{{Short description, none This article lists manufacturers of bass amplifiers, loudspeakers, and other amplification-related items such as preamplifiers. The amplifiers and loudspeakers used to amplify bass instruments (e.g., the

bass guitar The bass guitar, electric bass or simply bass (), is the lowest-pitched member of the string family. It is a plucked string instrument similar in appearance and construction to an electric or an acoustic guitar, but with a longer neck and ...

double bass The double bass (), also known simply as the bass () (or #Terminology, by other names), is the largest and lowest-pitched Bow (music), bowed (or plucked) string instrument in the modern orchestra, symphony orchestra (excluding unorthodox addit ...

and similar instruments) are distinct from other types of amplification systems due to the particular challenges associated with low-frequency sound reproduction. This distinction affects the design of the loudspeakers, the cabinet, and the preamplifier and amplifier. Loudspeakers for bass instruments tend to be larger and more heavy-duty, and speaker cabinets have to be built more solidly to prevent unwanted rattling due to the low frequencies. Preamplifiers and amplifiers for bass instruments often have features designed for bass instruments, such as equalizers that go down to 40 Hz or below or limiters to prevent speaker damage.

Types of manufacturers

Bass equipment manufacturers include a variety of different types of companies, ranging from companies that only make individual components to companies that only make bass amplifiers and loudspeakers (e.g.,

Gallien-Krueger Gallien-Krueger, also referred to as 'GK' (as in their logo), is a manufacturer of bass amplifiers and speaker cabinets . The company is based in Stockton, California, and was founded in 1968. History Robert Gallien started his company, then ...

). At the other end of the spectrum are companies that offer bass amplification equipment as part of a much broader offering of different types of

instrument amplifier An instrument amplifier is an electronic device that converts the often barely audible or purely electronic signal of a musical instrument into a larger electronic signal to feed to a loudspeaker. An instrument amplifier is used with musical ins ...

s and

public address system A public address system (or PA system) is an electronic system comprising microphones, amplifiers, loudspeakers, and related equipment. It increases the apparent volume (loudness) of a human voice, musical instrument, or other acoustic sound sou ...

s (e.g., Peavey,

Carvin A&I Carvin Corporation is a family-owned San Diego, California, manufacturer of guitar amplifiers and audio equipment. The company is known for its early work using plastics in the 1940s, making electric guitars from Resinox. History Founded ...

Yorkville Sound Yorkville Sound is a Canadian manufacturer of audio amplifiers (including the Traynor amplifier line), loudspeakers and related professional sound reinforcement equipment. Based in Pickering, Ontario, Canada, the firm has a global presence as ...

.) Another way of categorizing bass equipment manufacturers is by which part of the market they are targeting. While Peavey and Yorkville products are aimed at the generalist

mass market The term "mass market" refers to a market for goods produced on a large scale for a significant number of end consumers. The mass market differs from the niche market in that the former focuses on consumers with a wide variety of backgrounds with ...

, some bass equipment manufacturers, such as Acoustic Image or Walter Woods make expensive "boutique" equipment that is aimed at a

niche market A niche market is the subset of the market on which a specific product is focused. The market niche defines the product features aimed at satisfying specific market needs, as well as the price range, production quality and the demographics that it ...

within the professional musician market. Acoustic Image amplifiers and speaker cabinets tend to be used by professional acoustic folk and jazz musicians, and Walter Woods amplifiers are associated with professional acoustic jazz bass players.

List of manufacturers

Acoustic Control Corporation Acoustic Control Corporation was a manufacturer of instrument amplifiers, founded by Steve Marks (with the help of his father) and based in Van Nuys, California. Its original location was a shack on Sunset Boulevard in Los Angeles, California. H ...

* Aguilar *

Ampeg Ampeg is a manufacturer best known for its bass amplifiers. Originally established in 1946 in Linden, New Jersey by Everett Hull and Stanley Michaels as "Michael-Hull Electronic Labs," today Ampeg is part of the Yamaha Guitar Group. Although ...

Ashdown Engineering Ashdown Engineering is a British manufacturer of instrument amplifiers, particularly for bass and acoustic guitars. History The company was founded in 1997 by Mark Gooday, a chief engineer and managing director at Trace Elliot. When Gooday was ...

Behringer Behringer is an audio equipment company founded by the Swiss engineer Uli Behringer on 25 January 1989, in Willich, Germany. Behringer was the 14th largest manufacturer of music products in 2007. Behringer is a worldwide, multinational grou ...

* Blackstar Amplification *

* Carver *

Crate Amplifiers St. Louis Music (SLM) is a manufacturer and distributor of musical instruments, accessories, and equipment. SLM distributes products from over 260 music products industry brands, is the corporate owner of several string- and brass-instruments br ...

Crown Audio Crown International, or Crown Audio, is an American manufacturer of audio electronics, and is a subsidiary of Harman International Industries, which has been part of South Korea-based Samsung Electronics since 2017. Today, the company is known pr ...

Darkglass Darkglass Electronics is a bass guitar equipment company based in Helsinki, Finland Finland ( fi, Suomi ; sv, Finland ), officially the Republic of Finland (; ), is a Nordic country in Northern Europe. It shares land borders with Sw ...

Demeter
*

Eden Electronics Eden Amplification (previously known as Eden Electronics) began as an American bass amplification company in 1976. The company takes its name from Eden Prairie, Minnesota, where the idea for the company was conceived. Eden designs and manufacture ...

* Fender *

Hiwatt Hiwatt is a British company that manufactures amplifiers for electric guitars and electric basses. Starting in the late 1960s, together with Marshall and Vox, Hiwatt contributed to the sonic image popularly termed "British sound". History O ...

* Kustom *

Laney Amplification Laney Amplification is a British designer and manufacturer of guitar amplifiers, bass guitar amplifiers, cabinets, and public address systems. Laney Amplification does not sell directly to the public, instead dealing with distributors and retai ...

Marshall Amplification Marshall is a British company that designs and manufactures music amplifiers, speaker cabinets, brands personal headphones and earphones, drums and bongos. The company also owns a record label called Marshall Records. It was founded in London ...

Mesa/Boogie Mesa/Boogie (also known as Mesa Engineering) is an American company in Petaluma, California, that manufactures amplifiers and other accessories for guitars and basses. It has been in operation since 1969. Mesa was started by Randall Smith as a sm ...

Orange Amplification Orange Music Electronic Company is an English amplifier manufacturing company. The amplifiers have a distinctive sound and bright orange Tolex-like covering their heads and speaker cabinets. History 1960s Orange was founded in 1968 by musi ...

Peavey Electronics Peavey Electronics Corporation is an American company that designs, develops, manufactures and markets professional audio equipment. One of the largest audio equipment manufacturers in the world, it is headquartered in Meridian, Mississippi. H ...

Roland Corporation is a Japanese manufacturer of electronic musical instruments, electronic equipment, and software. It was founded by Ikutaro Kakehashi in Osaka on 18 April 1972. In 2005, its headquarters relocated to Hamamatsu in Shizuoka Prefecture. It has fact ...

Smith Custom Amplifiers Smith Custom Amplifiers is a guitar amplifier and custom-made guitar manufacturer in the United States. The company was founded by Sammy Smith in 2002. Amplifiers made by Smith are all handmade, hand-wired, and use vacuum tube technology. Cabinet ...

SWR Sound Corporation SWR Sound Corporation was a specialist manufacturer of bass guitar amplifiers, preamps, speaker cabinets, and acoustic guitar amplifiers. History The company was founded as SWR Engineering, Inc. by its namesake, Steve W. Rabe. Rabe was known ...

TC Electronic TC Electronic (sometimes stylized as t.c. electronic) is a Danish audio equipment company that designs and imports guitar effects, bass amplification, computer audio interfaces, audio plug-in software, live sound equalisers, studio and post-pro ...

Tech 21 Tech 21 is a New York based manufacturer of guitar and bass effect pedals, amps, and DI boxes which allow the user to emulate the tone of many popular guitar amps and record those sounds directly into a mixer. Products Tech 21's core produc ...

Teisco Teisco was a Japanese musical instrument manufacturing company from 1948 until 1967, when the brand "Teisco" was acquired by Kawai (河合楽器製作所; Kawai Gakki Seisakusho). The company produced guitars as well as synthesizers, microphones ...

Trace Elliot Trace Elliot is a United Kingdom-based bass amplification manufacturer, and has a sub-brand, Trace Acoustic, for acoustic instruments. History In 1979, a music shop in Romford, Essex, UK, called Soundwave was building and hiring out PA sys ...

* Traynor (Yorkville Sound) *

Warwick Warwick ( ) is a market town, civil parish and the county town of Warwickshire in the Warwick District in England, adjacent to the River Avon. It is south of Coventry, and south-east of Birmingham. It is adjoined with Leamington Spa and Whi ...

Yamaha Yamaha may refer to: * Yamaha Corporation, a Japanese company with a wide range of products and services, established in 1887. The company is the largest shareholder of Yamaha Motor Company (below). ** Yamaha Music Foundation, an organization estab ...

Amplifiers and/or preamplifiers

Alembic An alembic (from ar, الإنبيق, al-inbīq, originating from grc, ἄμβιξ, ambix, 'cup, beaker') is an alchemical still consisting of two vessels connected by a tube, used for distillation of liquids. Description The complete disti ...

(preamps and filters)

Types of manufacturers

List of manufacturers

Amplifiers and/or preamplifiers

See also