The bass guitar is the heart of many bands, and as much as you may try, you just can’t ignore it. The soulful rhythm played on the bass forms the backbone of many melodies, and is often used by other musicians to develop the musical depth we all love.
Like other instruments, there is a huge range when it comes to the quality of bass guitars. It is no surprise that high-end bass guitars can come with some pretty impressive price tags. Playability, sound quality, craftsmanship and noteable previous ownership all influence the price of a bass guitar, and can seriously add up.
In this article, we'll provide a list of some of the most expensive bass guitars available on the market today. Whether you’re simply curious about high-end bass guitars, or are yourself looking to invest in sound and quality, you’ll find the biggest players in this article.
The Fender Mustang bass is best known by its famous previous owner, none other than Bill Wyman of The Rolling Stones. Wyman could be seen playing it between the years 1969 and 1970. The 1969 bass, along with Wyman’s amp and other gear was auctioned off at a whopping $384,000.
We can understand why someone would be willing to pay that much, aside from its legacy. The bass has a beautiful orange finish and stripes at the side. The bright colors and stripes were meant to attract younger players. No one could have anticipated it to be played by one of the biggest rock bands in the world.
This beauty was designed by Jens Ritter, one of the best-known luthiers that specialized in electric instruments. He’s especially famous for his exceptionally signed custom guitars and basses. Out of all the ones he designed, no bass can compare to the Royal Flora Aurum.
Unsurprisingly, Ritter doesn’t sell this one for cheap. The Royal Flora Bass is currently priced at $250,000. It previously had the record of the most expensive bass until a lucky person bought Wyman’s bass.
So, who did Ritter make the Royal Flora Aurum for? We have no idea. All we know is bass players drool over its premium materials, the maple with the breathtaking quilted pattern, and its overall hand-designed quality.
But c’mon, that’s not what gives it the six-figure price, right? Right- Ritter went all out with this one.
The fingerboard inlay features flowers made of 24-karat gold, with platinum-dipped black diamonds on each leaf. This bass is literally dripping in gold. The tuner, bridge, knobs, and buttons are all made of gold.
Not only that, but diamonds top each knob. The knob position marks are made of stunning green diamonds. And to top it off, the nut is made of ivory from a 10,000-year-old Siberian Mammoth. Yes, you read that correctly. And by the way, the Siberian Mammoth is extinct.
If this isn’t the fanciest bass ever, then I don’t know what is.
No bass is more recognizable than the Hofner 5001 Violin Bass that was famously played by Sir Paul McCartney himself. He purchased it immediately when he moved from playing the piano to bass.
He played this bass until it was stolen (McCartney got his second bass in 1963 and plays it to this day). It was originally a right-handed bass, but since Paul McCartney is left-handed, he flipped it upside down in order to play it. At the time, McCartney bought it used for $45.
It recently sold at an auction for over $204,000.
Motown bassist James Jamerson is one of the most legendary bass players in the world. He was inducted into the Rock n’ Roll Hall of Fame and is responsible for the bass lines in some of Motown’s greatest songs, from the 60s and 70s specifically.
Jamerson played a Fender Precision Bass from 1961. In 2017, his bass sold at an auction for over $68,000. While Jamerson’s bass still has the beautiful sunburst color, it’s faded due to years of being played. This added character is arguably what makes the bass so unique and timeless.
Fodera Guitars is a Brooklyn-based company that specializes in handmade guitars and basses. The bass that Fodera made for “bass master” Anthony Jackson is one of their best and most expensive models.
For a true innovator like Jackson, Fodera needed to make a one-of-a-kind bass. This six-stringed bass went through years of adjustments and tweaks until it was up to Jackson’s desires. Presentation II has a heel-less attachment to the neck and body and a hollow body. The body is made of alder wood in a hybrid design while the top wood and back are made of hand-carved holly.
How much does this bass go for? A whopping $46,750.00
If you take a look at this bass, you understand why it’s called “Goliath Bass.” As the name suggests, this bass has a double-neck. Played by bassist John Judge, this was the perfect bass for him since it gave this bass legend endless musical possibilities. It’s a custom model by Alembic and will set you back $31,350.00 If you buy it today.
This bass is made of zebrawood, mahogany, maple, ebony, and purple heart. The inlay features a design of a dragon holding a maiden captive. Judge came up with that design since he loved mythology.
The Jazz Bass is one of Fender’s most iconic and high quality basses. They started making this bass in the early 1960s in the hopes of appealing to jazz bass players.
As time went on, this bass became one of Fender’s most legendary basses, but this notoriety is due to more than just its quality.
Bass players loved the custom colors feature. This was a big feature that Fender offered their customers during the 50s and 60s. This was possible since Fender used the same paint that carmakers used.
However, during the late 60s, Fender stopped offering this feature, preserving the guitars in time.
Now, Custom Color Basses are extremely rare. Fender came out with a limited supply of these basses in their original color for the 50th year anniversary. If you find a Custom Color Bass from this special, it will cost you $28,000.
Tony Zemaitis was a British luthier. He died in 2002, but you can still see his guitar designs today. Zemaitis is well known for making guitars for some of the biggest rock stars in the 60s, including Eric Clapton himself.
All of his guitars were metal-fronted, which was truly innovative for their time.
This brings us to the Heart Hole Bass, which was the first bass designed with a, well, heart-shaped sound hole. The bass is made of abalone, mahogany, spruce, and rosewood. Obviously, the heart sound hole gives the bass its famous appearance.
Today, this bass is worth $25,000.
Gibson blew minds when they released the Thunderbird in the mid-1960s.
They followed closely in Fender’s footsteps, giving their basses custom colors. Like the Fender basses, the Gibson Thunderbird IV in custom colors are no longer made. Nowadays, some of the original colors are worth a pretty penny. The rarest one is the cardinal red color, which is worth $23,000.
Fender developed the Precision Bass Guitar in the 1950s. This bass was inspired by the changing music landscape. Bass players loved the deep undertones of a double bass, but they were difficult to hear over modern electric guitars.
The Precision Bass was the solution. This electric bass was not only powerful but also portable and smaller than traditional upright basses. That’s how the Precision Bass made rock n’ roll history.
While Fender only ceased production of the Precision Bass in 2020, you can find these basses just about anywhere and for an affordable price. However, the ones in specific colors released in the 50s and 60s can cost you as much as $23,000.
Inspired by the design, style and comfort of the Strat guitar, today's P Bass body is designed for playability high in the neck. The wiring of its single-coil pickup is split in two for big, beefy sound, more tonal versatility and balanced output across each string.
Precision Bass | Fender
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Travis Bean was a world-renowned luthier and was overall known as an innovator.
Instead of wood, Bean made his guitars with an aluminum neck. This makes Bean’s guitars heavy and sturdy, but with seriously massive sound quality. Oh, and it also makes his guitars more expensive, of course.
He has released some of the most unique guitars and basses, including the TB2000. Made in 1974, this bass is extremely rare. It has an aluminum nut while other Bean models feature brass nuts. This puts this guitar upwards of $20,000.
TB 2000 Prototype #0 from 1974. This is the original prototype bass that was hand crafted by Travis Bean himself. This prototype became the master guide for the production models that followed.
Travis Bean TB2000 Prototype #0 (1974) | Reverb
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We’re mentioning Ritter again.
While the Royal Concept is still a high-end custom, this one can fit most budgets. That is, if you want an extremely high quality bass.
This bass is still priced around $12,000, but you get what you pay for. Ritter uses high-quality materials such as alder, flamed maple, and ebony. For the extra bit of flair, Ritter puts bright blue nylon strings on this bass.
The bass guitar is one of the most significant instruments in a variety of musical genres. It’s no surprise that some legendary basses have been created — and many of them cost a pretty penny, to say the least.
Even certain features, such as a specific color, can separate a bass costing one grand to over ten grand! From Jens Ritter custom masterpieces to iconic basses from major brands like Fender, there's some big price tags attached. If I were you, I wouldn't attempt to buy any of these basses unless you plan on shelling out some serious cash.
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