The MXR Thump Bass Preamp is an MXR preamp pedal, currently around $138.66. Close alternatives include the Mesa/Boogie Subway Bass DI Preamp II and the Palmer Pocket AMP Bass. It pairs well with the J. Rockett Archer and the Xotic RC Booster.
MXR Thump Bass Preamp
MXR · pedal
The MXR Thump Bass Preamp is a bass preamp and DI pedal from MXR (Dunlop), delivering comprehensive bass amplification with a 6-band EQ, High Pass Filter, XLR DI output, and headphone output for complete bass stage and recording preamp performance. The Thump covers all bass player preamp needs from frequency shaping through direct recording at MXR quality.
What stands out
“The MXR Thump delivers comprehensive bass preamp with 6-band EQ, HPF, and DI at MXR Dunlop quality for bass players who need a complete bass stage preamp from a trusted manufacturer”
— from the community notes
“Its standout strength is the comprehensive bass preamp with 6-band EQ, HPF, and XLR DI at MXR Dunlop quality”
— from the community notes
“The Thump covers all bass player preamp needs from frequency shaping through direct recording at MXR quality”
— from the listing
“Its standout weakness is the MXR pricing”
— from the community notes
“The MXR Thump Bass Preamp is a bass preamp and DI pedal from MXR (Dunlop), delivering comprehensive bass amplification with a 6-band EQ, High Pass Filter, XLR DI output, and headphone output for complete bass stage and recording preamp perf…”
— from the listing
Trade-offs
“Comprehensive bass stage and recording solution”
— from the reviews
- bass
- xlr
- di
- filter
- high pass
- headphone
- direct recording
Good for
- Live
- Silent Recording
- Silent Stage
- Studio
Price updated Oct 23, 2026
Genres the MXR Thump Bass Preamp is commonly used in
- Alternative Rock
- Acoustic
cited
Inferred from shared tonal signals, not a stated genre tag.
Pedals that stack with the MXR Thump Bass Preamp
J. Rockett Archer
pedal
8% matchJ. Rockett Archer's own high headroom character is the real reason this is worth trying
Comes earlier in the signal chain
Xotic RC Booster
Xotic
8% matchXotic RC Booster's own transparent character is the real reason this is worth trying
Comes earlier in the signal chain
Caroline Guitar Company Somersault
Caroline Guitar Company
6% matchPut Caroline Guitar Company Somersault after MXR Thump Bass Preamp in the signal chain, clear of MXR Thump Bass Preamp's own gain stage
Comes earlier in the signal chain
Ashdown Studio Compressor
Ashdown
6% matchAshdown Studio Compressor's own compressed character is the real reason this is worth trying
Comes earlier in the signal chain
Boss DD-7 Digital Delay
Boss
5% matchKeep Boss DD-7 Digital Delay after MXR Thump Bass Preamp in the signal chain, clear of MXR Thump Bass Preamp's own gain stage — goes in the amp's FX loop (or last, into a clean amp)
Comes later in the signal chain
Boss DM-2 Delay
Boss
5% matchRun Boss DM-2 Delay after MXR Thump Bass Preamp in the signal chain, clear of MXR Thump Bass Preamp's own gain stage — goes in the amp's FX loop (or last, into a clean amp)
Comes later in the signal chain
Matthews Effects The Pocket Drive Overdrive Boost
Matthews Effects
tonal matchComes earlier in the signal chain
Put Matthews Effects The Pocket Drive Overdrive Boost in front of MXR Thump Bass Preamp
MXR CAE Wah
MXR
tonal matchComes earlier in the signal chain
MXR CAE Wah goes in front of MXR Thump Bass Preamp — a wah tracks picking dynamics best on the raw signal
Cheaper alternatives
Demon FX Microtube D7K "Bass" Preamp
Demon Fx
64% similarityShared character: filter, bass
Electro-Harmonix Battalion Bass Preamp/DI
Electro-Harmonix
59% similarityShared character: bass, stage
Demon FX Bear PAW Analog Bass Preamp
Demon Fx
51% similarityShared character: alternative, bass
Sadowsky SBP-2 Bass Preamp
Sadowsky
49% similarityShared character: bass
One Control Sonic Silver PEG Bass Pre-amp
One Control
47% similarityShared character: bass
Ampeg Classic Analog Bass Preamp pedal
Ampeg
42% similarityShared character: bass
Boutique & premium upgrades
Similar charactersee all similar tone character →
Mesa/Boogie Subway Bass DI Preamp II
Mesa Boogie
66% similarityShared character: filter, bass, stage
Palmer Pocket AMP Bass
Palmer
59% similarityShared character: bass
Hotone B Station
Hotone
58% similarityShared character: bass, stage
Markbass MB Instrument PRE
Markbass
50% similarityShared character: alternative, bass
Laney Digbeth DB-Pre
Laney
50% similarityShared character: bass, stage
Sadowsky SBP-1 Bass Preamp/DI
Sadowsky
46% similarityShared character: bass
See all alternatives to the MXR Thump Bass Preamp (cheaper + boutique) →
Questions people ask
What are good alternatives to the MXR Thump Bass Preamp?+
The closest matches in character are the Mesa/Boogie Subway Bass DI Preamp II, the Palmer Pocket AMP Bass, the Hotone B Station. Budget picks: Demon FX Microtube D7K "Bass" Preamp, Electro-Harmonix Battalion Bass Preamp/DI, Demon FX Bear PAW Analog Bass Preamp. Boutique upgrades: Walrus Audio Mantle Analog Bass Pre-Amp/DI, Ashdown MAS GZR-Pod.
What pairs well with the MXR Thump Bass Preamp?+
Strong matches from rig and tone-complementarity evidence: J. Rockett Archer, Xotic RC Booster, Caroline Guitar Company Somersault — J. Rockett Archer's own high headroom character is the real reason this is worth trying.
How much does the MXR Thump Bass Preamp cost?+
Around $138.66 (live listing price, updated Oct 23, 2026).