Find Reviews of the Best Bass Guitar Amps available for different brands and for various prices
Introduction
Bass guitar amps were first used in the ’50s and ’60s, but then the earlier versions were not as efficient, and the biggest challenge was their sheer size.
Today things have changed a lot; you now get bass amps in variety of sizes with various power outputs, you also have the option of choosing a tube amp or a solid state amplifier.
Nowadays it makes more sense to get a good quality combo amp, which is comparatively more portable, as most venues (clubs, churches, bands) nowadays tend to have a pretty decent sound system. These include powered sub-woofers that provide a good low end and are powerful enough for most situations.
For most live situations, musicians have also started using in-ear monitors as they let the sound engineers control the sound better, in which case you don’t need to carry your bass amplifier to the venue.
Recommended Amplifiers
Those of you looking for a nice amp to practice, you can look at the roland microcube amplifier. Both are suitable as practice guitar amps for playing at home, and not really for bigger venues.
For comparatively bigger venues, you can have a look at the. Another options is the more powerful and one of the best solid state amp, the 75W spider guitar amplifier
The Fender Rumble Amplifiers are also quite good, and popular among musicians. Most of their models come with a Preamp out feature, which means that you can easily hook it up to a multitrack recorder or other recording device, you can also add delay, reverb or other effects into the middle of the signal. The CD input feature is particularly useful while practicing/rehearsing. You have a choice of a wide selection of bass guitar amps, so it should be easy to find what you’re looking for.
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Ampeg (Bass) Amps
Ampeg is a popular manufacturer of amps, especially of bass amplifiers (for bass guitars and double basses), they make some of the best bass amps build for the most demanding bassists.
Ampeg bass amps reproduce the entire tonal spectrum for true high-fidelity sound, helps you build a powerful yet portable bass rig that is versatile yet packs the punch.
Ampeg Bass amps can be categorised in the following series:
- Heritage Series: Bass heads & enclosures
- PRO NEO Series: Bass enclosures that deliver massive low end in a package that’s portable and seriously road-worthy.
- Classic Series: Bass heads & enclosures, use the Super-Valve Technology (SVT) to offer top-performance.
- SVT Pro Series: Bass heads that feature tube preamps and expanded EQ capability.
- Portaflex Series: Flip-top bass heads and enclosures, combines vintage styling of Ampeg’s iconic flip-top cabinet design with modern heads and legendary all-tube tone.
- BA Series: Bass combos, delivers a wide range of classic Ampeg tones, perfect for serious gigging and rehearsal.
- Bass accessories: Keep your rig protected
Here are some of the best Ampeg Bass Amps:
Ampeg BA108v2 1 x 8-Inch Combo Bass Amplifier
Perfect for beginners, the Ampeg BA-108 Bass Combo is built for small spaces and helps you get the most out of practice. Features front-facing controls, 60 degree monitoring angle, auxiliary inputs and a headphone jack for silent practice.
Ampeg BA110v2 1 x 10-Inch Combo Bass Amplifier
The Ampeg BA-110 Bass Combo can be used for for both practice as well as rehearsals, perfect for at home, rehearsal or small gigs. Features front-facing controls, 60 degree monitoring angle, Bass Scrambler overdrive, auxiliary inputs and a headphone jack for silent practice.
Ampeg BA115v2 1 x 15-Inch Combo Bass Amplifier
Packed with more poer, the Ampeg BA-115 Bass Combo is portable, powerful 15 inches combo, designed for maximum performance for the gigging musician. Features 60 degree monitoring angle with front-facing controls, auxiliary inputs and a headphone jack for silent practice. It also features the revolutionary new Bass Scrambler overdrive.
Ampeg Portaflex Series PF-500 500-Watt Bass Amplifier Head
Ampeg’s Portaflex PF-500 bass head delivers 500W of power, offers plenty of warmth and provides a very solid sound. Features MOSFET preamp, 5-position midrange control and classic ultra hi/lo boosts, direct out with ground lift and pad (perfect for the gigging bassist), onboard compression (for a tighter, cleaner tone at high volumes). You can pair it with our PF-115HLF or PF-210HLF flip-top cabinets for the vintage styling and portability of Ampeg’s iconic Portaflex originals.
More Ampeg amps here on zZounds
Bass Guitar Amps: Buying Guide
Bass Needs to Thump
When you are looking for a bass amplifier, the most important criteria to look for is that it should produce a good THUMP on the speakers.
Though expert guitarists will point out that it is not just the amps that make the final output better; it’s the instrument itself and the technique as well that matters, the fact remains that an excellent bass guitar amplifier will ensure that you get the smoothest sound from your speakers.
Bass guitar Amps Features
Needs to provide clean, good punch
Good dynamic range from low to high
Headphone jack for silent practice, and to enjoy the amp’s impressive sound quality
Portable & Affordable as per your requirements
You can tweak your tone using the various knobs – bass / mid / treble to get the sound of your liking. But since these are bass amps, you can expect the treble tones to be a bit weak on certain amplifiers
Added Advantages
Most bass players also get the added advantage of having a Direct Injection box (D.I.) included in the setup, when they buy a bass guitar amplifier. Most bass amps include D.I. features. So at times, it may make sense to go in for an amp, instead of a separate D.I.
The AUX input is another feature that you will like on these amps. It allows you to connect a CD player / mp3 player like iPod to your bass amp. So now you can listen to your favourite song through the amp and play the bass guitar on top of it.
Need Help Choosing? Check out our Guitar-Amps Buying Guide
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KeytarHQ editorial team includes musicians who write and review products for pianists, keyboardists, guitarists & other musicians. KeytarHQ is the best online resource for information on keyboards, pianos, synths, keytars, guitars and music gear for musicians of all abilities, ages and interests.
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