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Back in StockCharvel Pro Mod San Dimas Bass PJ V 5-String Bass Guitar
$1,099.99Combining modern appointments with throwback Charvel DNA, the Pro-Mod San Dimas® Bass PJ V meets the needs of seasoned players who defy the status quo and demand more from a high-performance hot rod bass. Cha...12 Payments of $91.67
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Charvel Pro-Mod San Dimas® Bass PJ IV 4-String Guitar
$699.95The sleek alder body shape is a familiar one—straight from the original Charvel San Dimas basses of late 1970s, with the deeper cutaway that gave adventurous bassists effortless upper-register access. For the season...h m s
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Danelectro 59 Short Scale Electric Bass Guitar
$629.00High impedance, high output Lipsticks for very “round” tone. Adjustable saddle bridge. Way fun! Danelectro 59 Short Scale Electric Bass Guitar Features: ’59 DC Shorthorn shape Fully adjustable bri...12 Payments of $52.42
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Danelectro Longhorn Bass Guitar
$629.00First made in 1958, the Longhorn squawky short scale bass is loved for its distinctive sound. Heard on countless recordings. Danelectro Longhorn Bass Guitar Features 1958 longhorn bass body shape 29.7...12 Payments of $52.42
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Epiphone Embassy Electric Bass Guitar
$419.95 - $499.00First introduced in 1963, the player-favorite Embassy Bass returns and is better than ever! Epiphone crafts this bass with an asymmetrical solid mahogany double-cutaway body, a 34" scale mahogany neck capped with an...8 Payments of $54.88
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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
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Epiphone Inspired by Gibson Rex Brown Thunderbird Bass Guitar Ebony with Case
$999.95Multi-instrumentalist Rex Brown is famous for his work with legendary metal bands Pantera and Down, and his hard-rocking solo album, Smoke on This... Epiphone is proud to release the first Epiphone Rex Brown signatu...12 Payments of $83.33
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Epiphone Jack Casady Fretless Bass Guitar with Gig Bag
$849.00The Jack Casady Bass was designed by Rock and Roll Hall of Fame legend Jack Casady and is the culmination of years of experimentation by the Jefferson Airplane and Hot Tuna bassist to find an instrument with superio...12 Payments of $70.75
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Ernie Ball Music Man BFR StingRay Special Bass Guitar with Mono Case Paua
$3,699.00The Ball Family Reserve StingRay Bass showcases the Ball Family's dedication to quality and performance. Featuring an ash body with a spalted maple top, a dark translucent blue back, and a Paua blue burst front, eac...12 Payments of $250.00
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Ernie Ball Music Man Bongo 5 HH 5-String Bass Guitar with MONO Bag
$3,199.00The Bongo 5 represents everything a modern bass should be: well balanced, comfortable, resonant, and expressive with effortless playability. The double-cutaway basswood body design is of superior construction and al...18 Payments of $177.72
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Ernie Ball Music Man DarkRay 5 5-String Bass Guitar with Mono Softshell Case
$3,099.00DarkRay 5: A Symphony of Destruction This, my friends, is what happens when you let the mad scientists from Music Man and Darkglass Electronics lock themselves in a lab together. The DarkRay 5 is not just a StingRa...12 Payments of $250.00
plus $99.00 down - Back in Stock
Ernie Ball Music Man DarkRay 5 Bass Guitar with MONO Bag
$3,099.00Low End Thunder - DarkRay 5 Bass! Designed in collaboration with world-renowned bass accessory manufacturer Darkglass Electronics, the DarkRay unlocks a whole new range of sonic capabilities. At the heart of every i...18 Payments of $172.17
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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.