There is a 5-string bass guitar out there for everyone, whether you’re a professional bass player, an acoustic bass player who wants to switch to electric, or a novice. It’s a great time to buy one of the greatest bass guitars since there are more high-quality options available than ever before for bass players. You’ll have a ton of options, whether you’re looking for a booming five-string to bring the doom, a vicious four-string to smack about, or an understated classic.
It is made somewhat more difficult by the quantity of epic bass guitars, however. How then do you choose the best one for you? Fortunately, we’ve already done the laborious job for you. We looked everywhere for the greatest bass guitars available; some will be more expensive than others, but we made care to include basses for all playing styles and pricing ranges. We have basses from brands like Fender, Music Man, Yamaha, and others that are all very playable and give great value for the money.
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Yamaha BBNE2 Nathan East Signature
- Maple/Alder Body
- 5-piece Maple/Mahogany Neck
- Neck Through Construction
This Nathan East-signed Yamaha 5-string bass should be on the top of your list if you’re shopping for a 5-string bass. It’s a stunning bass in every way, including appearance and sound. Nathan’s tastes and knowledge were used by East and Yamaha in the co-design of this 5-string bass, and the outcome is simply spectacular. The bass is quite comfortable to play and has a powerful, warm tone. With this, you have a plethora of alternatives.
The bass’s design is simply elegant and contemporary. The body’s front and rear halves have been gently shaped for optimal comfort. The bass’s body is constructed from a maple and alder blend and has a gorgeous gloss polyurethane finish. A 5-piece maple and mahogany neck complements the 24-fret fingerboard. The scale length is 34″, and the fretboard is embellished with figured Abalone blocks.
The inbuilt active preamp system and Alnico V Humbucker pickups give the BBNE2 its powerful, warm tone. By modifying the mix knobs and EQ settings, this system enables you to produce a variety of unique tones and noises. Aside from the 3-Band EQ, the bass contains a master volume knob, P.U. balancer, mid-cut frequency adjustments, and an On/Off switch for the mid-cut. The majority of the hardware is gold, giving the bass an opulent appearance.
Although a less experienced musician might play this high-end instrument quite effectively, it demands hands that are skilled at grooving. You should think about this as an alternative if you can afford the fee. It is ideal for performing live or working in the studio. It may be used in any setting and, when paired with an effective amp, can completely rock the house. It would take some searching to find a five string bass that is more playable than the BBNE2. The craftsmanship and tone of this stunning instrument speak for itself. Both Nathan East and Yamaha excelled. This is the Best 5 String Bass Guitar in 2023.
Fender Precision Bass V
- Single Michael Bump-designed V-Mod split-coil Precision Bass pickup
- '63 P Bass maple neck with Posiflex graphite rods for neck reinforcement
- Bone nut; 20 narrow-tall frets for familiar playing feel
Fender’s iconic 5-string P-bass pays tribute to vintage versions while including some contemporary enhancements. The classic style of this bass guitar first caught my attention, followed by the music, of course. Simply WOW. It is large and thick, as one would anticipate from a Fender.
Bassist Precision V’s body is composed of gloss-finished alder. A thick neck has been made from maple. It immediately has a vintage vibe thanks to the 1963 precision bass’s C-profile neck. Additionally, graphite rods have been used in the neck to increase stability. The fretboard has 20 frets and is crafted of rosewood with traditional dot inlays. Fender decided to use the 34″ scale length that is perfect for all of their basses.
The sound you hear comes from a single V-Mod split-coil pickup. The mid-highs have clear articulation, while the lower registers have a cozy, jazzy hum. With just a master volume and master tone knob fitted, the settings are rather basic, but a Precision-bass seldom requires tonal modification. Additional endurance and intonation stability are provided by the five-string HiMass vintage-style bridge. The fluted tuners are set up to keep the string posts taut.
You will like this bass if you are an accomplished bassist who performs in any style. Simply said, the sound is excellent for all techniques. You won’t regret investing in an instrument like this, even if its price is a little greater than other factors.
This bass proudly exudes the Fender spirit; it reminds me of the earlier Fenders, but it’s much better since it has a low B string. Overall, I think this is without a doubt among the greatest five-string bass guitars you can buy, and I wholeheartedly endorse it.
Schecter Stiletto Studio 5 Bass Guitar
- 5-string Electric Bass with Mahogany Body
- 2 Humbucking Pickups - Honey Satin
- Rosewood Fingerboard
Schecter offers the bass world the Stiletto Studio-5, a stylish bass with ample tonal possibilities to work with almost any musical genre. The instrument is really smooth and comfy. I like the style, and the two EMGs provide a really high-quality sound. Even some more costly basses lack the depth and sustain of the fifth string, which is why it works so well. The South Koreans are capable of creating high-quality instruments.
The Stiletto has a mahogany body with a Bubinga top and a laminate maple and walnut neck. It has neck-through construction. As a consequence, the bass has outstanding vibration transmission and is quite appealing. Particularly pleasing is the Honey Satin finish. Given that the real rosewood fingerboard is smooth and provides excellent playability with the offset abalone dots, this bass is intended for bassists of all skill levels.
The Schecter tuner and the Diamond Custom bass bridge maintain the bass’s intonation. Starting with two EMG Hz pickups that are managed by a mix control, a master volume, and an active 3-band EQ, the Stiletto provides a ton of tone shaping options. The satin gold hardware, which includes a Diamond bridge and Schecter tuners, adds to the aesthetic punch.
This bass should be a terrific purchase for you if you play at the intermediate to professional level. It will undoubtedly assist you in raising the level of your skill development thanks to its player-friendly features. As the name implies, it functions well in a live or studio environment.
The Stiletto Studio-5 has a terrific blend of attractive appearance and outstanding functionality, while not being the most costly or well-built bass available. You may get a tonality from the tone settings that is uncommon in bass guitars. For every dollar spent, it is comfortable and playable. Best 5 String Bass Guitar under $1000 in 2023.
Sterling By MusicMan Classic Ray25CA Bass Guitar
- Iconic Stingray5 classic bass in vintage style Butterscotch with a black...
- Mahogany slab body and a thinner profile 45mm nut on a Maple Neck
- Equipped with a Sterling by music Man designed Alnico pickup and 2-band...
The Sterling by Music Man RAY35-NT Bass is a unique instrument while also being a version of the original. Sterling produced a magnificent bass that can compete with any other bass on the market in its pricing range. The sound is what I like most about the RAY35-NT. For certain power metal and rock and roll performances, the bass tone is well suited.
The double-cutaway body form has a rounded bottom and is both functional and aesthetically pleasing. Swamp ash, a common ash used in many bass guitars, is used to make the bass body. The sound that the swamp ash vibrates with is perhaps the most important factor in its popularity. The middle range tones have a strong resonance with the tonewood. The bass’s neck is made traditionally, using traditional maple as the tonewood of choice. The fretboard is composed of a very fine and smooth rosewood, and the neck is fastened to the body.
A single humbucker pickup is mounted on the bass near the bridge. The bass has a high amount of customizability thanks to its controls, which are quite detailed. A single volume control and three-band EQs for the guitar’s treble, mid, and bass tones are provided for the performer. The guitar’s tuning device is designed to complement the guitar well, which it does. Because of the excellent tuning stability, you won’t need to bother about tuning your guitar too often. The bass bridge music guy is included with the guitar.
For the metalhead, I highly recommend. The single humbucker has a decent degree of dynamic range and is robust enough to give strong output. Overall, this is a fantastic instrument that offers a welcome change of pace from the Sterling by Music Man RAY line. The sound is harsh and strong, and the quality is excellent.
ESP LTD F-205FM 5-string Electric Bass Guitar
- Construction: Bolt-On
- Scale: 35"
- Body: Basswood
I’m still completely blown away by ESP’s ideas and craftsmanship. The ash body and spalted maple top of this bass give it a wonderfully ominous appearance, which is what originally drew my attention. It is so smooth and wonderfully designed for optimal comfort that playing it is plain easy. Playing the bass reveals its true personality; it has excellent bottom end and articulation. I simply think it can play well in a variety of contexts and musical genres, which is what I appreciate about it. In my honest opinion, the ESP Designed SB-5N Humbucker pickups sound their finest in a metal or rock environment.
The ESP LTD F-205 guitar has a 5-piece maple/jatoba neck with a roasted jatoba fretboard and an Ash body with a gorgeous spalted maple top. It has offset Abalone dots that make it easier to navigate the fretboard. 24 extra-jumbo frets on the slender, U-shaped neck are all about comfort and quickness. The fretboard’s radius is 15.7 inches, and the neck’s structure is highly inventive.
The beautiful satin finish The edges of the frets are smoothed down and polished to eliminate harsh edges. The LTD BB-605 bridge completes the task well and maintains intonation effectively. When turned up, the bass sounds extremely well-balanced. Two specially created ESP Designed SB-5N humbucker pickups and a 3-band active EQ are included in the bass’s setup. A master volume knob and one balance knob are the controls beside the 3-band active EQ.
Don’t wait if you’re seeking for a bass that has both good aesthetics and sound. It is unquestionably one of the most cheap basses with a frightening appearance available. This bass is ideal for those who just want to hold that low-end and snarl. You are unlikely to find a better bass for the money that is as beautiful, strong, and adaptable. This one appeals to gamers who like a sense of menacingness due to the high quality of the construction and reasonable pricing.