Best Bass Guitars Under £1000

Are you one of those bassists who have hung onto their starter instrument because ‘it’s fine’ and ‘it’ll do the job’? If so then I reckon you’re missing out on some pretty great experiences. The world of bass guitars has always been a little more daring and esoteric than that of regular electric guitars. There’s just something about the attitude of bassists that lets them be slightly more progressive and individual than guitarists when it comes to shapes, colours and technology.  This has led to more variety in the instruments themselves, and you’ll maybe see that reflected today in my choices. 

What I’ve done is scour our entire inventory to check out what can be had for under £1000. That was my only criteria, and I’m happy to report that there are acres of great basses ready to be taken out into battle, and all under (sometimes considerably so) that top line price point. 

Why £1000? I suppose it was an arbitrary figure, but there’s definitely something about breaking through that ‘thousand pound’ ceiling that psychologically feels like we are entering into another territory, isn’t there? Under a grand is where lots of  great stuff lives, but it’s great stuff that you’ll take out and play gigs with, not hide behind a glass case rigged to an alarm. 

These are all basses for players, chosen by somebody who does exactly that. Here are my recommendations…

What self-respecting article on basses would begin with anything other than the OG? Fender’s P-Bass was literally the first electric bass guitar in existence - as I’m sure you know - and Fender currently offer the model in a dizzying variety of ranges and options.

The Fender Player II Precision Bass is the one I’d go for in the sub-£1000 price range. It’s an attractive beast, solidly built and has a great sounding alnico split-coil pickup. There’s brightness there which I appreciate, because it’s easy to roll that off with the tone knob if you don’t want it: it’s far harder to add top end convincingly to a bass!

Anyway, these are nice to play, tough, reliable and come in some very tasty finishes. You may prefer something more subtle than the Coral Red I’m showing here, but I love it!

The Fender P-Bass just gets straight to business, and it does that business with authority. If that sounds good to you, then your biggest challenge now is picking a colour!

Oh, I do love a StingRay. Music Man’s finest bass creation is, for me, the third undeniably classic model after Fender’s Precision and Jazz models. The StingRay provides a distinctly high-fi sound and a refined feel, which I happen to believe has set the mark for all subsequent high-end and boutique builders.

Designed by Leo Fender - for a non-musician, he certainly knew what we all liked! - the StingRay is perhaps his definitive statement of what a bass should be. Its powerful sound comes usually from a humbucker pickup and an active preamp & EQ circuit, which is key to the instrument’s versatile nature. Boost what you want more of, and cut what you want less of. 

Music Man, of course, are an expensive USA-made brand, but that doesn’t mean that bassists on a budget have to miss out on the fun! Sterling - named after Sterling Ball, Music Man’s owner - is a sub brand that makes licensed replicas out in the far East to some pretty strict quality control measures. I’ve played a ton of Sterling basses over the years and have always found them enjoyable and reliable. They have the same cool ‘proper StingRay’ shape, a similar feel and specs that are all affordable takes on what the American basses have. 

There’s loads of options out there (number of pickups, number of strings etc) so dig into the whole range and see what appeals to you! For an example today, here’s the Sterling StingRay Ray24 Classic in Butterscotch. With a powerful humbucker and a 2-band active preamp, it’s my favourite mix of Music Man specs on a bass that combines modern with classic.

How do you feel about headless basses? I love them, and I think they really suit 5-strings too: it’s all just a little bit more modern, isn’t it? Anyway, Cort have been on the bass map for years now, but they’ve also built instruments for many top name brands as well (and continue to do so, in fact) so that really speaks to the quality involved. 

These people know how to build basses, and the Cort Artisan Space 5 is a new design for today’s market. Actually, it’s a fresh update of an older style but let’s not get bogged down here: with its decapitated design and burl wood top, we are most definitely in the mid 2020s here! It’s a super-playable bass indeed (I kept reaching for it when we had it in the office) and there’s top hardware onboard from Bartolini, too. More a super-modern bass that performs and looks like a spaceship, look no further.

Calling all post-punk fans! The Yamaha BB434 comes from a very esteemed lineage. As soon as I learned that Joy Division/New Order’s Peter Hook played a BB bass, I was in! These modern iterations are refined versions of the classic Yamaha BB, the solid and punchy bass from the 70s. These have a super-strong 6 bolt neck join where two of those bolts are angled for near-indestructability! It’s a great idea that I’m surprised hasn’t been snatched by more of the competition, frankly. Aside from that, you get some powerful sounding ceramic P&J style alnico pickups for a good vintage-flavoured thump.

Obviously this is good for high-register ‘lead bass’, but it has a cracking low end too, making this a nice alternative to the usual choices.

Ibanez basses are just like their guitars: sleek, slinky, capable and well specc’d. I think Ibanez basses are a sound choice for guitarists who indulge in bass playing, and don’t want put off by the ‘culture shock’ of a large, wide neck. Why? Its their trademark slender necks and narrow nut widths, which make them super-easy to zip around on without ever giving you the feeling that you’re playing a short-scale bass.

The Ibanez SR series is a thoroughly contemporary style that kind of melts into your hands. They are like the opposite of Rickenbacker basses to me (which I also love but are way above today’s price point!) which are defiantly massive, confident things that play you as much as you play them! This Ibanez SR600E is all about comfort and performance, and has a shape that is likely to conform to players of all sizes. The woods are striking, the circuitry is plentiful, and it’s just a very capable, attractive bass for anyone who wants a more contemporary vibe.

Sadowsky basses for under a grand? Am I kidding? Do I always talk to myself like this?

No and yes. No joke: these are designed by NYC legend Roger Sadowsky and built overseas to allow for a more economical price.

Based on the classic P and J style basses that you’d no doubt expect from Sadowsky, this Metroline range of basses is particularly potent for the cash you pay. These use top woods and the same Sadowsky hardware, pickups and electronics as the New York-born models. These ones are made in Germany and are just outrageously good basses, for any price. At under a grand, they are astonishing.

I have been consistently impressed with Squier Classic Vibe basses over the years. Honestly, as a player, I find them so comfortable to get to grips with, regardless of the style or techniques I’m employing. They do remind me of vintage Fenders, but are generally lighter in weight, which is a hefty bonus, I’d say!

These basses are made to a fairly tight spec, considering just how affordable they are. We are quite significantly below HALF of our top budget here, folks, and I’d take this Squier Classic Vibe 70s Jazz Bass onto a stage tomorrow, with no major tweaks required!

Squier offer a large range of cool models, but I find it hard to see past this black-on-black jazz bass with its block inlays and effortless sense of style. You’d fit in anywhere with one of these, and sounds great whilst doing so. What else do you need to know?

Which of these is the ‘best’ bass? It’s a kind of impossible question in some regards, especially when you come from the school of thought that the P-Bass is all you’ll ever need. That’s not something I massively disagree with, actually, but we need lots of colours and variety in our lives, and today’s blog has hopefully shown that those exist, in good quality, affordable instruments.

In 2025 we have the classics, the modern styles, the 5 strings, the headless basses and sometimes a combination of these! However you want to approach the bass, we’ve got you covered. However much you want to spend, we’ve got a great bass for you.

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