Class D bass amp recommendations?

[Freddi375]

Hi guys.

 

I play a lot of funk/R&B/Soul (mainly using in ears these days) but just wondering what amps people are using these days for those genres?

 

Thank you!

 

Freddie

Edited Wednesday at 20:42 by Freddi375

[cetera]

GK are very popular in R&B/soul/funk circles. Check out the Legacy 800 head.

[lemmywinks]

Bugera Veyron BV1001T might be up your street:

https://www.gear4music.com/Guitar-and-Bass/Bugera-Veyron-BV1001T-2000W-Bass-Amp-Head/1WNW

 

 

Actual power rating is around 700w or something like that.

Edited March 21 by lemmywinks

[JPJ]

If it’s just for back up and you intend carrying it to every gig, then the ultra small form factor amps such as the TC Bam, Warwick Gnome, and Trace Elliot Elf get a lot of love on here. 

[Lozz196]

I think I’d look at a Fender Rumble 500 if wanting something equivalent sound wise, for a decent useable backup to get out of a hole then the Gnome, it delivers much more than its tiny stature.

[chris_b]

For R&B (both), Soul, Funk, Blues and many others, my main amp is an Aguilar TH500.

 

It has a fantastic warm, fat and well defined tone and enough volume to go from a whisper to keeping up with guitarists in stupidly loud Rock Blues bands. Be careful, it might end up being your main amp in no time.

Edited March 21 by chris_b

[Dan Dare]

If it's a backup and you don't want to spend big bucks, lemmy's suggestion above of a Veyron is hard to beat, imho. They can be had for between £200 and £300 new. I had one as a backup and it was very good. Mine was the M version, which is less expensive than the T (it doesn't have the 12AX7 preamp valve of the T), but still very competent.

[SimonK]

Trace Elliot ELF everytime - you can also use it as a DI box!

[Supernaut]

Little Mark II or III. Great heads, can be picked up for under £300 on the second hand market. 

[lemmywinks]

There's a Warwick Gnome iPro on FB Marketplace for £110 right now, that's the 280w version of the Gnome micro head. Slightly bigger but more powerful.

[patrikmarky]

Ive just purchased a Warwick Gnome I pro V2 300 watts for home practice and backup and its an amazing bit of kit ..£250.00 from bass direct ..

[msb]

If you like the Liner you might look at Genzler , or the various Mesa Subway heads for a fresh take by the same designer.

That Liner is a great amp.

[Sean]

On 21/03/2025 at 09:31, cetera said:

GK are very popular in R&B/soul/funk circles. Check out the Legacy 800 head.

 

I've just bought the GK MB Fusion 500 that Gary Mac was selling. Mainly as a very portable amp to drive the 8x10 in the rehearsal room (cos the resident Elf doesn't cut it). 

After spending a good few hours with it, it can, as you might expect from a GK, pretty much do anything.

 

It's even got a "Spector Switch”. Now, they don’t call it that, obviously but it’s there and it’s labelled up as “-14dB”.

 

Also, one of the many benefits of a GK is that they're beautifully made and can be repaired.

 

GK-ology came flooding back to me quite quickly, it's surprisingly (or not) similar to the 700RBii I had when I was playing in a function band years ago.  After about 30 minutes I was left feeling a bit miffed with myself for not having owned a GK in 15 years.

Edited Thursday at 15:02 by Sean

[crazycloud]

Harley Benton Block 800B which uses an IcePower 700As module.

 

Some have said that it doesn't any more, but HB confirmed in a recent email that it does.

[ern500evo]

On 27/03/2025 at 09:25, Sean said:

 

I've just bought the GK MB Fusion 500 that Gary Mac was selling. Mainly as a very portable amp to drive the 8x10 in the rehearsal room (cos the resident Elf doesn't cut it). 

After spending a good few hours with it, it can, as you might expect from a GK, pretty much do anything.

 

It's even got a "Spector Switch”. Now, they don’t call it that, obviously but it’s there and it’s labelled up as “-14dB”.

 

Also, one of the many benefits of a GK is that they're beautifully made and can be repaired.

 

GK-ology came flooding back to me quite quickly, it's surprisingly (or not) similar to the 700RBii I had when I was playing in a function band years ago.  After about 30 minutes I was left feeling a bit miffed with myself for not having owned a GK in 15 years.

By far the best class d head I ever had. I went through a phase of trying lots of class D amps, I tried TC, Mark bass, Aguilar, Genz Benz, Darkglass and the MB fusion easily my favourite. I kept it much longer than I kept any of the others. I now use a GK Fusion 550 but have often thought of picking up another MB Fusion for rehearsals and to take to gigs as a back up 

[Sean]

4 hours ago, ern500evo said:

By far the best class d head I ever had. I went through a phase of trying lots of class D amps, I tried TC, Mark bass, Aguilar, Genz Benz, Darkglass and the MB fusion easily my favourite. I kept it much longer than I kept any of the others. I now use a GK Fusion 550 but have often thought of picking up another MB Fusion for rehearsals and to take to gigs as a back up 

 

What's the 550 like in comparison as far as tone? Same preamp, very different tech in the power amps, how does that translate?

Edited Saturday at 19:26 by Sean

[ern500evo]

15 hours ago, Sean said:

 

What's the 550 like in comparison as far as tone? Same preamp, very different tech in the power amps, how does that translate?

Tone wise they’re very similar. To me, the 550 sounds like the MB on steroids, it sounds huge. I played through a 550 at multi band event years ago and always wanted one, but they rarely came up second hand, and when they did it was always the wrong time for me. My current set up is Spector Euro 4LX>Fusion 550>Barefaced Big Twin 2, and I can’t see me ever wanting to change it.