Combo amplifiers – Good Size, Good Sound
Combo amplifiers – Middle of the road amplification
Combo amplifiers are so called named because of their two components. They house both the speaker enclosure and the amplifier head which gives powers it. You will find combo amplifiers to be over 100 watts or more by default, anything lower than that and you risk damaging your equipment. If you are going to play with your friends in a band then you will need an adequate amplifier that will match up to your friends half stacks and a drum kit.
Combo amplifier pros
- Choose between 100 and 400 Watts
- Ideal for live shows
- Suited for small rehearsals
- Rivals a drum kit
- Can have built in effects
These amplifiers are halfway between a small rehearsal amplifier and a large home practice amplifier. This is because of the wattage rating and speaker configuration. These specifications are ideal if your guitarists have amplifiers no higher than 50 watts.
Some combos have digital effects built in and are ideally suited for beginners and performing musicians on a budget as they are built to last with a couple of good features and give you the same quality tone every day with minimal maintenance.
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- Hartke Kickback 120W with 12″ speaker
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- Laney RB Bass Combo 300W and 15″ speaker
Need more power?
In situations where you are out gunned you can look at Bass Stacks to level the playing field. You could quite literally rumble the guitarist off the stage. We look at a little bit more of a bigger set up which is useful for larger gigs, rehearsals and outdoor playing. In that section we talk about bass stacks, cabinets and the wall demolishing power they obtain.