What American Made Bass Guitars are Best?

After setting up our band, I always thought something was missing in it as the music did not sound pleasing to my ears even though we had amazing guitar and drum players. After digging into different musical instruments over the internet, I finally found the missing part: a bass guitar.

So, I decided to go for it, and trust me, the music that we now generate is a lot better than what we used to produce before. I am highly satisfied with the bass guitars made in USA and thought why not share them with you if you are also thinking of adding a low background tune to your music.

Therefore, I am going to share with you the factors that made me choose the American made bass guitar in this article, the things to look for in any bass guitar, and some of the best USA-made bass guitars.

Hold on, first let me explain to you the function of a bass guitar.

What is a Bass Guitar?

Well, to begin with, a bass guitar is for playing low musical sounds or bass lines in various styles of music including pop, jazz fusion, country, rock, etc.

A bass guitar differs from the usual electric or acoustic guitar in its length as it is a little larger. It has four strings like that of the standard electric guitar, yet its notes are lower. It acts mainly as a supporting instrument.

American Made Bass Guitars

Moving on, let’s discuss some of the distinguishing features of American-made bass guitars.

Why American-Made Bass Guitars are the Best? 

An amateur player can’t tell the difference between a high-quality and a low low-quality bass guitar at first glance. Only an experienced player can say so. However, the presence of certain characteristics in the American-made bass guitars decides that they are the best:

The bass guitars manufactured in the United States are not the work of a machine. Rather, they are hand-built and not produced in masses. Therefore, this makes them slightly more costly than any other bass guitar with top-notch construction.

All of the imported bass guitars cannot match the quality of the USA-made ones. This is why all the American guitar manufacturing brands have their separate USA series with the best quality and their regular guitars. The need for a USA series wouldn’t be there if the quality of the imported and the USA-manufactured were the same. 

CITES refers to the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora. This is a governing environmental body responsible to look after endangered wild fauna and flora. Back in 2017, there was a restriction imposed on the sales of Rosewood across international borders that stopped the manufacturers from including Rosewood in their musical instruments.

Fortunately, on November 26, 2019, this law no more existed and manufacturers could now use Rosewood in their musical instruments. The bass guitars made in USA also involve Rosewood in their manufacture.  

Next, I will discuss the features to look for whenever buying a bass guitar.

Things To Consider When Buying Bass Guitars

When considering a bass guitar, it is not necessary to buy the one that is the best or the most expensive, rather go for the one that would satisfy your needs. The following listed things can help you in this regard:

• What do you need the bass guitar for (learning, recording, etc)
• Hand Orientation (Are you left or right-handed)
• Your budget (don’t go for a cheap one as it would be of no use)
• The kind of music you play (e.g. pop, country, rock, or jazz fusion)
• Check the tuning of the bass
• Volume balance by the string (help in switching strings smoothly)
• Weight of the bass guitar

Now the best part, you can check out the 4 best American-made bass guitars down below:

What American-Made Bass Guitars are Best?

1. Fender Player Precision Electric Bass Guitar

This black bass guitar has a hardtail bridge. The guitar pick-up configuration consists of a single coil. Besides, hand orientation is right-handed. See the latest price here.

PROS	CONS
A thin neck allows easy up and down movement	It doesn’t come with a case
Bass has a good weight
Turning keys have a high-quality open design and can also function tightly
The volume and tone pots turn smoothly

Company Overview: The US-based Fender is a worldwide cultural phenomenon since 1946 and is successful in shaping the sound and style of most popular music for decades. Their instruments such as P Bass, Stratocaster, Jazz Bass, Telecaster, and other Fender instruments have helped grace the shoulders and stages of famous artists in history.

2. Lakland Signature 5 5-Strings Bass Guitar

This bass guitar has dual Lakland USA vintage single-coil pick-ups and a bound neck with block inlay position markers. Besides, the US-manufactured guitar has graphite reinforcement bars and ultra-light tuners that are Hipshot licensed. See the latest price here.

PROS	CONS
Has a decent construction	Noisy single-coil pickups
The Bass guitar has a nice neck
Perform high-speed and highly accurate fret dressing
Vintage tone

Company Overview: The American-based Lakland provides instruments that are quite affordable and play like a dream as they are 100% made in USA. Lakland in Chicago builds the USA series and the USA classic series, each at a time and not in masses. Their bass guitars are known for their superior tone, construction, and playability since the mid-1990s.

3. Fender Player Jazz Electric Bass Guitar

This US-manufactured 3-color sunburst guitar also has a hardtail bridge system. Plus, the guitar pick-up configuration includes a single coil. The electric bass guitar allows right-handed orientation. See the latest price here.

PROS	CONS
Produce a great sound	The guitar is quite heavy
Robust bridge and smooth feel tone knobs
Versatile tone as it is a Jazz Bass
Top-class craftsmanship

Company Overview: Fender is a worldwide cultural phenomenon since 1946 and is successful in shaping the sound and style of most popular music for decades. Their instruments such as P Bass, Stratocaster, Jazz Bass, Telecaster, and other Fender instruments have helped grace the shoulders and stages of famous artists in history.

4. G&L Tribute JB2 4-String Electric Bass Guitar

This electric bass guitar comes in 3-tone sunburst color. This 4-string electric bass has a hard rock Maple neck of a medium C shape with a Maple or rosewood fingerboard and medium-jumbo frets. Also, the bass includes a saddle lock bridge system. See the latest price here.

PROS	CONS
Available in various colors and styles	The pots need an upgrade
Alnico single-coil tone including modern Leo Fender improvements
incredibly resonant instrument
Great pickups

Company Overview: Leo Fender, Dale Hyatt, and George Fullerton founded the American guitar manufacturing company G&L in the late 1970s. The electric guitars and basses produced by G&L include designs based on some classic Fender instruments.

Why Bass Guitar is Important for You?

Bass acts as the core of any band when played correctly. A band is incomplete without a bass player even if there is a phenomenal guitar player and an amazing drummer because the sound falls apart. It won’t be wrong to say that a bass acts as a cement that holds everything else together. Therefore, if you want to generate great music, you should invest in a good bass guitar.

How Many Types of Bass Guitars are there?

There are four main types of bass guitars with respect to their operations and characteristics.

1. Electric bass guitar
2. Acoustic bass guuittaar
3. Electric acoustic bass guitar
4. Fretless Bass Guitars

How many Strings does a Bass Guitar have?

Generally, there are four strings on a bass guitar, and this is the common type. The strings of a regular guitar are tuned to the four lowest strings, which correspond to the four lowest strings of the acoustic guitar. There are also some bass guitars with 5 or 6 strings that are used by advanced bass guitarists to get a wider range of low pitches on their bass.

How to Measure Bass Guitar Scale Length?

It’s 17″(inch) to the 12th fret, so just measure another 17″ from the 12th fret on the G string to the witness point on the saddle. You can measure back from the 12th to the nut to check where it lands, should be the closest edge of the nut to the fret.

If your scale length is longer than your strings, you probably won’t need to shorten them. In order to adjust the intonation, each string must be extended a little bit. To maximize the range of adjustment, run the saddle of the highest string almost all the way to the nut.

Conclusion

The above-mentioned 4 best American-made bass guitars are fun to play with a good drum and would give a new sound to your band. You can go ahead and purchase the one that would cater to your needs the best.

Read More About: What Speakers are Made in USA – An Ultimate Guide