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Best portable practice bass combo amp?

#105
I've tried just about every home combo out there. In my own opinion, I love my Gallien Krueger MB108. It's 25 watts with an 8" speaker. Like you I was looking for a super small combo that would fit into the living room yet produce a sweet bottom end. None of the other combos can match the bottom end of the MB108. Beautiful bottom end that you can FEEL. Try one out for yourself and good luck.
 
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#106
bassbourne said:
Hey there,

I currently live in a very small apartment and am looking for a quality practice amp. Just to give you all an idea, my other amp is a Fender rumble 40, but it's too big and loud.

The point is that it has to be fairly portable so that I can move it around the apartment easily and possibly even take it round the corner to a friends (by foot) for an acoustic jam sesh.

I've narrowed it down to the following, but I'm open to other suggestions:

- Fender Rumble 15
- Hartke HD15
- Ashdown Tour Bus 15
- Roland Micro Cube Bass RX

So all my choices are 15 watts or under. That's mainly due to the fact they are smaller. If it's not worth getting a 15 watt amp I don't mind going up to 20-25 watts. Although portability is important to me, it also matters to me that the amp can produce some low end and doesn't sound like a toy. Do any of these fit that bill?

Thanks!

PS I'm not looking to spend too much so a Phil Jones or Markbass isn't really an option. I'd buy the Roland with all the extra features if it's worth it though.
Click to expand...
For the small price difference, the Rumble 25 is a good choice. Sounds good at low volume and can be loud enough for your acoustic jams. I’m surprised though that you don’t find the 40 to work for you.
 
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#107
Revisiting this thread.
IMHO there is no amp worth owning with less than a 1x10" speaker. The Phil Jones have multiple speakers so they don't count.
Something that hasn't been brought up with the Tech21 VT200. Again, bigger than what you're asking for, but not very expensive and a solid gigging amp Invalid Link Removed
 
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#110
It is harder to get smaller than the Phil Jones Double Four, but it is a bit pricey. I paid $400 at Guitar Center via a 15% off coupon. The thing is tiny, weighs a bit less than 9 lbs, and puts out unbelievable tone. This is the video that sealed the deal for me. In the first half he plays a loop on all of them with the EQ flat, and in the second half plays the same loop on all with EQ tweaked to the spot where he thinks each sounds best. The second half was more revealing than the first half.
 
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#111
Xad said:
I used a Yamaha THR10C for years as my late-night practice amp. Not easy to find today, but a newer version - the Yamaha THRII - is available. For quiet practice it's great. Has an Aux in for your computer/phone/mp3 player. The built-in "models" are largely guitar oriented, though there are a few built-in bass models that are fun for a minute. I generally found the "bass" or "flat" settings to be best.

Remember, this is a 20W amp, with 3" drivers, so it does not produce thunderous lows by any stretch. But it has a solid bass response, and you can hear what you're playing in open air, which I vastly prefer to headphones.
Click to expand...
I have one too and concur. Got one for my son who plays solo acoustic but plugs into it now and then. Sounds great! Runs on 8 AA batteries.
 
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#112
frustum said:
It is harder to get smaller than the Phil Jones Double Four, but it is a bit pricey. I paid $400 at Guitar Center via a 15% off coupon. The thing is tiny, weighs a bit less than 9 lbs, and puts out unbelievable tone. This is the video that sealed the deal for me. In the first half he plays a loop on all of them with the EQ flat, and in the second half plays the same loop on all with EQ tweaked to the spot where he thinks each sounds best. The second half was more revealing than the first half.
Click to expand...
I had watched that same video and was impressed by the Phil Jones, but at the time their products seems to be too high-end/expensive for me. When I saw a used Flightcase at Guitar Center, I still thought it was too expensive, but I tried it on a whim and was instantly blown away. It was so much better than anything else in the entire store that I decided it was worth it, and I'm so glad I went for it. I'll never play my basses through anything else ever again (unless it can rival the fidelity and ergonomics of Phil Jones products).
 
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#113
getBAK said:
Revisiting this thread.
IMHO there is no amp worth owning with less than a 1x10" speaker. The Phil Jones have multiple speakers so they don't count.
Something that hasn't been brought up with the Tech21 VT200. Again, bigger than what you're asking for, but not very expensive and a solid gigging amp Invalid Link Removed
Click to expand...

...anything less than a 10" (in most cases) will be found lacking... IMHO, YMMV...
 
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#114
You already own your answer. There’s no way the Rumble 40 is “too big,” and if it’s too loud, then turn it down. The Rumble 15 and 25 are horrible amps in comparison, in terms of tone, and tonal controls. And the 40 is easily tiny enough for a 300 square foot trailer with two people and a bunch of cats (ask me how I know). I haven’t played a “micro” sized practice combo that had anything worthwhile going on in terms of tone, especially on the low end. Unless you wanted to literally wear it on your belt, going much smaller than the 40 isn’t going to do you much good in terms of space savings.
 
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#116
This thread is kind of amusing...OP said the rumble 40 is too big yet, several pages in multiple posts about the 40..
He said he doesn't want a headphone scenario yet 4 pages in multiple headphone suggestions
He said inexpensive yet several phil jones suggestions which by the way is the best..but..

no biggy every one is just being kind and offering their thoughts...why I love this site
 
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#117
B1Xon Bass Effects Pedal with Expression Pedal

This! It's got a drum machine for beats built in, a ton of effects, cab and amp Sims. With a little fiddling it can compete with the best of them! Can run off of batteries or plug it into the wall! I use mine as a late night alternative to plugging into my bigger rigs, my girlfriend has almost killed me before, I've accidentally ripped my headphones out of the jack in my amp in the middle of the night sending arena sound levels blasting through my cabs!:mad::dead:

You can also run it inline to the front of your amp you have now and have a bunch of effects to play around with or play along to drums. For the price you can't beat it! Actually, they make a version without the pedal too that's even cheaper. It's great for being able to put up on a shelf or stick in a drawer!
 
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#119
Read the entire thread.

I was going to suggest looking for a used Peavey Microbass - they're usually around $50 used, they're 20 watts or so, and the one I had sounded decent enough that I'd pick up another one if one appeared. (One did, actually, and I didn't, and I kind of regret it.) It will work well with an acoustic guitar and a singer, but it won't work with anything more than that. However, it's important to get the early ones - the blue and white ones with the old Peavey logo.

Other than that, the Roland or the Hartke would work well.
 
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