Best Sellers

The original starter four-string, the Squier Affinity Series Bronco Bass resurrects one of Fender's first student model design with vintage tone and feel at a budget-friendly price point. Bringing together a svelte agathis body and 30" scale maple neck perfect kids and players with smaller hands, the model is finished off with a specially-designed single-coil pickup and chrome two-saddle bridge for unparalleled tuning stability. Ideal for newcomers to the bass, the Bronco is also an attractive option for guitarists who switch over to a four-string from time to time.

As a product of the '70s (with a brief reissue in 1997 headed by Squier), the Fender Musicmaster Bass is a shorter-scale, stripped-down version of the Fender Mustang Bass. Distinguish between older and later models by the tuning keys: the former sported triangular tuning keys while the latter is Mustang-style. If you're looking for a real vintage bass at a far more musician-friendly price, the Fender Musicmaster Bass may be your pick.

When Justin Meldal-Johnsen's guitar tech handed him his first Mustang a decade ago, he was immediately enthralled with the short-scale size and blown away by all that it could do. So when it came time to design his signature bass, he wanted something as close to his own personal vintage '66 Mustang as he could get, resulting in the JMJ Road Worn Mustang. It features the same Daphne Blue finish, with a detail-conscious relic job featuring an authentic ‘60s-era aged pearl pickguard for that vintage vibe. Importantly, it’s also outfitted with a custom-spec, single-coil Mustang pickup that’s voiced as closely to JMJ’s vintage original as possible.

Features a mahogany body with a short-scale maple neck, rosewood fretboard, and BassBucker pickup.

Introduced two years after the Mustang guitar, the Mustang Bass was the first student-level bass produced by Fender as well as the last production bass designed by Leo Fender before he left the company. Targeted towards younger players, the Mustang Bass offered a shorter 30-inch scale length as well as a lower price-point than the Precision or Jazz Basses of the mid-'60s. The split single-coil pickup was also smaller than that of the P Bass, but still captured a wide range of bass tones.

Years of Production: 1966 - 1981

Body Style: Offset solidbody

Wood Composition: Alder body, Maple neck with veneer Rosewood fingerboard

Design Elements: Bolt-on neck, dot inlays, 30-inch scale length, split single-coil pickup

Finish Specifications: White was added as a finish for the Mustang bass in 1975.

Notable Players:  Bill Wyman, Tina Weymouth, Fred Smith

Gibson's EB-3 bass guitar was released in 1961 and was produced through 1979, sporting the familiar sharp double-cutaway solid body similar to the SG. As an upgrade to the EB-0, which also makes the EB-3 a more desirable collectors' piece, the EB-3 sports dual humbuckers on its solid mahogany body with a metal cover over the bridge pickup and a 4-position rotary tone switch. The Gibson EB-3 has been played by the likes of Jack Bruce and Bill Wyman.

Thanks to Paul McCartney and the Beatles, the Hofner 500/1 Violin Bass shot to stardom and has since become a legendary instrument -- it's even been called the "Beatles Bass." First produced in the late '50s by the German company Hofner and then distributed to the U.K., the 500/1 has been in production until today, its unique, violin-like body shape inspiring the design of many others. Its semi-hollow body and hot, blade-style pickups are just a few of the parts that make up the singular Hofner 500/1 Violin Bass.

Introduced two years after the Mustang guitar, the Mustang Bass was the first student-level bass produced by Fender as well as the last production bass designed by Leo Fender before he left the company. Targeted towards younger players, the Mustang Bass offered a shorter 30-inch scale length as well as a lower price-point than the Precision or Jazz Basses of the mid-'60s. The split single-coil pickup was also smaller than that of the P Bass, but still captured a wide range of bass tones.

Years of Production: 1966 - 1981

Unique to this Year: This was the first year of Mustang Bass production 

Body Style: Offset solidbody 

Wood Composition: Alder body, Maple neck with veneer Rosewood fingerboard

Design Elements: Bolt-on neck, dot inlays, 30-inch scale length, split single-coil pickup

Finish Specifications: Red was one of three colors offered in the first few years of Mustang Bass production. 

Notable Players:  Bill Wyman, Tina Weymouth, Fred Smith

Similar to the ES-335, the Gibson EB-2 was a semi-hollow bass with that classic Gibson shape. A single humbucker on the neck and a shorter scale length identify the EB-2 and set it apart from the likes of the EB-2D, which was released in '66 sporting two neck pickups. The EB-2's tone and style attracted notable bassists like Chas Chandler of the Animals and John Entwistle.

Originally introduced with a slab Les Paul Junior-style body, the Gibson EB-0 evolved to an SG-shaped bass by the early '60s. This bass featured a short scale length and a single fat humbucker pickup. Gibson also released a dual pickup version of this bass as the EB-3. 

Years of Production: 1959 - 1979

Unique to this Year: In 1961, the EB-0 was redesigned from a Les Paul Junior-style body to an SG-style body. 

Body Style: Double cutaway solidbody

Wood Composition: Mahogany body, Mahogany neck, Rosewood fingerboard

Design Elements: Humbucker pickup, 30 1/2-inch scale length, dot inlays, large clover-shaped tuners

Finish Specifications: Cherry Red was the only standard finish offered on the EB-0 until 1971.

Notable Players: Jack Bruce, David Knights, Mike Watt

Introduced two years after the Mustang guitar, the Mustang Bass was the first student-level bass produced by Fender as well as the last production bass designed by Leo Fender before he left the company. Targeted towards younger players, the Mustang Bass offered a shorter 30-inch scale length as well as a lower price-point than the Precision or Jazz Basses of the mid-'60s. The split single-coil pickup was also smaller than that of the P Bass, but still captured a wide range of bass tones. Starting in 1969, Fender introduced a set of snazzy "competition" finishes which added a double racing stripe to the body. 

Years of Production: 1966 - 1981

Body Style: Offset solidbody 

Wood Composition: Alder body, Maple neck with veneer Rosewood fingerboard

Design Elements: Bolt-on neck, dot inlays, 30-inch scale length, split single-coil pickup

Finish Specifications: Competition Red was part of the Competition series of finishes introduced in 1969.

Notable Players:  Bill Wyman, Tina Weymouth, Fred Smith

Originally introduced with a slab Les Paul Junior-style body, the Gibson EB-0 evolved to an SG-shaped bass by the early '60s. This bass featured a short scale length and a single fat humbucker pickup. Gibson also released a dual pickup version of this bass as the EB-3. 

Years of Production: 1959 - 1979

Body Style: Double cutaway solidbody

Wood Composition: Mahogany body, Mahogany neck, Rosewood fingerboard

Design Elements: Humbucker pickup, 30 1/2-inch scale length, dot inlays, large clover-shaped tuners

Finish Specifications: Cherry Red was the only standard finish offered on the EB-0 until 1971.

Notable Players: Jack Bruce, David Knights, Mike Watt

Originally introduced with a slab Les Paul Junior-style body, the Gibson EB-0 evolved to an SG-shaped bass by the early '60s. This bass featured a short scale length and a single fat humbucker pickup. Gibson also released a dual pickup version of this bass as the EB-3. 

Years of Production: 1959 - 1979

Unique to this Year: Gibson adds a metal pickup covering and string mutes in 1962. 

Body Style: Double cutaway solidbody

Wood Composition: Mahogany body, Mahogany neck, Rosewood fingerboard

Design Elements: Humbucker pickup, 30 1/2-inch scale length, dot inlays, large clover-shaped tuners

Finish Specifications: Cherry Red was the only standard finish offered on the EB-0 until 1971.

Notable Players: Jack Bruce, David Knights, Mike Watt

Like the Gibson ES-335, the Gibson EB-2 Bass was a semi-hollowbody instrument with a a wood centerblock and two hollow cavities. The EB-2D was introduced in 1966 as the dual pickup version of the EB-2. Like the solidbody EB-0, the EB-2 used a shorter 30 1/2-inch scale length. 

Years of Production: 1966 - 1972

Body Style: Double cutaway semi-hollowbody

Wood Composition: Maple body, Mahogany neck, Rosewood fingerboard

Design Elements: Two humbucker pickups, 30 1/2-inch scale length, dot inlays, stud bridge/tailpiece, Kluson tuners

Finish Specifications: Sunburst was one of two finishes offered in 1967 along with cherry.

Notable Players: Chas Chandler, John Entwistle 

Not to be confused with the original Gibson Electric Bass (which is sometimes called the EB-1), this model featured a violin-shaped Mahogany body with a single pickup. 

Years of Production: 1969 - 1972

The Hofner 500/1 is closely associated with Paul McCartney and the Beatles. Paul's use of this bass in the early '60s propelled Hofner sales and turned the 500/1 into an absolutely iconic instrument. When German-made Hofner instruments were distributed in the United Kingdom, they were given model names to go along with their model numbers, and the 500/1 was dubbed the Violin Bass. It is also commonly referred to as the Beatles Bass. This design has been imitated by a number of other makers since including Vox and Greco.

Years of Production: 1956 - present

Body Style: Semi-hollowbody

Wood Composition: Maple body, Spruce top, Rosewood fingerboard

Design Elements: Bound body, glued-in neck, two pickups, dot inlays, three tone switches and two control knobs

Notable Players: Paul McCartney, Chris Wood

Originally introduced with a slab Les Paul Junior-style body, the Gibson EB-0 evolved to an SG-shaped bass by the early '60s. This bass featured a short scale length and a single fat humbucker pickup. Gibson also released a dual pickup version of this bass as the EB-3. 

Years of Production: 1959 - 1979

Unique to this Year: Last year with slab body.  

Body Style: Double cutaway solidbody

Wood Composition: Mahogany body, Mahogany neck, Rosewood fingerboard

Design Elements: Humbucker pickup, 30 1/2-inch scale length, dot inlays, banjo-style tuners

Finish Specifications: Cherry Red was the only standard finish offered on the EB-0 until 1971.

Notable Players: Jack Bruce, David Knights, Mike Watt

Originally introduced with a slab Les Paul Junior-style body, the Gibson EB-0 evolved to an SG-shaped bass by the early '60s. This bass featured a short scale length and a single fat humbucker pickup. Gibson also released a dual pickup version of this bass as the EB-3. 

Years of Production: 1959 - 1979

Unique to this Era: Starting in late '69, Gibson used a slotted style headstock on the EB-0. 

Body Style: Double cutaway solidbody

Wood Composition: Mahogany body, Mahogany neck, Rosewood fingerboard

Design Elements: Humbucker pickup, 30 1/2-inch scale length, dot inlays, slotted headstock

Finish Specifications: Cherry Red was the only standard finish offered on the EB-0 until 1971.

Notable Players: Jack Bruce, David Knights, Mike Watt

Hearing the Kala U-Bass with your eyes closed, you might thing you'd be hearing an upright bass, or at least a fretless bass. The deep tones and glissando you can get with the U-Bass is incredible. This is not a ukelele. It is its own instrument. Active EQ and an onboard tuner complete the package, while a nearly guitar-like 21" scale length makes it incredibly playable. A spruce top and mahogany back and sides let the bass response resonate. These things are so fun, they have to be played to be believed.

The EB-3 was released as a dual-pickup upgrade to the EB-0 in 1961.  The EB-3 had a metal cover over the bridge pickup, as well as a 4-position rotary tone switch. The EB-3 is considered more desirable to collectors than the single pickup EB-0. From late 1969 through 1971, Gibson used a slotted headstock design on this model.

Years of Production: 1961 - 1979

Body Style: Double cutaway solidbody

Wood Composition: Mahogany body, Mahogany neck, Rosewood fingerboard

Design Elements: Two humbucker pickups, 30 1/2-inch scale length, dot inlays, large clover-shaped tuners

Finish Specifications: Cherry Red was the only standard finish offered on the EB-3 until 1971.

Notable Players: Jack Bruce, David Knights, Mike Watt

Note: Model pictured features non-era pickups.

With only 67 in existence, the EB-6 Thinline Hollowbody is on the rarest basses ever produced by Gibson. Based on the ES-335 double cutaway style with an EB-2 body, this bass features a six-string design and was only produced in sunburst.

Years of production: 1960-1962

Features: 20 fret rosewood fingerboard, pearl dot inlays, three-per-side Kluson tuners, maple back and sides, covered humbucker pickup, arched maple top, bound body