4 String Bass roundup
The Best 4 String Bass for the Money
Whether you're spending £250 or £1,600, there is a genuinely excellent bass at every price point — these are the models worth your money and why.
The 4 string bass market is well-supplied at every price point, and some of the best instruments on the planet sit well under £1,000. The models listed here are chosen on the basis of playability, reliability, and what they actually deliver for the price — not on brand name alone. Prices are approximate UK retail figures and will vary with stock and exchange rates.
Best Budget: Squier Classic Vibe 60s Precision Bass (around £380)
The Classic Vibe range is the best argument for Squier's relevance as a serious instrument line. This model recreates the original offset Precision body with a vintage-voiced split-coil pickup, a C-shaped maple neck with a 9.5-inch radius and medium-jumbo frets. The build quality and hardware are well above the standard expected at the price. The tone is warm and focused, with enough low-mid presence to sit clearly in a band mix. Players on a tighter budget should also look at the Squier Affinity Precision, which costs around £230 and is similarly good value for a first instrument.
Best Mid-Range: Yamaha TRBX304 (around £320)
Yamaha's TRBX304 is one of the most consistently recommended mid-range bass guitars on the market, and for good reason. The alder body has a comfortable, accessible shape; the maple neck has a fast, modern C profile that suits most hand sizes; and the active preamp with its five-band EQ gives far more tonal control than you'd expect at this price. The pickups are a matched pair of Yamaha-designed single-coils that work well together and clean up nicely. This is a serious working instrument at a modest price.
Best All-Rounder: Fender Player Precision Bass (around £750)
If you are buying a 4 string bass you intend to play for years — through lessons, bands and recording — the Player Precision is the instrument most often recommended by working musicians. Made in Fender's Ensenada facility in Mexico, it uses the same body profiles and neck geometry as the American-made variants, with a solid alder body, a C-shaped maple neck, and Fender's Player Series split-coil pickup. The tone is the definitive P-bass sound: thick, punchy and cutting. The hardware is reliable. The resale value is strong. It is one of those instruments that rarely lets players down.
Best for Versatility: Ibanez SR500E (around £600)
The SR500E sits at the top of Ibanez's SR range and is built around an ash body, a thin five-piece maple-and-walnut neck and a pair of Bartolini MK-1 pickups with Ibanez's own active EQ system. The SR neck profile is famously thin and fast — ideal for players with smaller hands or a preference for quick movement. The tonal range is wider than most passive basses: from clean, modern fingerstyle to heavier, more aggressive sounds. This is not the instrument for a vintage-toned P-bass purist, but it is very capable in a range of styles.
Best Premium: Music Man StingRay (from around £1,600)
The StingRay has been a professional-standard 4 string bass since 1976. Its single humbucker pickup with an active pre-amp produces a distinctive, slightly bright and punchy tone that has been used across an enormous range of recordings in funk, pop, rock and beyond. Build quality is exceptional — the fit and finish on a new StingRay is hard to fault. It is a significant investment, but the instrument is built to last, holds its value well on the second-hand market, and genuinely rewards committed players who want an instrument for life.
Which One Should You Choose?
For most players starting out or at an intermediate level, the Squier Classic Vibe or Yamaha TRBX304 represent excellent value. The Fender Player Precision is the natural step up when you are ready to invest in an instrument that will grow with you. The Music Man StingRay is for players who know exactly what they want and are committed to playing seriously for the long term.
For more help with the buying decision, see our complete buyer's guide. For an overview of what distinguishes types and configurations, the features and types guide covers the key differences in detail.
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