Buying guide · updated 2026-08-24
The Best Basses of 2026
The bass market rewards knowing exactly what you want. Here is how the layouts differ, and what we would buy.
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Our picks
Best bassSquierAffinity Series Precision Bass PJOlympic White, Maple fingerboard
The PJ layout is the most practical configuration in bass, and this is the cheapest sensible way to own one.
7.8/10 Fretline4.6 (244)
Not sure between them?
Add any of these to the comparator and see every specification aligned, with the differences marked and the score profiles overlaid.
Open the comparatorThe four layouts, and what each one is for
Precision (P)
A single split-coil pickup in the middle of the body. One sound, and it happens to be the sound of most records ever made: thick, centred, and utterly reliable in a mix. If you only ever play in bands and never solo, a Precision is arguably all you need.
Jazz (JJ)
Two single-coils, one near the neck and one near the bridge, with independent volumes. Brighter and more scooped than a Precision, with a narrower neck at the nut. The default choice for funk, fusion and anyone who plays with their fingers near the bridge.
PJ
A Precision split-coil at the neck and a Jazz single-coil at the bridge. The most flexible passive layout there is: full Precision weight, full Jazz bite, and a continuous blend between them. If you are buying one bass to cover everything, buy a PJ.
StingRay and active layouts
A large humbucker near the bridge feeding an onboard preamp. Aggressive upper mids, plenty of output, and the sound most associated with slap playing. Active electronics need a battery, and the tone controls boost as well as cut, which is a genuinely different way of working.
Scale length on a bass matters more than on a guitar
The standard is 34 inches. Short-scale basses at 30 to 32 inches are easier to reach around and produce a rounder, more vintage low end — a real option for smaller hands or for guitarists doubling on bass. On a five-string, scale length becomes critical: a low B on a short scale is floppy and indistinct, which is why 34 inches is the practical minimum and 35 is common.
Common questions
- Do I need an amplifier to start?
- You need something. A bass through a guitar amplifier will sound thin and can damage the speaker at volume. A small dedicated bass combo or a headphone amplifier is the sensible starting point.
- Active or passive?
- Passive for a first bass: fewer variables, no battery, and the sound most engineers expect. Active becomes useful once you know precisely what you want to change about your tone.
Instruments in this guide
Squier · Electric bass
Affinity Series Precision Bass PJ
Olympic White, Maple fingerboard
The most useful pickup layout in bass, at the lowest sensible price