Note: Here I’ve curated 9 of the best amps for gigging that I have personally picked after testing 40+ options. This article contains detailed information along with relevant cons that will help you conveniently compare and select the most suitable model based on your needs.
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Our top 3 Picks
- High-quality audio
- Signal path flexibility
- LCD color display for powerful and intuitive interface
- Wi-Fi equipped
- Active 3 Band EQ
- Portable and versatile
- Great combo amp for active and passive basses
If you’re a professional bass player or are just a beginner, you will need an amp that solves the purpose of practicing at home or an amp that you can take along to do live gigs. Now, you get a wide range of variety when it comes to amps and if you’re looking for the best bass amp for gigging, you’ll need some expert advice. I don’t want to boast but I’ve been around the block, so to say, when it comes to bass amps. I’ve really dug deep to find the perfect ones for particularly this purpose and worry not, I’m here to tell you all about it!
In this article, I have written about combo amps. For those of who haven’t heard of this brilliant invention – a combination of an amplifier and a speaker in the same box. This makes the combo amps more suitable for smaller spaces and makes taking them to different places easier. Therefore, combo amps are much better than larger amps with separate amplifiers and speakers based on convenience for occasions like a gig.
Other than this, there are many more reasons you should consider buying a combo amp. Some of them are:
- Most of the combo amps are inexpensive. This means that they are cheap and economical compared to other types of amps.
- They are also considered best for beginners because they are uncomplicated and easy to use. You’ll love practicing easy bass songs on them and discovering the instrument’s potential.
- They are very compact. This means that combo amps require significantly less space (which makes them apt for home use).
- They are very user-friendly. You need not worry about impedance ratings or power ratings as there is nothing to pair with.
Thus, these reasons make the combo amp the perfect amps for gigging.
Now, let us look at the 9 best bass amp for gigging, which has all the features you need in your bass amp to give you the desired performance. The list consists of lightweight bass amps, have low to high output range (watts) for various purposes like for home use, gigging, recording, etc. They will help you play tones of different genres like jazz, metal, rock, etc., and inspire you to create your kind of music.
Quick Watts Summary
| Sr. No | Best Bass Amps for Gigging | Output range (Watts) | Check Price | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
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1. |
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800 |
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2. |
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500 |
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3. |
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50 |
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4. |
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75 |
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5. |
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100 |
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6. |
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500 |
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7. |
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300 |
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8. |
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10 |
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9. |
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500 |
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Top 9 Best Bass Amp for Gigging
BEST PICK
Type: Modeling
Speakers: two 10″ Fender special design speakers
Output range (Watts): 800
Item Weight: 34.5 pounds
The Fender Rumble Stage 800 Is an 800 watt Wi-Fi-equipped digital Bass amplifier with two 10″ Fender special design speakers. It has a powerful and intuitive interface making it easy to find your sound. It also has a Bluetooth audio streaming control and an onboard 60-second looper.
It has an MGT 4 footswitch for control of presets and effects. It is perfect for rehearsing, and recording and its powerful GT engine delivers a real bass amp and results. It includes both genre-specific and artist-specific presets, which inspires artists to play around a wide variety of genres like metal, pop, jazz, etc. These presets can be saved and restored from the Fender cloud.
Pros
- High-quality audio
- Signal path flexibility
- LCD color display for powerful and intuitive interface
- Wi-Fi equipped bass amplifier
Cons
- The USB port needs improvement
BEST RATED
Type: Combo amp
Speakers: dual 10nch Eminence speakers
Output range (Watts): 500
Item Weight: 40.2 pounds
The Fender Rumble 500 is an amp for bassists everywhere at all levels. It is portable and lightweight with a seismic bass tone and stage-worthy features. It has an Overdrive switch to give you a tremendous, aggressive, vibrant, and satisfying overdriven tone.
It also has an XLR line output for easy compatibility with external stage, studio performance, and recording systems. It has a three-button tone voicing which lets you tailor your sound versatilely.
Pros
- Lightweight bass amp
- Great sound
- Power-packed
Cons
- Sometimes produces low-end notes
VALUE FOR MONEY
Type: Combo amp
Speakers: 12″
Output range (Watts): 50
Item Weight: 35.5 pounds
The Orange Crush Bass delivers bold and punchy tones with the help of its analog circuits and ported cabinets.
It has a potent active parametric EQ that gives players a much greater degree of control over the sound and allows them to vary the frequencies they want to hear. It has blended and gained powers that help players experiment with guitar and bass amps concurrently. Its analog design and ported cabinets deliver fat and rounded sound.
Pros
- Active 3 Band EQ
- Portable and versatile
- Great combo amp for active and passive basses
Cons
- No notable con
Type: Combo amp
Speakers: 12″ Ampeg Custom12 speaker
Output range (Watts): 75
Item Weight: 40 pounds
The Ampeg BA-112v2 is a combo amp that delivers a classic tone and gives maximum performance in the band or while practicing at home. It has tone stacks for producing a wide range of tones. Its switches expand its stone shaping flexibility, and its new cabinet design monitors the angle to increase clarity.
It enables the players to easily transit from a monitor angle, which adds clarity to an upright position and gives an added bass response. They are portable and eveready amps to provide you with the best performance wherever and whenever you need them.
Pros
- Lightweight and portable design
- Headphone output for solo practice
- Aux input for playing along with your phone
Cons
- Not loud enough
Type: Combo amp
Speakers: Premium 10 speaker
Output range (Watts): 100
Item Weight: 34.5 pounds
The Peavey MAX 100 is a three-band EQ with Overdrive, Mid-Shift, Bright, Contour, and Kosmos-C switches. This combo bass amp has a lot of player-friendly features. Its three-band EQ helps you achieve chest-thumping bass guitar tone very easily.
It also has a bass-specific chromatic tuner to prevent out-of-tune basses from hampering your performance. Its angled baffle design helps you direct the sound wherever you want.
Pros
- Three-band EQ for ample sound sculpting
- Overdrive, Mid-Shift, Bright, and Contour controls for tone shaping
- Nice amp at a low price
Cons
- Has a single passive input
Type: Combo amp
Speakers: 10″ speakers
Output range (Watts): 500
Item Weight: 34.39 pounds
The Hartke HD500 is a high-powered and lightweight bass combo that delivers surprisingly great bass tones.It has a 3-band EQ to shape the sound for any genre, and it also has an EQ knob for more sonic control.
It uses XLR Direct output for sending the bass stone to a sound system or a recording chain. It has a headphone output for practice sessions and an aux input to jam along with backing tracks. Its speaker uses paper outside and aluminum in the middle to get a traditional warm, round tone, upper mids, and highs. This results in creating a portable bass amp with an impressive sonic range and is suitable for any style of music.
Pros
- Ideal for gigging and recording
- 3-band EQ for tone shaping
- ⅛” stereo aux input for stereo line-level devices
Cons
- Doesn’t have a tilt or legs
Type: Combo amp
Speakers: 10″ Coaxial speaker
Output range (Watts): 300
Item Weight: 22.9 pounds
The Ibanez Promethean P3110 is a combo bass amp with a massive sound in a smaller size which is apt for traveling. Its powerful output and selected functions make its adjustment easier during live performances.It has a 3 Band tone control to adjust the tonal character and a Phat control to enhance bottom and high-end tones.
Its aux input allows you to play along with a connected MP3 or CD player and the headphone out is apt for jamming sessions or sound checks at the time of rehearsals. Its output sends a balanced signal to its mixing console and PA system, which is beneficial for live or studio performance. The tweeter on-off switch provides more tonal change and eliminates unnecessary high-frequency over notes.
Pros
- 3 Band tone control
- The tweeter on/off switch
- Light and versatile
Cons
- Built-in DI is sometimes a little noisy
Type: Como amp
Speakers: two 5″ Vox Bulldog speakers
Output range (Watts): 10
Item Weight: 12.32 lbs
The Vox Pathfinder is a 10 watts bass amp with two 5″ Vox Bulldog speakers for a powerful bass sound. It has a bright switch that boosts its upper harmonics and adds character and vitality to its tone.
The headphone output jack is provided for silent practice and can be used for direct recording. With this bass amp, you will get an introduction to tone shaping, and you can use the treble and bass controls to get the sound the way you like. You can turn up its drive control to get a rock tone. Despite its little box, its pleasant sound will surprise you and work fine for a jam session with friends.
Pros
- ¼” input jack
- Beginner-friendly
- Drive, bass, volume, treble, and bright switches
Cons
- Low output (apt for home/individual practice only)
Type: Combo amp
Speakers: two 10″ Custom Eminence Opus speakers
Output range (Watts): 500
Item Weight: 0.96 ounces
The Blackstar Unity Bass is a bass combo amp built for tonal flexibility. It has a response control to shape your compression, dynamic, and natural drive.
You can increase your bass depth, punch, and low with the help of chorus compression and sub-octave effects. It is apt for the studio, live shows, and home use. Its straightforward and powerful controls allow you to quickly create your tone in any style you play with ease.
Pros
- Linear, 6L6, and 6550 power amp stages
- USB audio output
- Ground lift to eliminate unwanted noises
Cons
- No notable con
What is a bass combo amp?
The bass combo amp is used for rehearsals, studio recording sessions, or small club performances. Guitarists typically use a combo amplifier to combine a preamplifier, tone controls, power amplifier, and speaker or multiple speakers; all of this in a single cabinet. It is easy for guitarists to transport smaller combo amps than using a separate amplifier and speaker unit.
Therefore, they are a trendy choice among bass players. Bass players use smaller and more modestly powered combo amps to get quieter and more acoustic genres. However, bass players who play in genres with a high stage volume, like hard rock, use more extensive and powerful combo amps.
Other than combo amps, different amps are considered great for gigging. Some of them are:
- Practice amps:
They are the smallest bass amps which are enough for individual practice in a small room, and they do not produce enough volume used in a band rehearsal or show. Therefore, they are primarily used by beginners and professionals for warm-ups and individual practices. - Bas stacks:
They are used for larger venues such as stadiums and outdoor music festivals. For high stage volumes, bass players often use a more powerful amplifier and separate speaker cabinets in several combinations, known as bass stacks. They can produce huge volumes and powerful bass stones but are very heavy and difficult to transport. - Heads:
They are separate bass amplifiers that don’t contain speakers. They usually have integrated units of a preamplifier, equalizer, and power amplifier combined and are available in high-wattage power ratings.
How to choose a suitable bass amp for gigging?
You have to choose between the various bass amps mentioned above to get the best bass amp for gigging. Here are some of the features you need to look for while purchasing a bass amp.
- Tone controls: Most bass amps provide control over middle and treble frequencies to help you get a pleasing sound. Some models also offer more sophisticated controls like parametric equalizers known for splitting the amp’s output into more frequency bands. Some bass amps have a bright switch that adds clarity to the sound produced. Some other controls include shape circuits, contour circuits, and EQ settings.
- Multiple channels: Most basses have two or more channels to give you a clean sound. On the other hand, some models have an independent tone control for each channel which helps you switch between different sounds in the middle of the performance. This way is used to power speaker cabinets that contain different-sized speakers.
- Resonance and damping controls: It helps in fine-tuning the amp’s output to the speakers used. This helps to produce a tight and more focused sound with the help of your speakers.
- Passive/Active inputs: Players who play different basses with passive and active pickups require this option in their bass amps.
- Footswitch Jack: It allows you to control effects, switch between channels, and control other parameters without the need to take your hands off your bass guitar.
- Effects loop: Effects loop allows you to modify the external effects and the signal between the preamp and power section.
- Switchable power supply: If you travel overseas frequently, then this switchable power supply will provide you with a handy way to match your amp with the local power supply without using any external converters.
Look for all of these features as a check-list when buying a bass amp and you won’t let your hard earned money go to waste.
How much power (watts) do you need?
To get the best bass amp for gigging, you need to look at the power (watts) of the bass amp you are buying. The energy required for your bass amp depends upon your playability, which means you want to have it for practice, home use, band, or gig.
- For practice, you can use a small and a low-wattage bass amp, which will serve your purpose. This is used by most of the players.
- If you want a bass amp for home use, then a mid-wattage amp will be the best one for you.
- Bass amps for a band would require to be powerful to be heard over a live drummer. Bass amps between 300 and 350 watts are powerful enough for most situations, and around 300 watts is considered a good bass amp for most bassists who play in a loud band.
- However, bassists need around 500 watts amps in a classic rock band. This is enough power that you would require to be heard on most of your gigs.
Therefore, choose the bass amp based on its power according to your needs to get the exact amp that suits you.
In conclusion
Now you are aware of what precisely a bass amp is, how it works, what are its main components, what is a bass combo amp, how to choose the right amp, and how much power does your bass amp has has to require depending upon your use.
Go through the list of 9 Best Bass Amp for Gigging and choose the best one for you, which fits your budget and serves your purpose. All the best!
Sarah Jones
Hello! I am Sarah and I've been a bass player for as long as I remember. I picked up my first bass at age 7 and have never let go of it ever since. I've been a part of 3 bands and currently play for a band called ‘Neptune Nerds’. I love to talk about bass and share my experience with these instruments!
