Best lightweight bass amp 60 watt

[Brian D]

I wonder if anyone can help, I’m 72 still playing country style bass in a band using a Laney Richter 60 Watt amp which is more than suitable for the smaller venues we play in (church halls etc)

The Richter weighs 21 kilos and is too heavy for me to haul around, it was fine when I was 20 years younger but I can’t turn back the clock.

i’m on  a moderate budget but would like to know if anyone can suggest a lightweight alternative that would have similar power with a reduced carrying weight.

All suggestions gratefully received

Thanks in Advance

Brian

[Al Krow]

Hi Brian - welcome to Basschat!

 

What's your budget and are you after a combo or just an amp head (i.e. do you have separate bass cab)?

 

Maybe worth posting your query in the main amps & cab forum, rather than this more specialist PA one - although a powered PA speaker may actually be a good answer here in terms of what you are needing 🙂

@Silvia Bluejay - if you agree could you move Brian's query to main forum please?

 

[Lozz196]

I think I`ll be first in to recommend the Fender Rumble combos - the 100 watt version is only 9.97 kg so I`d check these out, they`re not too expensive (£300ish), sound great and I`m sure your back will be forever thanking you.

[Happy Jack]

If weight is the issue (and it's one I'm very familiar with) then I'd suggest looking at a lightweight head and separate cab.

 

I've had a lot of success with

 

https://www.bax-shop.co.uk/bass-guitar-amp-head/trace-elliot-elf-200w-ultra-compact-bass-guitar-amplifier-head?utm_source=google&utm_medium=organic&utm_campaign=surfaces&utm_source=google&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=17868851192&utm_term=&adgroup=&creative=&gad_source=1&gclid=CjwKCAiAx_GqBhBQEiwAlDNAZnseZptbD2kbaGt5Y5aG5bBzMQWIkJONTUI8sQNscwbM3Jc4h26PghoCUygQAvD_BwE

 

paired with

 

https://www.andertons.co.uk/trace-elliot-1-x-10-enclosure?utm_source=google&utm_medium=organic&utm_campaign=surfaces&gad_source=1&gclid=CjwKCAiAx_GqBhBQEiwAlDNAZgyyys3qFiB0E0ySD6u-gqH_AFgUTTKZAvqzQx1_HJUgOQEcvnflWhoCQEIQAvD_BwE

 

Ludicrously lightweight, way more volume than you'll need for any venue that doesn't have PA support, and surprisingly versatile. I run a Rickenbacker 4003s5 through it with my covers band, and a double bass through it with my rock'n'roll band ... sounds great either way.

 

[chris_b]

My solutions when I was faced with your problem; reduce the weight of each carry by moving to a separate amp and cab; no single item weighs more than 30lbs; if using small cabs, get 2 of them; reduce the distance you have to carry anything, buy a folding aluminium trolley. Good luck.

[Dan Dare]

On 21/11/2023 at 09:31, Lozz196 said:

I think I`ll be first in to recommend the Fender Rumble combos - the 100 watt version is only 9.97 kg so I`d check these out, they`re not too expensive (£300ish), sound great and I`m sure your back will be forever thanking you.

 

This is the standard recommendation and with good reason. Rumbles are light, sound decent and are not too expensive. They sell in large numbers, so there are always plenty of good used ones about. I would suggest going for something with a bit more than 60w on tap. Around 200w should be fine. You may not ever use it flat out, but the headroom will ensure clean sound, even if you do push it a little.

[gjones]

The Fender Rumble V3 100 is also my recommendation. It is light as a feather (a one finger lift), loud enough to compete with a quietish drummer and small and unobtrusive enough to use as a practice amp at home. My one cost me £165 secondhand.

Edited November 22, 2023 by gjones

[BreadBin]

A TC Electronic BG250 208 would fit the brief too. Similar money 2nd hand to the Rumble, and have Toneprint on board too.

[Dan Dare]

If you can find a good used one, the Markbass CMD 121P is excellent and leans towards an old school sound, which should suit a country band ideally. Light, compact and a surprising amount of oomph for its size. A pal found a clean used one for £300 and he loves it.

Edited November 22, 2023 by Dan Dare

[Downunderwonder]

On 19/11/2023 at 07:24, Brian D said:

moderate budget

I can read that both ways.

 

Moderately ample and want something nice.

 

Moderately measured only spending the minimum necessary.

 

Used gear is always the best bargain.

 

I am not familiar with your Lainey. Some older gear gets mighty loud with a number on the front that would almost get another zero on it today. I exaggerate but you get my drift. A bigger number than 60 would not go amiss.

 

Rumble 100 is a mystery to me. When I got to use one I had my highpass filter in front of it and it got stupid loud. The guy on before me was loud enough I was sure it was piped into front of house. It wasn't so I was more than a little nervous until I got up and running.

 

Used Elf amps and 110 cabs are frequently in the classifieds. Your budget may stretch to a Barefaced cab. 

[Baloney Balderdash]

Check out some of Phil Jones's bass combo offerings:

 

https://www.thomann.de/gb/solid_state_bass_combos.html?manufacturer[]=Phil Jones&gk=GIBACOTR&cme=false&filter=true

 

 

 

Edited November 23, 2023 by Baloney Balderdash

[Dan Dare]

6 hours ago, Baloney Balderdash said:

Check out some of Phil Jones's bass combo offerings:

 

https://www.thomann.de/gb/solid_state_bass_combos.html?manufacturer[]=Phil Jones&gk=GIBACOTR&cme=false&filter=true

 

I'm a PJB owner and rate them highly. However, they can't be described as "moderate budget". 

[Alien]

https://barefacedbass.com/product-range/Super-Midget.htm

Barefaced cabs are built by Alex Claber, who posts on this forum.  They're ridiculously light, crazy loud and sound good throughout their full range.

They're not cheap, however, but the level of engineering and craftsmanship used in them is seriously impressive.

A

[badinage]

+1 for V3 Fender Rumbles being marvels of light weight and bang for the buck.  I own six combo amps and indeed one of them is a V3 Rumble 100, and I consider it to be adequate for an electric band with a drummer, so long as it's not loud-ish rock or higher energy blues.  Rumbles do have a "baked-in" tone-profile to them (kinda old-school), but if you like it, V3 Rumbles are hard to find much fault with.

 

Three of my combos are Markbass, and while I think my 102P is impressive, it's size, shape and weight do make it a little cumbersome.  My 121P has the dreaded cold on-delay which seems fairly common and means it's in it's death-throes.  Being that  Markbass is a real PITA to get repaired (at least in the States), I'm personally done purchasing Markbass.

Edited November 24, 2023 by badinage

[casapete]

Another +1 for the Fender Rumble 100v3. New they go for around £330, but can be had for around

£150/200 second hand. No need to look at separate cabs and amps, as the Rumble weighs 22lbs!

I’ve had mine for a few years now and it’s one of the best bass items I’ve ever bought. Used it for

all small gigs I’ve done and it’s never been any problem - okay with a quietish drummer as well.

Everyone who picks it up can’t believe how light it is, and it sounds great too with plenty of

EQ options and an XLR for DI purposes. I honestly can’t recommend them enough.

[Telebass]

As someone of similar age, go for the Elf/One10 rig if pennies allow. Just add a good jack-to-speakon cable, and you're set, with a total rig weight of under 30 pounds including all cables.

[Matt P]

there are a couple of rather good options in the classifieds right now,

 

firstly there is an Ibanez Promethean, 1x10 combo, under 13kg and probably all the amp you are likely to need, very highly rated and very portable, this one even has the case/cover and the footswitch - HERE

 

the second option is to go amp+cab with one of the lightweight 200w micro heads and a lightweight cab, a more expensive option but plenty of choice on the head, for the cab I would suggest the same cab that i'm using, a Gen 2 Barefaced Midget, there is one for sale HERE these are about 9-10kg depending on the grille choice and whether it has the tweeter, they don't come up for sale very often but they are very light, small and go way louder than you could imagine, i've got a pair of them and have often not bothered plugging the second one in as one was enough (pub gigs) For th4e Amp just take your pick of one of the options from Trace elliot, Warwick, markbass, TC electronics etc.

 

Matt

[casapete]

https://www.gumtree.com/p/guitar-instrument/fender-rumble-100w-bass-amp/1470106897

 

On 25/11/2023 at 09:14, casapete said:

Another +1 for the Fender Rumble 100v3. New they go for around £330, but can be had for around

£150/200 second hand. No need to look at separate cabs and amps, as the Rumble weighs 22lbs!

 

One of these for sale in Hartlepool on Gumtree (see link above) for £225, and it looks mint!

[Japhet]

On 25/11/2023 at 09:14, casapete said:

Another +1 for the Fender Rumble 100v3. New they go for around £330, but can be had for around

£150/200 second hand. No need to look at separate cabs and amps, as the Rumble weighs 22lbs!

I’ve had mine for a few years now and it’s one of the best bass items I’ve ever bought. Used it for

all small gigs I’ve done and it’s never been any problem - okay with a quietish drummer as well.

Everyone who picks it up can’t believe how light it is, and it sounds great too with plenty of

EQ options and an XLR for DI purposes. I honestly can’t recommend them enough.

 

I use one too for smaller gigs. You can also put it up on a chair for better monitoring purposes and use the XLR to run a bit through the front of house if it's struggling for volume. Not been a problem for me yet though.

[Pea Turgh]

I popped in to PMT Cardiff today, just to see how light is light these days.  Fender Rumble, Ashdown Studio, Blackstar Unity - it’s just nuts how light they all are!  I had to ask if there was a driver fitted!