Groove and Rhythm: Best Bass Guitars

The magic of the Lakland Skyline Decade begins with its all-mahogany body, which resonates with a dark and deep tone that all bass players seek to capture with their instruments. This bass guitar also features a slim maple neck that you’ll thank Lakland for later, after you’ve been playing for hours and don’t feel any discomfort in your hands and wrists.

The Skyline Decade is equipped with specialized single-coil Chi-Sonic pickups, created in partnership by Lakland and Hanson Pickups. Thanks to this electronic system, you have a wide dynamic range of tones at your fingertips. Whether it’s thick, bass-heavy sounds or more treble-driven, melodic-favoring tone, you can find what works best for you. Further craft that tone using the on-board tone knob and two volume knobs. Whether you’re looking to groove out on the low end or take melodic, jazz-like solos, you’ll find that the Skyline Decade is a reliable axe to have.

Holding the Takamine TB10 Acoustic-Electric Upright Bass is an experience that’s not easy to forget, largely because there are very few fretless instruments out there that are anything like this axe. As stated before, there are no frets, so it is perfectly capable of being played in the style of an upright bass, a fact further supported by the dual f-holes in a body comprised of an arched spruce top and arched maple back. The resulting sound is very tone heavy and versatile enough to be played in several different settings.

The fingerboard on this instrument is also curved like a double-bass which means that one could play the TB10 with a bow if they so desired. If playing this more like a regular bass guitar is more up your alley, have no fear as it excels in that department as well. Driving the acoustic signal out is a Palathetic pickup, heralded as one of the most accurately organic sounding acoustic-electric pickups in the business. A Cool Tube preamp offers frequency controls, a built-in tuner, and a second RCA input so you can connect a secondary pickup or microphone into your signal.

Looking for the traditional sound and feel of an acoustic bass? Godin’s A4 Ultra Natural fretless has got you covered, with a fluidly free-flowing tone only attainable from the lack of those pesky confining frets. Its silver maple leaf body provides clarity to a sound which is already balanced and sings, thanks to its solid spruce top. The Lace Sensor pickup in this axe works together with a customized preamp to capture the precise tone and attack of the strings so this guitar sounds like the real deal.

Looking to do some stuff that you would never think to be possible with an acoustic bass guitar? Well, the A4 Ultra Natural fretless can also play for that side of the fence, too. This instrument is equipped with a unique 13-pin MIDI connector, through which you can trigger sounds from the Roland GR Series and Axon AX100 guitar synths. Why be limited to one tone when you can now voice several different voices and instruments in one reliable package?

In the late 1970s, Japanese guitar manufacturer Aria changed the game with the introduction of their SB1000 bass guitar, an instrument so impressive it quickly garnered a list of high-profile fans, including Cream’s Jack Bruce who abandoned his trusty Gibson EB3 bass to lay his hands on the Aria. Decades later, the company has let the beast out of its cage again, with a reissue of the legendary SRB1000RIB, which captures the same high-end magic of its predecessor.

If you feel like getting your Cliff Burton on and want to dance away at the frets which are usually too high for bassists to ever even access, this is the bass guitar for you. Its cutaway body shape gives you a perfect entry point to hit all 24 of its frets. The neck-through-body design of its maple neck makes this instrument have an incredible amount of sustain. The electronics in this guitar are simple yet effective; a single humbucker gives you the ability to punch through the frequency range so the bass player will definitely be heard in the mix for once. A BB-Circuit provides a clear and distinct tone while eschewing any unwanted noise.

Alembic got its start working hands-on with artists, beginning as a consulting firm that worked closely with bands like the Grateful Dead, Jefferson Airplane, Crosby Stills Nash & Young, and more. The company sought to improve the quality of live sound and recording live concerts, but they would soon switch their focus to ensuring the sound coming out of the musician’s instrument was top-notch. They have earned a reputation as the Cadillac of bass guitars, and with their Stanley Clarke Signature Standard model, it’s easy to understand why.

A renown bassist whose technique is a style all its own, Stanley Clarke would need a bass guitar that is versatile and built to provide impeccable sound, and Alembic has not failed in this regard whatsoever. This 5-string handmade axe has a thin taper and an ebony fingerboard that provide players with the ability to nimbly zip up and down the frets without fatigue or discomfort. AXY56 pickups provide a sound that is warm and has character, making this an ideal instrument for playing deep rhythms as well as taking on more of a melodic lead approach. And with volume, pan, and low-pass filter controls onboard, you’ll really be able to make this axe the star of the show, by manipulating your tone to fit your exact desire.

As one goes deeper down the rabbit hole of high-end, customized bass guitars, it’s amazing to see what kind of care and craftsmanship is waiting to be discovered. Take Ken Smith, for instance; he’s developed a reputation over the years for creating truly impressive and one-of-a-kind instruments for those in the bass community looking for something more. That’s exactly what he’s done again with the Black Tiger bass guitar. Cherry-picking a limited amount of a purchase of an already-scarce black walnut tree wood, this instrument has a look and feel which speaks to the rare nature of its origin.

The aforementioned walnut comprises parts of the neck and body wings, while the fingerboard has a smooth and rich feel thanks to the macassar ebony. This bass guitar can take on a variety of sounds and it definitely shines for those of you who like to slap and pop, offering up that certain brand of “ping” which is hard to describe unless you hear it yourself.

The electronics in the Black Tiger are made up of a B.M.T. 3-Band EQ 18-volt circuit. This setup consists of internal 4-way adjustable frequency switches for each band, which makes adjusting the tone on this thing about as precise as microsurgery. Series/parallel switches are available for each set of custom soapbar humbucking pickups. Put simply, you’ve probably never heard or played anything like this before, and if you’re really looking to go high-end, this is a destination where you’ll want to end up.

Alembic got its start working hands-on with artists, beginning as a consulting firm that worked closely with bands like the Grateful Dead, Jefferson Airplane, Crosby Stills Nash & Young, and more. The company sought to improve the quality of live sound and recording live concerts, but they would soon switch their focus to ensuring the sound coming out of the musician’s instrument was top-notch. They have earned a reputation as the Cadillac of bass guitars, and with their Stanley Clarke Signature Standard model, it’s easy to understand why.

A renown bassist whose technique is a style all its own, Stanley Clarke would need a bass guitar that is versatile and built to provide impeccable sound, and Alembic has not failed in this regard whatsoever. This 5-string handmade axe has a thin taper and an ebony fingerboard that provide players with the ability to nimbly zip up and down the frets without fatigue or discomfort. AXY56 pickups provide a sound that is warm and has character, making this an ideal instrument for playing deep rhythms as well as taking on more of a melodic lead approach. And with volume, pan, and low-pass filter controls onboard, you’ll really be able to make this axe the star of the show, by manipulating your tone to fit your exact desire.

Warwick represents the perfect hybrid of old world craftsmanship and modern, present-day technology; if you need any further proof, just check out their Thumb NT-6 string bass guitar. With a body made from bubinga pommele and a natural oil finish, this instrument already has a jaw-dropping aesthetic. But the way that this axe is built is even more exciting than its looks. Warwick’s invisible fret technology installation (which it uses for all of its basses) provides all 26 frets with extra stability, which allows you to play with ease.

The 3D 2-piece bridge system has been crafted from solid brass, which is an incredible tone transfer alloy; while many other bridges will color or slightly tweak an instrument’s natural sound, this one does not. The adjustable nut system allows you to raise and lower the string height of the Thumb NT-6 for easy setup adjustments. The electronics of this 6-string (two J-style pickups) give this bass a wide range of sounds, from low end punch to smoother more balanced tone.