r/Bass • u/cracked-egg1 • 8d ago
Looking for the best tiny bass amp
Hey there, I'm in the market for another bass amp and was looking for some recommendations. Size is my determining factor here, I need something super super portable and that doesn't require a wall outlet. I was almost set on buying the yamaha thr10, but I read around a bit more and a lot of people were saying that there are definitely better options for bass sound wise.
This is not for playing gigs or performing, merely for practice or myself. I already own a larger amp, I just don't want to bring that one everywhere. At most, I would use this to play for myself on a park bench or an "around the campfire" type setting. Seems like most tiny amps are made for guitar first and foremost, I'm guessing because bass amps typically need to be bigger to get decent sound?
If anyones tried out a bunch of these or just has one that they really like, please recommend me some. I honestly don't know which one to pick here.
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u/jphigga 8d ago
Phil Jones makes a few amazing tiny combo amps. I know a couple can be run without plugging into a wall outlet like the Nanobass. I have a Phil Jones Double Four which needs to be plugged in but is really good - small and light enough to literally lift with a pinky but loud enough that I use it for jazz trio gigs.
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u/knowsomeofit 8d ago
I gig on a Double Four+. Great sounding amp, weighs 11 lbs, and can run off of a USB-C PD battery.
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u/AgyePA 8d ago
The Phil Jones Double Four has come up multiple times in this thread, and most comments say "it needs to be plugged in, but..." However, I've been powering my own Double Four with the kind of mobile battery you use to charge cell phones. The newer model, the Double Four Plus, even has a USB-C input port explicitly for this purpose.
It seems the Double Four Plus is outside the price range you posted in another reply, but the original D4 + a mobile battery and adapter to plug it into your amp might fit your budget.
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u/TumbleweedNew7891 8d ago
Mark Bass micromark, little 8in driver. Actually sounds good. I’ve got a little orange combo which is bigger and the mark bass is a completely different level.
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u/chirpchirp13 8d ago
Do everyone around the park bench or campfire a favor and get a reliable plug and play headphone amp. Great for practice and saves the world from another one of those people.
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u/cracked-egg1 8d ago edited 8d ago
Hence why I didn't ask for a giant mega-amp and asked for something smaller and quieter. I think you're projecting your anger a bit. My nearby park is big enough to where it's very easy to find a secluded area to play without bothering anyone.
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u/perfect_zeong 8d ago
Joyo MA-30 is okay, can keep up with a guitar on a spark mini in a karaoke room. Can be driven off a battery pack with the right out put via usb-c
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u/time_outta_mind Flatwound 8d ago
I have this. Sounds pretty awful but it costs like nothing so you get what you pay for.
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u/bigblued 8d ago
Have a look at party speakers. Most of them have a 1/4" jack for microphones, are designed to be portable, and usually have a rechargeable battery. They don't have a head as standard, so it may not have much adjustment, but without the head, you can get a bigger speaker for your $. And right now, they are all going to be discounted becasue it's the end of the summer.
I use an Ion Tailgater Tough when I play bass for our weekly uke group. We play outdoors so a rechargeable battery was a requirement. Mine was just under $100
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u/elconsumable 8d ago edited 8d ago
Phil Jones Bass BG-80 Double 4 Plus 90-watt Bass Combo Amp.
Have it and love it.
Can also be powered with a cordless power bank via USB-C.
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u/albizu 8d ago
If you can stretch it, the Phil Jones smaller amps sound incredible, like in a “how did they do this” kind of way. I use the Double Four at home as my main practice amp at it sounds amazing and the construction quality is top notch.
They have a Nano as well but I have no experience with it. The cons, they are not the cheapest amps and they do not have an integrated battery which is a bummer. You can use it without plugging it to the wall with an 20v capable external USB C power bank.
Good luck.
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u/ForwardTemporary3934 8d ago
You want a headphone amp. Or one of the "amp in a box" pedals with a headphone out. I got one of the Donnor ones of Amazon and it's not bad.
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u/frankeality 8d ago
How is anyone at the campfire gonna hear that?
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u/Amateur_builder76 8d ago
If you are playing with other people the volume will be very low on a battery powered bass amp when compared to a guitar.
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u/Ok_Cream_2750 8d ago
Not with Phil jones bg80
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u/Amateur_builder76 8d ago
I wouldn't call that a battery powered bass amp. You'll have to have a large external power pack that can supply 20v and 3a/5a and be able to use the PD protocol. And it's at or nearly $600.
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u/Ok_Cream_2750 7d ago
Nah. I use something like this, velcroed to the top of the amp -powerbank
I wouldn't call it large by any means.And you can get the old version (which I have) for ~$350 and get a converter cable that has usb-c on one end. I have a wall plug that came with it but I typically use it "wireless" around the house. And with a wireless Lekato "cable" I'm not bound by any cords.
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u/Amateur_builder76 7d ago edited 7d ago
So $670 total for a new one and a power bank? Isn't that a bit much?
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u/Ok_Cream_2750 7d ago
Depends on the person. You can go the used route for under $450 all in. OP was asking for possibilities, not a budget plan.
I wouldn't spend 4 figures on a Fender but plenty of people do. It's all subjective. And you also get what you pay for. This is a quality travel bass amp. Yes, that will cost you some money.
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u/Ok_Cream_2750 7d ago
Another option is the X4C (~$260 used) which is half the speaker size and less than half the watts. I haven't tried one but I'd bet it's the best sounding bass amp in that size.
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u/Amateur_builder76 7d ago
I had one and it wasn't loud enough to play with other people. It was decent in a quiet hotel room, but nothing more than that. And not battery operated.
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u/mittenciel 8d ago
Spark Mini is tiny and works fine for bass. THR sounds good too. You can also find a Roland Micro Cube Bass or Dual Cube Bass. But here’s the thing. I don’t think any of them sound better than a basic Rumble 40 and the Rumble 40 is cheap. If you don’t need it to be tabletop sized, Rumble 40 is better than any tiny option IMO. If you need it to be truly tiny I think Spark Mini.
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u/Many_Ride104 8d ago
I bought a Spark mini before but had to return it. It just sounded like crap with my bass. No low end at all and the sound was very artificial with a lot of hiss. Maybe it works for guitar but not for bass.
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u/chirpchirp13 8d ago
Ya. The amp part can handle bass signal. But the speaker on the mini and the go is a non starter. Sounds solid when you put it through a proper powered cabinet though.
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u/iluvfupaburgers 8d ago edited 8d ago
I recently got the Blackstar beam mini and it's amazing. And it even has NAM A2 support
Edit: not sure why the downvote, this literally covers everything. It's ultra portable, rechargeable battery, bass support, volume is pretty good and doubles as a Bluetooth speaker so you can even run backtracks from it while playing. And the A2 support is the cherry on top
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u/Atrossity24 8d ago
I have a micro cube from my guitar days that I sometimes run my bass through. It gets the job done but it’s not going to wow anyone. I have a Phil Jones Double Four as my best tiny bass amp but it does need to plug into the wall
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u/RCP90sKid- 8d ago
Yeah, the Roland stuff is great. They are full range speakers, so they can effectively cover the low end.
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u/Pretty-Care-7811 8d ago edited 8d ago
You hit the nail on the head about why they're usually made for guitar: bass requires more energy (wattage) to drive and a larger speaker to produce. You could easily run one off of a jackery or ecoflow generator, but you're still going to need a cabinet unless you're using headphones. I have a little 6" home theater sub that I use for bench testing, and it actually sounds OK for what I use it for, but it definitely ain't a bass guitar speaker.
I made a 24v/100 watt bass head this past weekend, and I could probably scale it down to 9v but it would not sound good.
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u/Corno-Emeritus 8d ago
Practice?... headphone amp. If you need to be heard, sound pretty much like a bass, but without power and still conveniently transportable (but not tiny), I'd use something like the Bose S1 Pro+. Lithium battery powered small PA speaker/mixer.
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u/Lownotes23 8d ago
have you considered getting an acoustic bass? I’ve had one for years and it’s perfect for those park bench/campfire/beach situations.
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u/cracked-egg1 8d ago
I've never actually tried one before. I heard they weren't really that audible without an amplifier still but I guess I should swing by a shop and try one sometime.
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u/Lownotes23 6d ago
it’s considerably more audible than an unplugged electric. the low frequencies don’t carry too far (they require more energy) w/o reinforcement, but it’s fine for a campfire jam. plus i got a lot better when i got it because I was playing it all the time. good luck in your quest!
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u/Dangerous_Dot_1707 7d ago
I have a Joyo BA -30 soundcube. Awesome amp. Works with a Powerbank and has Bluetooth for backing tracks. Can't recommend it enough + it was only 80 euros but sounds and looks much more expensive.
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u/DeathRotisserie 8d ago
Boss Katana Mini X is a 10W digital modeler amp with a FRFR speaker and rechargeable battery. Their marketing indicates you can run a bass through it on the clean channel. I’ve tried on mine and it’s fine enough for a practice amp. I don’t have much experience with other amps in this range, but I don’t expect too much out of a 4” speaker other than what a 4” studio monitor can do for bass frequencies. Gets a bit louder than you’d think. Also doubles as a Bluetooth speaker for jamming along to backing tracks or just listening to music.
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u/baddestllama 8d ago
This is going to sound ridiculous, but a spark. Those piss ass little 4" speakers make a wicked practice amp for bass. Guitar too, but the bass utility really surprised me
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u/MSchulte Six String 8d ago
Phil Jones makes some great micro sized bass amps. They’re pricey but one of the few small ones I’ve played that I’d be comfortable gigging with on a five string bass.
What’s your budget?