Recommend me a bass amp for noodling around at work

September 15, 2018 8:30 AM

I would like to start messing around on my bass again. I'd like a recommendation on an amp that I can use at work so I won't disturb anyone else, for those times when I just want to keep my fingers busy when I'm thinking.

Luckily, I have a private office with a door that closes, but I still don't want to disturb anyone else with my non-talented, vaguely-musical shenanigans.

I need an amp that can be used with Bluetooth headphones, so I can sit or pace around. I am woefully old and out-of-step with today's music-related electronics. Sound quality isn't all that important, but affordability is. I'd also occasionally like to play along with music from my computer or phone.

Is this Blackstar FLY3BASS Guitar Amplifier Head (Amazon link) what I want? If not, can you recommend something in the $100 or less range?

My coworkers and I thank you.

posted by SuperSquirrel to Shopping (6 answers total)

If it's solely for headphone use, then something like the VOX amPlug 2 Bass headphone amp would do the trick perfectly. It runs from a battery, so you can wander about even with wired headphones.
posted by pipeski at 8:46 AM on September 15, 2018 [2 favorites]

I mean, as long as you have a Bluetooth transmitter with a stereo 1/8" (3.5mm) plug on it (to plug into the "EML & Phones out" jack), that Blackstar should work fine.

The Vox Amplug stuff is good, too, and with not too much searching ("bass headphone amps") you can find the same units under different brand names for at least a little cheaper.
posted by soundguy99 at 11:51 AM on September 15, 2018

You might have to rethink the Bluetooth headphones part, the latency is generally too high for playing instruments.
posted by doctord at 8:39 PM on September 15, 2018 [1 favorite]

Agree an amp and bluetooth headphones sounds way more expensive and complicated than what you need, as well as probably not working as well. A little headphone amp would with wired headphones would work way better.
posted by bongo_x at 12:13 AM on September 16, 2018

I agree with those who said bluetooth is gonna be a real issue - the latency will really get weird and messy. I was just screwing around with bluetooth headphones and my iphone and it made monitoring almost impossible.

The Vox AmPlug 2 bass headphone amp is probably what you want. It has an 1/8" output for headphones and you can wander around with it because it plugs straight into your input jack.

You can find Rockman Bass Ace headphone amps pretty cheap, still.

In the early 00s, I had a Boss product that had a 1/4" input for guitar/bass/keyboard (and a little switch to go between bass/keys and guitar), an 1/8" input for connecting to a discman/ipod/metronome, and a 1/8" headphone jack. It had a big red dial on the front for mixing the line level of the instrument and ran on a 9v battery. I lose it and find it again in my practice space every six months or so, but when I was on the road, I used it all the time.
posted by elmer benson at 11:07 AM on September 17, 2018

I have tried a few portable amplifiers such as the vox amp and a few off-brand models, all sub-$50, and been disappointed: none offer a clean, rich sound. I also tried the iPhone-based iRig, which requires an inline amplifier as well as an app, and found that frustratingly full of hiss. I am looking for a rich, distortion-free r’n’b or soul sound. I would also consider a small portable amplifier, as long as it had a 1/4” headphone output and A/C power.
posted by lasagnaboy at 4:18 PM on September 23, 2018