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Why are Bass amps more expensive?
- Thread starter Jamco
- Start date
IMO, it's not... Are you comparing the right lines with each other? Cause I have a friend who just bought a $2300 Marshall head. I think they're the same - it's just hard to really compare because the models/specs are different. Depending on the brands too on what is considered high end for guitar amps and which bass amp brand do we compare them too if a certain company doesn't make both.
Say Fender for example, they're guitar amps are highly regarded but I don't think bass players think of them as highly as guitarists do (though I could be wrong).
My 2 cents anyway....
Say Fender for example, they're guitar amps are highly regarded but I don't think bass players think of them as highly as guitarists do (though I could be wrong).
My 2 cents anyway....
They are about the same. A high end guitar amp will be in in the same league price wise as a high end bass amp. There are exceptions to everythig but that is one area that seems to be consistant between the two. The same is true for low end and mid range gear as well.
You need a lot more power to deliver good clean bass tone - whereas guitarists like distortion and hence can get away with smaller, under-powered amps, but still get their tone.
So - tinny,distorted bass is not going to cut it in any working bands - but guitarists can use a small cheap amp, mic'ed up through the p.a. ...but this doesn't really work for bass.
So - tinny,distorted bass is not going to cut it in any working bands - but guitarists can use a small cheap amp, mic'ed up through the p.a. ...but this doesn't really work for bass.
Although not always the case, guitar amps have less power, and in many cases open backs so it's a basic and simple design. Also most guitar amps are designed to "get dirty" with little help ie: they use speakers designed to break-up for the desired distortion. Guitar amps also deal with a very narrow frequency range as compared to a bass rig.
Bass rigs need more power and better construction to handle the lower and higher frequencies therefore must be made to very high standards to work in a pro environment.
I play in a blues type band so we don't need or use really big amps ... but this will give you an idea.
Both of my guitar players use smallish combos in the $500.00 range and of around 50 watts max ... my Mark Bass LM II 500watt head was $600.00 alone without the cabs.
Some of the big closed back stack guitar rigs Marshall, Mesas, Soldano etc: get pretty pricy too.
... Be glad you play bass ... just expect to spend more on amps.
Bass rigs need more power and better construction to handle the lower and higher frequencies therefore must be made to very high standards to work in a pro environment.
I play in a blues type band so we don't need or use really big amps ... but this will give you an idea.
Both of my guitar players use smallish combos in the $500.00 range and of around 50 watts max ... my Mark Bass LM II 500watt head was $600.00 alone without the cabs.
Some of the big closed back stack guitar rigs Marshall, Mesas, Soldano etc: get pretty pricy too.
... Be glad you play bass ... just expect to spend more on amps.
Yup - that's what I was saying - so I have seen and been in bands where the guitarists used cheap 30 - 50 watt amps on stage, while the bass player was struggling to avoid distortion, with several hundred watts and massive cabs!!
I wouldn't say guitar amps are cheaper than bass amps at
all. The two guitar players in my band have spent some very
serious cash on their arsenal of small combo amps, and our
lead guitarist has a 50 watt Marshall half stack on top his
Fender and Marshall combos! He's now looking at a Bad Cat
combo that I think is around $3200 so it ain't cheap.
If you are into the botique bass gear yeah you will spend
big money on it. I myself am a happy old school boy content
with the humbler fare of my more mainstream gear made in
the big mass produced fashion. I love what I hear from a
lot of the botique gear out there but I'm getting my sound
with what I already have.
Heck I put together a used Ampeg set up of a B-2 combo amp with an added SVT15E speaker cab for $600. Put a Sansamp in the effects loop and I have loads of vintage style
bass tone going on for the blues club scene.
This rig wouldn't be for the cat who wants the pristine hi-fi modern bass sound but I didn't spend $3000 or so to put together an all tube SVT sort of rig which kills for vintage tone by the way. It depends on what you want as a player and how much you want to spend for your tone.
all. The two guitar players in my band have spent some very
serious cash on their arsenal of small combo amps, and our
lead guitarist has a 50 watt Marshall half stack on top his
Fender and Marshall combos! He's now looking at a Bad Cat
combo that I think is around $3200 so it ain't cheap.
If you are into the botique bass gear yeah you will spend
big money on it. I myself am a happy old school boy content
with the humbler fare of my more mainstream gear made in
the big mass produced fashion. I love what I hear from a
lot of the botique gear out there but I'm getting my sound
with what I already have.
Heck I put together a used Ampeg set up of a B-2 combo amp with an added SVT15E speaker cab for $600. Put a Sansamp in the effects loop and I have loads of vintage style
bass tone going on for the blues club scene.
This rig wouldn't be for the cat who wants the pristine hi-fi modern bass sound but I didn't spend $3000 or so to put together an all tube SVT sort of rig which kills for vintage tone by the way. It depends on what you want as a player and how much you want to spend for your tone.
Really they're not - but I do agree that for a few guys starting a band, off the get go the bassist has to spend more money on his amp simply because bassists need more (clean) power.
and if you can't spend more, at least spend smarter...there's a lot of off brands in the used market for bass that can get you tons of power and tone at unbeatable prices.
Yes, it really comes down to power. To move bass frequencies you need a lot higher wattage than guitars, which also requires more high-current circuitry and the rest. But when it comes to the Best, gtr and bass are about the same
Boutique guitar amps are WAY expensive. Brands like Matchless, Divided By 13, Suhr, etc, all cost big dollars. You can spend 3K for a guitar amp real easy.
I'd say generally that getting a great guitar sound is more affordable than getting a great bass sound. Awesome guitar tone can be accomplished from a small amp like a Deluxe Reverb or Mesa Boogie Mk series. Check out Santana's rig or Neil Young's rig. You don't have to have a huge stack to have huge sound. Bass on the other had requires power and the ability to move some air. A 22watt amp with a 12" speaker in an open back enclosure just isn't going to do it.
The Deluxe Reverb runs $850 new...sure it's small...but I think that a big, powerful, good sounding bass rig can definitely be built up in that price range...even if it just means a Markbass LMII and a 410 or 115 cab.
I don't think there is that much difference really.
I would assume there are MORE guitar amps than Bass amps... maybe that is a contributing factor (also the power rating as stated above).
I would assume there are MORE guitar amps than Bass amps... maybe that is a contributing factor (also the power rating as stated above).
as mentioned before guiarists can get away with a small amp as they use a lot of distortion where as bass is nearly always clean
the guitar is higher pitch too meaning its heard more easy (example play an open e then fret the 12 fret which one sounds "loudest")
bass cabs also tend to be closed back and bigger that guitar amps meaning more work and materials as bass amps need to push more air to get those low frequencies
but on the plus side guitarists spend tons on FX pedals, tend to go through more strings and have smaller penis's than bass players so in the long run it evens out
the guitar is higher pitch too meaning its heard more easy (example play an open e then fret the 12 fret which one sounds "loudest")
bass cabs also tend to be closed back and bigger that guitar amps meaning more work and materials as bass amps need to push more air to get those low frequencies
but on the plus side guitarists spend tons on FX pedals, tend to go through more strings and have smaller penis's than bass players so in the long run it evens out
