Today, you’re going to learn what is the best lightweight bass combo amp for you. You’ve most likely found this page because you’ve been carrying a heavy bass amp with you everywhere and you’re now looking for a lightweight alternative.
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Well, you’ve hit the jackpot. Because I will be reviewing the best lightweight bass combo amp on the market. As well as some other honorable mentions so that you don’t have to keep breaking your back with the heavy traditional bass guitar amplifiers. In order for an amp to have made this list, it will have to fulfill certain criteria which I have conveniently outlined for you below.
Hopefully, this will help you when choosing your next bass amp. We all know that there are some super portable bass heads on the market that allow bass players to travel easily.
However, that is assuming that the place you play will have a cabinet or desk. But, if you need a combo of head and cab but don’t want the problem of too much weight. Then, this review will help you.
  |   |   |   |
| 21lbs | 22lbs | 37lbs | 37.5lbs |
| TC Electronic BG250 | Fender Rumble 100 | Peavey Max 110 | Eden USM-EC28-U |
Let’s answer some questions before we review the best lightweight combo amps for bass.
Why Were Bass Amps Heavy?
The bass has an exceptionally important role in any band. The bass works with the drummer to keep the band together. For this reason, the bass needs to be heard but it also needs to fill the lost frequencies of the band.
Because of this reason, bass amps have to have enough wattage as well as move enough air in order to fill those frequencies. In order to achieve this well, a big bass amp is needed. And the big bass amp is usually heavy. Luckily, there are now lightweight bass combo amps on the market for you to choose from.
Things to consider when buying a Lightweight bass amp:
- Wattage
- Size of speaker
- Portability
- Sound quality
- Reputable brand
1) Tc Electronic 112 Combo Amp for Bass (250 Watts)
TC Electronic BG250 112 Bass Combo Amplifier
There is no doubt that this bass combo amp by TC electronic is the best lightweight bass combo amp on the market. It can easily be heard over a band at rehearsal as well as in medium-sized venues. If this model is not big enough for you, TC Electronic offers a bigger 300-watt version.
Not only is this bass amp very light but it is packed with features that most heavy ones don’t even come with. And, most importantly the amp sounds really good.
Features
This amp is packed with features that many bass amps don’t offer.
It comes with two-tone print options which you can switch between very easily with a footswitch should you wish. Toneprint allows you to create your own sounds/effects or download from other famous guitarists from the TC website.
- Built-in tuner
- Balanced output (DI out)
- USB connectivity for toneprint
- Auxin
- Headphone out
- Post EQ / Pre EQ options
Weight
The amp weighs in at 21lbs! That is definitely one of the lightest weight 100-watt combo bass amps in the world today.
Wattage
This bass amp is 250 watts which is more than enough to be heard over a band in practices or during live gigs.
Size of speaker
The speaker is 12 inches in size and is said to be able to easily compete with 15-inch speakers.
Portability
Due to its being lightweight and its small size, this TC electronic combo bass amp is a great portable amp that no other amp on the market can compete with.
Sound quality
This amp gets very positive reviews in terms of the sound it produces. It is also a very versatile bass amp as it is able to give the bass player both modern and vintage sounds.
It is said that the TC is Mid-focused whilst maintaining all the necessary low end needed to both cut through the mix and fill the bottom frequencies.
See what the amp sounds like in the video below. You’ll quickly see why it is the best lightweight bass combo amp.
Reputable brand
TC electronics is a very reputable brand and while their introduction of bass amps to the market is relatively new, they’ve come in hot and produced yet another high-quality range of guitar-related products.
2) Fender Rumble V3 – 100 watts
Fender Rumble 100 v3 Bass Combo Amplifier
Fender rumbles have become a very popular choice of bass amp over the years and you’ll very often see them as part of a backline at a gig or two. It was a tough choice putting this Fender rumble in second place in this best lightweight bass combo amp.
It is just as lightweight as the TC electronic amp above. It was just outshined by the fact that the TC is 250 watts whilst this rumble is 100 watts.
The amp is still more than loud enough to withstand a gigging situation in a medium-to the large sized venue. The Rumble is tonally more diverse than the TC as it has 3 different voices. See below.
Features
- Built-in overdrive that can be engaged using a footswitch or tap tempo pedal
- Three voicing options
- bright
- contour
- vintage
- DI Output (XLR)
- Effects loop
- Aux input for MP3 jamming & playback
- Headphones out for practicing
Weight & Portability
The Fender Rumble V3 is just 1 lb heavier than the TC electronics amp. The idea behind the V3 Rumbles was to make them more lightweight and gig friendly.
Wattage & Size of Speaker
The amp is 100 watts with a 12″ speaker. But, from what I hear from players who have used it, it can definitely be heard over a band at practice or at a gig.
Sound
As I mentioned above, the Fender rumble is very diverse in the sounds that it has available. It has three separate voicing switches which you can select which include vintage, contour, and bright options.
This means you can cover a lot of ground if you are in a band where you need many different sounds. Added to this is an overdrive that has been built-in into the amp.
You also have the option of getting a footswitch which allows you to turn on and off the overdrive without having to go over to the amp.
Reputable Brand
Fender is possibly the most recognizable brand when it comes to electric guitar and bass. In fact, Fender created the first production electric guitar as well as the first bass amp so it is safe to say that they know what they are doing when it comes to building amps and can definitely be trusted for a solid product
Watch the video below to see what the Fender rumble can do!
3) Peavey Lightweight Bass Combo Amp (100 watts)
Peavey Max Series Max 110 Bass Combo Amplifier
This is yet another one of the biggest competitors when it comes to the best lightweight bass combo amp. And, it comes in the shape and form of this Peavey Max Series 100-watt bass amp.
However, the Peavey is still heavier than the TC electronic amp by 14lbs as it weighs a total of 35lbs. Peavey does offer this amp in 100/200/300-watt versions but the 100-watt is the closest weight compared to our number 1 lightest combo amp for bass above.
The Max series bass amp is still a very good amplifier and like the TC, also comes packed with a lot of features. This bass amp is able to handle band practices as well as gigs in small-medium-sized venues.
Features
- Built-in tuner
- Aux input
- Headphone out
- Peavey’s special “DDT speaker protection”
- Peavey’s famous Transtube technology that emulates the sound of a tube amp
- Gain Boost
- Lightweight (35lbs)
- Tilt Back option (works like an amp stand)
Speaker Size & Wattage
The amp comes with a powerful 10-inch speaker which is protected by the built-in Peavey DDT system. This enhances the low-end sound without putting any more pressure on the speaker. This Peavey combo bass amp is 100 watts and considering how small it is, packs a big punch.
Sound
Peavey has implemented its famous Transtube technology which can also be found in their guitar amps.
This recreates the sound of a tube bass amp, something which many amps fail at but Peavey has seemed to get it right. There’s also plenty of gain on tap with this amp. Would it be a Peavey without gain? I think not!
Weight & Portability
Whilst the Peavey Max series 100 watts is not quite as light as the TC above, but could definitely still be the best lightweight combo bass amp on the market so it is definitely a worthy contender. Its weight and smaller size make it easy to carry around to gigs or practice.
Reputable Brand
Peavey is a very well-known and reputable brand when it comes to both amplifiers as well as general sound equipment. They have been one of the top companies since its start in the ’60s and are still popular on the market today.
A backline is never complete without at least one Peavey amp! Take a look at the video below which demonstrates this Peavey bass amp.
4) Eden 180 Watt Combo Bass Amp
Eden USM-EC28-U Bass Combo Amplifier
Here is another combo bass amp that is both lightweight and powerful enough for practice and gigs. However, the amp is made by Eden which is perhaps not as well-known of a brand in comparison to Tc Electronic or Peavey.
That being said, this bass amp gets very positive reviews both in terms of the tone it produces as well as its portability.
Features
- Mid-sweep
- Built-in compressor
- Effects Loop
- Headphone out
- Aux in
- Output for a tuner (tuner not built-in)
- DI Out (balanced)
Weight & Portability
This amp weighs 37.5lbs which is just 2lbs heavier than the Peavey above.
But, is still nowhere close to the TC electronic at 21lbs. This amp is still, however, very easy to carry and a nice portable amp for practice or gigs.
Wattage
The Eden finds itself in the middle of the Peavey and the Tc Electronic in terms of wattage. It is 180 watts and is more than sufficient for a practice rehearsal or gig at small-medium-sized venues.
Size of Speaker
While the TC and the Peavey both have only one speaker, this Eden bass amp has a 2 x 8-inch speaker.
Sound
This amp is said to have a very good tone and often gets classified as having a “Punchy” yet warm sound with ample volume. The amp has a built-in compressor.
However, it is said to be a little underwhelming which possibly means that it sucks some of the tones. The amp still sounds good and the compressor is just a feature that does not have to be used.
Reputable Brand
As we mentioned above, Eden is not nearly as well known as TC electronic or Peavey so we can’t say much about them. We can, however, say that this amp gets quite a lot of praise on Amazon and thus we can only assume that Eden makes pretty decent Bass amps! As far as the best lightweight bass combo amp on a budget, this Eden one is killer!
Hey, fellow guitar mate! I’m Justin, I have been a professional guitarist since 2012. I have traveled the world playing on different stages alongside some of the best indie bands, at some of the biggest music festivals in the world. As a result, I’ve played lots of different guitar gear. Instead of keeping that knowledge to myself, I have set up this site to share my honest reviews of various guitar gear. But most notably, my love for guitar picks.