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Adding a cabinet to a Fender Rumble 200

#21
G-Dog said:
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Mitty, do you consider the 25"x23"x14.5" Rumble 115 to be "the matching cab" for the 23"x19"x14" Rumble 200 combo? Although not the same (matching) overall dimensions, they do have the same exact speakers.​
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Mitty, does that mean you disagree with the tonal benefits of the speaker coupling effect for stacked identical speakers I've been referencing? Or did you mean something like, "there is no such thing as any [different] speaker size being better tonally than [matching the one you already have]"? That seems to work better with your first paragraph about matching cabs.
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If they both have the same speakers, yeah.

What I meant about the tone from certain speaker sizes...10" speakers don't sound better or worse than 12", or 15" speakers. It depends on how they work in the cabinets designed for them specifically. While many will say they like one size better than another, in a blind test one can't really tell what size the speakers are in the cab based on tone.

I always read where people say they prefer the sound of 10's (or 12's/15's) better. That actually means nothing other than perhaps the tone they like might have been with 210 cabs in the past, even though if they did a blind test, they may very well be listening to a cab with a 15" in it. Or they believe 15's go lower, etc...again not always.

I used to design/build cabs...Those kinds of comments are really just them listening with their eyes.

And typically, the dispersion of mids are always better with matching speakers/cabs. 210 cabs that are identical in every way, except in one cab the 10's are vertically aligned where in the other, they are diagonally aligned, the mids will sound better in the vertical alignment.
 
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#22
M-Mittlesteadt said:
If they both have the same speakers, yeah. ... ... ... .
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Ah! Good.​

M-Mittlesteadt said:
... ... I always read where people say they prefer the sound of 10's (or 12's/15's) better. That actually means nothing other than perhaps the tone they like might have been with 210 cabs in the past, even though if they did a blind test, they may very well be listening to a cab with a 15" in it. Or they believe 15's go lower, etc...again not always.

I used to design/build cabs...Those kinds of comments are really just them listening with their eyes. ... ...
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Yes! I used to be a 15" snob. And, having begun playing in the '60s, I felt it was was due to actual experience (maybe). But, when I played my 5-string bass thru my new 2x10" Rumble 500, that rich punchy low B changed my mind about modern speaker sizes having much difference.​

M-Mittlesteadt said:
... ... And typically, the dispersion of mids are always better with matching speakers/cabs. 210 cabs that are identical in every way, except in one cab the 10's are vertically aligned where in the other, they are diagonally aligned, the mids will sound better in the vertical alignment.
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So, I take it you agree with the effects of speaker coupling. 👍​
 
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#24
I found a Fender Rumble 200 used like new for cheap of of FB marketplace a few years back, with a cover also. About a week later I found a 115 cab used also in like new condition with a cover also, great deal. I've been using them ever since.
I don't think you'd go wrong with a 210 and the cab size matches the combo exactly, but the 2x15 sounds great, at least to my ears.
It's pretty loud and I've never needed more volume on stage.
 
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#26
RitterSport said:
I have a Fender Rumble 200. I don't think I need more than that, but if I did need more power (mwa-ha-ha!), I'm hoping to understand the options better. My understanding is that the Rumble 200 really operates below 200w unless you connect an external cabinet. As far as I understand it, my options are:
1. Another Rumble 200, connected through the FX loop? Is there a downside to this if I can find it cheaply used?
2. A Rumble 210 cabinet
3. A Rumble 115 cabinet
4. What about third party cabinets? What specs should I look for? Can I get something cheaper/better than the Fender cabinets?
5. Sell the 200 and get a 500?

I'm going to check with the band leader and sound guy to see if what I'm bringing is already enough. My thinking is that if I need more, chances are there will be a house sound system that I would plug into.
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Add another R200C in stacked to spit out 280watts .
 
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#32
RitterSport said:
I don't know if you all can see Facebook Marketplace listings, but this is a Rumble 200 with a broken circuit board for $80(!). Would that work as an external speaker, using the FX loop?

Facebook

www.facebook.com www.facebook.com
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Depends on what's broken. If the power section is OK it will work from the FX loop, essentially as a powered cab. If the power section is broken, you may disconnect the amp altogether and mod it to work as a passive cab only.
 
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#38
I wouldn't trust an amp that has a partial failure even if the power amp seems still to be OK. Unless you can be very sure why it failed you don't know what else might be going on. There isn't really any advantage to using the power amp as opposed to removing all the electronics and using it as a passive cab as discussed in the other thread, so all you would be doing is adding complication and extra risk of failure.
 
#39
JimChjones said:
I wouldn't trust an amp that has a partial failure even if the power amp seems still to be OK. Unless you can be very sure why it failed you don't know what else might be going on. There isn't really any advantage to using the power amp as opposed to removing all the electronics and using it as a passive cab as discussed in the other thread, so all you would be doing is adding complication and extra risk of failure.
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Yeah, I think that's the plan at this point. The power amp is not OK anyway.
 

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