-
Epiphone Grabber Bass Guitar with Premium Gig Bag
$999.00Players have been requesting a reissue of this model for decades, and Epiphone has heard you! The Epiphone Grabber Bass is an Inspired by Gibson reissue of the vintage 70s era classic that has been played by everyon...12 Payments of $83.25
h m s
-
ESP LTD B204 Fretless Electric Bass Guitar
$649.00The ESP LTD B204 Fretless 4 String Bass Guitar delivers high performance with the exotic Spalted Maple top. A punchy and bright sound that's great for slap bass the ESP LTD B204 features an Ash body, ESP SB4 picku...12 Payments of $54.08
h m s
-
ESP LTD B204SM Electric Bass Guitar
$649.00The ESP LTD B204SM Electric Bass Guitar yields incredibly looks and a punchy, dynamic tone thanks to a beautiful Spalted Maple top on an Ash body! This wood combination provides great clarity and resonance. The ES...12 Payments of $54.08
h m s
-
ESP LTD B205SM 5-String Electric Bass Guitar
$499.95 - $699.00The distinct, natural appearance of the Spalted Maple top on the ESP LTD B205SM 5-String Electric Bass Guitar provides a gorgeous look that isn’t too flashy. ESP designed this incredible instrument with an Ash bod...12 Payments of $58.25
h m s
-
Ibanez BTB747 7-String Electric Bass Guitar
$1,199.99The BTB747 is a 7-string bass featuring an Ash wing body, with a Walnut top/Mahogany back, for a sound that is deep and rich. The 35 inch scale, 9-piece Maple/Panga Panga/Walnut neck-through supports superior tone, ...12 Payments of $100.00
h m s
-
Ibanez Mode MDM1600 Electric Bass Guitar with Gig Bag
$1,399.99The Ibanez Mode Series: A Modern Take on a Classic The Ibanez ""Mode"" series represents a reimagining an iconic bass design. It's Ibanez's unique, modern take on a legendary instrument that has become ubiquitou...12 Payments of $116.67
h m s
-
Ibanez Mode MDM1605 5-String Bass Guitar with Bag
$1,274.00 - $1,499.99Ibanez Mode MDM1605 5-String Bass Guitar The Ibanez Mode MDM1605 5-String Bass Guitar blends classic design with modern craftsmanship and premium style. Featuring an iconic silhouette and advanced features, it’s ...12 Payments of $125.00
h m s
-
Ibanez Mode MDM1606 6-String Electric Bass Guitar with Gig Bag
$1,599.99Ibanez Mode MDM1606 6-String Electric Bass Guitar The Ibanez Mode MDM1606 is where classic bass design meets modern innovation. This 6-string electric bass blends the timeless groove of traditional instruments wi...12 Payments of $133.33
h m s
-
Ibanez Premium SR5FMDX2 5-String Bass Guitar with Bag
$1,619.00 - $1,899.99Using 30 years of experience, Ibanez has given bass players a modern alternative, the Premium SR5FMDX2 5-String Bass Guitar. With its continued popularity, Ibanez is constantly endeavoring to answer the wider needs ...12 Payments of $158.33
h m s
-
Luna Tattoo 4-String Electric Bass Guitar
$349.00The tattoo design is laser etched with an open pore finish, so the player can feel the design. With this long-scale version, you'll enjoy the stable feel and satisfying response of comfortable action. From the tatto...8 Payments of $43.63
- Minor Blemish
Manhattan Prestige Basses Session One Bass Guitar
$669.95The Session One offers bassists a variety of tones as they travel their own musical path. Designed from the ground up to be a professional legacy-quality instrument built for bassists that demand tone, quality, and ...h m s
-
Martin 000C Jr E Bass Acoustic Electric Guitar with Soft Shell Case
$849.99The Martin Junior Series is all grown up. Designed to be your companion anywhere, anytime, these newly refreshed guitars and basses combine iconic Martin craftsmanship with a compact, comfortable body size and a ful...12 Payments of $70.83
h m s
Skip to Content
Get FREE shipping on all orders!
Fast FREE shipping on all orders!
Electric Bass Guitars
Hey Mr. Bassman! Whether you like to snap, strum, pop, pick, or pluck, having the right Electric Bass Guitar can make all the difference and AMS has an incredible selection. Choose the wood, color, style, and scale length to make your performance stand above the rest. Stay centered with a standard four-string bass, or stretch out with five- and six-string models.
American Musical Supply is excited to be your stop for electric basses from top brands! We offer True 0% interest payment plans - applying is easy. Use your own debit or credit card, enjoy fast and free shipping, and add an electric bass to your creative setup.
We make buying an electric bass quick and easy - in-stock items that are ordered before 5PM will ship out the same day! (see our Shipping Information Page for more details) Do you have questions about basses and want to know which one would be best for you? Give us a call at 800-319-9043 - our experts are standing by.
What is the best electric bass? Well, that all depends on what you’re looking for in terms of size, feel, tone perspective, and price point. American Musical Supply is stocked with a huge collection of basses that touch on those different characteristics in unique ways – we’re here to help you find the instrument you have been looking for!
You can’t talk about the bass without bringing up Fender – most notably the Fender Precision Bass (or P Bass) and the Fender Jazz Bass. With their trademark ‘double horn’ designs and substantial solid bodies that have been built to provide support, strength, and resonance, these rock-solid electric basses have provided the low-end support for bands and ensembles of all types for over sixty years. The split pickups of the P Bass provide all of the power and punch needed for all types of rock music. The special single-coil layout found on the Jazz Bass means smooth, bright, complex tones – jazz, funk, fusion, and all types of dance-driven pop and EDM genres are tailor-made for the Fender Jazz Bass.
We know that Gibson is known for their electric and acoustic guitars, but their bass guitars have a history of making serious contributions to the world of music. The EB Bass was released in 1953 and was their very first production bass. That was followed by a number of iconic instruments including the Thunderbird Bass and SG Bass. AMS carries the newest versions of these historic American-made models - wonderful blends of famous looks and powerful low frequency performance.
Building basses takes a certain mindset and there are companies that dedicate serious time and effort to the unique quirks of the electric bass. After all, these creative tools aren’t just guitars with fewer strings. Electric basses are their own beasts - serving as the foundation, the driving tonal pulse, and the support that anchors your music’s chord voicings and rhythmic patterns. AMS is fortunate to carry Music Man, Spector, Warwick, and PRS – just a few of the brands that go above and beyond when it comes to sculpting unique tone wood bodies, implementing modified hardware and pickups, and finishing it all out with special appointments and visual touches. To these companies, building a bass is not just making a tool for music, it’s creating a true work of art!
If you’re looking for a comfortable electric bass that has a bit more of a streamlined body shape - something that is a bit lighter, that’s nicely balanced, and is easy to get around - you should be sure to check out Ibanez and Yamaha. Their popular basses are incredibly reliable, look great, and are known for their versatility across the music spectrum. Do you need the distinct growl and boom of a heavy metal bass guitar? ESP and Schecter have the menacing designs and snarling pickups you need to feed that intensity!
What kind of bass is best for a beginner? Go ahead and take a look at our selection of Epiphone, Sterling, Ibanez Gio, and Squier basses, which provide many pro-level features at a more comfortable price point. American Musical Supply has lots of different models to choose from and these instruments are approved by performers, educators, and technicians. If you’re looking for an all-in-one gift for an aspiring bass player, be sure to check our selection of Electric Bass Guitar Packages. These instruments are perfect for our 4-pay and 6-pay plans – these are the easiest ways to buy a gift for someone, period!
When it comes to choosing your electric bass, there are a few important characteristics to consider. The first thing is the number of strings. 4-String Electric Basses - usually tuned E-A-D-G from lowest to highest - are the most common and are the instruments taken into consideration when bass music is written. 5-String Electric Basses - usually tuned B-E-A-D-G from low to high - are also very popular for players seeking a bit more extra range down low. Are you a player that is looking to push the limits on range and technique ever further? We also carry a wide selection of electric basses with 6 Strings or more.
Next, it’s about choosing an instrument with either an active or passive pickup setup. What’s the difference between an active pickup and passive pickup? Well, an active pickup includes a built-in preamp that is powered by a 9-volt battery. First and foremost, this boosts the signal of the bass before it hits the effects chain or Bass Guitar Amp. Active basses often have extra levels of tone control at the source, allowing you to tweak the parameters of various color-shaping controls and the instrument’s low, middle, and higher frequencies (EQ) in much more detail. The result? A wider palette of sounds to choose from. Just remember to take this extra boost of gain into consideration and keep plenty of spare batteries so that your active controls can work properly.
An electric bass with a passive pickup performs just like a standard electric guitar – simply plug it into your amplifier and you’re ready to go from there. Tone controls are much more limited on a passive bass – usually a low and high EQ – and there can be a bit more extraneous noise if you’re using longer cable runs. Passive basses are much more straightforward and user-friendly. That means that your clean bass sound is a bit more limited, although if you’re using Bass Guitar Effects and controlling tone parameters on a Bass Guitar Amp, you’re still open to a wide catalog of tonal options.