3 Best Bass Guitars For Small Hands [2023 Review]

If you’re looking for a bass instrument to assist you in sharpening and developing your talents as a musician, the market offers a wide range of possibilities. Keep in mind, though, that bass guitars are a little larger than standard guitars.

That is why some aspiring or professional musicians are hesitant to learn how to play bass guitars. This post will be very useful if you are looking for the best bass guitars for little hands.

We included three of the best models we could find. If you are interested in these models, keep reading our 3 Best Bass Guitars for Small Hands review for more information below.

Our Top Pick: Squier by Fender Classic Vibe Mustang Bass

Features: The “C”-shaped maple neck sets the bar for playability, and the addition of a real bone nut improves tone and tuning stability.

The split single-coil pickup with alnico magnets, invented by Fender, produces a powerful tone for a variety of musical styles. The Squier Classic Vibe Mustang Bass ’60s delivers an excellent low-end punch with fluid playability thanks to its shorter 30″ scale length.

If you are looking for the 3 Best Bass Guitars For Small Hands, you should give this one a chance. Squier equips the Classic Vibe Mustang Bass ’60s with a split single-coil bass pickup created by Fender and featuring alnico magnets for optimum tone.

The pickup is positioned to capture the Mustang Bass’s full tone, while Volume and Tone controls allow you to fine-tune your sound.

The Squier Classic Vibe Mustang Bass ’60s was inspired by the iconic design of the original 1966 Fender Mustang. You receive a classic body with a unique shape and a maple neck that plays smoothly. It even has the original-style Mustang Bass bridge, which has movable saddles for fine-tuning.

For easier playability, the Classic Vibe Mustang Bass ’60s has a shorter 30″ scale length. The small scale length is ideal for younger players, but it may also be enjoyed by players of all skill levels.

Many bass players like short-scale basses because they have a deeper, thumper tone than standard-scale basses.

For the Squier Iconic Vibe series, the classic “student” bass receives a makeover. Mustang basses are known for having a small stature but a tremendous personality.

Runner Up: Sterling by Music Man StingRay Ray4 Bass Guitar

Features: The StingRay was the first production line bass with an active EQ built-in. Many well-known bassists have used the StingRay as their main axe for recording and live performance at some point in their careers.

Among them are Queen’s John Deacon, Red Hot Chili Peppers’ Flea, AC/Cliff DC’s Williams and Mark Evans, Pantera’s Rex Brown, and The Cure’s Simon Gallup, among many more.

If you are looking for the 3 Best Bass Guitars For Small Hands, you should give this one a chance. With its unique egg-shaped pickguard, the StingRay is a head-turner as well. Unfortunately, the Music Man StingRay costs a lot of money, which many musicians cannot afford.

Enter Sterling, a Music Man sub-brand that offers instruments at a lower price point while maintaining a high level of quality. Beginners and players on a budget will appreciate Sterling’s rendition of the StingRay bass.

It has the appearance, as previously stated. The body is made of Basswood and is finished in black. Basswood is widely used in the production of low-cost guitars. Although it lacks the properties of Mahogany, it is a good tonewood.

Because it is softwood, it is quite light. For example, this bass guitar is under nine pounds. As a result, it’s a good instrument for a beginner.

The pickguard, which is black and nearly spherical, is a focal feature of the body design. Of course, the early bass guitars were the same way. That was the first thing people noticed about the design in its original form. It’s been preserved, as it should be.

Best for Budget: Ibanez 4 String Bass Guitar GSRM20RBM

Features: With the GSRM20RBM, you get the best of both worlds: one J-style pickup and one P-style pickup, giving you access to all of their distinct tones. You’ll thump all night long with this Ibanez GSRM20 electric bass guitar in your hands.

If you are looking for the 3 Best Bass Guitars for Small Hands, you should give this one a chance. The Ibanez GIO Series GSRM20 is a compact 4-string bass with a root beer metallic finish that’s great for younger players, musicians with back and neck issues, or anybody else looking for a smaller, lighter instrument with plenty of low-end punch.

When you pick up this bass, you’ll notice that its compact body and tiny neck provide incredible comfort and playability, especially if you have petite arms or hands. With the GSRM20, you get the best of both worlds: one J-style pickup and one P-style pickup, giving you access to all of their distinct tones.

The Ibanez series produces massive sound in a small package. The notion of playing a full-sized electric guitar or bass can be scary if you’re a young student (or simply have small hands).

Ibanez invented the series to address this issue. These instruments are the perfect size for your budding rock star due to their shorter scale. The miKro-series instruments, which share many features with their larger counterparts, generate sound much beyond their size, allowing small hands to make a tremendous sound!

Buyer’s Guide for 3 Best Bass Guitars For Small Hands

Many people who wish to learn how to play the bass guitar have concerns about their hands being large enough to grasp it. While bass guitars are larger than standard guitars, you may always choose ones with thin necks or smaller sizes.

Price

The first thing to think about is how much money you’re willing to spend. Professional bassists can purchase pricey bass guitars with updated hardware, deep bass tones, and good electronics. However, there are some that are less expensive for beginners who wish to master the fundamentals of bass playing initially.

If you’re a serious gamer, you’ll almost certainly prefer the enhanced version. Alternatively, if you’re a beginner bass player who isn’t sure if you’ll be playing for the rest of your life, the less expensive options are preferable.

The cost of a bass guitar can range from $100 to over a thousand dollars. Many bass guitars are suitable for beginners, have a good sound, and are well-made to last. For novices, we always advise against going too high on price. The bass guitars we have listed above are reasonably priced while still producing excellent sound.

Scale

The scale length refers to the distance between the nut and the bridge. The area between the headstock and the fretboard is known as the nut. The bridge, which is near the tail, is where the strings are securely fastened.

For easier strumming and playing, you might choose to go with a shorter bass scale length. The standard length of a scale is 34 inches, but this might vary based on the manufacturer and design.

Posture

The posture of your fingers can have a big impact on how far your hand can stretch. For example, while playing, you can rest the guitar’s body on your left knee and then slant the neck upwards to make it easier to reach the various parts of the instrument.

Take your thumb and place it against the back of your neck. Remember that the position of your thumb is crucial because it might limit or extend your stretch. Place your thumb further towards the E string than the G string whenever you need to stretch your fingers out more.

To avoid cramping, avoid being overly rigid with the thumb and make the movements more flowing.

Weight

If you’re a musician with small hands, the weight of the bass guitar is also something to consider. There are bass guitars that appear to be small but are actually fairly large. Smaller players will find it difficult to learn and play the instruments comfortably as a result of this.

The type of wood used in the guitar’s body might have an impact on the instrument’s weight. It will have a significant impact on the overall weight of the guitar, therefore you must be cautious while picking the appropriate weight for the instrument.

Strings

When shopping for a bass guitar, the amount of strings is also important to consider, especially if you have small hands. This is because, while more strings mean more notes, playing the instrument will become increasingly difficult. The normal number of strings is four, which is sufficient to play any tune.

Stretch Your Hands

Stretching is a good habit to get into when preparing for a long practice, show, or jam, especially for older players/players who are getting older and feeling stiffer. Stretching keeps your joints and hands fluid and nimble when playing, as well as prevents stitches and cramping.

This is just as critical for players with tiny hands as it is for players with larger hands, if not more so. Personally, we have found stretching to be quite beneficial for several of the engagements we have had recently.

Materials

The material utilized to construct the bass guitar is the next consideration. There are numerous possibilities for the best materials for this instrument available. However, ash, mahogany, agathis, bashwood, and maple are the ones that stand out the most.

These tonewoods are strong and long-lasting, making them ideal for the body of a bass guitar. You should also inspect the fretboard, headstock, and neck. Make sure they’re well-built to make it easier for you to play, learn, and explore.

Frequently Asked Questions: 3 Best Bass Guitars For Small Hands

Conclusion: 3 Best Bass Guitars For Small Hands [2023 Review]

What do you do if you have little hands and wish to play bass guitar? That’s what you do if you don’t have very huge hands: you grab a bass guitar and start playing.

The subject of hand size and bass playing never came up for most of us – including us. It was decided that if we could play the instrument, we could play it, and that was the end of it.

Others, on the other hand, consider hand size to be a major factor in deciding whether or not to pick up the bass guitar. We included the 3 best bass guitars for small hands. We hope you liked our 3 Best Bass Guitars For Small Hands review and it was helpful.