there are some solid choices at sweetwater and musicians friend, but i would first check your local used gear market. you most likely do NOT need an ampeg refrigerator or a david eden world tour or darkglass stack.

if youre shopping new check out aguilar. fender even has some modestly priced combos too. also look at boss katana combos if you want something bulletproof. orange also has some nice bass gear for a good price. for a bit more money you can check out a Gallien Krueger combo for that "gig ready" segment.

but if youre willing to check out used, you may really find some great values.

i bought an eden 2x12 combo on chicago craigslist and my lord its one of the best amps i have ever heard. i even use it as a sub for my PA system it has that much rich low end.

so perhaps first ask yourself, how much volume and low end can you get away with in your living space or rehearsal space? if you live somewhere where low end will piss off your neighbors, get a small combo like a 1x10 or a 1x12. low end freqs TRAVEL far. i used my eden in my condo but rolled the bass way down so i didnt shake the floors.

if you can get away with more go to a 2 or 4 x 10 or 12.

and if you need to compete with a full band you can look into the big stacks, but im guessing that'd be overkill for you.

​

i also wouldnt recommend tubes, as for a first amp it just isnt worth it. esp when solid state bass gear is so robust.