7 Best Bass Guitars Under 200 in 2024 (With Best Purposes And Buying Guide)

At the top of the tree, we have our Editor's Choice - the Squier Fender Bronco Bass. It’s a classic bass guitar with a wallet-friendly price. It has a thin and lightweight design that's highly suitable for beginners.

Key Features

•  Equipped with a specially designed single-coil Bronco bass pickup
•  "C"-Shape neck profile that is slim and comfortable
• Gloss Polyurethane Body which is thin and lightweight
• Contains master volume and master tone
• Easy to carry and punchy tone

The Bronco bass has a solid double-cutaway Agathis body with a glossy polyurethane finish. The white three-ply pickguard gives the guitar a classic look. The C-shaped maple neck profile offers excellent playability and comfort. Well done to Squier for the cool-looking overall design. It doesn’t have any complicated features and it performs quite well for the price.

It features a single-coil pickup with one master volume knob and a master tone knob. Despite the single-coil pickup, it has a versatile tonal range that will surely catch you by surprise. It is a 30" short-scale bass that's designed for players with smaller hands. It comes with a two-saddle chrome bridge and die-cast tuners that come in super handy for beginners. This bass feels really good in your hands. Playing it may become very addictive within a short period of time.

Verdict: Overall, the Squier Bronco Bass suits musicians of any age who have smaller arms (since it's a short-scale one), adult beginners who are just about to start their bass-playing journey, or home music producers because of the ease of handling. If you're falling into any of these categories, then no need to look further. Grab one as soon as possible. You won't regret it as this is one of the best in business.

If you’re looking for a great short-scale guitar then look no further the Ibanez GSRM20 is the one for you. It’s one of the best bass guitars 200 with a short-scale design and our premium pick for the list.

Key Features

• A short-scale instrument with wallet-friendly pricing
• Fast, slim Maple neck
• Compact, light-weight Body
• Dynamic P pickup
• Short Scale 28. 6" length
• B10 bridge allows multiway intonation & solid tuning stability

Ibanez has used Agathis as the tonewood of the guitar. The body of the guitar has the standard Ibanez design following the contours of the GSR line. It comes in several color options to suit players with different tastes and styles. The neck of these guitars has maple construction with rosewood fretboard and pearl dot inlays.

The guitar is equipped with a standard fixed bridge for tuning stability, an adjustable saddle, and a die-cast tuning machine. It has a single-coil pickup system with J and P magnetic combination pickup configuration on the neck and the bridge. There are 3 volume controls in total, among those 3, 2 of them are for each pickup and the third one is the master tone control.

Verdict: Overall, the Ibanez GSRM20 is a perfect fit for adults with smaller hands or children. You can't find a better short-scale bass guitar at this price point. Apart from the shorter scale length, the ergonomic qualities of this bass are a standout feature that arguably is the second best selling point of this guitar.

From 2012 to the present, Donner's commitment has been to create new experiences in music and performance but they started by mostly selling guitar pedals and extended its product catalog afterward. China-based Donner guitars are built to order using high-quality materials yet at an affordable price, and their designs have been handcrafted by skilled artisans. And the Donner DPB-510D electric bass guitar is no different.

Key Features

• Donner's classic bass pickups
• AAA Perilla fingerboard, AAA Canadian maple neck
• Fixed "4-SADDLE BRIDGE", Open Gear Tuning Machines
• 2 volume knobs, 21 copper-nickel alloy frets with fret position marks
• Gig bag, guitar strap, guitar cable, and online free lessons are included
• Great number of positive customer feedback

With lightweight Poplar body construction, the AAA Canadian Maple neck and AAA Perilla fingerboard with the superior finish on the back of this bass provides a smooth fret-hand feel and durability that combines comfort and performance. The neck comes with a “Modern C”-shaped profile so that bass players with different playing styles can be fitted into it.

The bass also comes with classic Donner bass pickups that are ideal if you're looking for the authentic sound of a classic bass, this one has everything. With Donner bass pickups to give your tone that rich and warm feel with crisp highs - not to mention clear sounding making it one of the leading choices for starters with a low budget.

The Donner Bass is equipped with a through-body fixed bridge, which allows each string to be independently adjusted in height and tuned for perfect pitch. It also features slotted saddles that give it enhanced tuning stability and punchy attack so you can play all day long without worrying about your instrument going out of tune.

The open-gear tuning machines of this guitar are designed to provide you with a stable and sturdy sounding note. The two-volume knobs allow for quick adjustments whenever you need them. The Donner 4-String Bass comes with a gig bag, guitar strap, and cable as gifts making it suitable for a jump start.

Verdict: Overall, if you're just starting out with your bass playing journey and don't want to spend a fortune, the Donner 4-string DPB-510D electric bass can be the perfect pick for you making it our pick number 3 under the budget category.

If you’re a true Dimebag Darell fan then the Dean Edge 09 Electric Bass is the one for you. This entry-level gem by Dean has been one of the most popular choices by the beginner bassists out there.

Key Features

• Classic basswood body with a 34-inch maple neck
• Passive Soapbar pickup that includes volume and treble controls
• Rosewood fingerboard and abalone dot inlays
• Dean die-cast tuners for smooth tone and response
• Fulcrum bridge with adjustable intonations

The guitar features a basswood body with a basswood top. The neck of the guitar is constructed with maple with a rosewood fretboard that has pearl dot inlays. It has a vintage-style flush bridge with five adjustable saddles. Also, the chrome die-cast tuners are a lifesaver for beginners. With the sleek finish and decently built quality, this instrument would make for an excellent addition to any musician's collection!

It’s equipped with a single soap bar pickup that ensures absolute finesse. The simplicity of a single pickup design is not only obvious in terms of aesthetics, but it also has an impact on tone. With the simple control scheme of one tone and volume knob, this guitar has a wide range that can be tailored to your needs. Slap, pick, or fingerstyle, whatever your preferred style is, you can play it all with this bass guitar. It has a traditional sound output with an even tonal response.

Verdict: Overall, the Dean Edge 09 is an excellent choice for beginners looking to get started with hard-hitting tones and a simple design. More experienced players should consider other options before deciding on this bass since there may be some limitations that prevent them from achieving what they want out of the instrument.

When we’re looking for budget guitars with the most comfortability, Squier by Fender is the name that immediately pops into our minds. Just a look at the Squier By Fender Mini Precision Electric Bass and you know that it means business.

Key Features

• Stylish design by Fender, perfect for beginners and younger bass players
• C-shaped short-scale maple neck is bolted to a poplar body
• With the usual volume and tone controls
• Classic & timeless split single-coil P bass tone
• Sealed die-cast tuning machines
• Thin and lightweight body

The design of the guitar is inspired by the Fender Stratocaster’s double-horn body. However, it’s smaller than the original size which makes it perfect for young players or adults with small hands. The Mini Precision has a poplar construction which makes it super lightweight and easily maneuverable.

The neck of the guitar is sized at 28.6-inches which is slightly shorter than the traditional short-scale bass guitars. It also features a vibrant laurel fingerboard with Pearloid dot inlays. It has a split-coil pickup design that delivers the perfect tones on the pitches. You can achieve a variety of tonal variations so that you can perfectly hold onto your groove.

Verdict: Overall, the Squier Fender Mini Precision bass can great budget pick for bassists who are looking for an awesome short-scale bass that delivers awesome playability and comfort with a mixture of classic tones making it the fortune number 5 on our list of best bass guitars under 200.

At number 6 we have the Jackson Spectra Bass JS2 that delivers a beastly performance for the price. The curvy Spectra design of the bass will immediately catch your eyes. The body of the guitar is constructed with solid poplar that delivers warm bright tones.

Key Features

• Poplar body with a gloss finish and laurel fretboard
• PJ style pickup with active preamp for bass boost
• Volume control with push/pull selector to bypass active circuit
• Has a Hi-mass fixed bridge with die-cast tuners
• A Case is sold separately with the guitar

It features a bolt-on 1-piece maple neck with 24-jumbo frets with a 12" (304.8mm) radius fingerboard. The jumbo frets are highly recommended for beginners as they offer better playability. Jackson has done a great job in terms of sound quality. The tone of the guitar is highly impressive as it allows you to be creative with tone shaping.

There’s a lot of versatility packed in this simple setup of electronics. It has a P/J pickup configuration that’s the finest one you can find under the price of 200. The volume control is also equipped with a push/pull action that works as a selector of active and passive functions. The other hardware includes the Jackson Hardtail bridge system which is super value for the bucks as well.

Verdict: Jackson Guitars is proud to present their JS Series Spectra collection of bass guitars – and fans are going wild! The first impressions of this innovative new line have been stellar, with many saying that they can't wait until these models hit store shelves in early 2019. The models of this series include JS2, JS3, and JS3V. Overall, the JS2 model is jam-packed with nice looks and performance on an affordable budget for enthusiasts which is definitely a great achievement by Jackson.

The Rogue LX200B/BL Series III Electric Bass has simple looks with indomitable performance. As this bass is available for both right and left orientations, it is quite accessible for all as well.

Key Features

• Basswood dual cutaway body
• Bolt-on maple neck with rosewood fingerboard
• Equipped with J-style humbucker bridge pickup
• The P-style split-coil neck pickup
• A High-mass saddle bridge that is adjustable
• Die-cast tuners with dual volume and tone controls

The body of the guitar is made with basswood that gives it a powerful resonance with a thick deep sound. Basswood has also comparatively less dense than other materials which make the instrument quite lightweight and aids the playability. The neck of the guitar is made of maple with a rosewood fingerboard.

The hardware is also quite impressive for the price. It has a high mass adjustable bridge system that enables it to have customized action and help the strings stay stable. The guitar is equipped with two humbucker pickups. The J-style pickup at the bridge and the P-style pickup at the neck. It also has dual volume and tone control knobs.

Verdict: Overall, the Rogue LX200B series III can be a perfect budget pick for starters. The bass comes only in black color which may be a turn-off for some users though. Make sure to check out Guitar Center before your purchase as they are currently offering a steal deal on it.