7 Best Bass Guitars Under 300 (2024)

Leading the list is the Ibanez TMB100 Electric Bass Guitar and it’s the perfect example that you don’t need to spend a fortune to get yourself a good electric bass guitar. It has a curvy double-cutaway design that gives it a vintage look.

Key Features

• Equipped with active 2-band EQ that offers a variety of tonal options
• Configured with Dynamic P and Dynamic J pickups
• Tortoiseshell pickguard and Jatoba fretboard
• Chunky maple and wide neck with a poplar body
• A case is sold separately with the guitar

The Ibanez TMB100 comes in a variety of color choices like mint green, coral red, soda blue, etc. The body has a mahogany construction with a full-size 34" maple neck. The neck profile is highly comfortable and you'll have no complaint about the playability even if you're a beginner player.

The guitar is equipped with two solid pickups at the bridge and the neck. It also consists of two control knobs for master tone and volume that are placed at the lower bout. You can't go wrong with this bass! The Mahogany body and Ibanez Dynamix pickups provide warm punchy vintage goodness. With the active 2-band EQ, you have tonal options for any occasion from rock to funk--all in one affordable package that won’t break your budget either.

Verdict: If you're looking for that vintage sound and feel, then look no further than the Ibanez Talman. The TMB100 will give your bass everything from classic tones to those iconic looks! That's why this is number 1 and our Editor's Choice for the list.

The Gretsch bass is one of the most famous and sought-after instruments in music history. A name like that alone should be enough to get your attention, but when you add on top how great these things sound too-we can't help but take a closer look!

Key Features

• Jet body shape
• Basswood body back
• Basswood body top
• 20 medium jumbo frets
• Dot position inlays

The Gretsch G2220 is a 4-string bass with the company's classic Jet body shape. This guitar has a comfortable gloss-lacquered maple D-shaped neck profile and frets spacing that is perfect for tight playing. The rosewood fingerboard on this guitar has mother-of-pearl position markers and white dots along the side of the neck.

The G2220 has a retro look with a twin-ply black scratchplate, chrome bridge, die-cast machine heads, and chrome humbucking pickups. This is a sturdy bass with smooth machine heads, chrome volume and tone controls, and a clean wiring setup. The tone from the pickups is clear and forthright. The neck pickup offers warmth and roundness, while the bridge pickup is bright and tangy.

Verdict: Overall, the G2220 Junior Jet is a great bass for hitting low-end that doesn't require much effort to play. This bass has smooth and thorough tones, with no tonal harshness. If you want a fat and punchy tone, look elsewhere. But, If you're looking for a bass that has the power to shake your soul or you're the bassist with rocky persuasion, this one might be perfect, making it our premium pick for the list.

The unique design and build of the Yamaha TRBX174 Electric Bass guitar will instantly make you feel like a Rockstar. It’s available in a myriad of vibrant colors that will boost up your energy and power.

Key Features

• A great looking Mahagony body with Sonokeling fingerboard
• Includes a vintage-style Individual adjustable bridge system
• Equipped with a single-coil and a split-coil pickup
• A case is sold separately with the guitar

It has a mahogany top and back construction that delivers excellent sound quality. The bolt-on maple neck ensures poot playing for bassists of all skill levels. It has a deep cutaway design that’s a blessing for novice bassists. You can easily reach the higher registers without any struggle.

Unlike most budget guitars, this one comes with an adjustable bridge system. The guitar is equipped with a single-coil pickup with P-style and J-style arrangements. It gives out tons of tonal options that will help you flourish your bass skills. The bass is from the 100 series of TRBX and as mentioned above it's available in black, dark blue metallic, old violin sunburst, red metallic, root beer, tobacco brown sunburst, and translucent black.

Verdict: Overall, the Yamaha TRBX174 is pretty much an all-around bass from our perspective as it features something for everyone and exceeds in all aspects including sound quality, builds quality, versatility, playability, and value for the money. Moreover, this bass has an insane number of reviews from real users around the world (over 1k at the time of writing). That's why this one is our premium pick and second on the list with a rating of 9.7.

At number 3 under budget pick, we have the Ibanez GSR200. This bass guitar is a lower-priced instrument with some features that make it a quality choice.

Key Features

• One-piece maple neck
• Rosewood fretboard
• Pearl dot inlay

This is a full-sized bass guitar that is smaller than usual, made from Mahogany with a maple top. This guitar has a Walnut urethane finish, maple neck, and rosewood fingerboard with 22 frets. The body of this bass has rounded edges which make it comfortable to hold and play with and has a bevel in the top corner for arm resting.

The bass has a black bridge, tailpiece, and machine heads that are purely functional and hold the tuning well. The controls are similarly onboard to do a job. They are not elaborate but produce some tonal range. The controls include volume controls for each pickup, EQ, and tone control. The hardware finish also comes in black.

This bass comes with 2 active pickups - a Precision style single coil in the middle and a Jazz style single coil at the bridge end that requires a 9-volt battery. The bass features a PHAT-II active bass boost - an add-on for bass guitars that restores the low-end frequencies. With all these, the guitar comes with just nine pounds which is considered to be as lightweight too.

Verdict: Overall, the Ibanez GSR 200 4-string bass is a good value for the money, easy to play, and a great choice for young learners or even adults who are seeking their first bass. So for an instrument, this fine to be offered at such a cheap price is truly remarkable which is a great achievement by Ibanez.

Up next on our review, we have another gem from the Ibanez called the Ibanez GSR205. From the same GIO series but with 5-strings, The Ibanez GSR205 is a popular budget 5-string bass that combines great style, sound, and value.

Key Features

• Neck Material: Maple
• Neck Type: GSR5
• Body: Agatha's body
• Frets: Medium frets
• Fingerboard: Rosewood

The GSR205 has a basic design with a smooth curvaceous double-cutaway body made of solid poplar. The guitar has a slim maple neck with a 34” scale length that’s securely bolted onto the body, jatoba fretboard, and 22 medium frets. There are a variety of finishes to choose from to suit any player's style including black, walnut, deep violet metallic, etc.

The GSR205 is a fun bass to play for both beginners and experienced bassists. This guitar has 2 passive humbuckers and 4 controls - an individual volume for each pickup and a master tone control, along with the Phat II EQ - an active bass boost to power up the lower ends just like the GSR200 model. This guitar has good power and tone for stock pickups, making it versatile for a variety of genres that is also suitable for practice sessions and smaller performances.

Verdict: Overall, the Ibanez GSR205 is a case of the company doing the important things very well, which makes it great for those just starting out on the 5-string bass, moving from 4-string bass to 5-string, and want a good value for the money at the same time. With all these features, this gem steals the fourth position on our list.

It’s hard to find a simple 5-string bass guitar under 250/300. However, the performance and the quality of the Ibanez GSR105EX-5 String Bass will surely blow your mind. So, we can't resist adding another Ibanez to the list.

Key Features

• Provides fat & punchy tone with excellent playability
• A slim Profile neck offers an amazing balance of speed
• comfortable playing with plenty of sustain
• Reddish-brown colored Jatoba fretboard produces rich mid-range & crisp high end
• B15 Bridge allows multiway intonation & solid tuning stability
• Compact, light-weight Body, Ppd5 pickup

The guitar has a mahogany body with a double-cut design. It has a thin maple-made neck profile that gives great balance with excellent playability. It has a sleek feel with a nicely balanced weight throughout the guitar’s body. Despite the budget-friendly price, it has excellent electronics as well. The bridge gives out the exceptional sustain that you need for a 5-string bass guitar.

The bass is equipped with a single humbucker that fattens up the tone and gives it great power and strength. The tuning machine comes from die-cast units that do a decent job of retaining the tune of the guitar. The only drawback is the stock knobs which are made of cheap plastics. But, you can easily replace them with metal chrome knobs.

Verdict: Overall, I liked the simplicity of this model as it includes all the necessary things, nothing fancy, or no unwanted component either. If you need a simple 5-string bass that is easy to play, lightweight, and sturdy, then the Ibanez GSR105EX is the one for you, making it number 5 on our list of the best bass guitars under 300.

If you’re someone with a unique style, personality and taste then the Luna Tattoo Short Scale Electric Bass is the perfect choice for you. It’s a true combination of advanced design and craftsmanship, making it our number 6.

Key Features

• Amazing outlook with Laser-Etched Tattoo Art by Alex Morgan
• Mahogany body sketched with natural satin finish
• Vintage P-Bass Style Pickup provides professional-grade sound
• Master volume and tone controls
• Die-cast covered tuner

The design of the guitar is one of its prime attractions. It has laser-etched tattoo art on the body. The body of the guitar is constructed with solid mahogany that offers incredible durability. It has an extreme cutaway design that enables the player to have easy access to all the frets. It features a maple neck with a rosewood fretboard.

The hardware segment of the budget bass guitars comes in a basic form. Well, the Luna Tattoo Short Scale Electric Bass is no different. The electronics of the guitar are nothing over the top. It’s equipped with the traditional split-coil pickup which is wired through the volume and tone knobs.

Verdict: Overall, the Luna Tattoo Short-Scale electric bass has a seamless construction with immense flexibility that will let you rock the stage and define your tone. The Tattoo takes its design from traditional Polynesian body ornamentation, which is monochromatic and geometric, tattooed in black against brown skin, and inspired by the natural island world.