Seymour Duncan MM-101 pickups
Cons
- Not easy to change the strings
2. Squier Affinity Series Bronco Bass Guitar
Second, on our list of the best lightweight bass guitars is the Squier Affinity Series Bronco Bass Guitar. This guitar features die-cast tuners and single-coil pickups. Apart from that, it is short – 30 inches which means it has short scales.
In terms of sound quality, the Squier Affinity Series Bronco Bass Guitar has excellent audio quality which makes it one of the best bass guitars in the market today.
Moreover, the Squier Affinity Series Bronco Bass Guitar is straightforward to tune. This makes it an ideal choice for beginner and midway bass guitar players.
Another salient feature about this guitar is the 2 saddle chrome bridge. This makes it easy to control the tunes and the volume of the guitar.
The body construction is strong and sturdy. So, durability is a guarantee. In addition to that, it has a shiny polyurethane finishing which makes it superb to behold.
Despite the small size, the sound produced by the Squier Affinity Series Bronco Bass Guitar is similar to that of a big bass guitar.
Pros
- Easy to tune
- Shinny and sleek finish
- Has an excellent sound quality
- Sturdy and durable
- Comes with 2 saddle chrome bridges
- Ideal for beginner and midway players
- Good value for money
Cons
- The quality of the tuners is wanting
3. Fender American Performer Precision Bass Guitar
The fender is made in the USA, and it is the editor’s best choice. The body of the Fender American Performer Precision Bass Guitar is made of alder while the neck is made of maple. The fingerboards are also made of maple.
The scale is 34 inches, and it is compatible with a left-handed player. Some of the features that make the Fender American Performer Precision Bass Guitar stand out from the rest is the teles and strats which has made it the best-selling bass guitar world over.
In terms of tone, the Fender American Performer Precision Bass Guitar has what you dream of tone-wise. It has a grease bucket tone circuit which helps to add tonal variations.
The body of the guitar has a satin finish which makes it cool when you are playing it. Apart from that, it has 20 frets, and the pickups are made of Yosemite Jazz.
Another salient feature of the Fender American Performer Precision Bass Guitar is the controls for volume and tone. There are two controls for volume and one button for tone control.
What’s more, the hardware is made of Vintage-style steel saddles and Vintage paddle keys. However, if you are working on a budget, this bass guitar is a bit expensive.
Pros
- Lightweight
- Left-handed player compatible
- A nice satin finish
- The tone is impressive
- Durable
- Tonal variations are possible
- Value for money
Cons
- Expensive
- Available in few colors
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4. Stingray 4 Bass Guitar
The Stingray 4 Bass Guitar is another American product on our list today. Although it is imported, all the components of the guitar are made in the US.
The body of the Stingray 4 Bass Guitar is made of basswood, and the neck is made of maple. It is amazingly lightweight than it looks. Also, it has a sturdy construction which makes it long-lasting.
Another great feature worth mentioning is the ceramic pickups which have a 2 –way band which makes it sporty with a preamp. In terms of tone, the Stingray 4 Bass Guitar has a precise tone command.
The merit of the preamp on the guitar is that it gives you full control over the level of volume you want to play at, the bass, and the treble.
Before the Stingray 4 Bass Guitar is released into the market, it is doubly checked to ensure that it has no flaws and it operates at its best. Therefore, you can rest assured the quality of the guitar is high.
The Stingray 4 Bass Guitar is tough, sturdy, and long-lasting.
In terms of tuning, the keys are grouped in the 3+1 style, which makes the tuning of the guitar very easy.
Pros
- Easy to tune
- Durable thanks to the basswood and maple wood combinations
- Doubly inspected before released to the market
- Ceramic pickups which enhance the audio quality
- All the components of the guitar are made in the US.
- Has a preamp for easy control
- Immensely lightweight
Cons
- None to note
5. Ibanez GSRM20BS GSRM20 4-String Bass Guitar
Ibanez is a famous brand with rockers and heavy metal players. These genre bass players prefer it because the Ibanez GSRM20BS GSRM20 4-String Bass Guitar is a high-quality guitar. Also, in terms of price, you do not have to break a bank to buy it.
The Ibanez GSRM20BS GSRM20 4-String Bass Guitar comes in 9 different color shades to select from. Also, it weighs only 7 pounds which makes it very light for prolonged playing.
The body of the Ibanez GSRM20BS GSRM20 4-String Bass Guitar is compact and made of high-quality material which can withstand any abuse during use. Therefore, it is long-lasting.
The fretboard of the guitar is made of rosewood while the neck is made of maple. This ensures that the sound quality produced is excellent no matter your level of playing.
The Ibanez GSRM20BS GSRM20 4-String Bass Guitar is ideal for bass guitar newbie players. However, it can also be used by professional players.
It is a 4 stringed bass guitar with control knobs for volume, bass, and treble.
Pros
- Super lightweight
- Available in 9 different colors to choose from
- Ideal for both beginners and professional players
- Appropriately priced
- Compact body design
- Durable
- Rich sound quality
Cons
- The short scales hinders the audio quality
6. Danelectro ’58 Longhorn Bass
The last bass guitar on our list today is the unique designed guitar – the Danelectro ’58 Longhorn Bass. It is a short-scale bass guitar type that has double cutaways. Besides that, it weighs only 6 pounds which makes it very light and you can play it for a long time without experiencing any fatigue.
What makes the Danelectro ’58 Longhorn Bass unique is the pickups that are slightly spread apart as compared to other bass guitars. Also, there are two plastic knobs that you can use to control the volume and bass level.
Apart from that, it has an adjustable truss rod. In terms of sound quality, it is top-notch, and some rock legends have used it so you can be assured of its quality.
What’s more, the Danelectro ’58 Longhorn Bass is made of high-quality material; therefore, it is long-lasting.
For each of the pickups, there are separate volume and tone controls which gives you the freedom to choose the pickup you would wish to play with. The tone clarity of the Danelectro ’58 Longhorn Bass is exceptional, and the sound is projected well.
Pros
- Durable
- Exceptional sound projection
- Separate controls for volume and tone for each pickup
- Super lightweight
- Has double cutaways
- Top-notch construction
Cons
- None to note
Conclusion
It is fun to play bass, but it is also paramount to protect yourself. If you have anybody pains that result from playing a heavy bass guitar, it is high time you stopped and switched to a light bass guitar.
The best lightweight bass guitars we have listed above have considerably cut down on weight. This will ensure that you will not experience any pain due to weight while playing the guitar. As a bonus, if you like traveling, you can carry your guitar with you anywhere you go.