Gift Ideas for Bass Players

Bassists aren’t difficult to shop for, especially if you do your shopping here at Sweetwater. But, if you’re not a bass player yourself, then it might not be immediately obvious what makes a great gift for the bass player in your life. That’s why we’ve put together this little list of everything from stocking stuffers to full-scale instruments that are sure to please the low-end enthusiasts you know.

Fender American Pro II Jazz Bass

Light up the year of that special someone with the American Pro II Jazz Bass from Fender. This jaw-dropping J Bass features a mesmerizing “Dark Night” color on a resonant alder body that will delight any player as well as their audience. A duo of V-Mod II single-coil Jazz Bass pickups deliver lush low-end tone that is great for a variety of styles from jazz to rock to blues. A slim, C-profile maple neck and maple fingerboard with smooth rolled edges will keep your bassist running various lines and riffs for hours due to its stellar comfort and response.

Tech 21 SansAmp Bass Driver DI V2

If the bass player in your life wants to upgrade their rig, then the Tech 21 SansAmp Bass Driver DI V2 is a great way to do it. This preamp/direct box pedal is based on the classic SansAmp bass pedal — the same one that’s at the heart of countless pro-level bassists’ rigs. The SansAmp Bass Driver DI V2 features a massive range of tonal control that’s guaranteed to take any bass rig from drab to fab. This pedal is tailor-made for not only 4-string but even 5- and 6-string basses, thanks to its expanded low-end control, and its adjustable midrange accommodates a wide range of pickups. The SansAmp Bass Driver DI V2 could be the sonic game changer your favorite bassist has been searching for!

MXR M87 Bass Compressor Pedal

For the bassist wanting some studio-grade compression at their feet, the M87 Bass Compressor pedal from MXR is a great gift that will have them giddy. This pedal features classic compression functions like attack, release, ratio, input, and output, each easily accessible on the front panel of the M87. In addition, 10 easily visible gain-status LEDs let your blossoming bassist know when the compression threshold has been reached. And with the lightweight but durable aluminum housing, you can be confident that this gift will last a long, long time!

Ibanez miKro GSRM20

Here is an instrument that will make any up-and-coming bassist very happy this holiday season. With its short-scale, punchy tone, and the effortless playability that Ibanez is known for, the Ibanez miKro GSRM20 is a no-brainer addition to any bassist’s arsenal. Bassists throughout the world — including here at Sweetwater — rely on Ibanez basses, and one look at this bass’s comfortable and attractive contours shows why.

DR Strings DSB2-45 Dragon Skin

New strings are a necessity for bassists and a great way to breathe new life into a bass. We highly recommend the DR Strings DSB2-45 Dragon Skin. These strings are fantastic at maintaining the volume and punch of new strings for a long period of time. And because they feature K3 coating, the strings always feel natural, like uncoated strings, under your fingertips. Strings are a fantastic stocking stuffer, and you save more money the more you buy!

Gator Economy Gig Bag

Having a reliable way to store and transport an instrument doesn’t have to be expensive. Check out the Gator economy gig bag for a fantastic way to get an instrument from A to B. With the ability to sling it over your shoulder, great internal padding, and a durable woven handle, this Gator gig bag is a perfect gift for any low ender.

Levy’s MSSC4 Cotton Bass Strap

You can’t go wrong purchasing a good strap for the bassist in your life. Every player needs at least one. And more straps are even better. We think it’s hard to beat Levy’s MSSC4 cotton bass strap for balancing affordability, durability, and overall comfort. When you add up the soft cotton feel, the 3-inch width, and the 65-inch maximum length, you’ll find that it’s a strap that matches up with any instrument and, more importantly, with any player.

Snark One

Make sure your budding bassist stays in tune with the Snark One. The Snark One is a new addition to the Snark clip-on tuner lineup that features an improved display for even easier reads on tuning status. Like all Snark tuners, the Snark One comes with their beloved hyper-tuning software for fast, reliable tuning status. The Snark One also features new vulcanized rubber joints for reliable, rugged clip-ons night after night.

Squier Mini Precision Bass

That younger bassist in your life will love the Squier Mini Precision Bass. This short-scale P Bass packs a lot of low-end punch and warm tone in a smaller-size instrument that is ideal for younger players with smaller hands. Featuring a classic Fender Stratocaster contoured double-horn body style, this little monster not only delivers great tone but also will have any young player smiling at its cool design and look. It features a split single-coil pickup that kicks out great tone and can be shaped via easy-to-use volume and tone knobs, letting any emerging player explore sonic territories as they find their own style. The 28.6-inch scale length of the maple neck and laurel fingerboard makes learning grooves easy on the hand, as well! The Squier Mini P Bass will put a large smile on the face of any beginning bassist.

Electro-Harmonix Deluxe Bass Big Muff Pi Bass Fuzz Pedal

We all know that player who craves the classic fuzz tone of the ’70s. Satisfy that craving by gifting them the Electro-Harmonix Deluxe Bass Big Muff Pi bass fuzz pedal, and they won’t stop thanking you. The Big Muff Pi was designed by Electro-Harmonix with the input of gazillions of requests from players for all the tone-shaping control that makes classic fuzz such a joy to tap. As an example, there’s a -10dB pad onboard to accommodate active pickups and a built-in gate that keeps tone tight and focused. In addition, a blend control allows a player to mix a dry signal back in with distortion. There are also variable lowpass and highpass filters for even more tone-shaping exploration. And, for convenience, the whole crossover section on this pedal is footswitchable, so you can quickly change tone while onstage.

Radial ProDI 1-channel Passive Instrument Direct Box

Every instrument, including bass, needs some help now and then. Gift the Radial ProDI to that special bassist, and their bass will only sound better. The ProDI is a bit of a legend that’s earned a solid rep as a workhorse full-range passive direct box that delivers gig after gig, keeping ground loops out of the mix and bumping any bass tone to its fullest and best. The secret sauce is in the ProDI’s custom transformer that boasts an extremely low phase distortion in the important bass and midrange as well as provides 100% isolation and hum cancellation. Get the ProDI for that special bassist, and the thank-yous will follow you for a lifetime.

Darkglass Element Cabinet Simulation/Headphone Amp

Bassists at any skill level will absolutely love the Darkglass Element. This innovative cabinet simulator and headphone amp is packed into a pedal format that makes practicing a truly solo affair — no stress over blasting the ears of a roommate or neighbor with this baby! The Darkglass Element is a sleek, stylish, and knobless pedal with an XLR jack, a 1/4-inch input, and a 3.5mm TRS aux output that give you all the connectivity options a bassist needs for jamming and perfecting their craft. With a tactile, touch-sensor slider design and positioning LEDs, this pedal amp keeps a player fully oriented while they rehearse. It features five cabinet simulations and a Darkglass Suite that lets bassists add more as they explore!

Levy’s DM1 3-inch Leather Face with Padded Back Guitar Strap

Give the gift of comfort and style to the bass player in your life with the Levy’s DM1 3-inch leather face with padded back guitar strap. This 3-inch-wide, genuine leather strap features a generous foam padding that translates to amazing comfort during performance. This stylish strap is adjustable from 37 to 54 inches, so it accommodates a variety of body styles and preferred placement positions.

Xvive Audio U2 Digital Wireless Guitar System

The Xvive Audio U2 digital wireless system will give your budding bassist the freedom to move! This sleek, easy-to-use system plugs right into the cable jack of a bass and sends a wireless signal to an amp via the included receiver. No wires or bodypacks are involved! And, with a 2.4GHz ISM band, players get pristine signal transmission with zero dropouts! Oh, and your bassist will love the rechargeable lithium-ion batteries that last up to five hours per charge.

Gruv Gear Fump Bridge-side Dampener for 4- or 5-string Bass

Every musician can get bored along the journey of exploring their instrument. The Fump bridge-side dampener for 4- or 5-string bass from Gruv Gear is a great gift that kills that boredom. This uber-simple accessory is placed on the neck and fingerboard of a bass, effectively muting or dampening the volume and vibration of the strings. The result is a unique palm-muted tone that can be used for a variety of genres to add stylistic flair to any performance. The Fump clips on quickly and easily to the strings between the bridge and bridge pickup and can be removed just as easily.

MONO Vertigo Electric Bass Hybrid Gig Bag

Rugged and stylish, the Vertigo electric bass hybrid gig bag from MONO will put a huge smile on any bass player’s face. This unique bag allows players to access their instrument from the top instead of from the side. It features a molded rubber “Boot” on the bottom that allows this bag to be stood upright securely and safely. Each side of the Vertigo has a lengthwise zipper, so players can fully unzip the bag and get unhindered access to their bass headstock and neck for removal. It also features MONO’s Headlock suspension system that protects the bass’s delicate neck and headstock while it travels. Finally, a “Sharkskin” (not really made from sharks!) exterior material resists water when the weather takes a turn.

Hercules Stands GS414B Plus Single Guitar Stand with Auto Grip System

Every bassist needs a place to hang their instrument with the peace of mind that it is safe. The GS414B Plus single stand with Auto Grip System from Hercules Stands is that stand. The GS414B Plus features Hercules’ renowned Auto Grip System, which automatically closes around the headstock of the bass when the player places it in the stand’s cradle, keeping it from falling forward in the event that the stand gets bumped. And, with an Instant Height Adjustment Clutch, this stand can be adjusted from 37.4 to 45.2 inches to accommodate about any size of bass.

Gruv Gear Kapsule Hybrid Gig Bag

The Kapsule hybrid gig bag is a truly deluxe bag that any bassist will gladly place their most prized instrument in. The Kapsule is a bit soft gig bag and a bit hardshell case. It features a polycarbonate-reinforced body, a padded front, and an EPS foam interior that protects an instrument’s delicate controls and finish while it travels. There’s even an innovative headstock chamber that cradles a bass’s fragile neck, ensuring it doesn’t crack or break when it travels. For all its rugged protection, the Kapsule is remarkably lightweight and features removable wheels and comfortable backpack straps for those longer treks to and from the stage. This killer bag/case also has a handy storage area with pockets under the top panel for clothes or accessories.

Peterson StroboStomp HD Pedal Tuner

Make sure that special bassist in your life is in tune when they play with the StroboStomp HD pedal tuner from Peterson. The StroboStomp HD features a big, high-definition LCD screen with a variable-color LED backlight that makes this tuner ultra-easy to read in any environment. It boasts a 0.1-cent accuracy in tuning and over 100 sweetened tunings. It even has a guided tuning to string numbers feature that will really help emerging players.

MusicNomad Premium Guitar Care Kit

A big part of having a bass sounding and looking its best is the care it receives when it’s not being played. The Premium Guitar Care Kit from MusicNomad is the ideal gift for any bassist wanting to keep their bass in top condition. This kit features Guitar One, a special solution that cleans, polishes, and waxes a bass and keeps its finish looking its best. A bottle of F-One Oil is also included for cleaning and conditioning the fretboard of the bass, keeping its feel and response optimal. Finally, a microfiber suede polishing cloth is included for distributing both solutions evenly and cleanly.

You Can’t Go Wrong with the Gift of Music

These are just a handful of gift ideas for bass players. Of course, there are many more options for bass players of all types. Just remember that you don’t have to be a music expert to find a great gift for a bass player — simply showing that you care about their passion for music is heartwarming. If you’re still not sure what to get the bass player in your life, then give us a call at (800) 222-4700, and we’ll be happy to help you find the right gift for any budget.
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