Do not buy a bass amp that has a speaker smaller than 10 inches in diameter. Don’t do it. Forget about being loud enough to play in a band–it will not faithfully reproduce the sound of the instrument at any volume. They’re toys. You should avoid them. If I were in charge of the world I would forbid their manufacture and sale by decree and also provide free mental health support groups to all persons who have ever used one. If you can’t afford a proper amp, maybe look into a headphone amp.

On the flip side, a combo amp with a 10″ speaker has a fighting chance of sounding good when you practice alone. But it still isn’t going get you drum kit loud. And maybe that’s ok for you or for the circumstances where you intend to use it.

But I have a rule I try very hard to stick by: don’t buy anything you can’t gig. For me that’s going to mean at least a 12″ speaker and a couple hundred watts. For others it can be double that or more. A lot depends on the kind of music you play and where you play it.

“But, Scott,” I hear you say. “I will never, ever play with others and therefore do not need that much amplifier!” Here’s what I say to that. No matter how much you swear you will never do this, one day you will. And on that day, when you realize your amp doesn’t cut it, you will shake your fists at the sky and ask yourself why oh why didn’t I listen to that guy on Broke-Ass Guitars? But it will be too late. Your jam session is ruined. All is lost.

So don’t let this happen to you! Buy a gigable amp, even if it’s a small one. Get it used and save some money.