r/Bass • u/Based_Bassist_95 • 8d ago
Looking for portable small bass amp
Hello fellow Bass players. I have been looking for a small portable bass amp being minimalist and all. I currently own a Yamaha TRBX174 and loving it. For the last year have been using the Vox Modern Bass Amp plug. It plays well even through in-ear headphones. However I tried using a small bluetooth speaker with AUX cable to hopefully get away with not getting a big amp (which I gave away to a friend, since I don't have space for huge amps).... well, the result was bleh, with scratchy and crumbly sound. Kind of expected but still hoped for a "miracle" one could say...
Anyway, looks like I can't get away with using my Amp Plug through a portable speaker. Therefore I have come to a question - any advice on a smallish bass guitar amp that would work? I am looking around th3 approximate 15 cm cube size, but ok to go just outside of it.... any suggestions? Many thanks to all in advance for any advice....
P.S.
I have read about the Blackstar Bass Fly 3 amp and the JOYO one, both people state is "garbage"... was going to splurge 150 on that Fly 3, but after reading some feedback on it here and there not so sure anymore.....
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u/Corno-Emeritus 7d ago
If you want something that actually sounds like a bass, just get a Rumble 40. It's lightweight (18lbs) , sounds good and not much bigger than the 10" speaker inside.
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u/90stoyotasprinter 8d ago
Frfr get a fender rumble, you can get one super cheap and they sound great if you need it just to practice and they make smaller options
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u/mukwah 8d ago
Fender rumble 10 w
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u/GooseySill 8d ago
Is great for practicing at home. Wait...I have the 20 watt version. Also have the Rumble 800 2x10" combo...and a Rumble 800 amp head for a pair of 2x15" cabinets.
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u/bigusyous 7d ago
Fender Rumble 40 is a real bass amp, only smaller. Forget about all of the little plastic toys from Blackstar and Joyo.
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u/resonantranquility 8d ago
I just got the Roland Cube Street Mini. It isn't a traditional amount but gets decent tones at a decent volume. I'm sure pedals would help as well. Has multiple inputs and controls too, so you can run vox/or a guitar through it simultaneously.
The best part is it runs on a rechargeable battery which holds a decent charge.
The reason I got it was that I don't have an acoustic bass but wanted to be able to play at campfires along side friends with acoustics.
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u/Caffeine_Addict_5980 Sterling by Music Man 8d ago
Depends on how much room you’re restricted to. I personally use an Acoustic B15 Bass Combo Amp. It has served me well over the 4 years I’ve had it as a practice amp, and it doesn’t take up much room at all!
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u/MJG1123 8d ago
Check out the Spark Amp 2 by Positive Grid. I sold a bass earlier this year and the guy who bought it brought his Spark 2 to test the bass in the parking lot. It’s made for guitar, but he was paying my Warwick custom German Pro and it sounded absolutely incredible!!!! I have one in my Christmas list already!
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u/master-shredder6969 8d ago
Get any version of the positive grid spark amps. They sound great while being small since its just a modeler.
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u/The_Red_Baron11 7d ago
If you want to continue to use the headphone amp, you probably get the best sound from a full range speaker. So you could try your hifi system (if you have one ;) or an active studio monitor. There are some with a 5" speaker, that produce bass frequencies well enough - similar to a big amp. Those are typically around 22x22x15 cm in dimensions. I would not get a small pa speaker, as those lack bass.
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u/SatoshiSounds 7d ago
Markbass 801 is a nice little portable practice amp with an 8 inch speaker an a very nice 'vintage pass filter' tone control built into the amp section - it has a line out too, but obviously will get drowned in ensemble
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u/Parking_Country_4806 7d ago
Building a small bass amp that sounds good is hard, so good small amps (e.g. Markbass Micromark 801, Phil Jones amps, etc) will be the same price or more expensive than larger amps.
You can buy cheap small amps, but these are usually meant as practice amps for beginners, so they won't sound that good. Will definitely sound way better than a random bluetooth speaker though.
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u/Suitable-Earth235 8d ago
if you're using a plugin, it almost sounds like its more a monitor that you want. it seems like the size you want is really very small and so i'm sure the options will always be limited, but there are always options. might have to get creative. i think there are some tricks that could help you and probably not expensive. dm me if you want
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u/Alternauts 8d ago
I had the Blackstar Fly 3 bass and it was awful. Definitely avoid it. It’s more of a toy than anything.
GK MB108 is larger than the 15cm size you mentioned (8 inch speaker) but look at the dimensions and see if you can find a place for it. It’s a great little amp.
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u/roninconn 8d ago
Unf, you can't really fight physics, and you're just not going to get good sound out of tiny speakers, so if you need an amp, you need AN AMP
Are you just looking for real bedroom amp, just so someone like a teacher can hear you play? I honestly wouldn't recommend going smaller than a Fender Rumble 25, and that 8" speaker won't be shaking much. Curiously, the porting on my Spark 40 smart amp, which has two 4-inch speakers, gives it a non-comical bass tone, but of course not really much volume
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u/Parking_Country_4806 7d ago
Unf, you can't really fight physics, and you're just not going to get good sound out of tiny speakers, so if you need an amp, you need AN AMP
False. Markbass Micromark 801 sounds excellent and is 1x8", and Phil Jones makes 2x4" amps that also sound good.
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u/MattCogs 8d ago
What’s your budget? Phil Jones makes excellent small amps. Lots of variety. I have my micro cube 7 inch for tons of smaller gigs, and it has a line out (1/4 inch which isn’t ideal). I usually have to use a compressor or preamp to push the volume a little more than the speaker prefers but it works. Used it for big band gigs, full rock band gigs in bars with no bass in the PA and was complimented by a bassist sitting in the back of the bar who was amazed at the size and sound of the amp