Basses Under $500 Archives - Page 5

Educational instrument maker Fretlight has introduced their first bass guitar, the FB-525. The bass is the four-string to feature the company’s built-in LED learning system that teaches you to play by lighting up dots on the fretboard. The FB-525 comes in right and left-hand models and features a P/J pickup configuration with a 3-way toggle switch. Its neck is made...

Green Day bassist Mike Dirnt’s Signature basses have gotten a boost with the introduction of the Fender Mike Dirnt Road Worn Precision Bass and an updated version of the Squier Mike Dirnt Precision Bass. Fender Mike Dirnt Road Worn Precision Bass Available in 3-Color Sunburst and White Blonde, the Fender Mike Dirnt Road Worn Precision Bass features original-era 1951 Precision...

Rounding out the summer’s new models for Squiers Vintage Modified Series are a trio of P-basses: The Vintage Modified Precision Bass V, Precision Bass Fretless, and Precision Bass PJ. Similar to the rest of the series, the new basses are designed to add new twists to familiar designs. Vintage Modified Precision Bass V The Vintage Modified Precision Bass V is...

Squier’s Vintage Modified line of basses is getting two new additions with the announcement of the Vintage Modified Cabronita Precision Bass and the Vintage Modified Bass VI. The Cabronita comes in one finish – black, with a single play white pickguard. The bass sports a maple neck with a 9.5?-radius maple fingerboard with 20 medium jumbo frets, and a Fideli’Tron...

Squier’s Vintage Modified series has gotten a little bigger with the introduction of the Jaguar Bass V Special. The new model takes all the features of the Vintage Modified Jaguar Bass and adds a low B string. Similar to its predecessor, the bass features a Jaguar-style body fitted with a Fender-Designed P/J pickup configuration. Controls include an active bass-boost circuit,...

Last year around this time, we published Bass on a Budget: 12 Basses Under $500 – a roundup of basses released through the first half of 2012, with a street price of $500 or less. Time to do it again. Here are 14 basses we’ve covered in the year since then with price tags of $500 or less. As we...

Squier is adding to their Affinity Series this year with a new Precision Bass PJ model. Building on a traditional P-bass style, the new bass includes a single-coil Jazz Bass pickup in the bridge position for further tonal variety. Other new features include a two-color headstock logo and a three-ply black/white/black pickguard. The Affinity Series Precision Bass PJ is built...

Epiphone is paying tribute to the old school with a limited edition of six of their models in TV Pelham Blue, a color finish that was first introduced in the ’60s. The color was offered as a custom option in its heyday and as such is rare to find on vintage instruments. The lineup includes the Ltd. Ed. TV Pelham...

ESP’s Frank Bello LTD Signature line of basses has a new addition. The FB-204 is an entry level model with bolt-on construction and a black satin finish to suit the Anthrax bassist’s style. The FB-204 is built with a basswood body, maple neck, and rosewood fingerboard. The P/J pickup configuration consists of the company’s LTD LDJ and LDP, which are...

David Ellefson now has a signature model of the Jackson Kelly Bird bass, which he helped design last year. The new 4-string bass stands out with the Megadeth bassist’s signature red pinstripe finish over its modern body shape. The Jackson David Ellefson Signature Kelly Bird Bass is built with a basswood body, and a bolt-on bound maple neck with 21...

Dean has introduced a new variant of their flagship Edge series of basses. The new Edge 4 and Edge 5 basses distinguish themselves from the pack with upgraded electronics including a pair of active EMG pickups. Both of the new models feature bolt-on construction and sport 35? scales. They’re built with basswood bodies, maple “C”-shaped necks, rosewood fingerboards, and 24...

Ibanez is now offering a 5-string version of their GSR Mikro bass. Sporting a 28.6? scale, the company explains the GSRM25 is perfectly suited for young students as well as adult players who prefer a short scale. Besides an extra string, the GSRM25 sets itself apart from its 4-string companion with a pair of Ibanez’s STD J5 pickups. The body...