Why do some amp companies not have a Headphone jack?

[thumpbass1]

Headphone jacks, mute buttons, and tuner out jacks, etc, are more recent frills. I've played my whole career as a bass player without any such features in any of my gigging amps. I have headphone outs on a couple of my mini practice amps for guitar, and that's it. I use an old ZOOM BFX pedal for my bass, under the headphones practicing. I once thought getting built in graphic e.q.'s and effects loops and such was the height of luxury, when they started to appear as standard features with some amp makers. Having built in crossovers, and preamp/power amp patching bays....Whoa Nelly! That's Rolls Royce style territory! Things have come a very long way as to what many players expect to be built into their amps.

 

[reedo35]

I use a Pandora PX4B for that sort of thing, and don't really own a "practice amp", per se - all my amps are gig capable... Truthfully, a headphone jack is of no use to me...

+1 here. PX4B with decent headphones= Best practice amp ever!

 

[Sundogue]

I have a Carvin BX1200 and it has all the bells and whistles (that I do use) like Graphic EQ (with bypass switch), Parametric EQ, Bi-amp capability (two internal monoblock heads with an adjustable crossover), Drive Control, Compressor, Tuner out, Mute switch, Active/Passive input switch, Effects send/return with bypass switch...and really cool blue lights for everything that I can easily see onstage.

Oh...and it has a headphone jack, but I never use it as I use a Tascam CD Bass Trainer for practicing alone (best practice device ever). Go figure.

 

[derridiandrift]

I've had some amps with headphone outputs and never used them. I have a combo for practicing at home. If someone is asleep around me, I practice unplugged.

Hey, I just went and checked... my Ampeg B200R has a headphone jack. Too funny!!! I'm such a luddite!

 

[stoolpigeon]

Just buy a $40 Mackie or Berhinger Mixer...can play any time you want to...I also use mine for the mic pres for home demo writing.

 

[stiles72]

A lot of amps that don't have them are optimized for what is practical in a live gigging/stage application. Headphone outs along with RCA Aux in and outs for Ipods or CD players aren't necessary. Many also don't sport tuner outs - some do like on the Pro series Ampegs - but many of the tuners nowadays are in pedal format that lets you put it in line not needing a tuner out jack.

 

[aborgman]

Just buy a $40 Mackie or Berhinger Mixer...can play any time you want to...I also use mine for the mic pres for home demo writing.

This is what I do, except with an old Yamaha mixer.