Best light weight practice amps

[Kragu]

OK I'll try this again, what is the best lightweight, portable practice amp for upright and bass guitar??

[xkungpowx]

What do you consider a practice amp wattage-wise? What instruments do you need to compete with?

[ERIC A]

Roland Microbass cube

[Bockcar 77]

Line 6 Low Down 110

[relwof]

If you an excellent really light weight amp, check out the Phil Jones Bass Cub. Just over 13 pounds. Great sound, two channels, built in DI, and powerful enough to use as a stage monitor for quiet venues (which I have - running a regular electric in one channel and an EUB in the other).

[paganjack]

The Fender Bassman 25 is pretty light, and is by far the best (~$100 too!) practice amp I've found. Nice sound, gets plenty loud, kickback design and a straightforward set of features.

[Ironderby]

Ashdown Perftect 15. Perfect sound, Good size and weight, for a room practice its amazing, i dont know why people are suggesting 50w amps, its practise not band rehearsal amps

[xkungpowx]

I use a Ampeg 112.... I'm not competing with drums, but it is great for both practice and small gigs.

[Thaos627]

Originally Posted by ERIC A

Roland Microbass cube

i use this and its OK at best i hate this thing cus it has no bass to it. behringer is good as long as you dont play at 11 like a metalhead but im stickin with hartke

[Kragu]

Originally Posted by xkungpowx

What do you consider a practice amp wattage-wise? What instruments do you need to compete with?

I would just use it to practice at home or if it's light enough, bring it to rehearsal if needed. I have a mini mark bass 121combo that I love and use for gigs. I'm wondering if I really need a practice amp or if it will be more a luxury. It'd have to be light weight, good sounding and affordable.

[Kragu]

Originally Posted by relwof

If you an excellent really light weight amp, check out the Phil Jones Bass Cub. Just over 13 pounds. Great sound, two channels, built in DI, and powerful enough to use as a stage monitor for quiet venues (which I have - running a regular electric in one channel and an EUB in the other).

I saw people has mentioned them before and it sounds perfect for me,except the price.. It's a little less than what I payed for my mini mark 121combo amp. How light is it? It looks very very cool.

[iiipopes]

Carvin MB12. Great tone, flexible, @30#, if you need extension it will sit nicely on top of a larger cab.

[relwof]

Originally Posted by Kragu

I saw people has mentioned them before and it sounds perfect for me,except the price.. It's a little less than what I payed for my mini mark 121combo amp. How light is it? It looks very very cool.

Price is pretty much the only down side - mine was over $500. But it will probably be the last ultra-portable amp I ever need - AFAIK there's really nothing better on the market at (or under) that size and weight (just over 13 pounds).

While the Cub can't push anywhere near as much air as my TC RH450 / Bergantino HT112, it puts out a surprising amount of sound and is MUCH easier to carry. More significantly, it puts out REALLY good sound - not sure how he conjures that kind of bass response out of two 5 inch speakers. Maybe he's figured out how to harness dark matter - those things sound like they have way more mass than you can measure.

For practice, this thing is simply amazing. And it has enough legs for rehearsals and even small venue gigs if you have good PA and a modest stage volume (say, acoustic guitars, keys, electronic drums). I've carried the Cub, a five string and an EUB (both in gig bags, no hard cases), and the rest of my gear (tuner, wireless, etc..) from the car to the stage in one trip. While carrying a cup of coffee and a box of donuts. That's portable

[Mojo-Man]

The new Ampeg BA110.
35 watts, tilt-back, great for practice.
Oh ya, it sounds great.

[swingingoodtime]

Originally Posted by Bockcar 77

Line 6 Low Down 110

+1.

10” Speaker, 75 Watts. Small (12x12x12”), relatively lightweight (24lb) & sounds good for DB, possibly due to the sealed cabinet (higher F3 than a reflex cab, good transients & slow roll-off). Has 4 EQ presets (Clean, R&B, Rock, and Grind (blah!)) as well as a ‘Synth Bass’ setting, although that’s just a gimmick. I use the R&B setting & a Fishman Platinum Bass EQ to fine tune the tone further. Good for BG too. Also has an opto-compressor, XLR Direct Out (although with an Ampeg cabinet model EQ’d over that ), Preamp out, 4 Programmable model memories (kinda cool), Headphone Out & CD/MP3 1/8-inch Input. One quirk; when you change presets, there’s a drop in volume. Move the volume control slightly & it comes back (go figure, although not a problem for me as I don't change presets).

I'm contemplating fitting a sprung cabinet handle to the bottom to act as a collapsible lean-back leg; I prefer to have the speaker pointing up so I can hear the mids better.

Overall, happy with this as both a practise & small gig amp. Had good feedback (no pun intended) from other bass players who’ve heard it too.

[swingingoodtime]

Originally Posted by Ironderby

I dont know why people are suggesting 50w amps, its practise not band rehearsal amps

So, instead of just turning it down, you’d buy another amp…?

[tstone]

I think the way things are trending, it's quite possible to find an amp that's small enough, light enough, and cheap enough to be considered a practice amp, but which is also powerful enough to gig with. The Gallien-Krueger MB112 (17"x15"x14", 28 lbs, $340) is the first one to come to mind, but I'm sure there are others that are comparable.

[JeffKissell]

I guess I'm confused on the OP's needs. The amp he owns should be fine for EB practice and I would strongly suggest practicing the upright bass without an amp at all... kinda what its made for.
-J

[longfinger]

Originally Posted by Kragu

I would just use it to practice at home or if it's light enough, bring it to rehearsal if needed. I have a mini mark bass 121combo that I love and use for gigs. I'm wondering if I really need a practice amp or if it will be more a luxury. It'd have to be light weight, good sounding and affordable.

Do you have this amp?

Markbass - Mini CMD 121P

That's 29Lbs. Is it really too heavy to carry around with an electric bass guitar? If you're using double bass, practice usually means no amp.

Or do you have the models with horns that are 10lbs heavier?

Is this simply a case of G.A.S.?

[sevenyearsdown]

Genz Benz shuttles are excellent, and can take a direct input frmo a piezo without a preamp buffer.

I would still recommend a buffer though.