What are the top-rated short-scale bass guitars under £200?

The Glarry Short Scale Bass is a 30 in, 4-string electric bass with a basswood body, maple neck and fingerboard, and a single-coil single pickup. It's lightweight, short-scale and affordable, aimed at beginners or players seeking an easy-to-play travel or practice instrument. It includes basic volume and tone controls and ships with a gig bag and accessories.

The Squier Mini Precision Bass is a short-scale 4-string electric bass with a lightweight poplar body, 28.6 in maple neck with a laurel fingerboard, and a Squier split single-coil pickup delivering classic P-Bass tone. It has 20 frets, simple volume and tone controls, and a hardtail bridge, making it comfortable for beginners, smaller players, and travel use.

The Ibanez GSRM20 miKro is a short-scale 4-string bass with a 28.6 in scale, lightweight poplar body, slim maple neck, and a bound purpleheart fingerboard. It uses Dynamix P and J pickups (PJ configuration) and a B10 bridge, offering punchy, versatile tones in a compact, comfortable package ideal for players with smaller hands or for travel.

A compact short-scale bass from Jackson with a poplar body, bolt-on maple neck and amaranth fingerboard, fitted with P- and J-style pickups for versatile tones. It's built for comfort and playability for smaller hands or travel, offering solid value for beginners and gigging players needing a portable instrument.

The Epiphone EB-0 is a short-scale (30.5 in) 4-string bass with a mahogany body and neck, rosewood fingerboard, and a single Sidewinder humbucker for a deep, vintage 'mudbucker' tone. Its slim neck and short scale make it lightweight and highly playable for smaller hands or portable setups. It's a simple, affordable reissue of the classic SG-style EB bass suited to retro rock, blues and practice use.

The TRBX174EW is a value-focused 4-string electric bass with a mahogany body topped by an exotic mango veneer, bolt-on maple neck and sonokeling fingerboard. It uses a P/J pickup layout for versatile tones and offers simple controls and vintage-style hardware, aimed at beginners and gigging players on a budget.

The Action PJ Mini is a compact, player-friendly PJ bass with a poplar body, bolt-on hard maple neck and jatoba fingerboard, fitted with Cort Powersound PJ-style pickups and die-cast tuners. It offers versatile P- and J-style tones in a smaller form suited to travel or players preferring a shorter neck. The open-pore finishes and ergonomic body improve resonance and comfort for extended playing.