page_title: Bass amplifier
section_title: Solid state amplification
hierarchical_section_title: Bass amplifier / Amplifier technology / Solid state amplification
caption_attribution_description: Ben's Bass Rig ....R.I.P....easy come easy go. Got a great deal on the 8x10, but had to let it go. Still have the Peavey, always will, indestructable. Peavey Bass Amp Head Ampeg SVT-810 Classic series Speaker Cabinet
context_page_description: A bass amplifier or "bass amp" is a musical instrument electronic device that uses electrical power to make lower-pitched instruments such as the bass guitar or double bass loud enough to be heard by the performers and audience. Bass amps typically consist of a preamplifier, tone controls, a power amplifier and one or more loudspeakers in a cabinet.
  While bass amps share many features with the guitar amplifiers used for electric guitar, they 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 size and design of the speaker cabinet and the design of the preamplifier and amplifier. Speaker cabinets for bass amps usually incorporate larger loudspeakers or more speakers and larger cabinet sizes than those used for the amplification of other instruments. The loudspeakers themselves must also be sturdier to handle the higher power levels and they must be capable of reproducing very low pitches at high sound pressure levels.
context_section_description: By the 1960s and 1970s, semiconductor or transistor-based amplifiers (also called "solid state") began to become popular. This was in large part because for a given wattage level and feature level, solid state amplifiers are less expensive, lighter weight, and require less maintenance than tube amplifiers. As well, transistor amplifiers are more reliable and less fragile than tube amps. 
  The output transistors of solid state amplifiers can be passively cooled by using metal fins called heat sinks to radiate away the heat. For high-wattage amplifiers, a fan is often used to move air across internal heatsinks.
caption: A Peavey bass amp head with an Ampeg 8x10" speaker cabinet.
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