10 BEST Bass Guitars with Thin Necks in 2023 (For Smaller Hands)

Just like in so many things, size does matter when it comes to bass guitar necks. Playing on a bigger neck isn’t exactly superior to playing on thin necks. Humans (including bass players) were all created differently.

Some were created with big hands while some were created with “not-very-big” hands. Choosing the perfect bass guitar that fits you with respect to neck size is one of the criteria for actually succeeding on your bass-playing journey.

Without disputing the cliche “no pain, no gain,” it is also very important to understand that too much pain can cause some strain. Regardless, strain is not good for your bass guitar playing.

As a matter of fact, you need to enjoy and not just “endure” your learning process. You need to look forward to every practice session and not dread it. Using a bass guitar whose neck doesn’t fit your hand size could in turn make you dread your practice sessions.

You can easily develop bad playing techniques and easily develop fatigue, too. Also, there are cases of old folks who outgrow their bass guitars; they can’t play them again because their hands are probably too weak and fragile to go around the neck they once used to hold so dearly and tight.

That is quite sad. Bass guitars with thin necks have great advantages, especially for folks who actually need them. Folks with small hands and even kids benefit a lot by playing on basses with thin necks.

They can easily access notes and also play with more comfort and less pain. Also, the most obvious reason that a narrow-neck bass guitar is great for bass playing is speed. The smaller neck size makes a short-scale bass a lot easier to play faster scales and speed runs—this is much like an electric guitar. 

If as a bassist, you had ever wanted to keep up with the speed of the lead section of a song, then getting a bass with a thin neck is definitely the perfect starting point.

In this article, we will bring to you 10 amazing bass guitars with thin necks. It doesn’t matter your style or level of play, there will be a bass guitar for you—if you are in need of a bass guitar with a thin neck. All you have to do is read on!

10 Bass Guitars with Thin Necks

1. Ibanez GSRM 20BS
2. Sterling by Music Man StingRay Ray 4 
3. Geddy Lee Jazz basses
4. Dean Edge 1 PJ Bass guitar
5. Squier by Fender Affinity Series Jazz bass
6. ESP LTD Surveyor 87 bass 
7. Ibanez GSR200TR 
8. Fender Jazz bass 
9. Charvel Pro Mod San Dimas IV bass
10. Ibanez SR500E

Review of 10 Bass Guitars with Thin Necks

Ibanez GSRM 20BS 

Ibanez GRSM 20BS is best recommended for bass players with small hands due to its thin neck. The thin neck makes it easier to hold and play. You don’t have to worry about it falling. 

The GRSM 20 BS is also light in weight, perfect for entry-level bass players and pro bass players who are not fans of bass with weight. This Ibanez four strings bass will fit into a gig bag with ease which also makes it a perfect gigging bass. 

This is a short-scale 28.6″ four strings bass with a versatile P pickup and thin maple neck. Ibanez made the GRSM 20 BS a compact size shape to look great and produce great bass sound. 

The Ibanez GRSM 20BS is very affordable. Also, it is made with top-quality material that will withstand wear and tear. 

Watch more about the Ibanez GSRM 20 BS here

Pros	Cons
Easy to play	Not the finest maple neck
Very affordable	The neck is a bit floppy
Lightweight
Well balanced

Sterling by Music Man StingRay Ray 4 

The StingRay 4 is an iconic bass that has achieved accolades over time for being a slap-style bass guitar. The thin neck, body shape, and humbucker pickups of the StingRay 4 allow bass players to execute slap techniques a lot more easily. 

Sterling by music man StingRay 4 is designed with hard maple. Both the fretboard and the thin neck are maple made. 

It is easier to produce clean and crisp sounds with Hardwood necks. And have even smoother notes due to the thin neck. The length of the neck of the StingRay 4 is about 34-inch scale, well designed, and fitted with a truss rod. 

The nut width is 1.5 inches with attachable six bolts at the back of the body. Best recommended neck for an entry-level bassist. 

The humbuckers pickup produces a sound with enough bite and a tight bottom end. The “biting” sound is excellent for bass slaps. 

Watch more about the Sterling by Music Man stingRay4 here 

Pros	Cons
Great bass sound	Unnecessary tuner alignment
High-quality body
Fire active pickups
Amazing look
Smooth and comfortable neck action

Geddy Lee Jazz basses 

The Geddy Lee Jazz bass has a thin C-shape neck profile which is a very welcoming feel for jazz bass. The thin neck makes it admiringly playable and impressive. The fretboard feels smooth and comfortable. 

The Geddy Lee Jazz bass guitar is best for beginners and pro players with small hands due to its thin neck profile. 

The neck length is about 45 inches × 5 inches × 15 inches. This is a lot smaller than many bass brands. This bass also offers a two-vintage style single-coil jazz pickup. This pickup produces an amazing crackle tone.

Watch more about the Geddy Lee Jazz bass here  

Pros	Cons
Easy to play	The truss rod is in an inconvenient place
Great guitar neck
Lovely feel and look
High-quality build
Great tone

Dean Edge 1 PJ Bass guitar 

The Dean Edge 1 PJ bass guitar is another bass with a thin neck. The length of the neck is 34 inches. 

The Edge 1 is designed with a maple neck, a custom-designed neck, and a heel asymmetrical 4-bolt pattern. This thin neck profile makes the feel sleek and allows for fast playing without interruption. 

Dean Edge 1 PJ bass also features a DMT design pickup, producing a precise bass sound that defies dense mix. This DMT design is dual, comprising P and J-style single coil pickup.

The dual pickup is capable of cutting through the thickest sound. The Edge 1 is less heavy and more comfortable to play due to the basswood in use. 

Watch more about the Dean Edge 1 PJ Bass Guitar here

Pros	Cons
Great feel and look	Less versatile in terms of overall tone
Good bass tone
Easy to play
Great pickup
Well built

Squier by Fender Affinity Series Jazz bass 

Squier by Fender Affinity Series Jazz bass has a thin maple neck. Maple has remained the conventional preference of tonewood for guitar necks. The thin maple neck of the Squier Affinity series is sturdy and resistant to wear and tear. 

The Squier Affinity series Jazz bass offers two pickups which produce a funky and bright sound. These two pickups are positioned at the neck and bridge of the bass guitar. The pickup is very versatile. 

Watch more about the Squier by Fender Affinity Series Jazz Bass here

Pros	Cons
Easy to play	String noise
Very affordable	May not stay tuned for a long duration
Great bass sound

ESP LTD Surveyor 87 bass 

The ESP LTD Surveyor 87 Bass is one of the renowned bass guitars designed by ESP. It has a thin maple neck that allows for a clean and crisp attack from the fretboard. 

The ESP LTD Surveyor 87 Bass is a thin U-neck profile. The length of the maple neck is 34 inches. The shape of the neck is nice looking and very comfortable to play with. Also, this bass feels very comfortable to play while sitting. 

This thin-neck bass features 21 extra Jumbo, an alder body, a maple bolt-on neck, and nickel-silver alloy frets. Surveyor 87 Bass combines the Seymour Duncan vintage P for the neck and Seymour Duncan vintage jazz for the bridge pickup to produce an incredible bass sound. 

Watch more about the ESP LTD Surveyor 87 Bass here 

Pros	Cons
Easy to play	May require a bit of extra maintenance
Best quality build	A bit heavy
Thin neck contour
Great pickup
Outstanding bridge

Ibanez GSR200TR 

The Ibanez GSR200TR is very easy to play and often recommended for newbies and bass players with small hands. It has a thin neck and a compact body that allows players to play with ease. Basically, the GSR200TR is small and less heavy. 

The Ibanez GSR200TR is a full-size instrument with a scale length of 34 inches. It features a P-style pickup and a J-style pickup that produces a thumpy and excellent bass sound. 

It is affordable and recommended for beginner bass players and pro bass players that just need a new bass for practice and variety. 

Watch more about the Ibanez GSR200TR here 

Pros	Cons
Easy to play	Low-quality tuning pegs
Stays in tune
Great bass sound
Active bass boost
Less heavy
Amazing look

Fender Jazz bass 

The Fender Jazz bass is one of the most preferred basses because of its thin neck. It is very comfortable and highly playable. 

It is the original Jazz bass designed by Fender. The tone is incredible and the body build is superb. The Fender bass has a modern C-neck profile. The length of the Neck is 34 inches. 

Its Fretboard is 9.5 radius and made of PauFerroo with 21 medium jumbo frets. The neck may also be maple, depending on where it is made. Fender Jazz bass offers a different feel and comfort to bass players due to the strings that are tightened toward the nut. 

This bass also features two single coil pickups that produce a bright and high-frequency bass sound for jazz styles. 

There are knobs also that can be used to regulate a variety of sounds. Especially to produce a gritty low-end bass sound that can cut across tye busiest mixes. 

Watch more about the Fender Jazz bass here

Pros	Cons
Great sound	Very costly
Easy to play	May be heavy for some bass players
Great tone
Comfortable neck

Charvel Pro Mod San Dimas IV bass 

The neck of the Charvel Pro Mod San Dimas IV bass is nicknamed speed neck because of the ease to play with the thin neck. While other basses in the list of thin neck scales are from 38 inches and above, the Pro Mod San Dimas bass is 35 inches in neck length. 

The fretboard is frictionless, a very practical finish intended to aid playability. Charvel bass is also referred to as a slippery delight. Although the thin neck is made of Maple, it is caramelized and reinforced with graphite rods. 

Charvel Pro Mod San Dimas IV bass ks alder body. It also features DiMarzio model P DP122 pickup in the middle and model J DP123 pickup in the bridge position. 

Watch more about the Charvel Pro Mod San Dimas IV Bass here

Pros	Cons
Easy to play	Different pickup sound
Comfortable contour
Playable neck
Tons of Eq option
Amazing look
Quality build
Great bass sound

Ibanez SR500E 

The Ibanez SR500E bass has a thin neck and a small body contour that allows for speed. This bass is less heavy with a different feel. It is also comfortable and very easy to play. A perfect bass guitar for entry-level bass players. 

The Ibanez SR500E is a 34-inch scale length. This bass is an inch smaller than the Charvel Pro Mod San Dimas IV bass. The thin neck of the SR500E is smooth and slippery with a perfect 12 inches fretboard radius. 

It features an incredible custom-made Bartolini MK-1-4 humbucker pickup placed at the neck and bridge. This Bartolini pickup produces a full, thick, meaty, and heavy sound. This is just another selling point of the Ibanez SR500E apart from its thin neck. 

Watch more about the Ibanez SR500E here 

Pros	Cons
Easy to play	A bit heavy
Thin neck and comfortable	Requires absolute care
Highly playable	Materials are not durable
Great tone
Extremely versatile
Price friendly

Normal-Sized Bass Guitar Necks vs Thin Necks; Which is Better?

This comes down to individuals’ choices and preferences. The normal-size bass guitar necks are not better than bass guitars with thin necks. They are both better in some ways and also have their downside which we will consider later under pros and cons. 

Some bass players with the sole aim to get better sounds will prefer normal size bass guitars. Most of these bass players that will desire Incredible sounds are pro players that care less about speed. They can speed up the notes dexterously. 

While players with little hands will prefer thin bass guitars that will offer comfort, speed, and playability. These players range from beginners to pro players. 

Yes, even pro players with short hands will say that thin necks bass guitars are better as they do not have long-enough fingers/hands for normal-sized bass.

Pros and Cons of Bass Guitars with Thin Necks

Bass guitars with thin necks are best recommended for bass players with small hands and entry-level players. 

Thin neck bass guitar provides comfort for players with slim hands, makes practice easy for entry-level players, and enhances speed for pro players. 

However, some other characteristics also will be affected. And bass players with longer hands will have discomfort playing with thin necks. Bass players with taller hands will have difficulties playing the small spacing on bass with a thin neck. 

And also other factors like the sound gotten from thin woods. The smaller the wood, the smaller the sound. You are likely having the less sustained sound from bass guitars with thin necks. Although, this can be regulated by pickups.

Pros	Cons
Highly playable	Less sustain
Very comfortable to play	Small spacing
Easier note access	Limited strings sometimes
Enables speedy play	Not comfortable for bass players with big hands
Easy to practice with for a long time

Do Jazz Basses Have Thinner Necks than Precision Basses?

Jazz bass guitars, especially Fender jazz basses, have thinner necks. These are designed to aid speedy play. Since the initial change in sizes and body shapes of bass guitars occurred, the roles also changed. 

Basses are now used as solo instruments and also made to improvise in a jazz band. 

The jazz basses were the first thin neck with 38mm nut width. Precision basses are around 43mm nut area, great for fingerstyle techniques and slapping. 

This scale length is slightly distinct with merely an eye view. The neck of the jazz basses and precision look almost the same at the width. Regardless, the nut of the precision bass is 1.6 wide, while the nut of the Jazz bass is 1.5 wide.  

Conclusion

Remember that size does matter. Basses with thin necks are for speed and comfort. They are suitable for bass players at any level of play and experience. 

If you are a beginner, you need comfort to practice for a reasonable duration. Here’s where a thin-neck bass is recommended. 

However, endeavour to know if thin necks will be highly playable for you by knowing your finger size. This will help you avoid wrist problems. 

Thin necks bass guitar will also serve pro bass players who improvise a lot during play. The thin neck encourages fast solos. 

Here is just a list of the best 10 basses which we could recommend out of the many out there in the market. 

You may want to consider choosing according to brand names, the manufacturing company’s looks and body build, and overall playability. 

Since you are here, be rest assured that any thin-neck bass you fall on is the best thin-neck bass for you.