What are the absolute best cheap bass guitars under $100?
I remember 15 years ago when my dad bought me my first electric bass guitar for Christmas. It was a Yamaha bass running barely below $100 at the time. The frets buzzed, some notes wouldn’t play correctly, it sounded awful, and it wasn’t a full-size bass. However, I was absolutely thrilled and addicted to playing it, as I fell in love with music ever since.
Now that I’m older, I realize just how far technology has come in the past 15 years. I also see the growing numbers of music enthusiasts interested in learning to play bass.
Rather than me and my team of musician friends allowing bass beginners to blindly pick an affordable instrument, we decided to find the very best electric bass guitars on the market below $100. Our goal was to test the majority, if not, all of the bass guitars running below $100.
We tried to find the ones that have the toughest build quality that lasts, sounds the best, doesn’t buzz, and the best instruments that will allow a beginner to have a smoother transition to a higher quality bass in the future.
After extensive research, testing, personal experience, and the help of some of my musician friends, we formulated a list of the top 3 bass guitars below $100.
In Short, Here Is The List Of The 3 Best Bass Guitars Below $100
- Glarry Electric Bass
- Safstar Electric Bass
- Polar Aurora Electric Bass
Glarry Electric Bass
TheGlarry Electric Bassis an incredibly low-budget bass guitar under $100. You will be pleasantly surprised when first taking it out of the box. If you were to play this bass without knowing the price, you would never guess how cheap it is. Don’t think for a second that you’re going to get a toy bass build with the Glarry.
With the look of a full-sized jazz bass, the build quality and feel are surprisingly very good. The neck is straight, the knobs are robust, and it’s overall very sturdy. As a bassist for 15 years now, I was amazed by this bass guitar. What shocked me the most about it was the tone.
To my ears, it sounds more like a $300 bass rather than $79. It sounds punchy and crisp without any muddiness. I remember back when I was a kid when I had my first starter bass at $100. It wasn’t half as good as the Glarry bass.
All of the notes up and down the entire fretboard perform very well. There is no loss of volume, buzzes, or squeals. It sounds even better when your slapping. There are two knobs on the bottom of the bass body; Tone and volume. The neck is smooth and easy to slide your hand up and down for better performance.
I also like how the strings are spaced out as a standard bass guitar does. While these attributes may sound unimportant, they are vital features to learn to play bass effectively. Made out of rosewood and basswood, this wood is designed to keep your instrument to last you a long time. It also feels very good and stable, helping you efficiently transition to a pro-level bass once you’re ready.
The Glarry Electric Bass comes in many different colors. Keep in mind that this bass can be used for reasons outside of learning to play. Since it’s tough enough and full-sized, many intermediate to pro-level bassists use it for traveling, practice, camping, etc. You will not expect a $79 bass to be half as good as this one.
Overall, this is the perfect starter bass for anyone looking to learn. It is full-sized, durable, cheap, sound good, lasts a long time, and comes with all the accessories to get started except for an amplifier.
Details & Tech Specs
- Great build quality
- Smooth neck
- No buzzes throughout the entire fretboard
- Fixed bridge
- 2 knobs: tone and volume
- It comes with a bass case, quarter-inch to plug it in, strap, pick, and truss rod/saddle tools.
- Standard spaced out strings
- Made of rosewood and basswood
- The fretboard is all rosewood
- Comes in 6 different colors
Safstar Electric Bass
TheSafstar Electric Bassused to be a bit cheaper than it is now. However, due to popular demand, Safstar increased the price by $20. I first heard about this bass by one of my favorite Youtube bass player celebrities, which I linked in the video below.
I thought it sounded great and decided to test it out. Upon the quick arrival, I was impressed by the excellent sound for the low price. The feel is decent, and it is well designed. None of the frets buzz, and it stays in tune surprisingly well. The scale is slightly shorter than a full-sized precision fender. However, it is not at all too small to prohibit anyone from accurately learning or playing.
In terms of sound quality, it is pretty good for the low price. It is naturally a bit top-end heavy as you may need to crank the bass EQ a bit on your amp. However, the sound is overall much better than you would expect at $79. Along with the purchase, you a bass case, strap, pick, and a quarter-inch cord.
Like the previous bass, you get everything you need to get started besides a bass amp. I would also consider it a benefit that the Safstar Electric Bass is incredibly light and easy to travel with. It’s light enough that a small child will not complain about the weight. Another thing I like about the Safstar is its dual-tone knobs. Both knobs play essential roles in getting the type of sound that you prefer.
A downside to this bass is the low-quality strings it comes with upon arrival. I highly recommend you purchase a separate set of high-quality bass strings. Luckily bass strings are not too expensive as I currently play with light D’Addario EXL170. Below is a video of one of my favorite bass players using the Safstar Electric Bass.
Details & Tech Specs
- Rose fingerboard and bridge
- It comes with a bass case, strap, pick, and a quarter in cord.
- 3 knobs; volume and 2 tone knobs
- Lightweight
Polar Aurora
Next up, thePolar Aurorais an electric bass guitar below $100. It comes with a bass bag, pick, quarter-inch cable, and tools to adjust it. The feel is good, and it plays very well for the price. Lightweight and affordable, it’s a useful instrument for beginners of all ages. What surprised me the most is the robust build quality.
As long as you don’t abuse your equipment, it is designed to last for years. The electronics within the body are stable, and the knobs seem sturdy. Speaking of knobs, it has a tone and volume knob. The tone knob adds more bite when turned up. When turned down, the bass tone is more smooth. I’m personally a bigger fan of the tone knob turned all the way up.
There is a downside that I noticed with the Polar Aurora bass guitar. There are a few claims that people received a defective unit. While this hasn’t happened to me, I recommend purchasing this or any other bass on this list from a respected site with a warranty. Amazon typically works best for situations like these. Overall, the Polar Aurora is well priced and a good bass for beginners.
Details & Tech Specs
- Comes with a bass bag, pick, quarter-inch cable, and tools to adjust it
- Polished surface
- Durable for price
Our Winner
Out of the 3 bass guitars below $100, our unified favorite was theGlarry Electric Bassfor many reasons. For one, the feel was the best as it felt stable, smooth, and relatively close to the more expensive bass guitars. In our opinion, it also sounded better than the others on the list. In terms of sound quality, I would say the Safstar was a close second. The Glarry bass did have a more detailed and pronounced sound with a more full low end than the rest. Another reason this bass was the winner is due to its full size. It has the same amount of frets and string width as the standard mid to high-grade bass.
Durability and longevity are major factors when trying to find music gear. Your hard-earned money mustn’t go to waste if your equipment breaks. However, the Glarry Electric Bass was very well designed and feels extremely durable for the low price. We are not the only ones that believe this bass is built for longevity. The reviews throughout the internet claim the same thing. Overall, the most recommended electric bass guitar on this list is the Glarry Electric Bass. It’s a fantastic starter, practice, or secondary backup.
Quick Recap
Here is the list of the top Cheap Bass Guitars Under $100
- Glarry Electric Bass
- Safstar Electric Bass
- Polar Aurora Electric Bass
Anyone of these bass guitars will be a great choice for a starter. If your the beginner interested in someday being a full-time bassist, you may also be wondering if playing bass helps you get girls at your concerts. If you’re interested in my 15 years of experience see our article Do Bass Players Get Girls?
