Many guitarist have been wanting to sound like Eric Clapton and other guitar gods out there. However, they are lacking in skill as well as lacking in equipment. This is very true if you intend to wow a group of audience in a smaller venue, as this is where most people start out. As mentioned in the article Best Amp For Short Scale Bass, we are always on the lookout for good amps that we can use. In that article, we did mention that some of the amps are really suitable for medium sized venues. However, the problem does not stop there. To be honest, I used to find it tough to find the best bass combo amp for small gigs. I say it is tough because the selection back then was rather limited, and most of them are either too big or too expensive. In recent years, the bass combo amp has been getting popular, especially those for smaller gigs. Do not be fooled by the size of these bass combo amp, as they are usually powerful enough to be heard when you perform in a small scale environment. But with so many choices on Amazon, which is suitable. Or rather, which is the best small bass amp for gigging?
As such, let us look at the top 5 bass combo amp for small gigs that will make you a guitar god. Want to be a guitar god? Read on!
Contents
Best 5 Bass Combo Amp For Small Gigs
To be a legitimate guitar god, you need to have the skills to go along with it. However, if you are lacking in skills, then having a damn good amp will help you along the way. Of course, please do not commit the cardinal sin of bringing along a huge amp cabinet with a high power rating for small venues. Granted, these amps might provide a huge boost to your sound, but seriously, a huge amp cabinet is totally an overkill for small venues of gigs. Just bring along a suitable bass combo amp for small gigs will do. Trust me, these bass combo amps for small gigs will assist you in your quest to being a guitar god. Let us take a look at the top 5 bass combo amp for small gigs then.
1. Fender Rumble 200 v3 Bass Combo Amplifier
This Fender Rumble 200 v3 Bass Combo Amplifier
The Fender Rumble series is an upgrade from its usual series of heavyweight amps. This range of portable bass combo amps has power ratings that range from 15 watts to 500 watts, hence allowing you to choose the best one for each location. For small rooms, the 15 watts bass combo will suffice. For large venues, go for the 500 watts. For small to medium venues, go for 200 watts.
The Rumble 200 weighs at only 15kg, and you can carry it via the single carrying handle. With this, it is so easy for you to move the bass combo amp around due to its lightweight. You can now finally avoid carrying all those big and bulky equipment around whenever you wish to perform in small gigs. This is only made possible due to the Class-D power amp as well as having a good material during its construction.
There are many features that the Rumble 200 have, that will add immense value to your playing. To customize the sound, there is the four band EQ as well as the gain and master volume controls. You can choose between the bright, vintage or contour tone at the control panel that is strategically placed to ensure easy access by you. Like a bonus feature, there is also the upgraded Eminence designed Ceramic Magnet Speaker. You can always attach an extension speaker to ensure a fuller output.
We tested this awesome bass combo amp for small gigs at our regular joint, and our listeners were pretty amazed at the sound coming from this petite looking amp. We highly recommend this to anyone who wishes to have an awesome sound in small to medium sized venues.
What we like:
- Portable
- Lightweight
- Powerful for small to medium venue
- Highly customizable sound
What we don’t like
- Retro looking
2. Ampeg BA112v2 1 x 12-Inch Combo Bass Amplifier
This Ampeg BA112v2 1 x 12-Inch Combo Bass Amplifier
One of the main selling feature is the new Bas Scrambler overdrive. This overdrive allows the bass combo amp to produce the classic tube-like grind. This means that the sound coming from this amp will be so outstanding, that it will attract attention from the audience. Also, another good point about this bass combo amp for small gigs is the 60° monitoring angle. This allows you to customize the tone as well as the volume control. With this, you will never need to stop your music while you customize the sound.
The amp comes with the legacy preamps as well as the tone stack circuits. This allows you to have the classic Ampeg tone that is tied to the brand. Apart from this, this amp is also completely portable.It weighs only at 47 pounds. The amp is protector with its all-steel amp chassis as well as the impact-resistant metal corners. This means that you can bring this portable bass combo amp around without having much problems at all!
This amp is rated at 75 watts RMS power. While you might wonder if this is enough for small venues, you will be glad to know that it works extremely well in confined spaces. We tested this is a small-medium size venue with a live audience, and judging by how much the audience was captivated by the music, I must say that this amp really worked well.
What we like:
- Affordable
- Portable
- Sleek looking
- 60 degrees tilting angle
What we don’t like
- Need some customization to find the perfect sound.
3. Hartke HD150 Bass Combo
This Hartke HD150 Bass Combo
The Hartke series of amps is conceptualized and designed by Larry Hartke. This brand is synonymous with quality. In terms of sound, the sound is delivered via its own patented HyDrive speaker technology. This allows the sound to be delivered in compact situations, while not neglecting the quality of its sound. The technology helps to boost the low end tones as well as amplifying the sounds that regularly exceed the norm. And all of this is just delivered via this 150-watt amp.
In terms of design, it is rather interesting to know that the hybrid cone speak is designed using an outside paper cone. This helps to produce the deep and warm low frequencies that is well known in the amp industry. To customize the sound, you can use the 7-band EQ.
In terms of weight, this bass combo amp for small gigs weighs at 55.9 pounds. It does have side carrying handles as well as wheels at the bottom of the amp. This allows you to carry and move this amp around with ease.
What we like:
- Deep round sound
- Easy to use
- Wheels and side carrying handles
What we don’t like
- Made in China
4. Peavey Max Series Max 110 Bass Combo Amplifier
The Peavey Max Series Max 110 Bass Combo Amplifier
When it comes to packing power in a small venue, not many of the bass combo amp comes closer to the Max 110 bass combo amp. When doing this review, we set up the amp in a small environment with 40 pax. The audience was totally impressed at how much power that was being delivered by this small bass combo amp. This bass combo amp uses only 100 watts to deliver the sound that is sweet to people’s ears. It has the DDT speaker protection as well as the 10 inch heavy duty woofer.
When it comes to customizing the sound, you can use the 3 band EQ and the button for mid-shift to customize the sound to your liking. Also, to have that additional gain boost, you can use the patented TransTube circuitry that is exclusive to Peavey. To achieve an excellent sound, there is also the unique psycho-acoustic low end enhancement. This helps to boost the low side of the sound spectrum. Last but not least, there is also the built-in chromatic tuner that is built into this bass combo amp for small gigs.
This bass combo amp weighs at 37 pounds, and you can tilt this amp at an angle of 60 degrees, which makes it easy for you to access the controls on the amp.
What we like:
- Affordable
- Deep sound
- 60 degrees tilting angle
- 3 band EQ
- Portable and light
What we don’t like
- Design not that sleek
5. Roland Micro Cube Bass RX Battery-Powered Bass Combo Amp
When it comes to the best looking bass combo amp for small gigs, the Roland Micro Cube Bass RX Battery-Powered Bass Combo Amp
This is one of the best looking amps. However, to be completely honest, this bass combo amp is more suited for bedroom practice more than for small venues. Though this is a 4 speaker combo, it does not have power for small venues. This is on top of the 8 different amps that is inside this bass combo amp. To customize the sound, you can use the built-in tuner as well as the rhythm guide.
What we like:
- Good for bedroom practice
- 6 different sounds coming from 4 speakers
- Very light and portable
What we don’t like
- Not suitable for anything more than your room
Conclusion
In the reviews of the various bass combo amps, there are indeed many of the amps that are suitable for small venues. Interestingly, there is no correlation between a powerful rating as well as a good sound. It really boils down to your setup. Having said that, we will recommend using an amp with a rating of more than 100 watts for small gigs.
