Top 3 Best and WORST Basses of 2023 

fender has been taking massive Ls in recent years sucks to see it but they gotta go back to the drawing board and dream up something amazing that isn't another p or j (or a pj) and also fire some people in the QC department because that is gonna be their downfall if this keeps up

Finally someone takes the price into consideration. It's easy to put some high end instrument or some custom made one on the top.. of course, it's cost is on the top, it has to be great... or taking cheap stuff and saying it's bad because it feels cheap haha, great video man!

Your Rascal video made me pull the trigger, and it was so worth it! I love that bass ❤

Well done! Love your videos! This would be a cool amp mixing series for those who don’t have access to so many like you do. I’d love to see a Mesa dual multi watt mixed with an orange TH30.

New sub! Happy New Year!

I absolutely agree about doing the modifications on a second hand fender bass than pay the inflating price

I just picked up the Sire V5R and it’s amazing. I actually started out with a V3R as something to mess around with, liked it so much I sent it back and got the V5R 4 string and put it in the mix for shows. Of course nothing compares to my Muckelroy 33” 5string but this Sire comes close.

I use round wounds in E/A strings for grittier/brighter attack, and flat wounds for D/G strings for that smooth solo feel - this would be my signature set, you should try it! My next step is to mak the bass half fretless so that I could do smooth slides in upper registers

I like the flats on the green P-Bass. It's funny how much these reviews align with my experiences this year. 30+ years of Fender adoration are out the window after buying an American Ultra Jazz Bass back in January that turned out to be garbage. Meanwhile, I am absolutely loving my Squier 40th Anniversary Precision _and_ Jazz. (Yes I got both on closeout from Sweetwater.) Fender QC has gone absolutely to crap while Squier is consistently excellent. As for Sire - I got a P8 a couple months ago and initially loved it, but there's a major design flaw with the terminal tip that caused it to cut out on me on stage in a gig. Not cool. Now I don't trust it, and since Sire uses really weird electronics, I'm not sure how easily it can be swapped out for a more standard one. Oh well… I'll always have the Squiers! Great video.

Thanks for the video... and flatwounds! (Although they both sound nice)

yooo hell yeah i didn't even realize how many subs you had, definitely need more you're so good!!

What do you think of the Fender 18v P/J noiseless pickups. I have them and sustain is incredible while being very noiseless.

Got a sire v5 on Friday for my 18th. It's amazing

Interesting takes.

That first Ibanez is my first bass. I like it just fine to learn on. I wasn't happy with the price tag, but it was the cheapest in my local shop. As a beginner and know nothing, I'm happy with it

Those emg's are great, I put a gzr pj set in my '95 jackson and they rock

Love the Rascal! I have one and the thing is a low end machine!!

Good vid, thanks. It's quite sad that Fender seems to stumble these days because many people associate that name with quality. Hopefully it does not become the norm! That said, the Troy Sanders PJ bass from Fender is definitely something that I'd like to own one day.

I had my eye on that Lime Green Squire P-Bass because I thought I needed a P in my life, but I actually picked one up because of your video(s) on it. I actually did similar to what you mentioned planning on, ie grabbed a maple Fender P-J Conversion neck, a Fender 3-ply Pickguard, Seymour Duncan QP, and then figured while I was in there that I might as well upgrade the electronics, so I grabbed some CTS Pots, Switchcraft Jack, and an Orange Drop Cap for it. Plus I grabbed a Fender Hi-Mass Bridge + (lighter) Fender Tuners for it, just in case I felt like going that extra mile. Then, all that stuff has sat on my workbench because I liked the way it sounded out of the box. With a few notable exceptions. Mine came with hilariously bad sharp fret ends and fret sprout, plus the neck felt a bit rough. I figured the neck replacement would solve all my problems, but then I remembered the bass was only ~$200 (close-out pricing + tax) and I'd done fret ends once before... So, with about a half hour of work on the frets and 30 seconds with some micromesh pads, I cleaned up the neck and now I have everything to build a Player's Series P-Bass minus the body, sitting. It really is an impressive bass for so little money. Even if I'd taken it to a tech to have the neck worked on, I can't imagine it would have been more than one of the Classic Vibe series all-in. Seriously, it's become my favorite bass to fool around with, and I understand why so many people recommend them. They're still available too, just not in the green. Thanks for your review on it!

Saving up for my Paranormal Rascal. Glad to know it's a good call :)

I just picked up a sire p-5 and am super impressed!

I bought a cheap Washburn Taurus for about $100 used. Just a four string P-bass style, inexpensive bass. It plays well and I thought I'd change out the pickups and make it sound better. I put in Dimarzio Model P pickups and when I plugged it in, I could believe what I was hearing. It literally made no difference. It sounded pretty good before but I expected more. I have two other basses, a 5 string Schecter, and a 6 string Washburn BB6, which was a decent bass when it was made. That Washburn has active soapbar pickups and sounds amazing. the Shecter also sounds really good, and I think it's also active.

What about sire v3, is is "really" different with v7?should i just get v3 or save more for v7?

I believe Geezer Butler played flats when he used a fender p bass. Might be fun to just pair those with the pickup from time to time at least

Those stingray(ish) sire basses coming looking absolutely gorgeous!! I’ll definitely be picking a couple of them up!!! And their acoustic basses! Take my money!!

Definitely a surprise to see that Soundgear so messed up, those basses are usually complete winners. But for 700, buy a used BTB or SRMS 5 string.

Subscribing🎸

I got that Sire bass and.. holy hell its incredible

I totallly agree with you. I have an ibanez 605e and I love it. The quality control of the ibanez is very bad. I had to do several jobs to solve the problems. In addition, Ibanez did not recognize me as a warranty an aesthetic factory defect of a pick up. I bought it new in 2022 in a little Italian store. I should have done the return but I liked the feeling and I preferred to solve the problems myself. Ibanez quality control: very bad. Ibanez Italia customer service: very bad.

Nice to see the old fender v e-c tuning get a reprise

I saw that Soundgear SRMD200 in the quick shots. I got one of those and absolutely love it! I didn't care much for the Squier Rascal I played. It sounded good, but I did not likt the way it played. I couldn't put it down fast enough. Sucks, it really looked cool in the ads, and I was looking forward to trying it out.

I lucked out and found three Japanese Fenders (Boxer, Aerodyne P, Aerodyne J) that ended up costing me about as much as the Mike Kerr signature. The Boxer had a pretty major ding on the back where belt buckles sit so GC took 50% off list for me, and the other two were on good sales. I would have paid list price for any of these basses (~$1,300), but I would totally tell folks to keep an eye on the less popular Fender lines if they want good deals.

That Sire bass sounded like it belonged in an Eric Clapton song. What a great vintage sound with a punchy feel to help it stand out in a mix and not just disappear into the background. Great picks, I agree with the Fenders as well. As much as I want to believe they are the gold standard for instruments Fender has been a real let down for some time now. I tried one for their Guitar Center Jazz bass specials and I hated it. It sounded awful and felt cheap, the knobs fell off, the frets were sharp enough to shave with and felt as heavy as a surfboard.

had great experiences with the jv series bass both squire and fender wise...

Was thinking about getting a MIM Player series Fender Jazz Bass last year, but after trying a couple of them and being bewildered with the lack of QC for such a price, I went with a MIJ Aerodyne. Best decision ever! And all for lousy 600$ on Black Friday on top of that!

Bass guitar beginner here. I wonder if Schecter and Jackson are recommend for beginners or not. If not, so which brands are more suitable for someone who does not have much experience with bass guitar. Talking about bands, I would play things like Type O Negative, The Sisters of Mercy, Black Sabbath and Bauhaus.

The only Fender bass I would buy these days are the MIJs.

Wow, Sire is taking on Music Man/Sterling/Lakland!? This is going to be amazing! 🍿 For your green P bass: I usually prefer flats on a P, but this one in this color screams for rounds imho. And it sounds awesome with them. Oh, and what is this red Jaguar-style bass with 3 single-coils at the end? Looks really sweet!

I always go with flats on basses with a split coil (p) and i always go with rounds on say a jazz bass or most basses with two pickups

Yamaha basses still have the best bang for the buck

Flats for that green Sonic SOB. Slap some foam at the bridge and bring out the pick and go to boogaloo town...

I used to recommend mim basses to people. Haven’t done that in years due to the terrible value and lots of other companies doing it better and cheaper

You could get something custom built for the price of an American ultra. Also, you just got a sub from me for putting Fender on blast!

I actually went to try out the Royal Blood Bass in my recent US trip and, I couldn't believe it, but yes the floor model had polepieces misaligned too? Bruh moment... lol I dunno what's the deal with those.

Yamaha BB spotted in the background I'm not going to pretend I've played a lot of basses, but so far, the BB is the greatest I've played. It feels solid, it sounds amazing, it looks amazing

I had a Kerr bass. It didn't have any of the "issues" that are all over RU-vid. It sounded good, including the bridge pickup. It had a unique tone for sure and actually sounded pretty cool. But... not really the tone I needed for the music I play, so I ended up returning it and getting a Custom Shop Fender J-bass. As for the "best" basses mentioned here... Although the Squier Paranormal Rascal bass sounds great and looks cool, the ergonomics (for a short scale) are the worst there is besides maybe the G&L Fallout (another bass that sounds great, but that's about it). There is no point to having a short scale bass that feels like a full scale bass. Why not just get the full scale bass? The best ergonomics that I've had for short scale basses is the Music Man Short Scale Stingray. The point is having a smaller bass with a smaller reach for the left arm, that that is exactly what the short scale stingray has. the Spector Bantam isn't bad either. But as far as Fender, the Mustang Bass is totally better ergonomically than the Rascal. They need to make a Mustang with the dual humbuckers like the Rascal. That I would buy. As for the Ibanez, I'd totally play one of those, but string it B - G . I'm a bass player that plays mostly classic rock, blues, and country rock. If I started playing a bunch of chords and fancy solo type stuff, I wouldn't have a gig for long. My band wants a BASS player. That's the function in most bands. Green P is cool! Hey, sounds like you need two of those babies. Sorry, Sire has the ugliest headstock shape there is (well, except for, maybe, the MM Bongo). If it wasn't for that, I'd probably have checked them out long ago. Can't get past that horrible headstock shape, though.

The flats actually sounded very close to the rounds on that bass, relative to other basses. Can't decide. Also if I may, don't be afraid to turn the volume up if possible when playing for us. I feel it should be as loud as your voice when you talk. Thanks man! Don't mind my criticism please, great playing here in this video. definitely subbed.

Go round wounds on the squire man, it’s got a 80’s punky vibe

I like the round wounds but I lean more to the Flat Wounds. Fender reminds me of the 80s when American car makers weren't taking foreign car companies seriously and lost a lot of business. Inflation is up and people are looking for value. Yamaha TRBX 304 caught my attention, even the TRBX 174 looks like a good purchase.

Gotta show some more love to the Ibanez Sr bass I realy feel you have an isolated issue also the premium line of sr bass is ridiculous good

Thoughts on fender MIA Jazz Ultra. Anyone?

Any thoughts on Schecter Basses...?

I had myself a squire sonic pbass it was on discount I had it for 175€ it is so comfy perfect out of the box. I will change the pickups and it will be perfect. I have the blue one is also amazing and lightweight. My buddy bass ❤

I am a flatwound guy all the way but for that green squier, I like the rounds . . .

Im so thankful for your honesty. I fear there is alot of sponsored videos so its hard for people to get a clear answer when trying to find quality gear. As a newbie i absolutely need transparency as many do. Great job Sono!

I upgraded my Mexican Player Jaguar with a standard Gotoh bridge and a set of passive EMG pu's, now it sounds cooler! Best Ibanez SR are the ones with Nordstrand pu's, like the 600E and Premium series. Barts are just "meh"

I loved the look of the Mike Kerr bass and was so hyped when it came out, but i tried one when they first got released, extensively, and couldnt justify having one in my setup. It just didn't sound right, and i could build a better jazzmaster style bass for less.

I have never once picked up a Fender Player bass that didn't have sharp fret ends. I won't buy a true Fender, but some of the cheap Squiers can be good value for the money.

That orange Fender looked great,but that G string sounded like a car horn,YIKES!😂😂😂😂😂 But the Dunlops are what I like for the green Squier

U need to look at Sadowsky. The MetroExpress line smokes the Sires, Squiers, and MexiFenders. Fantastic value for money.

I have the green sonic p i put the les claypool emgs hipshot high mass bridge and labella low tension flats and i just cant put it down

You should try half rounds on the Green Squier P

Facts.

I would take into account that the Mike Kerr signature thrives through an octave up

Your Fender BRG analogy only works if you're blind : it's aesthetically way more pleasing than any generic boring sunburst. I agree that it's too exepensive for what it is, but that finish was gorgeous and I'm actually gutted I didn't get a chance to get one.

I like that Dazz bassline tho...

Flat wound sound phat and tight. The EMGs dressed it up for sure.

Just get any standard fender P or J bass and do customize it any way you want after.

if you want a a mike kerr bass get a squire rascal plus its a lot cheaper too.

Oh, that Antigua Jazz 🥰

I'll throw my vote to the Rascal. I really love mine! Full disclosure though that is the only bass you mentioned that I have actually played. I don't find the ergonomics that weird but definitely would if I had to switch from that to a "standard" short or long scale in the middle of a gig. I have always preferred flats on P-Basses but simple solution for that price is to buy another one in a different color and put rounds on that one. The slightly hotter pickup shouldn't matter as much with rounds. Or go all the way and upgrade the PUP on that one too?!

Fender's idea of improvement is trying to make a dog turd have more stink to it.

Try Half-Rounds! Best of both worlds.

Ibanez 6 string fretless. While it’s not a $2000+ bass. It sounds amazing and I’m not where near good enough yet to outplay its abilities

Flatwounds on that modded bass PLEASE!

I like Fender a lot so seeing them have so many QC problems makes me sad.

is that a MIJ 2019 70's Reissue jazz? 👀👀👀

If i wanna buy a pj bass , i would choose schecter session t bass 5 strings

In my experience i absolutely love jackson basses but theyve gotta be over 400 dollars for them to be worth the money... Anything less and it feels super cheap and sounds genaric but worse... I was fortunate to get an 800 dollar rocket red Rickenbacker copy by jackson at a huge discount because it was returned and it is by far my favorite bass i own and i hadnt had anything come anywhere near it in convenience, versatility, or even looks... Its just a badass bass all around

The squier stuff is awesome....and cheap enough to mod without fear. Why would anyone pay extra for fender.

About placing the Ibanez SR500e 3rd worst...you were probably just unlucky, send it back for an exchange and probably get one that's fine.

HAHA!!! Shell Pink is back in stock… and on its way to me!!!!

What about the best 3 and worst 3 guitars?

I bought a Cort Curbow for $200 Everyone trips out when they pick it up....absolutely amazing instrument

I think it's a bit unfair to mark down an expensive P bass just because a cheaper P bass sounds similar. I mean it's the P bass sound if a P bass didn't sound like a P bass it wouldn't be a P bass. There is more to a bass than just tone and price. I can't justify buying a Fodera so they might as well not exist for me, but if I was going to rate basses I wouldn't mark every $1000+ bass down to the bottom of the list just because it was more expensive than a $200 bass that sounds similar when it's new.

Never been a fender fan. I was sad to see the Ibanez to be the worst

Fender USA QC is very poor right now. Last year I tried half a dozen new Jazz basses from across from across its range and all were lousy... at any price. Misaligned bridges, frighteningly high action with decked saddles, bust electrics... just nasty.

I think the Ultras sound great and are some of the best of 2023.

fail kerr sig on pat channel how i got your channel ,one possitive for that bomb . i want the chowny nt5 but Ibanez BTB33 Volo so much sexy if sire makes 24 fret 33 double soupbar pickup i will have some decision to make

I have an ibanez 500e 5 string….im guessing you probably just got a bad one because mine works very well

enter electro reference? very niche

For me Flat on the Lime

Flats on the lime green P Bass

I love people who are like "why spend an extra $20 when you can buy this uglier guitar and a set of pickups you'll have to install? The numbers don't lie!"

I disagree with that classic player being on the worst. My bandmates and I were about buy it because we enjoyed playing it but ultimately we ended up an American Professional II P Bass

That G string sounds like a train horn before it hits you.

THE RASCAL IS SO GOOD

Crazy, Ive never seen a bad sr bass. That shouldnt even had been sold.

I only play Sire M series basses now. M7 and the simply astonishing M2 with maple neck. My Ibanez electronics just died completely - no output whatsoever. Won't be buying another one of them.

1/2 Rounds !!