Best Short Scale Electric Bass Guitars of 2025
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Short scale electric bass guitars are a type of bass guitar that feature a shorter neck length than traditional bass guitars. These instruments are suitable for musicians who are looking for a more compact and lightweight option without sacrificing sound quality. Short scale bass guitars are ideal for beginners or those with smaller hands as they are easier to play and require less finger stretching. They are also great for experienced players who want a different sound or feel. With their unique design and versatile sound, short scale electric bass guitars are a great addition to any musician's collection.
At a Glance: Our Top Picks
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Top 7 Short Scale Electric Bass Guitars
Ibanez GSRM20 MiKro Short Scale Bass Guitar
The Ibanez GSRM20 Bass is designed for right-handed players, making it easy to use and ideal for those new to electric bass guitars. Its short scale design is particularly beneficial for younger musicians or those with smaller hands, providing a comfortable playing experience. The walnut flat finish not only enhances its aesthetic appeal but also contributes to its overall durability. With its user-friendly features, this guitar is a good choice for anyone looking to explore their musical creativity.
Seattle Short Scale Bass Guitar with Accessories
The Seattle Bass Guitar by Gear4music features a jazz-style body that delivers rich grunge and surf tones, perfect for those looking to enhance their sound. Its PJ style pickups ensure a crisp and clear tone with impressive low-end depth, punch, and sustain, allowing you to play with confidence. The well-crafted solid body, maple neck, and poplar laminate fingerboard contribute to its exceptional playability, making it comfortable for extended sessions. Additionally, with Korean chrome hardware and a vintage hard tail bridge, you can expect reliable performance and stylish design.
Fender Squier Mini Precision Bass in Black
The Fender Mini Precision Bass is designed for comfort and ease of use. Its Squier split single-coil pickup delivers a fat, punchy tone, which is perfect for creating rich soundscapes. The thin and lightweight body makes it easier for you to play for longer periods without discomfort. Additionally, the short-scale neck is ideal for beginners or guitarists wanting to explore bass playing. Finally, the sealed die-cast tuning machines ensure that you enjoy reliable tuning stability, allowing you to focus on your music.
Squier Affinity Series Electric Jaguar Bass
The Squier Jaguar Bass is an excellent entry point into the Fender family for aspiring bassists. Its lightweight body and easy-playing 32” medium scale length make it comfortable to handle, allowing you to play for extended periods without strain. The vintage-style open-gear tuning machines ensure smooth and accurate tuning, which is essential for maintaining perfect sound. With a Squier humbucking pickup, you can expect a fat, punchy tone, helping you to create a strong foundation in your music. This bass is truly versatile and user-friendly.
LA Short Scale Bass Guitar with Amp
The Gear4music Short Scale Bass offers a lightweight design, making it comfortable and easy to handle, ideal for beginners or those seeking a more manageable instrument. Its crisp, clear tone ensures that you can enjoy good low-end depth and sustain, enhancing your playing experience. The inclusion of a 15W bass amp means you can easily amplify your sound, making it perfect for practice or small gigs. With all the necessary accessories included, you have everything you need to get started right away.
Ibanez GSRM20 MiKro Short Scale Bass Guitar
The Ibanez GSRM20 MiKro Bass is designed for comfort and convenience. Its short scale size makes it perfect for individuals with smaller hands or those who find traditional bass guitars cumbersome. This feature also makes it an excellent choice for travel, allowing you to take your music on the go. The guitar's comfortable shape and balance ensure that you can play effortlessly for extended periods. With a 28.6" scale Maple neck and a 22 fret Jatoba fingerboard, you’ll enjoy smooth playability and quick access to higher notes.
Squier Sonic Bronco Bass Guitar with Lessons
The Squier Bronco Bass is designed to elevate your musical journey. With its slim “C”-shaped neck profile, this bass offers exceptional comfort, making it easier for you to play for longer periods. The lightweight body enhances playability, while the short 30" scale length reduces string tension, perfect for smaller players. Additionally, the Squier single-coil pickup delivers a punchy, articulate tone, allowing you to explore various musical styles with ease.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
1. What is the shortest scale bass?
Over the years, 'short-scale' has come to mean any bass with a scale length 31″ and under, with the average being 30″ or thereabouts. While it may seem insignificant, subtracting four inches from a bass string's vibrating length (standard scale length is 34") profoundly impacts timbre and feel.
2. Is a short scale bass easier to play?
This, combined with the frets being much closer together, means that short scale basses feel considerably easier to play than their full-length counterparts. These qualities make short scale basses apt for beginners, especially younger players with smaller hands that can't stretch very far.
3. Do short scale basses sound better?
So, because of their reduced scale length, short-scale basses are inherently darker and, arguably, richer in tone than long-scale basses.
4. Is a short scale bass better for small hands?
Short-scale bass guitars are usually a lot easier to play than their full-length counterparts. This is due to the lesser string tension as well as the smaller size. This is also the reason why short-scale basses are preferred by beginners, students, or young players with smaller hands or fingers.
During our short scale electric bass guitar research, we found 35 short scale electric bass guitar products and shortlisted 7 quality products. We collected and analyzed 5,682 customer reviews through our big data system to write the short scale electric bass guitars list. We found that most customers choose short scale electric bass guitars with an average price of £157.85.
The short scale electric bass guitars are available for purchase. We have researched hundreds of brands and picked the top brands of short scale electric bass guitars, including Ibanez, gear4music, Fender.
Hayden was born in Liverpool, and he never left his hometown until university. In his freshman year at the University of Manchester, Hayden was the group leader of a popular music group. Hayden is responsible for the popularity of his music, and this is because of his natural ability to play with keys and strings. He graduated with BFA in 2016 and returned in 2018 as a lecturing staff in the School of Music.