Best Used Bass Guitars under $500?

That Yammie BB sounds like a good safe bet. You might also check if any used Sires are available near you - some of the gen 1 owners are selling theirs to upgrade to the new gen 2.

Ahh, sorry, Sires and "relatively light" don't equate so well, unless you look for the M series rather than the (Jazz clone) V series.

I'm sure you could also find a really nice used Ibanez in that price range...

 

Warwick Rockbass Corvette would be light and inexpensive used.

 

Look at old Peaveys. Not the T series, but the ones that came after that (Foundation, Fury, etc.). Besides being good-playing and good-sounding road warriors that would be great for a bar band, you'll end up with a good chunk of your $500 left over.

Also, MIM Fenders.

 

You just can't go wrong with a Yamaha. If you play 25 of the same model, they will all feel exactly the same.

Also, Carvin is usually a good deal on a well-built bass.

 

Hey there!
I'm thinking that you are playing a 4 string or prefer to play a 4 string. I do. I found a 4 string bass at Guitar Center. It's called Mitchell. I have been playing bass for 34 yrs and when I picked up this $200 bass, I was surprised by how it felt. The action is real spot on and is set-up for Rock or Jazz or anything you like to play. I like mixing slap-pop with punk and funk and all between. It holds up with my roughness on it so it will do anything you wan it to do. I play through an Ampeg 2×10 450 watts amp and I enjoy it.

 

Another vote for a Yamaha BB – a very versatile instrument. Honorable mention to the Fender MIM basses – lots of nice pre-owned ones around for less than $500.