Many years have passed since the tales I share today about my garage band were real-life experiences. Memories of the first guitar, the initial bass guitar, and the subsequent trips to acquire new instruments, along with the rivalry and insecurity among us, now feel like distant echoes. I find myself reflecting on these stories, which may or may not have been recounted in other articles, and they seem outdated and seemingly insignificant in the present.
It feels that in a way, now that I can grow a beard and have responsibilities to deal with, all of the things that once were don’t matter anymore. The friendship feels too old, the stories are unimportant. At least it seemed so until about a month ago when the bass friend came to visit me. I did not expect the visit, it was a surprise for my birthday, where he simply came up and into the party my sister had thrown me. The first second I saw him I did not know it was him, though, after a moment of deliberation with myself, I said his name and was happy to know I was right.
A man I had not seen in so many years, who was on tour with his band about a day ago, was here, at my birthday. I was delighted. We spent the rest of the night drinking and talking, discussing the past, our garage days, the end of high school, and what followed for each of us. Even after we left the bar where the party was we kept on talking, spending the night on the town reminiscing about what is so important to who we have become. Then, he asked me, what is the best bass guitar under 1000?
What’s The Best Bass Guitar Under 1000
| Image | Bass Model | ||
|---|---|---|---|
 | Sterling by Music Man RAY34-NT Bass |  (4.8 / 5) | Check on Amazon |
 | Fender Standard Jazz Electric Bass | (4.8 / 5) | Check on Amazon |
 | Schecter Stiletto Studio-4 Bass |  (4.9 / 5) | Check on Amazon |
 | Epiphone THUNDERBIRD CLASSIC-IV 4 String Electric Bass | (4.8 / 5) | Check on Amazon |
 | ESP LTD B-4E Bass | (4.8 / 5) | Check on Amazon |
Sterling by Music Man RAY34-NT Bass
There is a lot of noise in the world, a lot of things being said, produced, and made that have no purpose beyond being simple noise. Nonsense and garbage fill up the empty spaces in between the good things, the important things. In the under 1000 range this noise is especially prevalent and loud. It is refreshing to see that within this noise there are instruments such as the Sterling by Music Man RAY34-NT bass guitar that do not rely on flash or fancy marketing to stand out and be good. This instrument with a simple but effective design has all the qualities you want in your mid-range bass guitar. Made with solid swamp ash, this bass guitar is durable and will serve you for a long time before even starting to age. The humbucker pickups result in minimal noise and maximum power and sustain. In my opinion, it’s one of the best bass guitars under 1000.
Pros:
- Minimalistic, Tonewood oriented look
- Highly Expressive Midtones
- Versatile Sound
Cons:
- Plastic Nut
- Heavy
Fender Standard Jazz Electric Bass
Jazz’s true beauty does not solely rest in the artists’ penchant for indulging in strange and eclectic improvisations. It rather resides in the concealed structure, mathematical precision, and integrity present in the music crafted by these jazz masters, whether it’s scripted or improvised. What may appear random to some is, in reality, an indispensable element of the musical composition that professionals comprehend and appreciate. These men and women deserve great respect and only the best instruments available on the market. The Fender Standard Jazz Electric Bass guitar is one of the instruments that are worthy of being played by these masters. The alder body of the bass is sturdy and comfortable in its lightweight dress, while also being shaped and painted to look beautiful. The two jazz pickups provide a great, vibrant sound that is great both for accompaniment and solo performance. Whether you deserve it or not, the truth stands, that this is one of the best bass guitars under 1000.
Pros:
- Surprisingly Affordable
- Alder Body
- Great Design
Cons:
- Sound not for Everyone
- Bulky Body
Schecter Stiletto Studio-4 Bass
In the world of mid-range bass guitars, you will encounter basses that offer things they cannot realistically upon. Words like the best sounding bass guitar ever or the perfect bass for any needs will often be written in the description of an instrument, but how true that description is will not be readily told to you. Which is why you are happy to have me looking at and researching bass guitars. You are also happy to have found an outstanding piece of equipment because you came here – the Schecter Stiletto Studio-4 bass guitar. This one will not be fulfilling your long-had dream of becoming the greatest star ever, but it will keep you on the road to fulfilling it. It is comfortable to play and easy to manipulate to your will. The Bubinga wood, which is not used too often in the art of bass guitar making, creates an interesting effect in the resonance of the sound. The EMG pickup has a beautiful strong sound. While this bass is not the perfect or not the best to ever be made, it definitely possesses the qualities that make it useful.
Pros:
- Bubinga Top
- Walnut Neck
- Lovely Construction
- Unique Design
- Amazing Sound
Cons:
- Heavy
- On the expensive side
Epiphone THUNDERBIRD CLASSIC-IV 4 String Electric Bass
There are sounds on earth so deep and strong, that they can be classified as nature trying to give itself bass. The deep sound of the earth’s crust moving, the sound of earthquakes incomprehensibly deep underground, the bass of the ocean’s deepest parts, and the voice of thunder as it cracks the sky open for a split second. It is a fitting metaphor for a bass guitar that has the ability to sound like rolling thunder and looks like lightning about to fall onto the earth. The Epiphone Thunderbird Classic-IV 4 string electric bass guitar is the child of thunder. It has the power to make earth and listener alike tremble, at the intensity and depth of the sound the instrument can produce. The design and the sound of the bass guitar are there to make you feel like the god of thunder as you beat against the eardrums of the people with some of the most powerful tones ever picked up by humbuckers.
Pros:
- Interesting Design
- Lovely Sound
- Heavy Low Tones
Cons:
- Cheap Nut
- Weaker High Tones
ESP LTD B-4E Bass
As much as I like to talk about the virtues of simple design, about how the lack of extra details is good for a bass guitar, I also like a handsome bass very much. Good design does not always mean simplistic or minimalistic design, it means a beautiful combination of the elements that make up the final design. The ESP LTD B-4E electric bass guitar takes the tenets of design and becomes one of the most beautiful and best bass guitars under 1000. The warmth of the mahogany is fully expressed in the final finish of the bass guitar while the straight lines of the strings are accented and made to be the central item of the design. You don’t see this too often in a bass. Still, beauty is secondary to sound and this instrument delivers a premium sound thanks to tonality being the primary worry of the bass manufacturer. This is an instrument that is not only worth considering having but should be had if you are looking for something that looks and sounds good. It is rare that you get a bass guitar so dedicated to delivering a balance between the mellow and the vibrant, but the sound of this bass can be either.
Pros:
- Great Value
- Highly Enjoyable Design
- Ebony Top
Cons:
- Heavy
- High tone Issues
The realm of bass guitars just under 1000 is populated by a lot of noise and a lot of basses that don’t really cut it beyond having a deceptive price tag. Not all things that are worth more are better, just like not all things cheap are inferior to pricy items. The problem of ignoring the noise and finding what you are looking for bothers a lot of musicians, be they professionals or not. It is not easy to see through the marketing that is being thrown at you, pretty words and stories to cover up the fact that the instrument is not that good. Thankfully I spend days trying to find the best ones and compile them into lists that you can look at and easily understand what you are getting. All it takes is for you to trust me.
Conclusion
He didn’t ask me the question the very first night we met after a years-long separation. He asked it the day after, during the massive hangover, where the only question I wanted to answer was “Where do I find the closest bloody mary?”. It was a Saturday and brunch was in order, so we discussed this question in detail over a plate of eggs and bacon. The entire situation struck me as similar to something that had happened years before when we were buying our first instruments. I guess life is sometimes punctuated by refrains, moments that seem more like they belong in somebody’s book or a movie, rather than in reality. The older face of my dear friend, with whom, back in high school, I started all of who were to become, once more hanging over eggs, sunny side up, discussing the question of what the best bass guitar under 1000 is. It felt like I was a teenager again. The discussion was slower, picking up pace as the bloody mary healed the neural center, but still remained much less heated than what we used to have. Passion gave way to logic through these years. He knew what he was talking about, a result of making a living through music, and I knew what I was talking about too, so we agreed on a lot of things. He said he had a month in town, a month out of which we spent about two weeks picking the right bass. To record a new song, he said, he needs the perfect bass, one that would represent the pinnacle of everything we went through as teenagers. One that would be a logical progression from the 500 bass we bought together, once upon a time. I thought it an honor to help a musician pick an instrument that he would use to record a song about himself, an appropriate one, he thought.
