Geni Swing Guitars

Practice Amplifier

What You Need to Know About Bass Guitars and Amplifiers

Leo Fender and George Fullerton are the founders and inventors of the electric bass guitars that was first introduced in the 1950s. The split up feature of the first bass guitar was introduced in 1957. This feature is the one responsible for producing the humbucking effect attributed to bass guitars. A violin shaped guitar was then released by Gibson followed by a more modern designed six years thereafter. Because of the success and popularity of guitars, several small guitar companies followed the ranks of Fender and Gibson and manufactured their own versions of bass guitars. In the 1960’s, rock music became widely popular making bass guitar a common household name.

Wood and graphite are the most common materials used to manufacture bass guitars. But each part of the bass guitar uses different types of materials like alder for the body, maple for the neck, and rosewood for the fretboard. Lacquer, wax and oil are used for the finishing of the bass guitar. Bass guitars are usually flat or curved. Some bass guitars appear to be headless with the tuning machines in the bridge. More expensive types of bass guitars and acoustic bass guitars are usually made of ovangkol, wenge, or ebony.

Electric guitars and bass guitars have similar amplification functions. To connect an amplifier to a speaker, a patch cord is used. Most electric bassists use a combo amplifier, with the amplifier and the speaker in one cabinet.

Musicians who regard playing instruments and creating music as a real career path spend a great deal of their time and effort in practicing and improving their talents on playing the bass guitar. Plucking techniques differ with each guitarist; pizzicato style would be when the strings are plucked with the fingers. James Jamerson played his “The Hook,” a style of plucking that only involved his index finger.

Several musicians from different genres use the slap and pop style of plucking. Funk uses tones and percussive sounds by slapping a string with the thumb and snapping the strings with the index or middle fingers. Rock and Fusion also use this method and this was popular all throughout the 80’s and 90’s.

When a guitarist wants to speed up his play, picks or plectrums is used to make the strumming more articulate and sound perfect and distinct. Picks for bass guitars are thicker and heavier because of its heavier strings.

There are several different bass guitars and amplifiers you can choose from. You can single handedly search online for the best types and even find several accoutrements you might be interested in.

About the Author

For more information on Bass Guitars and Amplifiers please visit Bass Guitar Amps

Peavey Audition Electric Guitar Practice Amplifier $49.99 Peavey Audition Electric Guitar Practice Amplifier

Kustom Dart 10Fx Combo Practice Guitar Amplifier $89.99 Kustom Dart 10FX Combo Practice Guitar Amplifier

Amplifier $12.49 Amplifier

Randall Minion Series 15W Practice Amplifier $69.99 This practice amplifier features a 6-1/2" Jaguar speaker and 15 watts of power for loud sound when you need it. The volume control and headphone output let you also practice quietly.

Randall Minion Series 10W Practice Amplifier $59.99 This practice amplifier features treble and bass EQ controls to customize your tone and a headphone output to allow private rehearsal. The 5" Jaguar speaker provides powerful sound when you need it.

Eden Metromix Series 15W Multipurpose Amplifier $139.99 This multipurpose amplifier features a 15-watt amplifier and 8" coaxial speaker for powerful sound. The dual headphone outputs are ideal for quiet practice.

Behringer Thunderbird 15W Bass Amplifier $108.99 This bass amplifier features retro bass tones for a distinctive sound and an 8" Bugera speaker for strong output. The headphone jack enables private practice sessions.

Marshall MG Series 10W Combo Guitar Amplifier $69.99 This 10-watt amplifier features a 2-channel design for custom sound. A headphone jack allows private practice.

Behringer Virtube 100W Guitar Amplifier $217.99 This guitar amplifier features a digital FX processor for adding chorus, delay and flanger effects to your tone and a dual footswitch that lets you activate the FX without missing a beat. The headphone jack allows you to practice in private.

Behringer Ultratone 15W Keyboard Amplifier $75.99 This keyboard amplifier features VTC (Virtual Tube Circuitry) that delivers distinctive, tube-like tone and a 3-band EQ for shaping a custom sound. The headphone output enables private practice sessions.

Behringer Ultrabass 15W Bass Amplifier $75.99 This bass amplifier features VTC (Virtual Tube Circuitry) for distinctive sound and a dedicated 4-band EQ for customizing your tone. The headphone output enables private practice sessions.

Kustom KG Series 10W Combo Guitar Amplifier $59.99 This combo amplifier features a tone control and a gain switch to help you achieve a distinctive sound and a headphone jack that lets you practice late into the night.

Kustom KXB Series 10W Combo Bass Amplifier $69.99 Practice in private with this combo bass amplifier that features a headphone jack and an auxiliary input, so you can plug in a CD or MP3 player and play along.

Kustom KG Series 100W Amplifier Head $199.99 This guitar amplifier head features digital effects and EQ controls that allow you to customize your tone and a headphone jack that enables you to practice without a speaker.

Guitar Chord CG-10 Home Practice Guitar Amplifier with EQ $54.9 The Chord CG-10 is a compact guitar amplifier that's perfect for use at home and for practicing. With small dimensions, lightweight, and a mobile design it allows you to easily transport the amplifier to music school or to the rehearsal room. The option to connect headphones ensures that you won't disturb the rest of the house or the neighbors when playing. An integrated 3-band equalizer and switchable overdrive allow for a truly rocking experience!

Alesis TransActive Drummer Amplifier $249 The Alesis TransActive Drummer is the amplifier designed for today's electronic drummer. This complete, active speaker system contains a powerful, active two-way speaker wedge with two sets of inputs, stereo outputs, and a dock for iPod. It's perfect for practicing alone or playing with a band. Because it's a full-range amplifier, the TransActive Drummer is also great for use with other instruments such as keyboards. You can use it for practice, amplification at the gig, or as a foldback monitor wedge. Transporting the TransActive Drummer amplifier system is easy because it has pro-grade handles recessed into the left and right sides. It has a switchable power supply so it works anywhere in the world. Inputs and Outputs The TransActive Drummer enables you to connect your electronic drum set, as well as an aux source such as a metronome or sequencer. The dock for iPod enables you to mix and play along with your music. You can link two TransActive Drummers together with a common 1/4" TRS cable for stereo performance with double the inputs and double the power. The amp also has line-level 1/4" stereo outputs so you can connect it to a PA system or record your sessions. The front panel gives you access to volume, three-band EQ, level control for iPod, and a 1/4" headphone jack. When connected, headphones mute the speaker for late-night jamming without bothering the neighbors. Speaker System The TransActive Drummer has a large, 10" woofer that plays down below most kick drums, and a 1" tweeter that makes cymbal sounds sparkle. The amplifier provides 50W RMS so you'll always have plenty of power. When you link two Alesis TransActive Drummers together for stereo performance, you get a 100-watt system that's ready to take on any guitarist's rig.Single-box complete practice-amp wedge system for practicing and monitoring your drums Dock for iPod with level control Stereo pair of 1/4" inputs Aux RCA stereo input Stereo Link enables connection of two units for double the power Powerful 50W amplifier Two-way design, 10"/1" Built-in handles for easy transport Switchable power supply for worldwide operation Comes with 10 free drumless-track downloads from minusDrums.com Includes: TransActive Solo amplifier EC power cable Quick start guide

Alesis Transactive Drummer Amplifier $198.98 The Alesis TransActive Drummer is the amplifier designed for today's electronic drummer. This complete, active speaker system contains a powerful, active two-way speaker wedge with two sets of inputs, stereo outputs, and a dock for iPod. It's perfect for practicing alone or playing with a band. Because it's a full-range amplifier, the TransActive Drummer is also great for use with other instruments such as keyboards. You can use it for practice, amplification at the gig, or as a foldback monitor wedge. Transporting the TransActive Drummer amplifier system is easy because it has pro-grade handles recessed into the left and right sides. It has a switchable power supply so it works anywhere in the world. Inputs and Outputs The TransActive Drummer enables you to connect your electronic drum set, as well as an aux source such as a metronome or sequencer. The dock for iPod enables you to mix and play along with your music. You can link two TransActive Drummers together with a common 1/4" TRS cable for stereo performance with double the inputs and double the power. The amp also has line-level 1/4" stereo outputs so you can connect it to a PA system or record your sessions. The front panel gives you access to volume, three-band EQ, level control for iPod, and a 1/4" headphone jack. When connected, headphones mute the speaker for late-night jamming without bothering the neighbors. Speaker System The TransActive Drummer has a large, 10" woofer that plays down below most kick drums, and a 1" tweeter that makes cymbal sounds sparkle. The amplifier provides 50W RMS so you'll always have plenty of power. When you link two Alesis TransActive Drummers together for stereo performance, you get a 100-watt system that's ready to take on any guitarist's rig.Single-box complete practice-amp wedge system for practicing and monitoring your drums Dock for iPod with level control Stereo pair of 1/4" inputs Aux RCA stereo input Stereo Link enables connection of two units for double the power Powerful 50W amplifier Two-way design, 10"/1" Built-in handles for easy transport Switchable power supply for worldwide operation Comes with 10 free drumless-track downloads from minusDrums.com Includes: TransActive Solo amplifier EC power cable Quick start guide

Wood Violins Electric Violin Amplifier $149 The Wood Violins dedicated electric violin amplifier, customized and developed by Mark Wood, is perfect for practice or performance. This custom-voiced amp features 2-band EQ with bass and treble control, a distortion channel (that goes to 11!), variable delay with level control, and a headphone output.

Rocktron Rampage 10W Combo Bass Amplifier $69.99 This combo bass amplifier features a lightweight and portable design that is ideal for practice or for warming up before a gig. The 1/4" headphone jack and 1/8" auxiliary input provide enhanced connectivity.

Rocktron V15 Velocity 15W Combo Guitar Amplifier $99.99 This guitar amplifier features clean and distortion channels with separate level controls for customized tone. The 6-1/2" speaker and 15 watts of power provide loud sound for practice or rehearsals.

Behringer Ultrabass Workstation 90W Bass Amplifier $184.99 This bass amplifier features 90 watts of power to produce strong bass tones and a 12" high-impact cone speaker that projects your sound throughout a room. The headphone output enables private practice sessions.

Behringer Ultrabass 180W Bass Amplifier Head $142.99 This amplifier head features an Ultrabass subharmonics processor that produces powerful bass sound and a musical limiter that lets you turn up the volume without distortion. The headphone output enables private practice sessions.

Randall Kirk Hammett 75W Combo Amplifier $449.99 This 75W amplifier combines several of Kirk Hammett's signature sounds, including clean, rhythm and lead tones, and places them into a compact combo setup that is ideal for practice or studio use.

Roland CUBE XL Series 15W Guitar Amplifier $99.99 Take your guitar on the road with this guitar amplifier that features a portable design that makes it easy to transport to gigs or practice sessions and Power Squeezer for maximum gain at low volume.

Used Peavey Audition Electric Guitar Practice Amplifier $41.72 Peavey's exclusive, patented TransTube technology emulates the sound of tube amplifiers with the convenience and reliability of solid-state design. The TransTube preamp tailors the gain level for the desired amount of drive, and the power amp responds to the preamp with natural compression that increases with the amp's volume. The result is a line of amplifiers with widely ranging dynamics and natural grit like a tube amp.TransTube technology comes after several years of research and development, during which Peavey engineers studied every aspect of tube amp design and performance, from their gain structures and speaker cabinet voicings to clipping points, damping factors and power outputs.7 watts into 8 ohms4" heavy duty speakerTransTube tube emulation circuitryMaster Volume controlClean and Lead channel switchTwo-band passive EQHeadphone jack

Marshall Mini Stack Series 1-Watt Practice Amplifier - Vintage $44.99 This practice amp features switchable clean and overdrive modes with a single tone control for a wide selection of guitar tones. The small size and battery-powered design allow for simple portability.

Audio Power Amplifier Design Handbook $64.95 This book is the essential reference for audio power amplifier designers and engineers. Author Douglas Self covers all the issues of distortion and linearity, power supplies, protection, reliability and layout. He also tackles unusual forms of compensation and unexpected sources of distortion such as capacitors and fuses. This much expanded and updated Fifth Edition includes four NEW chapters, one of them dedicated to the XD crossover-displacement principle, invented by the author, and used by Cambridge Audio. The book has a wealth of new material on four-stage amplifier architectures, current-mirrors, power transistors with internal sensing diodes, amplifier bridging, subtle distortion mechanisms, input stage common-mode distortion, double input stages, amplifier stability, output stages with gain, transformers and hum fields, inrush current suppression, DC servo design, thermal protection, the subtleties of cooling fan control, advanced line input stages, ultra-low-noise design, high and low-pass filtering, testing and safety, infra-red control, signal activation, 12V trigger, level indication and much more. There is significantly expanded material on professional power amplifiers as used in sound reinforcement and PA applications. This book is a must-have for audio power amplifier professionals and audiophiles, amateur constructors and anyone with intellectual curiosity about the struggle towards technical excellence. *Provides everything you want to know in one volume, offering an essential guide to design principals and practice *Includes numerous graphs and an easy to read layout to illustrate points and aid complete understanding. *Includes the author's own amplifier designs for readers to build upon and adapt

Practice $9.49 Practice

Alesis TransActive Drummer Amplifier 889406265363 $104.58 The Alesis TransActive Drummer is the amplifier designed for today's electronic drummer. This complete, active speaker system contains a powerful, active two-way speaker wedge with two sets of inputs, stereo outputs, and a dock for iPod. It's perfect for practicing alone or playing with a band. Because it's a full-range amplifier, the TransActive Drummer is also great for use with other instruments such as keyboards. You can use it for practice, amplification at the gig, or as a foldback monitor wedge. Transporting the TransActive Drummer amplifier system is easy because it has pro-grade handles recessed into the left and right sides. It has a switchable power supply so it works anywhere in the world. Inputs and Outputs The TransActive Drummer enables you to connect your electronic drum set, as well as an aux source such as a metronome or sequencer. The dock for iPod enables you to mix and play along with your music. You can link two TransActive Drummers together with a common 1/4" TRS cable for stereo performance with double the inputs and double the power. The amp also has line-level 1/4" stereo outputs so you can connect it to a PA system or record your sessions. The front panel gives you access to volume, three-band EQ, level control for iPod, and a 1/4" headphone jack. When connected, headphones mute the speaker for late-night jamming without bothering the neighbors. Speaker System The TransActive Drummer has a large, 10" woofer that plays down below most kick drums, and a 1" tweeter that makes cymbal sounds sparkle. The amplifier provides 50W RMS so you'll always have plenty of power. When you link two Alesis TransActive Drummers together for stereo performance, you get a 100-watt system that's ready to take on any guitarist's rig.Single-box complete practice-amp wedge system for practicing and monitoring your drums Dock for iPod with level control Stereo pair of 1/4" inputs Aux RCA stereo input Stereo Link enables connection of two units for double the power Powerful 50W amplifier Two-way design, 10"/1" Built-in handles for easy transport Switchable power supply for worldwide operation Comes with 10 free drumless-track downloads from minusDrums.com Includes: TransActive Solo amplifier EC power cable Quick start guide