Tried several of micro-smallish heads today/Rumble 150 head is LOUD

[pudgychef]

Went up to Steve's Music in Toronto and ran several heads through an 8ohm Bag End S15 I am trying to find a mate for

Ampeg PF 350 + 500
SWR Headlite
Fender Rumble 150
Ampeg Micro VR
Eden M300 (i think it was called - their lower end model)

To be honest I think any of them would work just fine. Really liked the tone of the PF500 and SWR (although very different....both were very good)

The most surprising thing was the volume out of that little Fender Rumble 150 (which I only tried for a lark) - I have used the 150/350 combos at rehearsal and a couple small bar gigs so I new they weren't AWFUL (it and the Eden were the least impressive tonally..mind you both are totally fine for any bar gig any day all=imho) but wow...even at 8ohm (so what 80-100w) it was as loud as the PF500.. same player, same cab and bass....like the clerk and I doing a unison double take kind of loud...

SO if you need a really cheap, loud, not bad sounding, sort of small, pretty light head- put it on your list

[seamonkey]

No doubt the Fender rumble should be one choice a player should look at.

But just trying in a store doesn't count. Volume knobs aren't calibrated. And you have no point of reference with a band or venue. Trying it out for a month or run some measured tests. i.e. with a meter. I can't see how the rumble could keep up with a PF500 in real life.

[pudgychef]

Originally Posted by seamonkey

No doubt the Fender rumble should be one choice a player should look at.

But just trying in a store doesn't count. Volume knobs aren't calibrated. And you have no point of reference with a band or venue. Trying it out for a month or run some measured tests. i.e. with a meter. I can't see how the rumble could keep up with a PF500 in real life.

oh for sure - it was just just shockingly loud in that specific situation.

The PF500 was much sweeter imho.

[60bass]

Originally Posted by pudgychef

Went up to Steve's Music in Toronto and ran several heads through an 8ohm Bag End S15 I am trying to find a mate for

Ampeg PF 350 + 500
SWR Headlite
Fender Rumble 150
Ampeg Micro VR
Eden M300 (i think it was called - their lower end model)

To be honest I think any of them would work just fine. Really liked the tone of the PF500 and SWR (although very different....both were very good)

The most surprising thing was the volume out of that little Fender Rumble 150 (which I only tried for a lark) - I have used the 150/350 combos at rehearsal and a couple small bar gigs so I new they weren't AWFUL (it and the Eden were the least impressive tonally..mind you both are totally fine for any bar gig any day all=imho) but wow...even at 8ohm (so what 80-100w) it was as loud as the PF500.. same player, same cab and bass....like the clerk and I doing a unison double take kind of loud...

SO if you need a really cheap, loud, not bad sounding, sort of small, pretty light head- put it on your list

I owned the 100 watt combo and to me that thing sounded almost exactly like the old SUNN Concert Bass head I used to own. Those Sunn heads were rated at 150 watts and kicked major butt through a 215 cab. Wouldn't surprise me to find the Rumble 150 schematic is very similar to the Sunn Concert Bass.

Keep Low