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Best Bass Amp for a Satisfying Band Performance Every Time 

 May 26, 2021

By  Zen Chung

Choosing the best bass amp is an easy task when you have the right information at your fingertips. With this article, we're taking you through the best bass amps in the market so that you can make the best decision. Whether you want a reliable bass amp head for gigs, a bass amp combo for practice, or a 900-wat super bass amp to overpower your guitarist, we've got you covered.

If you have a bass guitar, you know that your instrument requires a dedicated bass amp to handle lower frequencies. A few things to consider when getting the best amp for your instrument include tone shaping, DI connectivity, volume, portability, and more. Let's look at the amazing options we've curated for you.

Contents

1. Fender Rumble 100 v3 Bass Combo Amplifier

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This bass combo is the perfect bass amp for anyone who wants a compact option that is compact and has reasonable specs. This best bass amp is reasonably priced and has the classic Fender styling. You won't feel like you're carrying around heavy equipment, and you'll still get good value for your money with this compact 1x12 Rumble 100.

The stylish control panel features controls for drive, gain, bass, level, treble, low-mid, high-mid, and the master volume. You can access the overdrive on/off switch through the optional footswitch. You can expect 100 watts of pure Fender bass amp muscle and finesse with this Fender Rumble.

This Fender Rumble series bass features an Eminence speaker, versatile three-button voicing, an overdrive circuit, and more. These features will give you and any passionate bassist a great experience.

Pros

  • Compact and lightweight
  • Affordable
  • Produces great sound
  • Has great power

Cons

  • Not suitable for home use

2. Fender Rumble LT-25 - Digital Electric Bass Guitar Amplifier

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The Fender Rumble adds a little spice to the Rumble series with a creative addition of the Digital Sound Processing (DSP) to the amp. The result of this is that you get to choose between 15 amp types, 20 effects, and a cool 50 pre-set sounds. 30 of these 50 pre-set sounds are customizable.

The solid state of this bass amp opens up the tone that you would get from a single amp. The single-channel design of this best bass amp features volume, gain, and three-band EQ controls. Rated at 25-watts, these best bass amps drive an 8-inch speaker and are housed in 5/8" wooden cabinets.

The cabinet casings of these best bass amps have a vintage-style textured vinyl covering that makes them all the more irresistible. The USB recording and built-in tuner are other features you enjoy with this solid-state bass amp.

Pros

  • Fun to work with
  • Has a sonic versatility
  • Great for playing at reasonable volumes
  • Portable and lightweight
  • Has a fantastic sound
  • Affordable

Cons

  • Not meant for loud performances
  • Sound distorts when driven too hard

3. Hartke HD25 Bass Combo

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This Hartke HD25 is great for bass players who want a compact and portable option. For this amount of power, you'll love these combo amps. The difference between this HD25 and the HD15 is that the difference in headroom.

Headroom is how loud you can comfortably turn up the amp before it distorts. Nonetheless, the volume difference between these two best bass amps is insignificant. This HD25 has an 8" speaker, while the HD15 has a 6.5" speaker. The 1/8-inch stereo Aux input allows you to play along to your best songs via your MP3 player. You can also use the 1/4-inch headphone output when you want to have a private practice session.

This bass amplification system has several features that you'll love, including bass, volume, mid, and treble controls on the top-mounted amplifier panel. These guitar amps are designed to be reliable and user-friendly for players of all levels.

Pros

  • Easily portable
  • Easy to use
  • Produces a great clean sound
  • Produces a punchy and rich tone
  • Great for at-home practices
  • Has a great overall build

Cons

  • Cannot be used for direct recording
  • Not loud enough for large band performances

4. Trace Elliot ELF Ultra Compact Bass Amplifier

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This best bass amp is very portable, with its height of fewer than two inches. Although it hasn't yet reached 300 watts, this 200-watt with a 3-band EQ will impress you with its sound. This amp for bass guitars has lows of 80Hz, mids at 500Hz, and highs at 4.2Hz for percentages and parks.

These bass amps also have all the features you need, including an impressive 4 ohms. This purchase also comes with an XLR that goes straight to the PA. Although these 4 ohms bass amps are compact and portable, they still work great for studio sessions. You can also use the headphone jack when you want to practice without bothering anyone.

Pros

  • Very portable
  • Has an impressive wide-range input gain control
  • Has great sensitivity when using passive pickups
  • Has surge protection
  • Great EQ and gain controls

Cons

  • Lacks some essential features
  • Doesn't have an aux-in

5. Aguilar Tone Hammer 500-Watt Bass Amplifier Head

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This best bass amp is a unique and superb solid-state head that gives you amazing control over your tone as you play. Several usable tones come with this amp that you can choose from no matter what you're playing.

Another feature that you'll love is the treble control on this Aguilar Tone Hammer solid state. This enables you to get 14dB of boost or to cut at 4kHz. You can also park your mids between 180Hz and 1kHz, and choose to cut or boost by 16dB either way.

The drive control on these solid-state best bass amps interacts with the band EQ and gain structure. This gives you a vintage-sounding band EQ that rounds out the bottom end while you turn up the gain. Tone exploration has no limits; this solid-state will be a breeze thanks to the drive, gain, and mid controls.

Pros

  • Has a superb range of tones
  • Has an interactive EQ that's inviting to use
  • Innovatively-designed front panel
  • Has higher or lower-powered formats

Cons

  • Lacks a headphone output

Factors to Consider When Getting the Best Bass Amps

1. Combo or Non-Combo

The combo amp units combine the head and the power amp. The head contains the pre-amp and the signal processing, which includes the EQ and effects. The power amp is basically the watts of power. Therefore, a combo option has both these pieces inside one box.

The preference comes down to what you want because the difference between the separate head and cabinet and the combo option is very little. Nonetheless, you'll find that combos are often cheaper than the combined price of both items.

Another advantage of the combo is that it's easier to transport because of its 2-in-1 nature and the fact that they have fewer outputs and inputs. This last fact doesn't affect their sound quality.

2. Portability

If you can't get bass amps with a simple and compact design, you can at least get one with wheels and sturdy handles. We've looked at some very portable options above, including our fourth best bass amp pick.

You don't want the weight and size of your amp to affect where you can use it. Whether it is a 500 watts amp or an 800 watts amp, ensure that you can comfortably move it around.

3. Number of Speakers

The number of speaker cabinet combinations varies with the different bass amps in the market. Some of the popular combinations you'll find in the market include the 1 x 18″, 4 x 10″, 8 x 10″, and 1 x 15″. If you want an amp for a large audience, you can get a combination of two amps. For example, the 4 x 10″ cabinet and the 1 x 15″ cabinet.

A combination like this allows you to utilize a crossover that sends the lower frequencies and mid-range frequencies to the 15-inch speaker for depth and fullness. Your bass tone will be greatly improved, and you'll get the master volume you need.

The 4 x 10″ cabinet will handle the punch and the clarity of the sounds. Whether you are using a practice amp or are doing a performance, you want to get the best bass amp with the right number of speakers.

4. Construction

The construction of the cabinet needs to be extremely sturdy. This is an important factor to consider as you choose your amp. No matter the volume or shaping options, bass cabinets vibrate with enough power to ruin them if they are not strong enough.

Ensure that the wood is solid and thick. The handles also need to be sturdy and the corners protected by metal caps. The speaker screen should also be strong and able to accommodate the power and the bass tones.

5. Speaker Cabinet

We've seen above that the number of speakers in the bass amps affects the quality of the sound you get. When looking at the individual cabinet, keep in mind that the speaker diameter should be large enough and able to move in and out significantly.

This size and movement allow the bass amps to produce their frequencies accurately. When buying one of the best bass amps above, ensure that your bass cabinet is sealed or ported. The truth is that your standard guitar speaker can't handle the amount of movement needed to produce bass frequencies.

Another factor to look out for is the size and length of the port tube amp. This length ensures that your speaker stays under control even at lower frequencies. Your speaker needs to have air inside the box at lower frequencies pushed back slightly to keep it under control.

6. Multiple Channels

The number of channels depends on what you want to use your best bass amps for. Dual channels allow you to set up two different EQ and effect chains and easily switch between them. If you want to have internal overdrive, you can have two gain controls to control distortion amount and the volume for your practice amp.

The EQ can either be a simple 3-knob tone control or a more sophisticated parametric depending on what you prefer. Therefore, pay attention to these controls and the number of channels before settling on one of these best bass amps above.

7. Amplifier Power

The amp power you choose depends on what you want to use your amp for. A 100-watt amp is sufficient for a good practice session. Nonetheless, for the sake of saving the environment, consider amps in the 200-400-watt power range.

This is because low frequencies draw a lot of power for moving huge speakers forward and backward.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

1. Does a bass need a special amp?

Not necessarily. However, if you are learning the bass and want a better bass tone than what the guitar amp is offering, you should get yourself one of the best bass amps above. You can opt for a cheaper amp if you want it for simple practice.

A cheap amp can sound better than an expensive option, especially when it's just for practice sessions. It will also not damage your guitar's amp's speakers when you raise the volume level.

2. Can I plug a guitar into a bass amp?

Yes. You can plug a guitar into your bass amp without worrying about damage to either the guitar or the amp. Despite its name, a bass amp is not designed only to create more bass. You can think of it as a larger speaker.

The truth is that both the speakers and the best bass amps impart their unique sound to your instrument. Therefore, when you want to change things up a bit, you can always use one of these best bass amps above instead of the speakers you're used to. 

Zen Chung


I'm Zen Chung, a piano and violin teacher based out of Plano, Texas. I started this blog because my students (and their parents) kept asking about the best musical instruments to buy online. Look no further I'm here to save the day! 

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