Are Bass Amps Still Relevant?

In this video, I'm asking the question: are bass amps still relevant? And the answer is...

Whether you're a beginner looking for a affordable beginner bass amp, or a seasoned bass player looking for an upgrade, bass amps are still a great option. In this video, we'll take a look at some of the best bass amp features that have become common amongst most bass amps on the market, that keeps them relevant. So if you're wondering if bass amps are still relevant, this is the video you need to watch!

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Good Beginner Bass Amp Under ($300)

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Travis Dykes
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[danieltorres]

I guess I'm the only one or maybe I'm just old School lol but I will still take my gk700rb and RBH 410 cab to most of my gigs and rock out. It has nothing to do with wanting to be louder than everyone else. I love having that low-end sound coming from that rig. It creates a stage experience that can be felt. Rock on everyone! 🎶🎵 🎸 🤘♥️

[tofulee]

Feeling the bass is the best part about playing bass!

[Andyanddiana]

In my situation, the answer is yes. I have no PA support in most places I play, so I have to provide the sound the audience hears.

[derekdauchan]

I was just thinking about this because everywhere I've gone lately don't allow amps, the bass has to go direct and you have to use IEM's. My little 2-10 cab and 350 watt d-class amp is more than enough whenever I get to use it.

Appreciate you Travis and what you contribute to the bass community.✌

[haroldlanni]

Started playing bass in the late 60’s. First real amp was a Kustom with 2 15” JBL’s. Only 100 watts per channel but really cool for the time being 17 years old on stage with this amp.

[tracewingo]

I do understand both sides of the debate. For those who’d rather travel light, use a DI, run straight to FOH, use IEMs, eliminate traveling with speaker cabs, more power to ya, if that’s what turns you on.
Me…. I have a truck and I load up and take gear to EVERY gig, and I play EVERY weekend.
I have a GK 4-12 cab, an AMPEG 4-10 cab, an AMPEG 1-15 cab, and a little BEHRINGER 2-10 cab I typically use at home for practice along with a GK BACKLINE 600.
My GK BACKLINE 600 I use mostly for home practice, although it and the little BEHRINGER 2-10 cab are very useful in most small venues I play, and I HAVE used them for smaller venues, and yes they performed flawlessly and exceeded my expectations.
I have a CROWN 1500 watt power amp I use to run a tech 21 Sansamp preamp, and two CARVIN B2000 (2000 watt) bass heads which I ABSOLUTELY LOVE and will never get rid of. They are my FAVORITE bass head of all time, and no longer manufactured by CARVIN.
All my amps, power amps, and preamp, with the exception of the BACKLINE 600, are mounted in road-ready racks, and I choose by venture size, indoor and outdoor, what gear suits me each gig. We also use IEMs, but I still like gear on stage.
I like gear on stage at my ready. I LIKE to FEEL the floor rumble with low end while I play. And, if we set up at a venue with no stage, and a concrete floor, I have a small wooden pallet I take, and place my speaker cab on it, to get it off the concrete floor and on some grounding, resonating wood.
I’m ALWAYS overpowered, and ALWAYS ready for any situation, HOWEVER….. I NEVER….. NEVER play louder than necessary for my band’s needs, and NEVER create a volume war or power struggle with my bandmates. It’s NOT professional, and I’d never do ANYTHING detrimental to the integrity of my band or myself.
Bottom line is, YES, you can get away with less, and still perform as needed. However, I personally LOVE my gear, love having it on stage with me, and I personally will NEVER treat bass gear, amps, heads, cabinets, as irrelevant.
I’m 56 years old, have been through hell and back. I’ve been blown-up, shot, stabbed, run over, beat on, but I keep in good shape.
Maybe someday I’ll have to succumb to loading and lugging “GEAR, ” and travel light…. however, while I still can, I’m taking it with me…… OLD SCHOOL!

[charliecarrot]

I recently picked up the smaller Boss Katana 110 bass combo amp, and I feel like it's the only amp I'll ever need. It can get surprisingly loud, has drive and compression built in (along with most effects I'd need like chorus, octaver, delay, filter env), and has a DI out that works with the cab emulation.

I use the headphone out for home practice, and with the Bluetooth features, my tablet can stream audio to it for backing tracks, playalongs, or metronome. You can also switch between presets with the mobile app and go in-depth to all the settings, which works well if you don't have a foot switch.

Unfortunately it's a bit heavy at 37lbs/17kg, which makes it less practical than a DI box for gigging. But still lighter than most huge amps and cabs people go for.

[michaelkeefer]

My bass rig has not left my house since I played a large conference back in 2018! Every gig I seem to do now is either at a church with an in-ear monitoring system or in a studio. Most of the time I use a Line6 HX Stomp for amp sounds and effects, I also have a Tech21 Programmable SansAmp for when I want to go quick and simple. I have to say that I really don't miss lugging a big amp around, and I think if I ever do start needing an amp again I will probably look into that GK and other small but mighty bass amps.

[edwinwise]

I have the GK 1x12 x earlier model about 27 #s And it totally kills it . I am always amazed when it stands out in an incredible way over the mix. It is a piece of engineering art. No pedals and standard p bass is all you need

[nathanminert]

In my opinion it doesn't make sense to have an amp any bigger than the one in your video. You don't need to fill a stadium with your amp any more, let the PA do the heavy lifting and use your amp as a personal monitor. There are plenty of gigs that you don't need an amp at all as long as you have a good preamp/DI and you trust the sound engineer.

[robertmansell]

From DI Pedals to big monster stacks, they’re all relevant depending on your needs and uses, I’ve only ever played in Rock Bands and trust me a 1x12 ain’t gonna cut it😂

[bflathead]

I just can’t imagine doing a gig without an amp pumping out the bass behind me. 4x10 forever 👍

[badspy]

short answer, yes they are. best combination is in ear monitor+bass amp. i prefer and i use 4x10 or 6x10 cabin with EBS REIDMAR 752

[sqlbrn]

I've never heard a PA that sounds better than my bass amp. The bars I play are small enough I let my bass rig carry the sound. We mostly just use the PA for vocals

[johngpendleton]

My first bass amp in the '80s was a 100 watt GK combo with built in compression and chorus, as well as external speaker jacks and 1/4"/balanced line levels out -- they were way ahead of their time in the tiny, light, utilitarian amp category. Then I went to giant SWR rigs in the '90s and now I'm back to a 5 lb. GK 500 Fusion head after selling off the heavier SWR rack stuff. And the circle of gear life continues.

[boomerbutler]

I'm an ampless bass player, but I do own a fender amp. I think the points you made about powering other amps and portability are interesting, but in my application (church, small gigs) it's easier to show up to a venue with my pedalboard and be ready to go in 3 minutes. I think if you're running IEM's, there's no need for amps because the FOH will be supplying the sound to the subs and it's basically only being used for stage volume. There's no need for stage volume unless your IEM's fail and you will need a backup to getting sound output volume when stage wedges aren't present. Most modern bands use IEM's and therefore I think the amps are going the way of vinyl records, which are super cool to listen to but kind of cumbersome when you need to change a song or in this case move the amp around.

[Bjmusic]

Yes bass amp are still relevant because most situations don’t have a decent PA system or subwoofers to project the low end

[Hordes_Of_Nebulah]

They are definitely still relevant in the metal world. It's hard to keep up with a guitarist running a ts9 into a100 watt tube amp through a full stack. I play a pretty wide range of venue sizes as well so it is nice to have a large rig that can handle any stage environment. I have a hard time imagining playing a show with just DI. They would need to be blasting the stage monitors in my face for me to even stand a chance.

[eaf]

yes... yes they are for me. I don't care how big the pa is, a floor wedge is not a bass amp and not designed to be one. Not a fan of IEM's but they can work okay if you okay with that headphones no low end sound. For me part of the point is to feel it and when that's gone and guitar amps are screaming on stage while acoustic drums are booming in your ears, you're just tinking on some strings representing low end pretending to be bass.

[Dis-Emboweled]

I've played so many different rigs and gig set-ups over the years, I'm happy with my Ampeg Scrambler Di and for small clubs I have a 1000 watt powered speaker I play that through. Gone are the days for me lugging a 8x8 and a 500 watt head up and down stairs! But plugging into a sound system with subwoofers is ideal. 👍😁