5 Best Bass Guitars for Punk Rock & Pop Punk [2022 Updated]

There are many amazing bass guitar models available with different specs and features, but all of them can’t deliver that amazing punk rock tone. You need to be very specific while choosing a bass for yourself.

I’ve reviewed plenty of bass models and done all the homework for you to figure out which are the best bass guitars for punk rock in 2021.

When things came down the punk bass guitars, along with the versatility in the sound, overall flexibility, and comfortness also play an important role.

Top 5 Best Bass for Punk Rock Reviews [2021]

I’m starting with my personal favorite brand, Fender!!

1. Fender Player Precision Electric Bass Guitar

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ScoreGuitar Rating:

Main Features:

  • Weight: 11.35 Pounds
  • Scale Length: 34 Inches
  • Solid Alder Wood Body
  • C-Shaped Neck & Maple Fretboard
  • 4-Saddle Standard Guitar Bridge
  • Split Single-Coil P Bass Pickups
  • Simple to Use Control Layout
  • Fender’s Open Gear Tuning Machines

Pros

  • Stylish Looking Double-Cutaway Body
  • Light-Weight, Durable Alder Body
  • Split Single-Coil Guitar Pickup
  • Adjustable Guitar Bridge Configuration
  • Modern C-shaped Maple Neck Profile

Cons

  • Little Sharp Fret-Ends
  • Guitar Case is not Included

Why I Love this Bass:

If I were in the market for a new Fender bass, I’d have no hesitation going with this precision bass. Fender is one of the most reputed brands in the music world and their Precision Bass guitars are considered iconic series models due to their easy feel, robust build quality, versatility in the sound, and overall performance they offer.

Surprisingly, This bass isn’t much heavy. It definitely provides a great experience, it sounded AMAZING. It has the smoothest Low-End I’ve ever played and this felt perfect in my hands. What else I want, Right?

This Fender P bass comes with a solid Alder wood body with a nice gloss polyester finishing on it. It definitely makes this bass looking amazing, but also while testing I feel its effect in terms of playability. It comfortably sits on your lap and allows you to perform your magic.

It has a double-cutaway design, which is of course looks very stylish but most importantly it give you access to the upper notes, which comes in very handy especially if you’re a big artist.

Electronics & Hardware:

Coming towards the electronics, This P-bass comes loaded with an Alnico V split single-coil pickup configuration. This pickup system is popular for its wide range of output, from fatty low-end signals to the punchy midrange out, you get everything.

I first thought It was Fender’s standard pickups, but I think I underestimate the spirit of their team. This pickup configuration is really powerful-sounding that delivers you a clean and punchy Fender bass tone. Whether you’re into Jazz, Punk Rock, or Funk music, this bad boy got you cover everything.

In terms of sustainability and intonation, this bass performs superb, thanks to the 4-saddle standard bridge configuration we’re getting here. This bridge allows you to adjust the action, which means you can personalize things as per your comfort and playing style.

Simple to use control layout in present on top that let you play with the master tone control and volume control of this bass. Also, I’m not a big fan of standard tuners so I replaced them with Hipshots.

Ease in Playability:

Looking into my favorite part, This bass features a modern C-shaped Maple neck profile. I love how they balance the things between a comfortable C-shape design and a Maple neck. Whatever work they did with this profile, It really works for me.

It is topped with a Maple fingerboard that not only provides you comfortable holding but also allows you to play with speed. The only minor complaint I have is its little thicker neck profile but now I am slowly getting used to it.

With nice quality control and clean finishing overall, this bass gives nice action to your fret hand and will suit all the playing styles. everything aside, One thing is sure, I had a great time while testing and putting this bass through its pace.

Check the Demo Sound:

Overall, this bass is more than just a solid performance tool. With its cool features, amazing versatility, and great sounding tone you’re going to be ready to bang any stage or studio with your talent. Without any doubt, I loved it and highly recommend you.


2. Ibanez TMB100 4-String Bass Guitar

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ScoreGuitar Rating:

Main Features:

  • Weight: 8.2 Pounds
  • Scale Length: 34 Inches
  • Classic Poplar Wood Body
  • Maple Neck & Rosewood Fretboard
  • Dynamic P & J Pickups
  • Custom 2 Band EQ Knob
  • Standard Fixed Bridge
  • Die-Cast Tuning Machines
  • Premium Bass Guitar Feel

Pros

  • Ibanez Classic Lightweight Body Design
  • Ibanez Custom 2-band EQ Preamp
  • Dynamic Sounding P-J Pickup System
  • Easy to Play Maple Neck Profile
  • Affordable Price Tag!

Cons

  • Pickups are Little Weak
  • Manufactured in China

Why I Pick this Bass Guitar:

Personally, I buy this bass as a backup instrument. If you’re looking for a fully-featured punk bass guitar but don’t want to hurt your pocket much, This is the perfect choice for you.

Even though this is a low-budget option, It sounds GREAT and plays excellent. The only downside is, I find the neck profile a little chunkier (which I was not expecting!) but it doesn’t hinder the playability at all. Honestly, you can’t get such a great instrument, especially at such a price range.

This model comes with a poplar wood body in a cool retro-looking body design. This seems to be a very robust body construction which makes this TMB100 bass model highly durable. It has a nice finishing all over it that adds more points to the looks but also provides a supportive feel while playing.

Electronics & Hardware:

A great combination of P and J pickup systems (DXP pickup at Neck & DXJ pickup at Bridge) is provided with this model. Both of these pickups are passive, which is obvious as per the price tag of this bass. Ibanez’s custom 2-band EQ is given here which comes with lots of sonic tonal options.

That means, whether you want to play fat-sounding, thumping rock tunes or if you like softer, mid-range, rich-sounding tones, this bass guitar has everything for you. In spite of the low price tag of this bass, sure, it suits for playing most of the genres, including punk rock.

Really, the Electronics setup performs far better than what I expected, but not with the hardware. You get an Ibanez standard fixed bridge configuration and a die-cast tuning machine’s heads that supports the strings, which is expected at this budget. I won’t say they are awesome but yes, they perform their job pretty well.

Ease in Playability:

Coming towards the Neck area, A wide and kind of chunky neck profile is provide here made of Maple wood. This profile will take care of your comfort and provide you a premium bass guitar feel. In extension to this, we’re getting 20-frets Rosewood fingerboards that provide nice action to your fret hand.

If you don’t want to get into the fancy things, and looking for a beginner bass guitar or one punk bass for backup, this is potentially a perfect choice to go with.

Check the Sound Demo:

Bottom Line: With its top-notch specifications, compact size, and superb-sounding tone, this bad boy doesn’t lag behind to inject extra excitement into your music sessions. If you’re a beginner and looking for a budget bass guitar that doesn’t suck, this beast is the best bet for you.


3. Sterling StingRay Classic Ray24CA Bass Guitar

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ScoreGuitar Rating:

Main Features:

  • Weight: 9 Pounds
  • Scale Length: 34 Inches
  • Robust Mahogany Slab Body
  • Maple Neck + Rosewood Fretboard
  • Fully-Adjustable Bridge Configuration
  • Equipped with Alnico Pickup
  • 2-Band Active Preamp System
  • Very Flexible Control Layout
  • Adjustable Truss Rod
  • 3+1 Tuning Machine Heads

Pros

  • Awesome Sound Quality!
  • Highly-Comfortable Playing Experience
  • Fully-Adjustable Bridge System
  • Noise Free Humbucker Pickup Configuration
  • Great Value for your Money!

Cons

  • Might Feel little Buzz in the Starting!

Why I Like this Bass Guitar:

Sterling has been in the market for quite a long time now and their StingRay Classic Ray24CA is another great bass that I find well-suited for playing punk rock music. I know, best is a very subjective word but I really like this bass guitar.

This bass guitar comes with a robust Mahogany body with a double-cutaway body shape design. Personally, I don’t like slab body much, and If you’re going to play with the instrument worn high, I might consider that to be a big issue.

But still, This is by far a very great instrument and offers nice playability in terms of balance and weight.

Electronics & Hardware:

Along with the comfortable lightweight body, Sterling Ray24CA is equipped with an Alnico-style single noise-free humbucker pickup. This pickup sounds through a custom-designed 2-band active preamp system which is powered through a 9v battery.

Honestly, As per the price range of this model, I wouldn’t expect this level of electronics setup from sterling. I love how this preamp delivers a rich-sounding bass tone to my amplifier. With a wide tonal range with smooth low-end and aggressive high-ends, this bass becomes suitable for almost all playing styles.

This preamp system included individual volume, treble, and bass control knobs that allow you for total tonal control by letting you play even with the highs and lows of the tone.

Coming towards the hardware part, we’re getting a custom-designed bridge configuration here with fully adjustable steel saddles. that means, whether, in terms of intonation or the action of the strings, this bridge gives us full freedom to bend things as per our choices.

Also, nice-looking tuning machine heads are installed on the headstock which is actually pretty accurate in terms of tuning. which means you can pick up the guitar, tune it quickly, and can start banging your performance instantly.

Ease in Playability:

Last but not least, we get a 6-bolt neck joint here which is one of the iconic features of the sterling bass guitars. This time they opt-in for the Maple neck profile in combination with a 20-frets Rosewood fretboard, which allows for easy navigation for my fingers.

Although this overall setup seems to be obvious as per the price tag, definitely didn’t let down the credibility of this model. Everything feels at its position, as a result, we’re getting a consistent, effortless playing experience, which is I think the most important thing, after the sound quality.

At last, All I can say, this is definitely one of the most performing bass guitar models that comes with a number of excellent features and is able to provide serious value for the money you’re spending.

Check the Demo Sound Demo:


Overall,
 I’m pretty impressed with how it handled the high gain tones & the clean tones. The functionality of this bass is just great and it definitely provides a nice value for your money, both in terms of its sound quality & tonal versatility. If you’re looking for a highly comfortable playing experience, there is no other option.


4. Fender Player Jazz Electric Bass Guitar

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ScoreGuitar Rating:

Main Features:

  • Weight: 12 Pounds
  • Scale Length: 34 Inches
  • Classic Looking Alder wood Body
  • Modern C-shaped Neck Profile
  • 20-Frets Maple Fingerboard
  • Dual Alnico V Single-Coil Pickups
  • 4-Saddle Standard Bridge Configuration
  • Fender’s Standard Tuning Heads
  • Flexible Controlling Knobs

Pros

  • Nice Sound Quality and Bass Tone
  • Enhanced Tuning Stability
  • Two Single-Coil Jazz Bass pickups
  • Flexible Controlling Knob Setup
  • Adjustable Guitar Bridge Configuration

Cons

  • Gig Bag is not Included!
  • Some Peoples might feel it Heavy
  • Higher Price!

Why I Pick this Bass Guitar:

Fender Player jazz is another great and inspiring instrument that I find great for playing punk rock music. Primarily, Fender bass guitars are famous for their amazing features and flawless craftsmanship, and this model definitely not an exception to this,

Once you take this bass in your hands, you will instantly notice its unique offset-waist jazz-style body shape. Whether you want to play standing or in a sitting position, you’re going to get benefited from this comfortable body.

Electronics & Hardware:

Coming towards the Electronics section, Fender J bass comes with a dual Alnico V single-coil jazz pickup system which delivers a legendary fender bass tone that you might already be familiar with through countless recordings.

A very flexible control layout is provided here that comes with two-volume knobs (one for each pickup) and one master tone control knob. That means you can control your music tone and dial it however you want to get the sound you prefer.

I like how they combine this electronic setup with quality hardware to enhance the overall performance of this bass. Here we’re having a 4-saddle fully-adjustable bridge configuration which provides solid support to the strings and also allows you to adjust the intonation.

Standard tuning machines installed on the headstock keep strings stable and help you with smooth and accurate tuning.

Ease in Playability:

Here we’re getting a modern C-shaped Maple neck profile which is relatively slim and designed for a high-comfort quality playing experience. This profile is topped with a well-dressed 9.5 Inches radius of Maple fingerboard, that not only allows for fast and complex bass lines but also suits all playing styles.

That’s the reason why This Fender J Bass is one of the go-to bass guitars for so many musicians. If you’re looking for a nice bass guitar that comes with a classic and elevated jazz style body design and delivers you authentic bass tone, this is just the perfect model for you.

Check the Sound Demo:

Bottom Line, Whether you only want to play Punk rock or Any other genre, the Fender’s player jazz bass can take anything you can think of and everything you haven’t yet. I Can Comfortably Say, this is a Perfect Practice Tool that Hit a Great Balance between Size, Power, Durability, and Tone Variation Options, and is worth your time!


5. Yamaha BB734A BB-Series Bass Guitar, Dark Coffee Sunburst

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ScoreGuitar Rating:

Main Features:

  • Weight: 14.3 Pounds
  • Scale Length: 34 Inches
  • Laminated Alder Wood Body
  • Stylish Double-Cutaway Design
  • 5-Piece Maple Neck + 6-Bolt Joint
  • 21 Frets Rosewood Fretboard
  • Custom Alnico V P/J Pickups
  • Active Preamp with 3-band EQ
  • Light-Weight Open-Gear Tuners
  • Convertible Saddle Bridge

Pros

  • Provide Great Playability
  • Superb Sound Quality with Flexible Tone
  • 6-Bolt Miter Neck Joint
  • Versatile 3-Band Active EQ
  • Yamaha’s Single-Coil Alnico V Pickups

Cons

  • Highs are a little thinner
  • Some Might Feel it Expensive!

Why I Choose this Bass:

Yamaha BB734A is another great bass guitar model that I find very suitable for playing punk music songs. Not only this, but all the models from this BB series are exceptional in terms of their performance and overall versatility in the sound.

This bass features a combination of Alder wood and Maple body in a multi-laminated style construction. This unique combination increases the stiffness of the body and enhances the midrange signals. that means you can now cut through the mix of your band and delivers more consistent and uniform vibrations.

Electronics & Hardware:

Looking into the next part, here we’re having a custom-designed Alnico V7 P/J style single-coil pickup configuration. These pickups are really very powerful, and I personally found them very flexible, thanks to the 3-band active preamp system.

This preamp works amazingly with the pickups and allows you to dial the superb-sounding tone by growling the P-style neck pickup. And if this is not enough, we get a simple but very effective control layout on the top body.

It has an onboard active/passive switch that gives you access to switch between two different tonal characters. Along with that, the master volume knob and one pickup balancing knob are there to make things even more versatile and intuitive.

Lightweight tuners are here that perform fine in combination with a fixed bridge configuration that significantly reduces the tension on the strings and provides great support. That means you’re less likely to break your bass strings next time.

Ease in Playability:

This BB734A Bass Model comes with a 5-Piece Maple and mahogany neck profile attached to a body with a 6-bolt Miter Neck Joint. Once you start playing, you’ll get an idea, how stable this setup is.

This neck joint ensures the clarity and sustainability of this model. whereas, 21 frets full-length Rosewood fingerboard provide a nice comfortable playing experience.

At last, All I can say is, while testing this model, I checked all of my test boxes, except for the price range. This bass will deliver you an excellent playing experience through its superb specs and definitely worth you’re at least one shot.

Check the Sound Demo:

Overall, This is a nice bass guitar model that delivers a clean and rich-sounding tone through its pretty versatile control panel. It offers you some great features that make it the perfect tool for any kind of jam session.


What is the difference between Pop Punk and Punk Rock?

To be short and sweet:

Punk rock is considered as a Grand-Parents of the Complete Musical Genre whereas Pop Punk is a little sub-genre (or child) of Punk Rock.

Punk rock is a broad term that is also you can say an attitude or a mindset that is express socially and artistically as a movement. It included music, performance, fashion, dance, writing, activism, visual arts, and many more things.

On the other side, pop-punk is a creative fusion genre that mixes the aggressive drums and guitars of punk rock with catchy harmonies from the pop genre.

So,

What is the Best Bass Guitar for Playing Punk Rock in 2021?

In the end, I prefer to go with Fender Player P-Bass Guitar, if you’re looking for an amazing playing experience and clear, versatile sounding tone. However, if you’re on a budget or want to keep things simple, you should go with the Ibanez TMB100 bass model.

I hope you find this article helpful. If you need my help in anything else, feel free to put down your queries in the comment section. I’m happy to chat with you!

Happy Music!

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