11 Best Bass Amp Brands You can Trust [2022 Updated]

There are many different brands, and if you’re just getting started with bass guitar, It might be hard for you to know what the best bass amp brands are, and which one you should completely avoid.

I’ve got 11 different bass amp manufacturers that I used at one point or another in a store, live on a gig, or whatever! I ranked them based on my overall experience with them, in terms of sound quality, build quality, versatility, and overall vibe they deliver while playing:

The following are my favorite brands of a bass amp, ranked from #1 to #11.  The ranking below tracks with my personal impression of the amplifiers lineups in the industry and the popularity of the brands, but obviously every single bass amp is different and every bassist is different.

Top 11 Best Bass Amplifier Brands in the World

Generally, Many bass players recommend spending a decent amount of money on a bass amplifier because an average entry-level bass guitar through a good amp would sound much better as compared to the great bass through a crappy amp.

Thus, take this post as a grain of salt and do check them all out, because you may see things differently from me.

1. Fender

I want to start off this list with one most legendary bass gear makers in the world. When you start playing bass and talk with other bass players, you’ll find that when they talk about Fender gears – it’s different!

Whether you’re looking for a practice amp, studio, or powerful amplifier for live gigs, Fender will surely have a perfect amp model for you that meets all your needs in terms of sound quality, power ranting, tone-shaping power, and portability.

Since 1954, when Fender enters the guitar gears market, they continue to grow into different verticals. With an amazing team of sound engineers and music experts that ensure the quality, their bass amplifiers are designed with supreme musicality to deliver an excellent sounding tone.

Frankly I just really like their Rumble series and I think it’s worth it to mention their Rumble 200 model here because it is easily movable, loud for their size, and handover superb tone-shaping power to you.

Overall, If you’re looking for a reliable bass amplifier that provides you offers you a wide range of tonal versatility, Fender would be a great choice for you, regardless of whether you’re a seasoned pro bassist or a first-time buyer.

Check the Demo Sound:

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2. Aguilar

Aguilar makes music gears according to the needs of the bass players. It is filled with engineers and experienced bass players that ensure the every new amp model they launch should match the bassist’s perspective.

They simply follow their philosophy which is to design, build, and craft each of their models as if they were the customer. This amazing workmanship and attention to detail of the sounding tone provide then edge over other brands and help them grow in the global market.

Aguilar bass amps stand out for their innovative design tweaks (Thank you for making very portable yet powerful combos) the expansive lineup of amplifiers that allows you to find the sound you’re looking for.

Check the Demo Sound

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3. Orange

Orange has probably the longest-standing reputation in the guitar gear industry and has been recognized for many years for its incredible products. You might already be familiar with their guitar amps but their bass amplifiers are also equally, if not more impressive.

Orange has gained popularity due to its affordable prices and the latest features that are provided in the bass amps.

Even though they are in business since almost 1968 and proven to be an innovator in terms of sound engineering and modern amp technology but personally, I don’t believe Orange is innovating as fast as Fender, but they are still producing some of the best amplifiers on the market.

Check the Demo Sound

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4. Hartke

Hartke is one of the names in the bass industry that has the trust of its consumers due to the durability of its amplifiers.

They introduce their Custom Hydrive Speaker Technology to the bass industry that delivers warmth sounding tone with punchy attacks. Also, they understand amps are a key part of reaching the full potential of speakers and decided to improve their quality both in terms of tone flexibility and projection of sound.

Personally, I like Hartke’s unique and classic tone stack that sounds crazy amazing. From HD Series Combos to LX lines of amps, their team always comes up with a top-notch quality bass amplifier with high-performance components.

Check the Demo Sound

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5. Ampeg

Ampeg is another popular bass amplifier brand, and these guys really have their basics covered when it comes to the different subcategories of modern amps.

Even since when the bass amplifier technology was in its infancy to this new era of amps, Ampeg has continued to be one of the leading bass amp manufacturers always. Despite the low cost of their amp models, they are surprisingly robust and do not disappoint you by any means.

One of the main advantages of Ampeg’s long-time history is its expertise in amp technology. They knew exactly how to produce and deliver extraordinary sounding tones that your bass guitar deserves.

Check the Demo Sound

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6. Peavey

Even if you’re going to enter into the exciting world of bass amplifiers for the first time, you probably going to love the classic-sounding Peavey Amps. Although they may look very simple, their bass amps offer some of the best value on the market.

I have one of their 100-watt amp model from the MAX series and believe me it is extraordinarily durable and reliable. It has impressive construction and allows you to explore a wide range of tonal possibilities.

Overall, I’m not turned off by Peavey‘s bass amplifiers but I’m not crazy about them either. They sound good but unfortunately, they are always one step behind other major brands like Fender or Orange in terms of overall tonal versatility and sound evolution for bass.

Check the Demo Sound

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7. TC Electronics

My first experience with TC Electronic was when I brought one of their distortion pedals. Honestly, I brought it because it was very cheap, but I was so impressed with it and immediately became a fan of this brand.

Besides bass amplifiers, their brand grows wildly into other verticals including effect pedals, vocal processors, tuners, etc. – and there are plenty of intermediate and even professional players who use their products.

Although when you think of bass amplifiers, TC Electronics may not be the very first name that comes to everyone’s mind, they are definitely one of the fine-tune manufacturers in the music industry.

They offer the most affordable amps loaded with so many cool features and try to provide you the best value for your money. The only thing I don’t like about them is their build quality. If durability is an important factor for you and if you usually prefer more reliable amps, this might not be the great choice for you.

Check the Demo Sound

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8. BlackStar

Blackstar has a very strong reputation for its small and compact bass amp combos. There is an amazing team of musicians who work for them, which is continuously innovating new designs and features (like Response control) in their amplifiers.

Even though they are into high-end stuff that comes with superb tone-shaping power, but I mostly recommend Blackstar’s bass amplifiers to beginner players who are just getting started with amps. I think it does a great job by mainly focusing on covering all the essential features while keeping its model as affordable as possible.

Blackstar Fly3Bass is one of their highly popular portable bass amp combo that allows you to learn all the basic things regard to tone-shaping and using the amp in general. Not only their amps are reliable but I also like how they always try to keep their design straightforward and easy to use for beginner players.

Check the Demo Sound

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9. Mesa/Boogie

Founded in 1969 and headquartered in California, Mesa/Boogie is one of the highly respected and popular brands that has created some of the best-loved bass amplifiers in recent years.

You might not be so familiar with their name, but they are among the oldest and most influential players in the music world. They aim to provide quality amplifiers without adding unnecessary high-price tags by being very picky about the materials and components they use in their models.

Also, Each of their amp models comes with a quality control certificate. It is nothing but a card that is signed with the initials of the artists who proudly gave their contribution to that particular new amp model.

Check the Demo Sound

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10. Gallien-Krueger

Gallien-Krueger bass amplifiers are somewhat expensive, and I won’t get surprised by players to ask whether the relatively high price is worth it!

Founded in San Jos, California in 1968, this legendary bass amp brand has made its long journey from its humble roots. It all started with a small-level experiment and eventually grew into one of the big bass amplifiers manufacturers all over the globe.

One of the main qualities associated with their bass amps is the easy-to-operate control panel and overall flexibility in the tone. It can be easily noticeable how much time their team is investing just to ensure you’re getting the highest possible standards to achieve the top-notch quality sound you’re looking for.

Check the Demo Sound

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11. MarkBass

This legendary Italian brand is responsible for some of the best-known bass amps around. One of these is the Little Mark 3 amp head which is liked by countless bassists due to its diverse range of amazing tonal possibilities.

Personally, I find their bass amps very smooth with an intuitive design and easy-to-use control panel. Perhaps their biggest strength (according to me) is their ability to keep their amplifiers very simple and straightforward while not compromising on tone and versatility.

No matter whether you’re looking for an amplifier for your practice session or for a big stage, they offer plenty of options to choose from as per your needs.

Check the Demo Sound

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Worst Bass Amp Brands to Avoid in 2021

When it comes to the bass amplifiers or rather any other musical instruments, I always prefer a well-known brand name in the space. Personally, I think you must avoid the bass amp brands that fall into the “too good to be true” kind of range.

If you don’t get too excited, you can notice this feeling. You’re chilling on Instagram and keep seeing great-looking amplifiers for $38. And you know what is more surprising, it even has decent reviews there!

For music gears, you get what you pay for. that’s why it’s always better to go with popular brands than no-name manufacturers where you might be saving little extra bucks, but you might disappoint completely in terms of durability, sound quality, or maybe any other thing.

How to Choose the Best Bass Amplifier Brand for You?

As a first-time buyer, you should choose an amplifier that allows you to developed your own feel for sound while processing your bass learning curve.

Bass Combo vs Bass Amp Head

Bass Combo is nothing but an Amplifier, Preamp, and Speaker fused into one single unit. Whereas Amp head is just the electronic component of the amplifier which requires a separate speaker cabinet.

If you’re buying an amplifier to practice at your home or want to play on the road, I would recommend you to go with combo amps. Usually, bass combos are more portable due to their smaller size and tend to come with additional features like a headphone jack and Line inputs for enhanced playability.

On the other hand: If you’re going to perform at live performances or gigs, most players prefer to stick with amp heads.

Bass Amp Size & Portability

When it comes to the bass amp size, it can range from tiny micro amplifiers to giant rigs with 2 to 4 speaker cabinets. Even after such variance in the speaker sizes, this factor is mostly overlooked by beginner bassists.

If you’re just starting out with the bass guitar, it’s always good to be stick with the small practice amplifiers. Such amps are highly portable and great for your playing experience while providing you enough tonal flexibility you need to get started.

Configuration of Speakers & Wattage

The wattage (power) of your amplifier and how the speakers are configured are other two factors that you must need to consider before making any purchase.

As a general rule, If you play in a band, I suggest you to get 1.5x power than the guitar players amplifier, because its quite easy to get drawn in the mixer in front of high-powered electric guitar amps.

But: Even if you get any decent amp with 200+ watts of power, that will work for small gigs and performances. Whereas if you’re looking for practice amp, around 50 watts of power will be more than enough.

Final Thoughts on Best Bass Amp Brands

I hope you’ve enjoyed out list of popular bass amplifier brands – whether you’re just starting out with the bass amps or looking for new models to add in your collection, I hope this article will guide you in your buying decision.

Personally, the most important thing to consider before buying a bass amplifier is whether or not it feels right to you? If you know what exactly are your needs, even a relatively inexpensive amplifier can meet that!

So, Which bass amp brand do you like the most? I want you to comment down about your bass guitar and which amp are you thinking about? Also, don’t forget to share this article with your beginner bass player friends who are about to start their journey into the bass world.

Happy Music!