Tube amplified below $500

If you can stretch your budget to $649, the Jolida FX10 is quite good.

http://www.amazon.com/Jolida-Audio-Integrated-Tube-Silver/dp/B00851KR9U/

 

Here's a used FX10 for $499 or best offer:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Jolida-FX-10-Integrated-Amplifier-/321667721452

 

Bass amps can go in the thousands.

 

Spot on! Speaker placement and the right room are the key to great sound.

 

Another thing, Diptom.The "subwoofer crawl" has done miracles to my living room sound. That and a small cartridge upgrade, all with a solid state amp and direct drive TT.

You really don't need to empty out your bank account.

 

So can guitar amps. In fact, while basic bass rigs are more expensive than basic guitar ones, the really stupid money is nearly absent from the bass amp world. There is no Dumble or Trainwreck in the bass world, so to speak.

But when a combo or standard stack doesn't do, bass players get into their own full mini-PA rigs with preamps, power amps and speakers that can get very big and very expensive, but aside from the bass preamp itself and any effects or power supplies, none of that is specifically made as a bass guitar MI product.

 

How about a vintage used amp? Buy a Magnavox or Silvertone console amp from ebay for around 100. Take it to a good tech for 100-150 and nothing under 500 will come close.

 

I've been very happy with my Musical Paradise mp301 with Zu Omens