Bass guitar amplifiers are essential tools for any music maker. Not only do they help produce the best possible sound from your instrument, but they can also make you look cool while playing it.
Bass amps come in many varieties, from tube to solid state and hybrid models. Each has its advantages and drawbacks, so it’s essential that you select one that best meets your requirements.
Orange Crush Bass 50
The Orange Crush Bass 50 is an ideal amp for bass players on a budget. It offers all the features necessary for practice and small gigs, plus it features an inbuilt tuner to help you sound your best.
The Orange Crush Bass 50 is a mid-sized model in their Crush series, inspired by their flagship AD200 and OB1 bass amps. This compact amp offers warm, clean bass tones, vintage growl, and blendable overdrive in an attractive design that looks great both live and in the studio.
It offers a host of unique features not typically found on other combo amplifiers, such as an active EQ circuit, parametric mid band, 6dB pad, footswitchable gain/blend controls, effects loop, balanced XLR output and onboard chromatic tuner. Plus it boasts an all-analog circuit designed to recreate classic warmth beloved by Geddy Lee and John McVie.
Another key feature is the Crush Bass 50’s CabSim-enabled headphone output, allowing you to plug your headphones directly into the amplifier for silent practice if you don’t have access to a dedicated bass speaker cabinet.
I highly recommend this bass amp to anyone searching for a quality practice amp that can also deliver some serious low end power. The bass EQ can be adjusted to get the most out of your tone – which is especially helpful if you’re new to playing guitar.
The Orange Crush Bass 50 features the same EQ found in Orange’s Stroke Series amplifiers, giving you complete control over frequency range. There are a variety of pre-set models to choose from including American and British cleans, hardcore metal, and more for added versatility.
This practice amp is an excellent choice for beginners and I highly recommend it. It features a headphone input to practice silently, as well as 3 band EQ to maximize your playing.
Bassbreaker 15
No matter if you’re a hard rock or blues guitarist, this tube amp offers an expansive range of tones to fit any style. It’s an ideal amplifier for guitarists looking to maximize their playing at an extremely reasonable price point.
The Bassbreaker 15 amp offers classic American and British tones in one versatile package, making it a great gig and studio partner. Featuring a Class AB EL84 power section with three 12AX7 preamp tubes, an 11-inch Celestion V-Type speaker, 3-way Gain Structure Switch offering 3 distinct voicings and onboard digital reverb, you’ll have all of your tones covered.
My experience has taught me that this Fender combo amp is one of the top tube amps available at a very reasonable price – it may not be the cheapest, but it has all the features necessary for great guitar sounds. This amp makes an excellent choice for both beginners and experienced players alike, so take some time to determine if it’s suitable for you!
Another great feature of this amp is the bright switch, which adds extra top end without needing to adjust any settings in the EQ. This comes in handy when performing live as it helps cut through noise and gives your drums some edge.
It’s also very user-friendly and comes with a comfortable leather handle. All in all, this amp looks fantastic and would make an excellent choice for any guitarist.
This amp’s design is inspired by the 1959 Fender Bassman, with its lacquered gray tweed exterior that adds an eye-catching flair. This combination of vintage tradition and modern minimalism looks great in either a rehearsal room or onstage.
Hartke HA5500C
The Hartke HA5500C is one of the world’s most beloved bass amplifiers. This classic black model can be found on stages around the world and boasts plenty of power for its price point. Furthermore, this solid state tube bass amp has been praised for its clean high impact sound signature.
The HA5500C offers an expansive array of sounds that can be tailored with equalization. Whether you’re into jazz, funk or metal music, this bass amp will deliver the tone you desire.
This amp features a compressor to add some real “punch” to your bass sound and smooth out volume differences between notes. At an affordable price point, the HA5500C offers various EQ options so you can dial in different tones.
The HA5500C features a dedicated preset button to set an EQ curve, as well as two fully adjustable contour knobs to further shape your soundscape. Crafted with quality in mind, the HA5500C will serve you well for years to come.
Utilizing the Graphic EQ
The graphic EQ features 10 bands that can be used to shape your bass tone. Start out with each slider at its flat position, then raise and lower them as needed. Doing this allows you to listen carefully to how each slider affects your sound.
Once you understand how each of the ten sliders affects your bass, you’ll be able to fine-tune it with ease.
The HA5500C has been a go-to choice of professional bass players for some time due to its rugged reliability and ability to handle almost any playing condition. Furthermore, this amp can even be used with passive basses that have their own preamps. Overall, the HA5500C is an excellent option for any bassist seeking quality sound at an affordable price point.
EBS Pocket Bass Amp
The EBS Pocket Bass Amp is ideal for anyone wanting their own sound on-the-go. It’s compact enough to fit in a small gig bag and provides enough power to practice at home as well. Furthermore, it has both headphone jack and aux input so you can play music through your phone or device.
It may not be the cheapest amp on this list, but it does boast some impressive features such as an integrated compressor and 4-band EQ. With these controls you can dial in any kind of sound you desire – from deep and coloured low end to brilliant highs and mids that stand out in the mix when needed.
This amp is ideal for pairing with two EBS ClassicLine mini-size 112 cabinets, the new ClassicLine 210 or NeoLine mini-sized cabs to deliver a full range of tone from clean to dark and dirty with clarity. Additionally, you can pair it with any single full size EBS cabinet rated at 4 Ohms for even greater power and tone.
The amp’s intelligent power handling is due to a Soft-clip design that makes efficient use of all available energy without sacrificing bottom or solid bass tone at higher volumes. This results in an amp with punchy, clear sound without being compromised by overcompressed lightweight amplifiers.
This Analog Preamp boasts the renowned EBS compressor and powerful 4-band EQ section to give you complete control over your bass sound. Making it ideal for all bass players.
For musicians who like to experiment on stage, this is the ideal option as it provides both clean and overdriven effects modes. It has a 3.3mm line input for inserting external effects, footswitchable headphone output, and XLR DI output that can be used for balancer applications.
This powerful little amp can handle any practice session, small gig or backstage warmups with ease. Its fully metal enclosure makes it tough enough for road use while its XLR DI output with switchable ground lift makes it perfect for recording in the studio.