If you have found yourself hankering for even more low-end from your bass guitar, then you are in luck! The best 5-string bass guitars give you the extra heft of an added string while still remaining as playable as a regular four-string bass. Expanding your sonic range is essential for many modern bassists, and if your current set-up just isn’t cutting it anymore, it might be time to upgrade.
While the extra string technically only offers five more notes, this extended range allows you to take your bass playing into dimensions hitherto undiscovered. Many of the most famous bass guitar players have utilized these, from classic players like John Paul Jones and Jack Bruce to modern masters like Fieldy and Robert Trujillo.
So whether this is your first foray into the world of 5-string bass guitars or you're looking to upgrade your current gigging workhorse, we've hand-picked the best options on the market right now. By covering a wide range of price points, this guide has something for every low-end warrior.
If you have any questions, scroll down to the FAQ section, where we tackle the most common queries about 5-string bass guitars.
Our top picks
The Yamaha BB435 takes the top spot for us thanks to its ability to do both vintage and modern styles, at a price that won’t break the bank. The impeccable build quality you’d expect from Yamaha is present and accounted for, and it looks absolutely phenomenal to boot. Truly one of the best 5-string bass guitars money can buy.
The Sterling by Music Man S.U.B. StingRay 5 is the cheaper version of its full-blooded Music Man brethren, but it’s more than a match for any premium-level 5-string bass guitar. Versatile enough to handle anything from pop to hard rock, this guitar proves you don’t have to spend big for huge tone.
Fender’s Jazz Bass is a legendary sound in the world of bass guitar and with this Squier Classic Vibe ‘70s version you get a boutique tone on a budget. If you’re in the market for vintage tone, you could do a lot worse than this great bass.
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Best overall
The Yamaha BB435 TBS is a super versatile instrument that can do vintage or modern tones thanks to its P/J pickup configuration. Considering the low price-point you get a brilliant spec too, with materials you’d normally find on pricier instruments.
Independent volume controls for each pickup allow you to mix and match the characteristics of both, resulting in excellent tonal flexibility. A single tone knob does your EQ sculpting for both pickups simultaneously.
As you’d expect from Yamaha the build quality is second to none. The low B feels rock solid with no floppiness at all, helping you really nail those super low grooves on the bass guitar. The ingenious bridge with its 45-degree string break angle means you get great intonation and stability too.
Best active budget
The Sterling by Music Man S.U.B. StingRay 5 is the cheaper version of its full-blooded Music Man brethren, but it’s more than a match for any premium-level 5-string bass guitar. Versatile enough to handle anything from pop to hard rock, this guitar proves you don’t have to spend big for huge tone.
The sound is very close to its more expensive big brother, with a single humbucker that’s versatile thanks to the onboard 2-band EQ. Dig in with a pick and you get that signature punchy bass tone, with a round warmth when you use your fingers.
The string spacing at the bridge is narrower than your typical 5-string bass, making it extremely comfortable for those with smaller hands. The ‘D’ profile of the neck feels sleek enough that you can move quickly despite the extra width required for the extra low string.
Best passive budget
Fender’s Jazz Bass is a legendary sound in the world of bass guitar and with this Squier Classic Vibe ‘70s version you get a boutique tone on a budget. If you’re in the market for vintage tone, you could do a lot worse than this great bass.
The two single coil pickups in the classic Jazz Bass configuration offer that trademark growl in spades, and it retains great articulation when playing the low B. The controls give you individual volume for each pickup, allowing you to blend both for your perfect tone.
It’s a glossy neck but it doesn’t feel sticky like some new necks do, offering great playability from the off. The build feels hefty overall, and it’ll certainly put up with plenty of abuse on the road, on stage, and in the studio.
Best for metal
Whilst not well known for its bass guitars, Schecter has been steadily building its name as one of the premier guitar manufacturers since 1976. The Schecter Stiletto Studio 5 is an exquisite looking bass guitar with the sound to match.
A pair of EMG 40Hz pickups matched with a three band EQ give you plenty of powerful low end rumble and a distinctive tonality. Rather than try to emulate the classic bass tones, Schecter have opted to give the Stiletto 5 its own voice.
The mahogany body helps this guitar deliver bags of sustain, paired with a maple and walnut neck. The thin ‘C’ profile is nice and slinky in your hands and an absolute joy to play on, making light work of various playing styles.
Best traditional
The Fender American Professional II Jazz Bass V is a top-of-the-line instrument that’s the result of decades of innovation from the California-based outfit. Coming with newly modeled pickups and a host of other upgrades, this is one of the best 5-string bass guitars money can buy.
The Jazz Bass offers a different tonality to its more popular brother the P-Bass. We find it more versatile and understated, and the new V-Mod II pickups help deliver plenty of punch and clarity when you explore that low B string.
The neck uses Posiflex graphite rods for reinforcement, so you know it’ll put up with plenty of abuse out on the road. The sculpted neck heel allows for more comfortable playing higher up the neck while a HiMass Vintage bridge gives you enhanced sustain and stability.
Best multi-scale
The Ibanez EHB1005SMS is a space-age 5-string bass that gives you a boutique feature set without the price tag. The fact that Ibanez is able to offer a multi-scale bass guitar at this price is truly an astonishing feat.
A set of Bartolini pickups with Vari-mid 3-band EQ gives you a huge variety of tones to choose from. An EQ-bypass switch lets you change the bass to a passive one for even more sounds, as well as helping you save your battery.
The neck on the Ibanez EHB1005SMS will take some getting used to if you’ve never played a multi-scale instrument before. Once you adjust however, the sound benefits it offers will make you wonder how you ever did without one.
Best premium
The Warwick German Pro Series Thumb BO is seen as a modern classic bass guitar, excelling in both metal and funk styles. This is a thoroughbred bass guitar that’s geared towards players of modern styles.
The MEC pickups deliver an in your face bass tone that’s powerful, yet still remains articulate on the low B string. A two band EQ offers great flexibility despite the lack of a mid control, with a handy push-pull knob that bypasses the active electronics.
The ovangkol body and neck are sustainably sourced, offering a tonal quality reminiscent of rosewood. Combine that with outstanding German-made build quality, and you’ve got yourself a bass guitar that will last a lifetime.
FAQs
Buying a 5-string bass guitar can be a minefield if you’re not experienced with the subject. From the additional weight to the longer scale length, there’s plenty to think about when making a purchase. Lucky for you, here at Guitar World, we know a thing or two about getting low, and we're here to ensure you make an informed purchase.
Are 5-string bass guitars heavy?
Bass guitars are heavy. As huge slabs of wood with massive necks, it’s really part and parcel of the deal. Unfortunately, five-string bass guitars require more wood, thanks to their longer scale length, larger hardware, and the extra room required for electronics. So if you’re getting into the world of the five-string bass, be prepared to lug some extra weight around with you.
Is the scale length important on a 5-string bass?
This relates directly to another important factor, the scale length. This is of particular importance because the extra length is a necessity to ensure the additional low string doesn’t flap around or choke out on the fretboard. The rule is that the thicker a string is, the longer the scale length needs to be to ensure the string can sit low enough to the fretboard to remain playable. That means that a five-string bass guitar generally has a longer scale length. Though rare and often costly, you can get multi-scale bass guitars that have angled frets, allowing you to pack different scale lengths into the same guitar to keep things more compact.
Should I have active or passive electronics on a 5-string bass?
Whether choosing a four or five-string bass guitar, you’ll also need to pay attention to the electronics and, more specifically, whether they’re active or passive. Passive basses require no additional power to be used, working on the voltage generated by your pickups. Being an older technology, passive basses are typically described as sounding ‘fat’, ‘round’, or even ‘earthy’, making them well-suited to rock, blues and jazz.
Active basses, on the other hand, pack in a preamp, sometimes an EQ, and even a compressor to help you sculpt and control your sound more easily. These additional electronics typically require extra power, most often found in the form of a 9v battery compartment in the body of the guitar somewhere. This extra control means that active basses sound brighter and more snappy than passive ones, which is why they’re often used in funk and metal. The preamp also allows active basses to deliver a stronger signal – great if you want to plug straight into the PA or mixing desk.
What tuning is standard on a 5-string bass guitar?
The most common standard tuning for a 5-string bass guitar is B–E–A–D–G, with the low B adding extra depth beneath a traditional 4-string set-up. This extended range is ideal for genres like rock, prog and R ‘n’ B, where a punchy low-end presence is key.
However, 5-string basses are also incredibly versatile. Some players opt for tenor tuning – E–A–D–G–C – which adds a higher string instead of a lower one – great for soloing or more melodic playing styles. If you're into heavier genres, drop tunings like Drop C or Drop A are also popular. The beauty of a 5-string bass is that it opens up a wide world of sonic experimentation, no matter what genre you're playing.
What are the best 5-string Bass brands in 2025?
With the bass guitar market evolving every year, there are new entries into the 5-string bass guitar category. However, there are a few stalwarts that have been around since the dawn of the electric bass. It is hard to ignore Fender – credited with creating the modern electric bass guitar. It is fair to say it knows a thing or two, and premium models like the American Professional II, down to more affordable options by Squier, are always going to be a safe choice.
In terms of build quality, Yamaha stands out with incredible attention to detail. When playing a Yamaha bass, you can feel the care and craftsmanship the company endorses – and if you are after a fantastic workhorse with bougie touches, they are certainly worth checking out. If modernity is more your bag, be sure to check out what Ibanez is doing. Forever on the edge of innovation, models like the EHB1005SMS are likely to be right up your street.
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How we choose
Here at Guitar World, we are experts in our field, with many years of playing and product testing between us. We live and breathe everything guitar and bass related, and we draw on this knowledge and experience of using products in live, recording and rehearsal scenarios when selecting the products for our guides.
When choosing what we believe to be the best 5-string bass guitars available right now, we combine our hands-on experience, user reviews and testimonies and engage in lengthy discussions with our editorial colleagues to reach a consensus about the top products in any given category.
First and foremost, we are guitarists, and we want other players to find the right product for them. So we take into careful consideration everything from budget to feature set, ease of use and durability to come up with a list of what we can safely say are the best 5-string bass guitars on the market right now.
Read more about our rating system, how we choose the gear we feature, and exactly how we test each product.
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