Best Bass Combo Amp

[sonoragazzo]

Need your recommendation on a bass combo amp

I am a long-time guitarist and just recently dabble into bass, need a recommendation on what to get that enables me to cover my needs and my taste

I will be playing at church for no more than 200 people (sometimes with a drummer), even though I don’t want something too powerful,

I need something easy to carry (preferable), something than can provide deep lows and sweet cleans, I am thinking on getting the Hartke HD500, but I am not certain what I would get from cabinets of with speakers of 10in or 12 in, or bigger?

Tried the fender rumble 15 just for practicing and I did not like it at all, therefore I am not interested on the rumble series from fender

Any advise will be greatly appreciated

 

[Mortïcïa]

Check out the Ampeg Rocket Bass combos - the 100w RB-112 or 200w RB-115 should be fine for what you're describing. If you have PA support maybe even the 50w RB-110.

Alternatively the Phil Jones BG-120 plus a C2 extension cab is a very portable and scaleable rig, not cheap though.

 

[Jeff Scott]

Best Bass Combo Amp​

Any advise will be greatly appreciated

The best is whatever I use, for many years now it has been a Markbass Minimark.

Hope this helps.

 

[E2942]

Get a Sansamp device & plug directly into the church's system.
If the church is paying, get a Phil Jones setup. They are nice, but not cheap.

Tech21 makes a lot of good preamps, not just the Sansamp.
Sans Amp = without amp

 

[JB_SC]

For lightweight with a built in XLR DI, you can't go wrong with a Fender Rumble. They sound much better than they have any business doing for their price range.

 

[bon ton]

A Markbass CMD 121P would cover you for anything you’d ever need a combo to do. Markbass nailed it hard with this one. They make a matching 1x12 cab that makes a pretty serious stack.

 

[squeally dan]

I really like my TC Electronics BG250. Light but still with plenty of juice if needed. A friend has a Markbass combo that sounds really great as well.

 

[Vanilla Latte]

Another vote for Markbass. I've been using a CMD 102P for years and love it.

 

[madmarcus1960]

An older Genz-Benz Shuttle 6.0 2x10 is a great sounding little combo, if you can find one Tube/Solid State blendable pre, 600W with an EXT cab.

 

[Tiny Montgomery]

The Rumble 15 is not remotely representative of the entire series. It’s a 15 watt practice amp.

 

[derekd]

For lightweight with a built in XLR DI, you can't go wrong with a Fender Rumble. They sound much better than they have any business doing for their price range.

Yeah, for best price, size. weight, it is hard to beat the Rumble. I have a small one for practice.

My personal fave is the Markbass but it is more $$.

 

[msteeln]

everything suggested here, minus the Rumble lol will suit your sitch better than my suggestion merely for superb TONE at home, it's another Fender model from a greater era, their Bassman 150 tilt-back. sporting a sensitive rack of options (knobs) to dial in the goodies d'jour.
the B-DEC-30 is a smaller modeling wonder that offers tons of useable ...stuff, so you can truly create solo. I cleaned house and kept those 2 ss combos, too good to lose, Fender really did well here.

Fender Bassman 150 - Google Search

Fender B-DEC-30 - Google Search

fender b dec 30 review - Google Search

caveat; ignore his poor quote, it IS a tone monster, that's 3/4 of my entire point, otherwise a good overview http://blog.smcgrath.com/2010/12/gear-review-fender-b-dec-30-amplifier.html

 

[walterw]

The Rumble 15 is not remotely representative of the entire series. It’s a 15 watt practice amp.

agreed, that's not remotely fair; with bass amps it's less about "tone" and more about actual power, the more power you have the better and cleaner the low end and thus the better the bass sound

@sonoragazzo check out the rumble 500 combo; it's not heavy but it's legitimately powerful and can even run a second cab, meaning you won't need to spend even more money upgrading from it to something bigger

 

[Mortïcïa]

I see the Rumble crowd are in town

 

[ThePitbullofLove]

OP- Rumble 15 is not nearly as nice of an amp as the remainder of the series above 40 watts. Less tone control, no DI, etc.

That said it may not be the “best” but the Rumble 200, 500, and 800 stage are pretty decent combos. We’re I in the market, I’d strongly consider the 800. It’s a beast, it’s light, and not huge but sounds big.

GK combos are great. MarkBass are pretty nice too.

 

[walterw]

I see the Rumble crowd are in town

cheap, light, loud, expandable;

the rumble 500 ticks all those boxes; modern class D bass amps are kind of a commodity anymore, the 500 does it as well as any others in that price range

 

[John(aka: Moby Dick)]

Lots of good options have been mentioned.
Buy something 500watts and you won’t run out of oomf no matter the situation.

Good luck.

 

[sonoragazzo]

For lightweight with a built in XLR DI, you can't go wrong with a Fender Rumble. They sound much better than they have any business doing for their price range.

have tried the rumble and did not like it, thanks for the reply though

 

[Mortïcïa]

have tried the rumble and did not like it, thanks for the reply though

If you get a Phil Jones BG-120 with a C2 extension cab, your opinion would help me decide if I want to upgrade my BG-100 I think they look nicest in maroon btw.

 

[Jeff Scott]

have tried the rumble and did not like it, thanks for the reply though

I haven't met a Rumble I liked, either.