Checklist · 12 picks · 6 categories
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Every band needs a bassist, and yours deserves a Christmas gift. Everything here comes from MusicRadar's guides.
The Snark ST-2 is its best clip-on tuner on a budget and the D'Addario NS Micro its best discreet one, and Ernie Ball's Polypro is its best budget strap, in lots of solid colors. For strings, Fender's 7250M is its best beginner set, Ernie Ball's Regular Slinky its best modern set and GHS Bass Boomers its pick for short-scale basses, so check which they play. The Fender cable is its best budget guitar cable and the braided Ernie Ball its best mid-priced one. The Fender Rumble 40 is its best budget bass amp, with a headphone jack for quiet practice. For a beginner, the Squier Bronco is its best overall and the Yamaha TRBX174 one they can grow into. The splurge is the Ampeg Rocket Bass RB-210, its best combo amp.
Who this is not for. Skip this if they play six strings; the gifts for guitar players page fits better.
| Pick | Tier | Price | Best for | Evidence |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Snark ST-2 Super Tight | budget | $15-25 | a cheap, reliable tuner for the gig bag | 1 outlet |
| D'Addario NS Micro Tuner | budget | $15-25 | leaving a tuner clipped on full time | 1 outlet |
| Ernie Ball Polypro Guitar Strap | budget | under $15 | a spare strap in a fun solid color | 1 outlet |
Top pickbudget pick · Clip-on
Best for a cheap, reliable tuner for the gig bag
MusicRadar's best clip-on tuner on a budget: a no-frills, reliable tuner that handles the basics with swift tracking.
Heads up. Not exactly discreet on your headstock
1 outlet. MusicRadar best clip-on tuner on a budget.
$15-25
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budget pick · Clip-on
Best for leaving a tuner clipped on full time
MusicRadar's best discreet clip-on tuner: small, with a bright, easily readable display, and easy to leave on for good.
Heads up. Some players may prefer a larger screen
1 outlet. MusicRadar best discreet clip-on tuner.
$15-25
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budget pick · 2 in wide
Best for a spare strap in a fun solid color
MusicRadar's best budget guitar strap: a great starter strap in lots of solid colors, extra long to fit most players, with leather ends.
Heads up. Basic styling
1 outlet. MusicRadar best budget guitar strap.
under $15
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| Pick | Tier | Price | Best for | Evidence |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ernie Ball Regular Slinky Nickel Bass Strings | budget | $25-50 | modern rock, pop and slap | 1 outlet |
| Fender 7250M Roundwound Bass Strings | budget | $15-25 | a first restring on a long-scale bass | 1 outlet |
| GHS Bass Boomers Short Scale | mid | $25-50 | restringing a short-scale bass | 1 outlet |
Best bass stringsbudget pick · 40-95 to 55-110
Best for modern rock, pop and slap
MusicRadar's best modern bass strings: an industry standard with growling lows and a bright top end, and a solid starting point if you've never restrung a bass.
Heads up. Not best suited to vintage tones
1 outlet. MusicRadar best modern bass strings.
$25-50
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budget pick · 45-105 and more
Best for a first restring on a long-scale bass
MusicRadar's best beginner bass strings: budget strings that feel great, last a respectable time and settle into a sweet spot after a few days.
Heads up. Not ideal for vintage tones
1 outlet. MusicRadar best beginner bass strings.
$15-25
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mid pick · 45-95 or 50-107
Best for restringing a short-scale bass
MusicRadar's best short scale bass strings: its pick for 30- and 32-inch basses, with a thicker feel that helps short-scale basses sound bigger.
Heads up. Not great for long-scale basses
1 outlet. MusicRadar best short scale bass strings.
$25-50
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Best guitar cablebudget pick · 6 in to 25 ft
Best for a backup cable that feels more premium than it costs
MusicRadar's best budget guitar cable: a fat-gauge cable that feels more premium than the price, in a PVC jacket designed not to tangle.
Heads up. Plated connectors
1 outlet. MusicRadar best budget guitar cable.
$15-25
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mid pick · 10 to 25 ft
Best for a tangle-free cable in a fun color
MusicRadar's best mid-priced guitar cable: a woven jacket that's less likely to tangle, with a low noise floor from its well-shielded build.
Heads up. Not available with two straight jacks, and you may want something nicer for the studio
1 outlet. MusicRadar best mid-priced guitar cable.
$25-50
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Best bass ampmid pick · Compact combo, 18 lb
Best for home practice, with or without headphones
MusicRadar's best budget bass amp: compact, lightweight and ideal for home practice if you just picked up a beginner bass.
Heads up. A little basic, and not loud enough for live playing
1 outlet. MusicRadar best budget bass amp.
$200-300
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Best bass guitarbudget pick · Short scale
Best for smaller hands and a lighter first bass
MusicRadar's best beginner's bass guitar overall: slim and short-scale, with the tone and build quality you'd expect from Squier at a low price.
Heads up. Not that versatile tonally
1 outlet. MusicRadar best beginner's bass guitar overall.
$200-300
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mid pick · Mahogany body
Best for a beginner bass they can grow into
MusicRadar's best beginner bass guitar that you can grow into: a bass you can learn on that you won't outgrow in a hurry, with a choice of tones from two pickups.
Heads up. Cheap-looking control knobs
1 outlet. MusicRadar best beginner bass guitar that you can grow into.
$200-300
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Best bass ampsplurge pick · 2 x 10 in combo, 39 lb
Best for their first band practice and gigs
MusicRadar's best combo bass amp: the perfect size combo for your first gigs, with classic Ampeg tone and a valve-style overdrive.
Heads up. Won't please vintage tone lovers
1 outlet. MusicRadar best combo bass amp.
$500+
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means three independent outlets recommend a pick, means one, and limited evidence means none has yet. I research these picks. I have not tested them myself. How I pick · Spot a mistake? A broken link, a wrong price range or an outdated pick: tell me at hello@allsetlist.com and I'll fix it.
Strings or a spare cable. Ernie Ball's Regular Slinky set is MusicRadar's best modern bass strings, an industry standard, and the braided Ernie Ball is its best mid-priced guitar cable, with a woven jacket that's less likely to tangle.
It depends on the scale. Short-scale basses need short-scale strings: MusicRadar's pick for 30- and 32-inch basses is the GHS Bass Boomers Short Scale set, which it says isn't great for long-scale basses. If you can't tell which they play, a tuner or cable is the safer gift.
USPS's recommended last send dates for December 25 in the contiguous US are December 17 for Ground Advantage, December 18 for Priority Mail and December 19 for Priority Mail Express. Retailers set their own order-by dates, so check at checkout.