Seen largely as a novelty, the few that were sold remained in the Seattle area.Ī vintage Ampeg B-15 amp and speaker cabinet. The instrument was sold with the first purpose-built bass amplifier, the Audiovox Model 936. In 1933, the Audiovox Manufacturing Company was founded by Paul Tutmarc, subsequently the inventor of the first electric bass, the fretted and solid-body Audiovox Model 736 Bass Fiddle, in 1936, which was designed to be played in a guitar-like horizontal manner. A partial solution was playing slap bass style, slapping the strings against the fingerboard to make a relatively loud percussive sound. In the 1890s and early 1900s, upright bass players performing in bars and brothels often found it difficult to be heard by the audience over louder instruments such as trumpet. While the upright bass is a large instrument, standing about six feet tall (with its endpin extended), due to its low register it is not a loud instrument when played acoustically and because human hearing is less sensitive at low frequencies. The bassists who first sought methods to make their instruments louder were upright bass players. The loudspeakers themselves must also be sturdier to handle the higher power levels and they must be capable of reproducing very low pitches at high sound pressure levels.Ī 1930s era combo amplifier and a Rickenbacker electric upright bass from 1935. Speaker cabinets for bass amps usually incorporate larger loudspeakers (e.g., 15 inches (380 mm) speakers are more common for bass than for electric guitar amps) or more speakers and larger cabinet sizes than those used for the amplification of other instruments. This distinction affects the design of the loudspeakers, the size and design of the speaker cabinet and the design of the preamplifier and amplifier. While bass amps share many features with the guitar amplifiers used for electric guitar, they are distinct from other types of amplification systems, due to the particular challenges associated with low-frequency sound reproduction. Bass amps typically consist of a preamplifier, tone controls, a power amplifier and one or more loudspeakers ("drivers") in a cabinet. Want to know more about how we test music making gear and services at MusicRadar? Hit the link.A Hartke 500 watt amp "head" on top of an Ashdown 4x10" speaker cabinet.Ī bass amplifier (also abbreviated to bass amp) is a musical instrument electronic device that uses electrical power to make lower-pitched instruments such as the bass guitar or double bass loud enough to be heard by the performers and audience. Some players are perfectly happy with a basic amp, especially if they shape their tone via the preamp/tone controls on their instrument or via pedals, while others look for extra functionality like compressors, limiters, or even cab simulators. So, it’s important to ask yourself if you will make use of them all. Other features to considerīass amps these days can come with a number of features, some you may never need. If you were to plug it into an 8-ohm cabinet, you’d only get 200W of power, but if you plugged it into a 2-ohm cabinet, then you’ll damage the speaker, and in the worst-case scenario, cause a fire. Most bass amps will tell you their resistance either in the manual, online or sometimes on the back of the amp itself.įor example, it may say ‘400W 4 ohms’, which means you’ll need to plug it into a bass cabinet with a resistance of 4 ohms. If you pair a bass amp head with an output impedance higher than the bass cabinet is capable of handling, you will overdrive the speakers, most likely resulting in permanent damage. Impedance, sometimes called resistance, is measured in ohms (Ω). If you’re buying a bass amp head, then you’ll need to make sure it's compatible with your speaker cabinet. Going for a wattage somewhere in the region of 150 to 300W should be more than suitable for small gigs. Sure, that 1000W bass amp head with the 8x10 cabinet will knock your bandmates' socks off at practice, but unless you’re playing stadium tours, it’s probably a bit much.īass amp wattages tend to be higher than that of their guitar amp equivalents, and that’s because lower tones require more power to push the air and generate the sound you hear. Your first consideration when choosing the best bass amp for you should be the wattage. Many of the bass amps listed here are amp heads, which means you’ll need a bass amp cabinet to pair with it. The best bass amp is going to be as personal to you as your own bass guitar heroes and musical tastes, but there are several critical things you’ll need to think about before taking the plunge. MusicRadar's got your back Our team of expert musicians and producers spends hours testing products to help you choose the best music-making gear for you.
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