Bass Guitar Tube Amps For Sale (2024 Update)

Was looking forward to this amp. Came recommended from other musicians. When I received the package it appeared that it had already been opened, re-taped & new staples were put it. Played the amp for an hour at lower to mid volume and everything was fine. Played amp again next day for about 30 mins again low to mid volume, everything was fine and was starting to get a sound dialed in. Plugged in to really test it out on day three, 10-15 mins at low volume and decided to crank it up. Gain was set to not clip and master I set at 2-3 O'clock position. Hit a note and amp made a click sound and that was it. No output to speakers. Amp would should a clip level on the LED but no sound out to the speakers. Returned to GC that night.A

I bought this amp and 2 Mark Bass cabs; the Traveller 1×15 and Traveller 2×10. I like this amp head a lot. Indeed, it is not an full on tube bass amp, but the tube it does have inside of it makes a difference. The power and tone, ease in transport, and versatility of the head and cabs is fantastic. I can run either cab or both together, and it has an XLR out with an output level control! That is a great feature and sound guys love it. I bought rack ears for this (from MF) and in my opinion they were slightly overpriced just for 2 bent pieces of steel with holes in them, BUT the amp now sits protected in a rack I have with an EQ and power strip. I used to have it in a bag and I'd have to hook everything up for each gig and it was getting scratched from transport. Now it's safe and I just plug and play. I play an (active) Ernie Ball Music Man Sterling 5 string bass. I agree that the mute push/pull is not great on the amp but I just turn the volume pot all the way down on my bass between sets. I use a basic, digital chromatic tuner plugged from the tuner out of the amp and it works fine. When I first got the amp, before using a rack-mount EQ, I had a Hartke pre-amp pedal because I felt like the amp was a little dull sounding. That pedal broke from gigging so now I use an EQ which basically does the same thing. I haven't experimented with the tube/S.S. blend so I just keep it in the middle. I barely have the Variable Preshape Filter or Vintage Loudspeaker Emulator engaged; I have both knobs halfway around the 1st hash mark and it makes it sound slightly "old school" which I like. I prefer the low rumble of a 5 string but for other players that prefer a more melodic sound I can see those tone shapers being beneficial. I found a tone I like but there are many options and this amp is great for any style, especially slapping. I have heard nothing but praise for Mark Bass and after 2 summers gigging with it I am extremely happy with the way this amp has never once had a problem. It has been put the test in hot, humid, salt-air environments for long periods of time. Once the speakers in the cabs got broken in the tone got even more fantastic. Plus, if that tube in the amp goes bad you are still left with a great-sounding solid state…yet another feature!Alex Maz

Don't buy this amp expecting to gig with it at anything more than very low volume levels. Matched with sensitive speakers and master volume set at full, you might be happy with the volume you can get with maybe an acoustic set. The BAM 200 would be fine for practicing and jamming with a friend in the basement, but add drums and an amped guitarist and I think you will struggle to be heard. It's output sounds closer to 30 or 40 watts RMS, rather than the mystery 200 watts TC Electronics rates this mini. Tone was OK, a little fat if you over do the bass control and the preamp sections seems to overload easily, even with low output basses. I really don't have a good use for it after buying it, but it is easy to transport!airtow

The perfect no frills small unit. Haven't really road tested due to virus shutdowns but home bound sound is fantastic. I originally bought for a backup type amp but am quickly becoming enamored by its tonal qualities. Over the past few years I have been trying to reduce my equipment footprint and lugging around effort. I have another TC Electronics amp (BH250) along with a 2×12 cab and a 2×10 cab. These have been fantastic in small and medium venues – larger venues all seem to have their own sound systems which tap into my setup. Now, with the addition of this unit, I can even run my Rickenbacker in stereo without breaking my back hauling around a lot of equipment. The sound coming out of the BAM is smooth and even. It can get very very thin or very very fat and everything in between controls are solid and even. The only thing I would say that might be missing is an 'auxiliary in' but that can be side stepped with a small mixer. All in all a great buy for a very big sounding little D amp that can almost fit in a jacket pocket.2991tom

I bought this as a backup to the TC 450 and I was blown away by the sound and tone control this little unit has. It was between this for a backup and the Trace Elliot Elf. This unit at he Sweetwater price or an an Elf for $100.00 more. Easy decision to make and the results are amazing. More power than I will ever need. Driving two Hartke HD112 cabinets. Works great!bigmackstrains

Don't buy this amp expecting to gig with it at anything more than very low volume levels. Matched with sensitive speakers and master volume set at full, you might be happy with the volume you can get with maybe an acoustic set. The BAM 200 would be fine for practicing and jamming with a friend in the basement, but add drums and an amped guitarist and I think you will struggle to be heard. It's output sounds closer to 30 or 40 watts RMS, rather than the mystery 200 watts TC Electronics rates this mini. Tone was OK, a little fat if you over do the bass control and the preamp sections seems to overload easily, even with low output basses. I really don't have a good use for it after buying it, but it is easy to transport!airtow

The perfect no frills small unit. Haven't really road tested due to virus shutdowns but home bound sound is fantastic. I originally bought for a backup type amp but am quickly becoming enamored by its tonal qualities. Over the past few years I have been trying to reduce my equipment footprint and lugging around effort. I have another TC Electronics amp (BH250) along with a 2×12 cab and a 2×10 cab. These have been fantastic in small and medium venues – larger venues all seem to have their own sound systems which tap into my setup. Now, with the addition of this unit, I can even run my Rickenbacker in stereo without breaking my back hauling around a lot of equipment. The sound coming out of the BAM is smooth and even. It can get very very thin or very very fat and everything in between controls are solid and even. The only thing I would say that might be missing is an 'auxiliary in' but that can be side stepped with a small mixer. All in all a great buy for a very big sounding little D amp that can almost fit in a jacket pocket.2991tom

I bought this as a backup to the TC 450 and I was blown away by the sound and tone control this little unit has. It was between this for a backup and the Trace Elliot Elf. This unit at he Sweetwater price or an an Elf for $100.00 more. Easy decision to make and the results are amazing. More power than I will ever need. Driving two Hartke HD112 cabinets. Works great!bigmackstrains

Back in the day I played through a 90's Ampeg SVT-2 with an 8×10 cab and have always loved that Ampeg tone. A year ago I got back into music and purchased the V4B and the matching SVT 2×12 cab. I love both the tone and portability. While the V4B is obviously not the same, it's every bit as versatile and sounds great at low volumes while keeping the hum almost non-existant. Whether playing through a RIC 4003 or a P-bass, I can get booming lows, mid range grind grind, and/or clear cutting highs. The build quality is great and the price reasonable. My only complaint is at $1200, I wish it would have shipped with an amp cover. I was able to buy one separately…but it would have been nice not to.Chris

Without a doubt it is the most fun in an amp I have ever had! I've gone through them all: 60's Bassman, Marshall MKII Super Bass, Gallien Kreuger and an Ampeg B15 – the V4b has the power of the Marshall and the tone shaping of the GK in one amp. I prefer the crunch (grit) of the V4B to my old Marshall (which was an unreliable, noisy one trick amp). The V4B's tonal variations are really impressive. All in all this is my favorite amp in a long succession of amps.GORGO

This is the Bluetooth adapter for many Yamaha home thater receivers. It works awesome for high definition audio sources. Usiong the YBA-11 I am able to stream DSD and DSD2 high definition audio straight from my devices to my receiver that acts as a control unit for my audiophile music system as well as my home theater system. The DSD capabilities of the receiver and Bluetooth receiver make it very easy to play the latest in high definition source music through my home system.Audiophile on a beer budget

Simple setup and easy connection to devices. The YBA-11 was discontinued in the USA with no replacement substitute from Yamaha, so I purchased the Japan model from overseas. Paid twice the amount than it sold for in the USA, but it was made to work specifically with my Yamaha A-S801 integrated amplifier and together, it works perfectly.bib6460

I got this unit because my older Yamaha receiver did not have a bluetooth input. The YBA-11 works good and pairs quickly to my iPhone. The sound quality and distance is also good. The output level does not match the other inputs on my receiver but that could be an adjustment on the amp. Its important to keep in mind that the output of the YBA-11 is digital and your receiver must have a digital input this unit is not designed to go into a typical RCA input. Overall its a good addition to my system.trail1rider

I use one of these for my nylon string Godin Multiac. I blend the nylon with a GR33 synth and run both signals into this amp on the clean channel. The issue I've always had with amplified nylon string guitars is the 'plucky' or 'plasticy' sound of them through guitar amps. This bass amp solved the problem for me. With the amp's treble and bass rolled off completely I can get a very round clear tone by using the guitar's eq to provide the brightness. Very light and powerful, and an unexpected solution to a long-standing problem I've experienced. The electric violinist in the band tried his setup through my amp with almost identical settings and he bought one also! Works very well for bass also, in a small setting.Jan-Mikael

TLDR: BUY IT! I ordered this amp when I bought my very first bass. For years I was stuck with a school Ampeg Little Stud bass from 1973. The bass itself was 40 pounds, and for all of its vintage appeal, I was not impressed by its condition or playability. The amp was even worse. It was a Backline 112 that weighed 50 pounds, and when I performed with it in a school gymnasium with a capacity of a mere 400 people, nobody heard me playing. When I bought my bass I knew that I needed a new amp. Enter the Rumble 100. If this is your first amp, you might think this is a little pricey, but trust me, it is beyond worth it. I'm only 5'1", and while I could carry the heavy Ampeg bass and amp, it was starting to hurt my back. But this amp is incredibly light. I almost expected it to have zero bottom end. But when I played it, I was shocked. The sound was very well-supported, even if it's played with the bass, low, and mid down and treble all the way up (which I wouldn't recommend… I mean, it's a bass amp…) I've loved this amp ever since. But I'm not a "pro" yet, so let me tell you what some professional musicians thought when they saw my amp. I performed with a popular local brass band that has been together since 1980. Altogether they have 50+ years of touring and gigging experience. They're used to lugging some pretty heavy equipment. When I walked in to the auditorium, I had my bass case slung over my shoulder, my amp in my hands, and all my music nestled under my arm. Of course the stage crew at the door all thought that the tiny chick (me) was about to drop everything, so they rushed over to help me by picking up my amp. They went, "What? We're wondering where the inside went, Is this it?" They thought it would sound awful. But that night, in front of 2,000 people (and there was a bass solo), everybody said they could hear me perfectly. The design is simple, the onboard controls are very effective and not too complex, and it plays loud and proud without hurting you.Bass Clef Kid

Like the rest of the bass players out there I've used all of the major brands. From old-school Acoustic Control heads and cabs from the '70's, to Ampegs etc etc etc…Well I've reached the point where that level of stage volume isn't needed for what I'm doing now; I shopped around, and despite some of the amazing combos available, I landed on this one. Actually the guitar player in our band mentioned that he had bought the 50watt version of this. I played through it and was impressed. For me it's the ideal unit for what I'm doing now – I still play some heavy rock (Mountain, Cream, Cactus, Trower), but when volume is required we of course use the FOH and good monitors for stage support. Having the onboard direct out is the best as it allows me to go direct into whatever board is being used, whether live or recording. Don't be fooled by the small size; the size is a real asset in terms of portability. The head is where it all starts, and the tonal range is wide so you can dial in your sound. In a live situation there's plenty of lows, highs and depth of tone. Playing in various size venues is no problem – this will carry without going through FOH in churches, smaller bars & clubs (50-100 capacity). Larger venues or live situations where stage volume is needed for impact or performance, then my personal recommendation is to use this as a personal monitoring device and go through the PA & stage monitor as a direct through the board. One last thing; the amp sounds as good on 3 as it does on 7. Any more than than 7 and it starts pushing the speaker, and not in a good way. But I've had this for several months now, use it gigging and recording regularly and overall am simply satisfied with the purchase. Like everything, this amp has limitations. You're not going to get the punch or volume of a high powered rig, and you really shouldn't be using a combo for something like that. But whether you're a beginner, novice, or weekend warrior or pro this amp, as well as the rest of this product line, is a tremendous option.jb

I'm running this through a 1×12 Bugera cab (which to my ear is a pretty neutral speaker, but sounds great). Unless your band plays way too loud this amp should give you enough volume for gigging (even at 25 watts through an 8 ohm speaker). Takes pedals well – all of my drive pedals sound great. The MV50 reacts like my tube amps with a boost pedal in front (Fulltone & Xotic). I really like the attenuator, and at home I play at 1/100 power with the volume at about noon. While this amp has a lot of clean headroom you will start to get some hair when you push it, but in a good way. It's the kind of sound where you can play clean by picking lightly but if you hit it hard you'll hear that you're on the edge of breakup. Not surprising for a Vox, this is not a mid-scooped Fender clean. Mids are present, but not pushed. It is a warm clean, not sterile or spikey at all to my ear. I've been playing this primarily with a Boss Fender reverb pedal and the tone really is glorious. I don't feel like I'm missing anything from my tube amps. Not a thing. I wish I'd had this thing years ago when I was throwing my back out moving 60lb tube amps to and from gigs. What I don't like. The unit feels very solid, seems like a quality piece of gear, but the mini chicken head knobs on the front feel cheap (a minor complaint). Mainly I don't like how much they have crammed on the back panel. You've got tiny switches for power, flat/deep, eco (shuts it off after 15 min. of non-use) and the attenuator, as well as headphone/line out & speaker out. Once you get a speaker cable plugged in it feels very cramped. I'd much rather that the power switch was on the front. Lastly, I wish I could get 50 watts @ 8 ohms, just for the headroom. This is giggable for me at 25 watts into 8 ohms & still gives you good headroom, but YMMV. I primarily use single coils. With hot humbuckers I don't know if you'd run out of clean headroom or not. With all 50 watts you'd be fine, I'm sure.NE Guy

First – let me say that this is a good, tiny pedal-platform amp, if that's what you're looking for. It has a very good base clean tone and it takes pedals well. I think most players looking to downsize would find this usable. If all you need is a good clean tone – for jazz, say – take a listen to one of these. I find the 4 ohm thing a bummer. I don't own any 4 ohm cabs, and after thinking about jumping through hoops to get all 50w available to me, I decided it wasn't worth it. This amp sounds really good, but at the very least for clean headroom, anyone looking for a pedal platform usually wants to control where the edge of breakup is, or have it totally clean. Beyond that, there's just too much crammed onto the (very small) back of the amp. Tiny switches plus the speaker out jack just mean it's hard to find the on/off switch, etc. Put the power switch on the front so I don't have to hunt for it. After having the MV50 a while I decided to try a DV Mark Micro 50 – and I like it better than the Vox. It's more versatile with 3 band EQ, and I have a full 50w to play with. Overall I prefer the DV Mark – I just feel it suits my clean & light OD tones better than the Vox. But if I had to gig with the Vox I'd be OK with it. Having said that, several months ago I came across a great deal on a Blues Cube Hot EL84 (more Vox-ish tone than the standard) and frankly, it blows the other two away. It's a combo, of course. So I'm keeping the DV Mark as a backup. The Vox has gone. Anyone looking to downsize should give one of these a listen. There is good to great tone in there, depending on your needs. Again – the 4 ohm load to get 50w is a bummer. But not everyone needs that much power. The small box is pretty cute and a cool conversation starter – but for practical purposes something slightly larger would've been a better idea, IMO.Mr. Joe

I bought a'65 Reissue Twin Reverb at MF online after trying used Bassman and Twin reissues at a local store. I play blues, classic rock, and some clean stuff. The four corners of our sound might be Little Wing to Born Under a Bad Sign to Ramble On to Break Down. I play with a guy who has a 100W EVH 5150 amp and had a hard time being heard so I wanted something with some volume. While the Twin certainly had plenty of volume I found it did not take (quality) pedals as well as I would like. I'm talking about Blues Driver and GMD Luther etc. While it took time based pedal very well the response to distortion pedals was a very loud clean version of distortion and not the beautiful warm overdriven tube tone bolstered by the pedal which I wanted. As I am writing this it occurs to me that this should be self evident. I exchanged the Twin for the Bassman and what a difference! First thing I noticed is the woody resonance of the cabinet. Just setting it down on the ground or tapping on the cab like a drum produces a beautiful natural wood tone. I like it loud and turned about a third to half way up which would be plenty of volume for a small to medium venue it starts to break up beautifully. Mixed into the warm tube overdrive tone are swirling natural harmonics which makes the sound richly complex and to some degree replaces reverb. The tone of this amp is outstanding for what I play. I transport the amp to our practice sessions and while it is on the heavy side it is not burdensome. It's worth it because the amp gives me confidence that I can be heard with a tone that inspires me.Nifty Guy

I've wanted this amp for at least the last decade, but couldn't justify it since I either had another amp at the time or was living in an apartment and couldn't play that loud. I finally broke down and bought it and I couldn't be happier. It's so simple to use and sounds incredible! I've tried a variety of settings including the ones suggested on the piece of cardboard that comes with the amp (which are actually quite helpful), as well as using with and without my beloved ts-9, and I have to say that it sounds best to me with the guitar plugged straight in and just cranked! I keep going back and forth, but the conclusion I keep arriving at is why would you pay all that money for an amp with such a warm natural overdrive just use a pedal to simulate that?! The only scenario I can see this amp being a problem is a small gig, where the volume needed to overdrive it would send people running out the door and make enemies with the sound guy! The eq section responds very differently than any amp I've previously owned as well, and it's important to mention that as a lot of guitarists like to crank the bass and shy away from mids and presence, but on this amp with the volume turned up that will sound awful! Again, the recommended settings that come with it are a good place to start even if they seem a little unconventional. Ultimately, if you play blues, country, classic rock or similar styles of music, this amp is phenomenal! If you play metal however, this isn't the right amp for you. True, it has a remarkable clean tone that can take pedals very well, but driving it with fuzz or distortion just seems wrong somehow. Like you're trying to make it something it's not.Matt

Because the Stage Right 5-watt tube amp (#611705) has control knobs only for Volume and Tone, I found that I get the best-to-my-ears guitar sound when I put an equalizer pedal between the guitar and amp and then adjust the equalizer to the tone that I'm looking for. On the guitar the Volume and Tone knobs are set fully open and on the 5-watt tube amp the Tone knob is fully closed and the Volume knob is set to the volume level acceptable to the environment (for home practice the Volume knob is set to level 3 at full 5-watts). The Stage Right 5-watt tube amp is my first tube amp after having used modeling amps for at least five years. I had heard that tube amps more often than not sound better than modeling amps. After now having experienced using a tube amp I agree that tube amps (at least the Stage Right 5-watt amp) sounds better than the modeling amps I've used (which to me sound great too). If you're looking for your first tube amp (like I was) or you are looking for a low-watt tube amp for home use then I highly recommend the Monoprice Stage Right 5-watt tube amp #611705. Review about Monoprice customer support: The 5-watt tube amp that I initially received had a cosmetic defect (a hole) on the textured surface on the front side of the amp. The Volume knob when set to fully opened level 10 produced normal speaking level sound instead of the noise-complaint loud volume that I expected. Monoprice customer service was great and easy to work with in submitting an amp replacement request. I described the problems, sent pictures of the cosmetic defect and a video demonstrating the Volume problem. After Monoprice customer service reviewed the pics and video they sent me a free shipping return label, a RMA label, and they ordered me a replacement amp which arrived within 7 days after I submitted the replacement request. The replacement amp that I received had no cosmetic defects and the Volume knob set to max level 10 is loud enough to generate noise-complaints from neighbors, though I normally use the amp at Volume level 3 for home use.New User

For the price (I got it when priced $119) it is fantastic. It's simple, straightforward and sounds good. Nice warm tones. If you're a fantastic guitar player, this amp will sound fantastic. If you're an okay guitarist, you might want to invest in some pedals (or just keep practicing). I only say that because it is very clean and bright and it really shows off what you're playing. (I've been known to hide my sloppiness with reverb, distortion, etc.) BUT It does take pedals well – thankfully! Adding a good reverb pedal, delay and an overdrive to go along with this little guy is a good idea. The Pros: Value to Price ratio. Looks well built. Warm tube sound. The handle (yes I am talking about the amp's handle) is nice! Better than I expected. In fact, everything looks pretty good (except the cheap control knobs). 5 watts is plenty loud for home/recording use. The Cons: Good sounding, but there are better sounding. Please don't buy this thinking that this is a $500 amp. It is not. But sub $200 it is a good one. The chickenhead knobs are cheap looking. I took them off and painted them. But that's a dollar or two easy fix (if it bothers you at all). Overall: I totally recommend for $150 or less. Probably for $200. If the prices climb too much beyond that, I think there are other options. If you want to jam at home and record with it, I think you'll be happy.Brad

The Monoprice 5 watt guitar amp arrived just a few days after ordering, and arrived in good shape, due in part to the excellent shipping carton. Upon taking it out and inspecting it, I could find no flaws in the cabinet, and due to the cream color of the covering, it seemed a little bigger than I was expecting. I plugged it in, let it warm up for almost an hour, and then plugged in an ES339, using no pedals. At first, I wasn't all that pleased with the sound I was getting, but it was my fault. I had it adjusted as I do with my Albion Hybrid, but that wasn't the way. I found the best sound came from turning the Monoprice all the way up, and then use the guitar controls for volume instead. That did it, and the little amp came a alive in a big way! Sounding very similar to a Fender champ, it could go from nice clear tones to crunchy heaven with the ES339's humbuckers. I plugged in a Strat with an HSH configuration, and the single coil really made it sound Fenderish. Sweet. The only thing I found one might improve on the amp, is the speaker. As such, I plugged into the built-in external speaker jack on the back, a little Randall 8" cabinet. That really did it for me. The sound was fantastic through the entire spectrum, and was loud enough to be heard down the block. I then bi-amped it with the Albion, and the sound had all the creamy goodness I've been seeking, and that is how I now have it setup for daily use. That said, there's nothing wrong with the stock speaker on the Monoprice, and I suspect it will satisfy most users. Am very happy with this purchase, and glad I bought it for such a great price. Almost every electric guitar player could find a use for this amp. Buy before the price goes up, or they quit making them!T

I purchased This Gnome for my 110 Custom SSB studio cab to help keep the load light, I love it! It has a smaller footprint than my Stomplab2b and has more than enough headroom. The cab is loaded with an eminence b102 8 ohm. So I'm getting about 120watts from it and it's plenty to jam at home with or in a Practice Session/studio time.Isaac

Just been using it in my house. I have a Hardke Hy-Drive 12 inch cab and it sounds great.I have not played with a drummer yet so I cant say how it holds up to gig levels of sound. It feels like it will be fine. I bought it mainly to go direct to computer and to have a small amp for portability. I wish these were available back in the eighties when I turned pro. All the heavy gear back then was such a pain to load at 3:00AM. I dig it!!MThomas

Absolutely awesome- loads of wattage and tone is awesome on flat setting – I'm sure this will cut through a mix with ease. Gnome build is outstanding and I cannot fault it. Excellent value with USB too – what more could you want?! Highly recommendedReviewed by Andertons Music Co.

Not only does this 5 watt lil' monster have enough power to rattle the windows, it also has class! At only 9 lbs. the Bugera T5 Infinium has enough "UMFF" to push your favorite 4X12" cabinet into the stratosphere! It's better having this reverb built into this lil' madman than not having any at all. Just like 9/10 of the other amp heads in its class. The 1 channel, "all tube" head has warm cleans. Push in the PHAT switch and crank the volume and gain and you get saturated distortion that will blow you away! All of that in a 9 lb metal cage like package for only $200! You won't find another 5 W head with all of that for this price. I love my T5 Infinium from Bugera!brmul-8207

What it's not: Not a $1k boutique tube amp. Not a mid-size club amp (unless you have great monitors and a good sound guy). What it is: A well designed, very affordable little monster that will give enough stage volume at 5W for rehearsals in a full rock band or small club, and will also allow you to drive the output stage at that 1W or 1/2W setting for recording at home. The amp sounds best at 5W and driven into either a 4ohm cabinet or two 8ohm cabs. If you use it to drive an 8ohm cab, you are getting only 70% of its potential. I only use el84 based amps. i love their dark, throaty sound, and while this amp doesn't have the punch or snap I get from my 15W custom built el 84 amps, it sounds great for rehearsal or recording. I am a little bit worried about long-term build quality. The input jack is plastic. I have a hard time seeing that surviving a year of rehearsals without breaking. This is a great supplemental amp for rehearsals and recording. Very smartly designed. Good feature set. And if you like the el84 style sound, it delivers it above expectations at this price range. I'm thinking of getting a second one.klktrk

In these days of small solid state, practice amps, this little amp gives you tube tone and more at a very affordable price. A 12ax7 preamp tube and an EL84 power tube provide the tone along with built in reverb, 2 band EQ, gain and a "phat" overdrive switch for added crunch. The three stage attenuator is a nice touch. The stock Bugera tubes are OK but I switched them out with Tung-Sols which provided a rich creamy overdrive more to my liking. Great sound when plugged into my Orange 8" or 12" cab plus headphone jack for late night playing. Great amp for the price!Isom

I am one of those guitarists who does not use distortion; mainly playing 50's, 60's, and country. Having done my research the '59 Bassman seemed to be the ideal amp for me with it's clean and full-sounding tones when used with my Fender and Gretsch guitars. Previously, I had used modern-spec amps and simply ignored the high-gain options, but they usually sound too mellow and a bit muddy when used clean, presumably so that when switched to distortion mode, they aren't too "fizzy" sounding. This amp is hands down the best amp I have ever used; no frills, just Normal and Bright channels with common bass, mid, treble and presence controls. Good for humbucker-equipped guitars, too: simply add pedals if you must, but your starting point will always be good tone, which puts this amp ahead of most others. Higher volume settings are likely to induce a little overload (think early Kinks hits), but it all sounds natural and not contrived or OTT.Reviewed by Andertons Music Co.

This is well known as a preferred amp for Lap Steel and Pedal Steel players, and that's why I bought it primarily. Also for Baritone Guitar (B to B tuning). SO no surprise that it excels on those duties. The big surprise was that this is now my preferred amp for P-Bass with Flatwound strings, vs. my modern Mesa bass amp. Perfect tonal balance, versatile across all playing styles, warm, and plenty of headroom (I only turn it up to 3 at small club gigs). It also excels on Hollow Body Guitars and Telecasters, giving a very even sound across the registers, with warmth, depth, openness, and room for expression. The only thing I don't like it on is Strats.mhschmieder

Just wanted to reply to the comment regarding the scratchy presence knob. If you read the Runt 20 manual the presence knob is supposed to be scratchy. Nothing wrong with amp. Great amp!!!!!!Steve

I accidentally ordered this amp instead of the 50 watt as originally intended. I discovered the mistake only after it shipped. I intended to exchange it for the 50 Watt at my local Guitar Center. A few days later it arrived at my doorstep and I decided what the heck, I would take it for a test drive. I'm absolutely blown away by this little 20 watt and have decided to keep it. I'm pushing a Friedman vintage 412 cabinet with ease. This small amp is portable, lightweight, extremely feature friendly and has a huge variety of tone. This 20 watt amp can push my 412 cabinet with adequate stage volume with ease. I use a combination of 412 cabinets along with another EVH 5150 amp via ABY switch and will often bounce between the 2 half stacks. I've had numerous Fender Marshall and other Boutique setups in my 45 years of playing but never a Friedman setup until now. The Friedman lineup seems to be popular for a reason. I'm absolutely blown away by this little Powerhouse amp. It's also at a very friendly price tag for what you get. Lots of tone in this little guy. I would absolutely recommend anyone to try it out and take it for a test driveJay

Was expecting an average tone and volume from an amp of this size/power. However, I was plesently surprised it packed a much bigger punch than I thought. Build quality and aesthetics are also really nice.Steve B.

Good sound and easy to use. Needed a lightweight amp but did not want to compromise on quality and so far this fits the billReviewed by Andertons Music Co.

Sound: If you're coming in looking for a distinctive amp character sound… this ain't it. This is for clean headroom that allows you to sculpt your sound with pedals if you need to or with modeling… or for seriously hearing what your bass actually sounds like. For me personally, I've really come to enjoy it (and I lusted after the SVT grit sound forever) and I can't believe this does good of a job for the price. Features: The power section on this is just unreal – I'm sure the wattage measure for volume is probably a little relative (then again, so is 1-10 or 11, right?), but I don't ever take it much over the "40W" marker going into a 2 x 12 cab (yeah, you read that right) and I've never had a problem keeping up with two guitarists and a drummer, either on stage or in our practice space. The EQ is a little weird if you're coming from a low/mid/high setup like just about every piece of equipment out there has, but it honestly ends up being more intuitive for adjusting to a room or different bass in front of it. I took a gamble on the line out, which I understand isn't "true DI" in the sense that it isn't an independent signal from the rest of the amp (so if you mess with EQ or volume, your FOH has to adjust on their end), but in the end I ended up pairing this with an MXR Bass DI+ for a FOH signal and to get another distortion sound, so it sort of renders that point moot. I also wish they'd put 2 Speakon jacks instead of 1 Speakon and 2 1/4" outs, but not the end of the world for me. Ease of Use: I think the biggest learning curve on this is the EQ, but as I mentioned, once you understand it, it makes much more sense than your standard 3-band. Quality: For as light as it is, it feels like a tank! The only thing I'd even be a little nervous about is the small mute switch – which just feels light because, well, it's a tiny plastic switch that you just tap, no need for a big ol' mechanical clunker, right? And as silly as it seems, just the basic case is still a great touch. Value: I was very much on the fence between this and the Mesa/Boogie Subway series, and I think if they had been the same price (and both available from zZounds with pay as you play) I would have probably ended up going with the Mesa ONLY because of the name… but I don't at all regret going with this instead. It's done everything I've asked of it. Manufacturer Support: Haven't had to deal with them directly but a big reason I purchased was that it seems like they're extremely good about direct support (including from Pat himself!) The Wow Factor: Would this blow me away as a gotta-have if I had the funds and the means? I mean, tonally, no – alone, it's not tickling my ears, but it does rumble the rump in a rather pleasing way (hey, this is a safe space, don't judge my kinks.) But as someone who needed (fine, WANTED) a physically-smaller bass amp that did the job so I could keep spending my money on rebuilding crappy guitars instead, this 100% does the trick. Overall: I'm not a bassist, I'm a guitarist who just plays one on stage. One of my favorite amps and amp concepts was the Crate Powerblock (which I still use as a travel/audition amp sometimes) – and the Bass Block is what happens if you make the Powerblock 1000 times better an at least 5.33333333 times louder (that's science, baby, I wouldn't lie to you.) Simply put – if you want stellar, clean power that you can put just about anything in front of but also carry around IN A BACKPACK, this is where it's at.Matthew

This amp is a real winner. The power, as with many Class D amps isn't quite as much as the stated wattage, but it is loud and punchy. The amount of grind and kick may seem restrained because I am playing an upright, though I did test her with one of my 5 string electrics with a larger speaker cabinet, and I ran more pre gain on that run. With the upright, all knobs are at 12 0'clock, because uprights love flat sound waves. It is set up to do a great job as a double threat if I ever go back to gigs that require both upright and electric. She's gigged with me a few times and seems to have an intuitive set up with the Active and Passive inputs, Mute button, and the Depth and Contour knobs. I enjoy playing around with my electric because in conjunction with the throttling up or down of Master Volume vs. Gain and varying EQ via Depth and Contour knobs allows for a lot of very handy tone colouring.bill

I have a mixed review. I originally bought this amp because of the great reputation QSC products have had over the years under Pat Quilter's leadership – well-designed, highly-regarded products at a reasonable price, especially in the amplifier category. In the months I've used the Bass Block, it's been reliable and works without strain when I connect two cabinets, one at 4 Ohm and one at 8. That's a load of at least 2.67 Ohm, which is impressive. It never heats up, never shuts down. Bottom line: this amp has been bulletproof. The amp is light – about 15 pounds lighter than the class AB amp Eden Highwayman 500 I'd been using. Before purchasing, I spoke with Pat at the Quilter booth at the 2019 NAMM Show. He explained the tone controls, which are quite different than the usual 4-band passive or semi-parametrics you find on other units. In over 20 gigs with a number of different cab configurations with and without horn tweeters, and both active and passive basses, it has been a challenge to get the tone I need from this amp – it seems skewed toward a bassy/midrangey tone with no ability to juice up the treble. (I play classic rock in a club band, use my fingers mostly, and a pick on a few tunes) For example, when I play my Rick 4003, I can only get that clanky Rick tone if I bypass the amp's preamp section and use an outboard preamp that has more traditional tone controls. With that said, the roundish tones I can get from this unit are good; I'm just disappointed that either the unit is unable to provide the treble definition I want, or I'm unable to figure out how to get it with this amp. On the industrial design side: the amp chassis feels one step from finished – sharp folded edges stick out (versus, say, the smooth packaging you find in a GK or Genzler head.) From a marketing perspective, I wouldn't have applied the graphic of a caution sign (red stripes) to the top of the amp, and the word "block" in the product name, think "verb.Countbassy

This is a great high gain tube amp head. 40 watts is all you need for gigging out and with the wattage reduction setting it makes a great amp to play at home. I upgraded from my boss katana 100 and let me tell you this amp is way more powerful and responsive. You can get some awesome cleans as well as a killer metal tone on the lead channel. It's nice to have an independent clean channel to adjust the EQ from the crunch and lead. I paired this with the 2×12 matching cab. The head is super lightweight/compact and very versatile. The only downside is I wish it had a built in reverb. Aside from that I see no downside to this amp headAlex

Was really looking forward to adding this amp to my collection, as it is perfect to use straight into my audio interface to record. How ever the TSC system showed damaged tubes on the 1st day after unboxing, then the next day it completely shut down, no sound on any of the power soak settings. I was using a brand new speaker cable into a brand new cabinet. Extremely disappointing. I would not buy or want another H&K after this experience and after reading that this problem has happened regularly to other people globally. But i have to say the staff and service from BetterMusic Canberra was 1st class. Very very much appreciatedDarren B.

This product does exactly what I wanted it to. I have to play a wedding with my acoustic at an outdoor event this week where there is no electricity. With an acoustic guitar, you do have to watch where you place it because it will feedback if you're not positioned correctly, but that's no problem because I'm outside. The squeal knob is pretty much worthless to me, but maybe it's better with a solid body electric. I purchased a battery operated ZOOM MS-50G pedal, just to add some eq, compression, chorus, delay and reverb to the Pignose and I couldn't be happier with the results — especially when you consider that this is a battery operated amp.inthesticks53

Don't think this amps 20 watts will be loud. My Jca22h 20w will bury this amp on less than 1. Most 15w and some 10w amps will out do the pig by a long shot[even a 5 watt tube amp] The pig does'nt have a lot of clean headroom either but it's enough for what it's for. It has a decent crunch and distorts easily with humbuckers at higher volume. I don't personally care for the "squeal" knob.Too much "odd" harmonics. What its good for is that it's rechargeable, super portable, and the charge lasts a good bit with the dual beefy battery packs in the back. You can take this anywhere and play. No electric….no problem. And that's a good thing. The best feature is the built in battery packs that can be recharged. Lasts quite a while on a charge too. Well built. Feels and looks solid. You can buy a Fender champion 600 tube amp for the same money or a Fender frontman 25 for less but they're either much larger and you have to have juice to run them. So the value ain't bad for what the pignose gives you.gamjamm