Guitar Guide

Bass Guitars & Amplification Buying Guides

Every bass guitars & amplification guide below is rated by Vincent Vandegans and sourced from live eBay and Amazon listings — not sponsored placements. Each pick is cross-checked against real, currently available offers rather than manufacturer list prices, and rescored whenever we refresh the guide.

Bass Guitars & Amplification Guides

What Made Vintage Jazz Basses the Session Player's Default Choice
Bass Guitars & Amplification Score 89/100

What Made Vintage Jazz Basses the Session Player's Default Choice

What made vintage Jazz Basses the session player's default choice.

The Rickenbacker Bass Tone: Why It's Still Copied but Rarely Matched
Bass Guitars & Amplification Score 90/100

The Rickenbacker Bass Tone: Why It's Still Copied but Rarely Matched

The Rickenbacker bass tone: why it is still copied but rarely matched.

Why Serious Bassists Still Hunt for Vintage Ampeg Cabinets
Bass Guitars & Amplification Score 91/100

Why Serious Bassists Still Hunt for Vintage Ampeg Cabinets

Why serious bassists still hunt for vintage Ampeg cabinets.

Do Signature Bass Guitars Actually Fit Different Playing Styles?
Bass Guitars & Amplification Score 88/100

Do Signature Bass Guitars Actually Fit Different Playing Styles?

Do signature bass guitars actually fit different playing styles?

Fretless Bass: A Realistic Second Instrument, or a Different Skill Entirely?
Bass Guitars & Amplification Score 75/100

Fretless Bass: A Realistic Second Instrument, or a Different Skill Entirely?

Fretless bass: a realistic second instrument, or a different skill entirely?

What to Check on a 1970s Bass Before You Trust the "All Original" Claim
Bass Guitars & Amplification Score 95/100

What to Check on a 1970s Bass Before You Trust the "All Original" Claim

What to check on a 1970s bass before you trust the all original claim.

Is a 5-String Actually Necessary, or Just More Fretboard to Manage?
Bass Guitars & Amplification Score 94/100

Is a 5-String Actually Necessary, or Just More Fretboard to Manage?

Is a 5-string actually necessary, or just more fretboard to manage?

Separate Bass Heads vs. Combos: What Actually Changes Live
Bass Guitars & Amplification Score 95/100

Separate Bass Heads vs. Combos: What Actually Changes Live

Separate bass heads vs. combos: what actually changes live.

What a Small-Venue Bass Rig Needs That a Practice Combo Doesn't
Bass Guitars & Amplification Score 95/100

What a Small-Venue Bass Rig Needs That a Practice Combo Doesn't

What a small-venue bass rig needs that a practice combo does not.

Six Strings on a Bass: Genuine Range or Just More to Learn?
Bass Guitars & Amplification Score 94/100

Six Strings on a Bass: Genuine Range or Just More to Learn?

Six strings on a bass: genuine range, or just more to learn?