Fender Bass Amplifiers

This is a cool little bass combo that should not be counted out if you're looking for a good bedroom practice amp. The Fender Rumble 15 is 15 watts of power into and 8' speaker. RCA input for an MP3 player and a 1/4' headphone jack. 3-band EQ Treble, Mid and Bass and one Volume knob. I was killing time in my local music shop while a friend was taking all day debating on which acoustic guitar to buy. I plugged into this as a low key, I can at least get in a practice session while this nut is playing every acoustic in the joint. Well it really impressed me. Great bass tone for $80. The bass I tried it out on was an Epiphone Thunderbird. It's tiny, cheap and simple, but it packs a nice punch. Sure you can't gig with it, but it sure beats playing a huge amp one 1, you can get a really nice even tone from it. Well it's 15 watts into an 8' speaker, so the power isn't anything to write home about. I wish it had an extension speaker out. Very well built. I like that it is tolex instead of that ratty looking carpet. This blew me away in sound for being a small practice amp. If you're on the market for one, try to pick one of these up. No frills, nothing you don't need, just a simple practice amp. This review was originally published on http://www.musicgearreview.com

I went in search of a bass amp that could be heard over the drums. I went to a music shop in P.A. Saskatchewan. One of the guys there showed me the Fender Bassman 25, because it was his personal favorite amp. I thought it was good so I bought it for $600 canadian (what a rip). It is small and packs alot of volume for its' size, and it has the ability to tilt back. there is a mute button, the part that plugs into the wall can de detached easily,and there are AUX inputs and AUX control features. There is nothing to really dislike about this amp. this anp is probably one of the best 25 watt amps there are. this amp is very good, but it I would say that $600 is pretty fair for this amp. This review was originally published on http://www.musicgearreview.com

I went ahead and stayed with a local music store named Sound Stage here in Fresno, CA. They've always been friendly and very fair to me. I needed a quality combo amp for use at church and in practice and giging. I kinda played "price wars" between two stores until I was sick of it. I ended up getting her for $625 out the door (and they even threw in a set of strings). This is an amazing sounding bass amp. The lows are stongly supported, the mids have great body, and the highs...The highs just glisten through the horn. The versitility of this amp can range from great jazz tone to a mean slap configuration all of the way to a quality punk tone. The tone is so versitile due to the great control fender gives to the user: Low, mid, mid freq. (offers drastic changes), high, room balance (compensates for acoustic extreems such as carpeted, crowded room to hard wood floor in a large gym - comes in handy 100% of the time), enhance botton (in - slap, out - finger picking, tap, ect..), compressor, and a limter (this saves you if your dumb enough to peak this equipment). I'm also quite content with it's passive/active botton which comes in handy when you use both. The back of this unit is very nice because it has another contol pannel just for the sound guy (this keeps them away from your settings, I hate that) that features an xlr line out for p.a. feed or recording, and their line out level. My last favorite thing about this amp would be the tuner out, it makes it a lot easier then unplugging or running through the tunner. It's hard to really say something bad about the amp. If I have to pick on somthing, it would be the speaker. I'm not big on fender bass cabs (I'm more for ampeg) so I'm not to fond of the 15", but there's not much I can do about that. The bassman preamp makes up for it 100 times over. This repaces my peavy minx 110 (I strongly discourage you from buying peavy, they sound like cheap car stereo), so I feel bad complaning about such a small deal. This amp is a brick. I'm not so sure that I could break it if I wanted to. Well, maybe, but I wouldn't try. It has a great metal grill to protect the speaker. Despite the strength of this unit, it is somehow a very bearable weight to gig around with. The thing has a 5 year waranty on it. Fender seems pretty confident in it's construction and quality. I've had it just under a year and tote it around everywhere I go, it still looks brand new. All in all, this is my favorite combo amp, moderatly ranged of course, that I have played yet. It has met every need I have yet run into. I suggest you at least check one out. This review was originally published on http://www.musicgearreview.com

i got this for free from a guy at church(along with hardcase,amp,cords,strap,andtuner. i love it, for being bout 30 years old it still rocks. perfect for a little guy(cause its a junior).ive dropped it,scratched it,hit it taken it apart, and so on and so on. ive hooked it up to a 500 watt amp and it sounds better than most 500-800$ basses. mines probally an antique.great beginner bass and expert bass. ive been playin for 2 yrs. sound great on big or smal amps(but sounds terrible on my amp cause my amp's a piece of crap-and old) nothin much.mines a junior( im 15yrs old) so its a little too small for me.when i first got had it I too take it aprt and cleen iside cause u know ITS 30 YRS OLD!!! great, i took it cross country,and who knows were its been the past 20-25 yrs and who had it.the paint job is fading a little and lots and lots of scratches and dents. it sounds great for an old guitar. over all its a greats beginner bass and an expert bass.it sounds great big or small amps. small and lite(my hard case weighs more than it)andgreat duribility. i would recommend it to every body, beginner or expert bassist. its not the best bass in the world but its certainly a very good bass I would give it a 4.5, butt below it will be 5 This review was originally published on http://www.musicgearreview.com

Aquired at Pearson/Mcfadyen music for about $260, new, as a practice amp. When I first turned this amp on, I was surprised by the power of the output. Despite its low wattage, the amp puts out quite a loud sound, and the preamp is capable of driving a much larger speaker than the one it's built on to. The preamp also has a nice slew of features, especially considering the low wattage. In addition to the standard features(Volume, instrument in, Bass/Mid/Treble control) it has a second input for a preamped instrument, an audio line in for a CD player or whatever else you elect to hook up to it, mute switch, mid booster, and separate volume control for the audio line in. In addition to the controls, it has an effects loop, tuner out, line out, and external cabinet out. Very nice. The sound quality is overall good, but it gets pretty noisy as it's cranked up, and loses some of its tone quality as well. It also could have been packaged with a slightly larger speaker, which I suspect would do wonders for the problems it has at high volumes as well. But, overall, a good unit, especially considering the small size and low wattage. This amp has served very well, excluding a period of about 2 weeks where it fed back, the sound quality broke up, and generally failed to function at all. A guitarist and drummer executed a savage beating upon it following the interruption of a good rehearsal, and that solved the problem. I guess some component had come loose and they kicked it back into place. I'm not quite sure what this says about the quality of the amp, but I've decided to forget about it, since I never had a problem again. Overall, a very good amp, which overcomes low wattage, small size, and a pretty low price tag to deliver a slew of useful features and a surprisingly large sound. For gigs it needs an extension cab or a PA, but it can hold its own in any practice, even with pretty loud drums. This review was originally published on http://www.musicgearreview.com

I got this for Christmas with a Squire P-Bass and a strap etc. It cost £79. My parents bought me it because I really wanted to learn and at the time, this was the best practice amp out there. Its and older style one (with the grey fabric grille.) This version was superceded by the Marshall MB25MkII and the Laney HCM30B so Fender repackaged it and changed a few bugs and brought out the new version (with a black metal grille and four silver screws visible.) Its compact and light, its easy to carry one-handed and not to bulky. It has a great tone and sounds brilliant up to about 5 volume. When I practice I dont use my effects pedals (cant be bothered,) I just have a really fat tone and this amp really sings. Also it is loud! At 3 volume it is really to lud to practice with. I end up using the head phones a lot. It easily out classes my guitarist's practice amp. (If your reading Paul, just accept it.) It clicks when your fingers touch anything metal because it isnt grounded properly. Also, past about five volume the hissing is just to much. But seen as its loud anyway, you never have to turn it up. For these few reasons, if it was lost or stolen Id buy the Marshall. Also, on the first version there is no speaker out, another bug that was solved with the new one. Very well built. Tolex covered with metal corners. About the only weak point is the fabric grille over the speaker, which is why the re-issued version has a metal one. Seen as it resides in my room and is only occasionally moved to go to a friends house I cant really talk about the quality to much. All in all a good practice amp. It was the best, then it wasnt, now the re-issue is a serious contender. For under one hundered pounds, check out this, the Marshall or the Laney. This is possibly the longest review Ive ever written you know. Well it wasnt, until I added that last sentance, which is now not the last sentance but the penultimate.... This review was originally published on http://www.musicgearreview.com

I bought this bass 2nd hand from Mega Music in Western Australia for $800 AUD. I love this amp! It's perfect for it's use! Built in with a Chours effect makes it extra fun to play with. It's pretty loud and can keep up with other instruments very well! Good wide-range of tones you can adjust with the 9 band graphic eq aswell! It's also got 3 enhancement buttons (Deep, Notch, Bright) which is great. With them off you get a old fashioned style of playing and with them switched on you get a modern, very bassy sound which is great! The only thing that I don't like about this amp, is that the fact it's pretty heavy to lug around everywhere especially when you're taking it up stairs. If it had wheels it would be a lot easier to move around. Tank. That's the closest thing I can describe about it. This bass is built like a rock. You can beat the shit through it and it would still sound great, even better mabye! Great buy! I suggest this for anyone who wants to play in a band and preform gigs! This review was originally published on http://www.musicgearreview.com

I bought this amp in Oman, where I work, subsequently I paid probably less than I would have in Europe and at the equivalent of $150, less than in the U.S. Strangely enough, I was left on my own in the shop trying out guitars and not looking for an amp at all. I've been using various practise amps for several years, but having tried this one and being told that it was the last one they had, I couldn't leave the shop without it. The sound that this thing produces is amazing. Right through the range it belts out quality bass, it's hard to believe it's only 25 Watts. I directly compared it in the shop with an Ashdown 150W combo, albeit a low end model, but costing three times the price. The Fender had a far superior sound Since buying this, my only criticism about the unit is that its making the ceiling tiles in my flat vibrate. The cabinet is the standard fare PVC covered plywood box The 'show business' silvery front grille is attched with velcro, presumably so that with a "viola!" you can rip it smartly off and prove to the astounded onlookers that the mellow sound they've just heard was, indeed, produced by a mere 10 inch speaker. I like the general quality feel of the rotary switches, which have a detent on the three used to adjust the e.q. Although of Far Eastern manufacture-this one is made in Indonesia- my general impression is one of a well-assembled cabinet with good quality hardware and a pleasing appearance-pretty standard Fender I suppose. It's not often that I buy something which I consider to be really good value for money. This amplifier is an exception. It's portable, the features are adequate, but most important,....it rocks. What is worth noting is that Fender produce a 25 Watt bass combo in their "Bassman" range. This shares a common amplifier and speaker with the "Frontman". With cosmetic changes this is the same thing. It just costs twice as much. Remember, just say no. This review was originally published on http://www.musicgearreview.com

A Mars Music closing sale - around $430.00 - an excellent price! I like everything about the amp! As my first real amp with wattage (the previous amp being a Squier BP-15), it certainly throws out enough power. It doesn't distort headroom and it handles the low end flawlessly! The EQ isn't bad, and the amp has an effects loop, direct out (yes!) and tuner out. The EQ, really is the only thing I dislike. There are only 4 knobs, low, low mid, high mid, and high. I guess I just prefer a graphic EQ. Also, any built-in effects, life chorus or reverb would have been nice, but necessarily appropriate for a Bass amp. The unit is solid and chunky. It's a little difficult to carry and move on a regular basis, but the molding and construction are smooth and beautiful. It seems as if it will last forever (as I've heard most Fenders do). This amp is excellent for anyone. It obviously can't play larger venues, but it's loud enough to fill a small hall. The tones are crisp and clear when you want them that way, and so is the amp itself. It does everything you want it to, and then some! This review was originally published on http://www.musicgearreview.com

15 Watt Solid State 3-Band EQ Delta Comp Adaptive Compression Circuitry Headphone Jack Auxilliary Input for CD Tape or Drum Machine Sealed Cabinet Black Vinyl Covering Rugged Black Metal Grille Oversized Plastic Corners 22 pounds UTILIZATION The Rumble 15 from Fender is a neat product in the way of practice bass amps. The auxiliary inputs for CD or MP3 are a great addition - most players like to jam with some kind of backing track at least some of the time. It doesn't get wildly loud, but it's not designed to. Headphone jack is another plus if buying for a child, or if you live in an apartment and don't want to disturb your neighbors. SOUNDS The amp is very simple to use - volume, bass, mid, and treble - so it's not hard to get a good tone out of it. My only gripe with this amp at all is that it is one channel, and has no distortion sounds. The amp doesn't get dirty. And that's probably fine for most bass players - it's certainly fine for practicing in most applications - but it certainly is fun getting some growl into the sound and riffing away. I believe the thinking from Fender is either that most bass players don't use dirt, that it's just a practice amp anyways, or that it's a money-saver not integrating a drive circuit. Either way, it would be a nice addition. OVERALL OPINION Overall, a solid bass amp for practice purposes. The features make it great for keeping the sound down, and for practicing with a backing track, but that lack of distortion knocks the rating back a hair. It could also have just come with a compressor, and that would be great as well. Maybe in future incarnations? Either way, it provides solid performance if all one wants the amp to do is put out enough volume just to practice with. If that's all you want - a no frills practice amp - this is the product for you.

The Fender BXR 25 is a 25 watt solid state bass combo amplifier with a 10 inch speaker. Most of the connections are through 1/4 inch jacks. There is three bands of EQ, a volume knob, headphone out, and an auxiliary input for connecting a CD or MP3 player with RCA cables. There aren't any onboard effects nor reverb. There are inputs for two basses, which is useful if someone is teaching bass lessons. UTILIZATION It's very easy to dial up a variety of good tones using the EQ settings. I never had to crack open the manual, it's pretty much plug in and go. Having the RCA ins to jam along with a CD or MP3 is a very nice feature and easy to set up. SOUNDS A nice low end can be produced by this amplifier, or with different EQ settings, a nice mid tone can be used to cut right through. The amplifier doesn't go very loud, so it would be hard to use this next to drums, but it has more than enough power to teach lessons or to use in a bedroom. OVERALL OPINION This is a good amp, but I feel like Fender bass equipment tends to be overpriced due to the Fender name. This amplifier isn't large enough or powerful enough to really use with a band unless it were miked. There isn't a direct out, so it would be hard to use it onstage. Still, this amplifier produces a nice, solid tone and would be very well suited to using it for bass lessons due to its compact size, RCA ins, and dual inputs. Effects would be a nice feature for this purpose, but aren't entirely necessary. If I could only add one additional feature to make it more useful it would be to have a direct out, so that the tone would be consistent instead of placing a direct box in between the bass and the amplifier.

The Fender Bassman Amp Blonde 1963 is a tube based bass guitar amplifier head. It has two channels - one that is labeled 'bass instrument' and one is 'normal', even though both are designed for bass guitar. Each channel has two 1/4 inch inputs and there is a connection in the back to send the head to a bass cabinet. It also has both a power switch and stand by switch in the back. UTILIZATION The make up of the Fender Bassman Amp Blonde 1963 isn't too hard to get accustomed to as it has somewhat standard parameters. Each channel has knobs for volume, treble, and bass, and there is also a presence knob all the way on the right that applies to both of the channels. As you can probably tell, this is just about as basic as parameters as it gets when it comes to an amp, but in this case it is definitely enough as the amp sounds great even before you tweak. Since this is a vintage amp, the manual is long gone but it is easy enough to use that you don't need one. SOUNDS The sounds that you get with the Fender Bassman Amp Blonde 1963 are pretty incredible. You can get a really full sound regardless of what cabinet you are using and even sounds great if you only use the amp head for recording. Even though there aren't a ton of parameters, volume, treble, bass and presence are really all that you need because this amp has a great inherent tone. I wouldn't recommend using this for anything other than bass guitar, although I know that some people use this for guitar. You get a really full bass tone while using this amp head and it should be used for that and nothing else. OVERALL OPINION I only recently got the chance to use the Fender Bassman Amp Blonde 1963 and I'm really glad that I am now able to use it as it is truly a great sounding bass guitar amp. I have only used it for recording but it is suitable for any sort of use. Since this is a vintage amp they aren't cheap and while I wouldn't say that they are hard to come by, you will have to do a bit of searching to get one in good shape. If you are looking for one of the better bass guitar amp heads made, the Fender Bassman Amp Blonde 1963 is a great place to start.