Best Sellers
Top products on Reverb over the past 90 days
Best Sellers in Bass Guitars - Short Scale
- 3
Fender Justin Meldal-Johnsen Road Worn Signature Mustang Bass
46 available from $1,200When Justin Meldal-Johnsen's guitar tech handed him his first Mustang a decade ago, he was immediately enthralled with the short-scale size and blown away by all that it could do. So when it came time to design his signature bass, he wanted something as close to his own personal vintage '66 Mustang as he could get, resulting in the JMJ Road Worn Mustang. It features the same Daphne Blue finish, with a detail-conscious relic job featuring an authentic ‘60s-era aged pearl pickguard for that vintage vibe. Importantly, it’s also outfitted with a custom-spec, single-coil Mustang pickup that’s voiced as closely to JMJ’s vintage original as possible. - 8
Fender Musicmaster Bass 1972 - 1981
47 available from $810As a product of the '70s (with a brief reissue in 1997 headed by Squier), the Fender Musicmaster Bass is a shorter-scale, stripped-down version of the Fender Mustang Bass. Distinguish between older and later models by the tuning keys: the former sported triangular tuning keys while the latter is Mustang-style. If you're looking for a real vintage bass at a far more musician-friendly price, the Fender Musicmaster Bass may be your pick. - 13
Gibson SG Standard Bass
37 available from $1,275- Features a mahogany body and neck, short-scale rosewood fretboard, and Rhythm/Lead SG Bass pickups.
- Minor spec changes occurred with the introduction of Gibson's Original Collection, including a new nut and new finishes.
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Fender American Performer Mustang Bass 2018-2019
6 available from $850Crafted with features like a GreaseBucket tone circuit for taming high-end without making your sound muddy and a combination of passive Alnico V Yosemite Jazz and split Mustang pickups, the Fender American Performer Mustang Bass delivers a quality US-made instrument at a solid price point. The calibrated, shellac-dipped pickups deliver a wide spread of tone from smooth thumps to outright growls while the Modern C-shape maple neck and 30" make for some of the smoothest playing around. - 18
Fender Mustang Bass 1971 - 1981
20 available from $1,550Introduced two years after the Mustang guitar, the Mustang Bass was the first student-level bass produced by Fender as well as the last production bass designed by Leo Fender before he left the company. Targeted towards younger players, the Mustang Bass offered a shorter 30-inch scale length as well as a lower price-point than the Precision or Jazz Basses of the mid-'60s. The split single-coil pickup was also smaller than that of the P Bass, but still captured a wide range of bass tones.
Years of Production: 1966 - 1981
Body Style: Offset solidbody
Wood Composition: Alder body, Maple neck with veneer Rosewood fingerboard
Design Elements: Bolt-on neck, dot inlays, 30-inch scale length, split single-coil pickup
Finish Specifications: White was added as a finish for the Mustang bass in 1975.
Notable Players: Bill Wyman, Tina Weymouth, Fred Smith - 21
Gibson EB-3 1961 - 1968
8 available from $2,250Gibson's EB-3 bass guitar was released in 1961 and was produced through 1979, sporting the familiar sharp double-cutaway solid body similar to the SG. As an upgrade to the EB-0, which also makes the EB-3 a more desirable collectors' piece, the EB-3 sports dual humbuckers on its solid mahogany body with a metal cover over the bridge pickup and a 4-position rotary tone switch. The Gibson EB-3 has been played by the likes of Jack Bruce and Bill Wyman. - 23
Squier Affinity Bronco Bass
5 available from $199The original starter four-string, the Squier Affinity Series Bronco Bass resurrects one of Fender's first student model design with vintage tone and feel at a budget-friendly price point. Bringing together a svelte agathis body and 30" scale maple neck perfect kids and players with smaller hands, the model is finished off with a specially-designed single-coil pickup and chrome two-saddle bridge for unparalleled tuning stability. Ideal for newcomers to the bass, the Bronco is also an attractive option for guitarists who switch over to a four-string from time to time. - 26
Hofner 500/1 Violin Bass 1963 - 1966
22 available from $2,150In 1963, Hofner's "Staple" pickups were added to the 500/1. Paul McCartney's 1963 500/1 quickly became his primary bass, leaving his 1961 "Cavern" model as a backup before it was stolen from a studio closet. - 28
Fender Competition Mustang Bass 1969 - 1973
10 available from $4,195Introduced two years after the Mustang guitar, the Mustang Bass was the first student-level bass produced by Fender as well as the last production bass designed by Leo Fender before he left the company. Targeted towards younger players, the Mustang Bass offered a shorter 30-inch scale length as well as a lower price-point than the Precision or Jazz Basses of the mid-'60s. The split single-coil pickup was also smaller than that of the P Bass, but still captured a wide range of bass tones. Starting in 1969, Fender introduced a set of snazzy "competition" finishes which added a double racing stripe to the body.
Years of Production: 1966 - 1981
Body Style: Offset solidbody
Wood Composition: Alder body, Maple neck with veneer Rosewood fingerboard
Design Elements: Bolt-on neck, dot inlays, 30-inch scale length, split single-coil pickup
Finish Specifications: Competition Red was part of the Competition series of finishes introduced in 1969.
Notable Players: Bill Wyman, Tina Weymouth, Fred Smith - 29
Epiphone Viola Bass Electric Bass Guitar
22 available from $341The Epiphone Viola Bass puts the look, feel and tone of McCartney's iconic Hofner Violin Bass into the hands of mere mortals and working musicians. The warm, woody sound of the hollow body and mini-humbucker punch that set off a revolution joins up with a wholly comfortably short-scale neck to make the Viola Bass a total joy to play, whether you're a skilled player looking for a different sound or a beginner who wishes they'd have joined a certain band in Hamburg in 1960. - 30
Hofner 500/1 Violin Bass 1967 - 1979
14 available from $2,350Hofner added "Blade" pickups to the 500/1 in 1967. These pickups would remain the primary pickup of the 500/1 until the end of its standard production run in 1996. - 33
Fender Pawn Shop Bass VI 2013 - 2014
6 available from $1,774.30The Fender Pawn Shop Bass VI rumbles deep down below your average axe. Weighing in at one octave below standard guitar tuning, this versatile and inspiring instrument covers the bass range and beyond with a short scale neck that's comfortable for anyone to play. The bark of the P90 pickup at the bridge is a perfect compliment to its thunderous bass. Shop new & used Fender Pawn Shop Bass VIs on Reverb for the best deals around. - 34
Gibson EB-2 1964 - 1972
26 available from $2,499Similar to the ES-335, the Gibson EB-2 was a semi-hollow bass with that classic Gibson shape. A single humbucker on the neck and a shorter scale length identify the EB-2 and set it apart from the likes of the EB-2D, which was released in '66 sporting two neck pickups. The EB-2's tone and style attracted notable bassists like Chas Chandler of the Animals and John Entwistle. - 35
Fender Mustang Bass 1966 - 1969
10 available from $3,000Introduced two years after the Mustang guitar, the Mustang Bass was the first student-level bass produced by Fender as well as the last production bass designed by Leo Fender before he left the company. Targeted towards younger players, the Mustang Bass offered a shorter 30-inch scale length as well as a lower price-point than the Precision or Jazz Basses of the mid-'60s. The split single-coil pickup was also smaller than that of the P Bass, but still captured a wide range of bass tones.
Years of Production: 1966 - 1981
Unique to this Year: This was the first year of Mustang Bass production
Body Style: Offset solidbody
Wood Composition: Alder body, Maple neck with veneer Rosewood fingerboard
Design Elements: Bolt-on neck, dot inlays, 30-inch scale length, split single-coil pickup
Finish Specifications: Red was one of three colors offered in the first few years of Mustang Bass production.
Notable Players: Bill Wyman, Tina Weymouth, Fred Smith - 51
Teisco EB-200 Bass Red
One available for $299.99Teisco was a Japanese budget brand that produced guitars starting in the late '40s. The first basses rolled out in the early '60s and were designed and built in the same manner as Teisco guitars. Those imported to the United States were branded as Teisco Del Ray. Lower-end Japanese basses such as Teiscos are notoriously difficult to date and identify as no comprehensive records were kept during production. Recent years have seen a drastic upsurge in interest for these instruments.
Years of Production: 1965 - 1970s - 64
Gretsch G5123B Limited Edition Electromatic Bass
One available for $849This Electromatic series was released as a limited edition Guitar Center-only model. It features two TV Jones ThunderTron pickups. - 70
Gibson EB-1 1969 - 1972
5 available from $2,500Not to be confused with the original Gibson Electric Bass (which is sometimes called the EB-1), this model featured a violin-shaped Mahogany body with a single pickup.
Years of Production: 1969 - 1972 - 75
Hofner 500/1 Violin Bass 1980 - 1996
4 available from $2,630.86While the majority of 500/1s from the 1980s retained the "Blade" pickup, some were manufactured with Hofner's "Staple" pickup as well. The standard 500/1 remained in production until 1996, when it was discontinued in favor of reissues. - 76
Gibson EB-6 1963 - 1966
One available for $20,824.72Not unlike Fender's Bass VI, the EB-6 was an early 6-string bass tuned a full octave lower than a guitar. The EB-6 was originally produced as an ES-style semi-hollowbody. It was relaunched with an SG-style body in 1962. During its run, only 135 EB-6s were shipped by Gibson which makes these incredibly rare instruments.
Years of Production: 1960 - 1966
Body Style: Double cutaway solidbody
Wood Composition: Mahogany body, Mahogany neck, Rosewood fingerboard
Design Elements: Two humbucker pickup, dot inlays, large clover-shaped tuners
Finish Specifications: Cherry Red was the only standard finish offered on the EB-6. - 80
Hofner 500/1 "Cavern" Violin Bass 1961
One available for $11,229.611961 was the year of the famous "Cavern" 500/1, named for the Cavern Club in Liverpool where Paul McCartney played one during some of The Beatles' first shows. It's notable for its narrow pickup spacing and "Cavern" pickup covers. The 1961 500/1 can also be identified by its cream-colored control panel and pickguard and its laminated spruce top. The next year, Hofner reverted the 500/1 to its wider pickup spacing. - 82
Hofner 500/1 Violin Bass 1956 - 1959
7 available from $4,563.91The introduction of the iconic violin bass, the first production 500/1 models were made with closely-spaced "black bar" pickups. The original run also had an oval-shaped control panel and no truss rod. In 1960, the 500/1 was updated with Hofner's "Toaster" pickups and the addition of a truss rod. - 83
Fender Mustang Bass Vintage White 2012
One available for $1,457.73Based on the last production bass designed by Leo Fender before he left the company, this model is a reissue of the original 1960s Fender Mustang Bass. The Mustang Bass features a shorter 30-inch scale length as well as a split single-coil pickup smaller than that of the P Bass, which still captures a wide range of bass tones.
Years of Production: 2002 - Present
Body Style: Offset solidbody
Wood Composition: Alder body, Maple neck with Rosewood fingerboard
Design Elements: Bolt-on neck, dot inlays, 30-inch scale length, split single-coil pickup
Notable Players: Bill Wyman, Tina Weymouth, Fred Smith - 85
Vox Astro IV Bass Sunburst
2 available from $2,161.85The short-lived Vox Astro Bass was a violin bass copy, albeit with Vox design language and punchier pickups. This model included an onboard fuzz circuit and featured a 29.5" scale.
Years of Production: 1967 - 1969 - 89
Hofner 500/1 Violin Bass 1960
One available for $4,581.44For 1960, the 500/1 was updated with Hofner's famous "Toaster" pickups and the addition of a truss rod. These pickups would be adjusted to the "Cavern" style in 1961.
