OK then, time to take a look at the amps from smallest to largest.
CARVIN BASS AMP REVIEWS HOW TO
While reading the specs in the manuals, just to be sure I understood how to use each amp and its features correctly, I revisited each amp several times. To get familiar with the character of each unit, I first set all the EQ controls flat and played for awhile, then tweaked the features to check out the range of tones. Because some of the amps had speakON connections and some had 1/4" jacks, I used a speaker cable with each type of connection on each end.
CARVIN BASS AMP REVIEWS PORTABLE
However, most of these little guys have somewhat more delicate parts that will be better preserved with a separate case, either from the manufacturer or an off-the-rack bag designed for a computer or other portable electronics.įor testing the amps, I used a P bass with fresh roundwound strings and a lightweight Euphonic Audio Wizzy cab with a 12" speaker. Some of these amps can actually fit into a pocket of your gigbag for simple travel and hauling. Micro bass amps are also useful when you have a rehearsal room or gig that provides speaker cabs, but you want to work with a familiar amp.
Of course, there’s nothing to stop you from pairing a 2 pound amp with a 150 pound, 8x10 cab, but once you’ve committed to that much cab weight, the size/weight savings of a micro bass amp probably doesn’t matter.
Use one cab for rehearsals or small gigs, and add a second cab for louder settings. For example, consider picking up a pair of cabs with neodymium speakers that weigh below 40 pounds, such as 1x12 or 2x10. So if you’re looking for a rig that keeps the weight down, you should think modularly. Although there are some lightweight cabs out there, none weigh as little as the amps. Regardless of how little a micro bass amp weighs or how much power it puts out, your total rig weight will be dictated by your choice of speaker cabs.
Regardless of price, micro bass amps tend to have a more basic feature set with a 3-band or 4-band EQ and a direct out for plugging into a PA-there’s simply no place for a space-hogging, graphic EQ on the tiny front panel of these puppies. You’ll also find a chart that lets you compare the amps, ordered from lowest price to highest. Sitting in the middle were two micro bass amps in the 500-watt range, weights from 2 1/2 to 4 1/2 pounds, and selling between $500 and $700. On the other end was the Genz-Benz Shuttle 9.0, coming in at 4 pounds, 900 watts, and at a cost of $829. On the smallest end was the Gallien-Krueger MB200, weighing in at just 2 pounds, putting out 200 watts, and selling for $249. We asked manufacturers to provide their smallest model that met these criteria, but allowed them to submit a higher-powered version if it met the required specs. And second, no single dimension of an amp could exceed 12 inches. First, an amp had to weigh 5 pounds or less. We used two basic parameters to guide our choices of amps to review. We’ve reviewed some micro bass amps in the past, including models from Carvin, SWR, TC Electronic, Ampeg, and Kustom, but this roundup brings you a new bumper crop of mighty midgets. This approach eliminates bulky transformers that alone outweigh most of these amps. The goal here is not to declare a winner or winners-at this level of amp, all are quality pieces of gear that differ mainly by their feature sets.Īll of these amps accomplish their magic by using a class D amp design and a switching power supply. This roundup is meant to serve as an intro to the possibilities out there and looks at a sampling of micro bass amps with varying sizes, weights, power ratings, and prices. With the wave of tiny but powerful bass amps continuing to swell, bassists face a sea of opportunity amidst a plethora of features.
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