Best Bass Amps for Beginners in 2024

Navigating the world of bass amps can be daunting. With so many amps with unique features and benefits, choosing one can make beginning players dizzy as they try to find what best suits their needs. We’ll walk you through a few Sweetwater’s best bass amps for beginners so you can make an informed decision and stay focused on playing!

Fender Rumble LT25Ashdown Studio 8Orange Crush Bass 25Ampeg Rocket Bass RB-110Hartke HD15Blackstar Fly 3 BassVox Pathfinder Bass 10Ampeg Micro-CLBlackstar Unity Bass U60

Fender Rumble LT25

Any beginner bass player will love the Fender Rumble LT25. This compact, 1-channel, 25-watt bass amp combo has an 8-inch speaker and is lightweight — ideal for grab-and-go jams at a friend’s house. The LT25 has an impressive array of features for the price. It comes with a standard EQ for dialing in your tone, as well as 50 preset sounds that can help you in exploring your style. From gritty, classic rock to cleaner, jazz-inspired tones to grunge, the LT25 opens the doors to experimentation and makes playing a truly enjoyable experience. And because Fender knows beginners need options, the 50 preset tones can also be modified via an Edit control. Simply scroll through the preset tones, find the one you want to modify, and select any number of amp tones you want to apply to the existing preset! Starting any instrument is all about breaking down barriers and exploring possibilities. The LT25 invites players to begin their journey and enjoy the ride.

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Ashdown Studio 8

Bass players at any level will be blown away by the compact and lightweight Studio 8 by Ashdown. This solid-state, single-channel bass amp combo weighs in at a mere 13.4 pounds! But don’t be fooled by its size. The Studio 8 features a custom-designed 8-inch speaker with 30 watts for plenty of volume. A 3-band EQ and line mix control let you dial in your tone, and an 1/8″ headphone output means you can practice without disturbing your neighbors or roommate. The Studio 8 also boasts some killer stage-ready design with a classic silver mesh grille, a heavy-duty black Tolex cover, and chrome corner protectors. Everything about this streamlined, no-nonsense amp invites you to plug in and get lost in great bass tone for hours.

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Orange Crush Bass 25

The Orange Crush Bass 25 is as tasty as it looks. This 25-watt bass amp combo features a redesigned 8-inch speaker that kicks out classic Orange bass tone — full, warm, and punchy. It has an active 3-band EQ and parametric mid control for loads of tone-shaping options at your fingertips. The Crush Bass 25 also comes with a headphone jack for silent practice, and an aux in for plugging in your music player or smartphone for backing tracks. It also has a built-in tuner, so you can check your tuning on the spot without unplugging or going to a headstock-mounted tuner. Orange knows amps, and the Crush Bass 25 is another classic in their long line of classics that you will fall in love with for its design and stellar tone.

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Ampeg Rocket Bass RB-110

Ampeg has been in the amp business for over 50 years, bringing high-end bass amps to some of the most iconic players in rock. They also know that legends aren’t made overnight. The Ampeg RB-110 is a great starter amp that will stick with you long after you’ve upgraded to a larger amp. It features a 10-inch Ampeg custom speaker driven by 50 watts for big, full bass tone. This small but mighty amp is made for practice but can also be used for full band rehearsal in the garage. The RB-110 is even gig-capable for smaller venues. It comes with a Legacy Ampeg preamp with 3-band EQ and Ampeg’s trademark SGT (Super Grit Technology) overdrive that lets you add grit and pump up the volume. A 1/8-inch Aux In for playing along with your smartphone or iPod is onboard as well as a 1/8-inch headphone output for silent practice. Loaded with classic Ampeg tone and vibe, the RB-110 is one of the best bass amps for beginners.

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Hartke HD15

There’s a lot to love in the small but tone-rich Hartke HD15. This little powerhouse comes with a single 6.5-inch speaker pushed by 15 watts, ideal for bedroom practice sessions or rehearsal. The HD15 stands out from the crowd via its HyDrive-design speaker. The HyDrive design uses paper around the outside of the speaker cone for classic warm tone, while the middle features aluminum, giving the HD15 that classic Hartke punch — a present midrange with a trace of treble. The HD15 also comes with the features you’d expect: 3-band EQ, a headphone output for silent practice, an aux input for stereo line-level devices such as a smartphone or iPod, and a cool built-in limiter for controlled volume. Owners of the HD15 have praised it on our site with reviews celebrating this compact but volume-ready bass amp!

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Blackstar Fly 3 Bass

The Blackstar Fly 3 Bass is the smallest bass amp in our review lineup. This miniature amp weighs in at under 2 pounds! You read that right: 2 pounds. It features two channels and a 3-inch speaker driven by 3 watts, and it can be run on six AA batteries as an optional power supply. In short, the Fly 3 takes portability to the next level. The Fly 3 also has some really cool features, including onboard compression to even out your tone and an overdrive channel that lets you add some grind to your low end when needed. It also has a speaker output for the Fly 103 extension cabinet for when you decide to go next-level!

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Vox Pathfinder Bass 10

For 60 years Vox has been manufacturing guitar amps that have become legendary for their unique tone. Now they are bringing their iconic sound to bassists with the Pathfinder Bass 10. Featuring classic Vox design — diamond grille cloth, basket-weave vinyl leather, vintage chicken-head knobs — the Pathfinder Bass 10 comes with a pair of 5-inch Bulldog speakers and 10 watts for full, vintage Vox tone. All that big tone is packed into an incredibly portable, friendly-to-your-back package that weighs a mere 2.54 pounds! The Pathfinder 10 is ideal for rehearsal or even small gigs. It has no-nonsense features for dialing in your tone with drive, treble, bass, and bright controls that let you get straight to the vintage Vox bass tone that so many players have fallen in love with. The Pathfinder Bass 10 also has a headphone out for silent jamming and a line-in for connecting stereo devices.

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Ampeg Micro-CL

Beginners who have months of practice under their belts and are ready to go to the next level will love the Ampeg Micro-CL stack. This stack features a 100-watt head and 100-watt 8-ohm cab, which translates to more than enough power and volume to take to the stage for live performance. But the Micro-CL is still very portable at a combined weight of only 46 pounds. The Micro-CL is packed with features as well. It comes with a built-in effects loop that lets you use your favorite pedals the way you would with a full-sized rig. There’s also a 3-band equalizer that lets you tweak your tone to taste. In addition, a stereo line input allows you to play along to backing tracks for honing your skills. And with this much power and volume, there is a headphone output, so you don’t send your roommate into the kitchen every time you plug in!

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Blackstar U60

Another next-level amp in our lineup, the Blackstar U60 gives beginning players an ample 10-inch Eminence Opus speaker with 60 watts of power for big sound. The U60 comes with a standard 3-band EQ with a semi-parametric Mid knob that gives your tone a sculpted, nuanced tone. You’ll also find compression and chorus effects for adding depth. It includes three distinct preamp voicings — Classic, Modern, and Overdrive — for further tone exploration. An MP3/line-in lets you take your practice sessions in fun, creative directions as well. And a -10dB pad accommodates both active and passive instruments. The U60 even comes with a ground-lift switch for eliminating ground noise.

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There has never been a better time to get into playing the bass. There are more high-quality bass amps at affordable prices than ever before. These are just a few of our favorite bass amps for beginners, but it is by no means an exhaustive list. As you consider your options, be sure to give your Sweetwater Sales Engineer a call at (800) 222-4700 with any questions you may have.
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