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Ampeg Rocket Bass Combos

#181
Somebody mentioned the preamp might be the same as the corresponding BA preamp.

Listening to the youtube clips, the SGT circuit sounds different than my scrambler circuit. So there are likely changes to the preamp section. I know youtube is lousy for making these types of comparisons, but I've not made to to a LGS yet.

So far, I favor the SGT over my scrambler which I never really liked. Seems more versatile.

I would prefer a Speakon over the 1/4" jack for the extension cab.
 
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#189
6stringtheorist said:
It sounds like the RB-210 has the full 500 watts in the combo as it should be. I think its misleading for a company to advertise an amp as having say a '300 watt' power rating for instance and then in the fine print it says 'with an extension cab' you get the full output - fender hartke peevey they have all done that doesn't seem right to me . . . .
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I'm not sure about that because is has the output jack for an extension. My guess is it's around 300w internally, which is plenty of power for a 210. That would make it like the Rumble 500/210. I had to send an email (after tons of searching) to get the 8 ohm rating on the Ashdown 300w micro-head. They answered 180w.
 
#190
jeff7bass said:
I'm not sure about that because is has the output jack for an extension. My guess is it's around 300w internally, which is plenty of power for a 210. That would make it like the Rumble 500/210. I had to send an email (after tons of searching) to get the 8 ohm rating on the Ashdown 300w micro-head. They answered 180w.
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Makes no sense. If they sell as a 500 Watt combo amp, the 210's should be able to handle 500 watts.
 
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#192
jeff7bass said:
I'm not sure about that because is has the output jack for an extension. My guess is it's around 300w internally, which is plenty of power for a 210. That would make it like the Rumble 500/210. I had to send an email (after tons of searching) to get the 8 ohm rating on the Ashdown 300w micro-head. They answered 180w.
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I've tried to be respectful while still honest on TB and in my Life.....and it's very difficult at times. :woot: Most of the BIG M.I. Manufacturers have Design Departments, Manufacturing Departments and Marketing Departments. Like Used Car Salesmen MANY Companies will tell you what their Customer wants to hear...and not a Word more. You'll FEEL better thinking you just bought a 300 watt amp than you will Knowing that you just bought a 180 watt amp. It's quite similar to getting behind the wheel of your New Car and the Speedometer goes up to 150 M.P.H. You suddenly get a wicked rush of dopamine and you haven't started the Car yet. Will it go 150 MPH? Maybe. Will you? Highly unlikely. ;):)

I've often used the Comparison that if I Worked at Dunkin' Donuts, chances are Excellent that I'd never eat another Donut. My Sincere advice to "M.I. Consumers" is simple.......Pay no attention to the Man-ufacturer behind the Curtain. Don't Support SuperStores whose Staff changes Weekly and in the Real World may not even exist Next Week. (I used to have to train them). The Second Tier "Indie Dealers", Big - but they still remember your name and what gear you use - are Fabulous for a Reason, ....and, most important by Far.... Purchase Gear that brings you Joy. The Numbers don't matter. Your Happiness Does. :) RB


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#194
shoot-r said:
REALLY like the cosmetics of these combos.
Want to hear em'.
I thought the early B50 and B100 combos were the best combos Ampeg ever produced.

I just hope Yamaha/Ampeg isn't just loading an amp in to a PF cabinet.
The PF115HE cab I had, had to be rebuilt by me cause it rattled at all volume levels to a point it was useless on a live gig.
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The Rumble 500 combo I has felt/ sounded like it'd burst at the seams when the volume got up too. Didn't rattle at medium volume like the PF115HE I had did, but I could make it start farting pretty easily.
So, that's with 'just' the 250w into the internal speakers.
When I added an external 8 ohm cab, things (obviously) got louder and I noticed any 'cab splitting ' far less.

Perhaps the Rumble 500C wouldn't have come apart at the seams, and it's lightweight added to this feeling.

Will these RB combos be similar?
 
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#195
rodl2005 said:
The Rumble 500 combo I has felt/ sounded like it'd burst at the seams when the volume got up too. Didn't rattle at medium volume like the PF115HE I had did, but I could make it start farting pretty easily.
So, that's with 'just' the 250w into the internal speakers.
When I added an external 8 ohm cab, things (obviously) got louder and I noticed any 'cab splitting ' far less.

Perhaps the Rumble 500C wouldn't have come apart at the seams, and it's lightweight added to this feeling.

Will these RB combos be similar?
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Just out of curiosity... what are you using for a bass? Active or passive?
 
#196
Treblefree said:
Makes no sense. If they sell as a 500 Watt combo amp, the 210's should be able to handle 500 watts.
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Not only does it make sense, it’s actually completely normal with heads, as well as combo amps that can take an extension cab. They put out one level of power at 8 ohms and another at 4 ohms.

It’s no problem making a combo that puts out its full wattage into the built-in drivers, of course, but then you wouldn’t be able to add an extension cab. For this reason it’s usually only smaller combos that do this, as you wouldn’t need an extension cab anyway.

There are exceptions, both GK and Blackstar, for instance, have combos that put out their full power on their own, but if you want to add an extra cab it has to be a powered one.
 
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#197
JakobT said:
Not only does it make sense, it’s actually completely normal with heads, as well as combo amps that can take an extension cab. They put out one level of power at 8 ohms and another at 4 ohms.

It’s no problem making a combo that puts out its full wattage into the built-in drivers, of course, but then you wouldn’t be able to add an extension cab. For this reason it’s usually only smaller combos that do this, as you wouldn’t need an extension cab anyway.

There are exceptions, both GK and Blackstar, for instance, have combos that put out their full power on their own, but if you want to add an extra cab it has to be a powered one.
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This pretty much sums it up, but I feel the need to add something from personal experience. I owned a Blackstar Unity 500 combo (the one that apparently runs the full 500 watts on it's own) and that thing was no where near as loud as my Rumble 500 combo (with no extension). This is why I don't always trust the numbers, plus I don't always understand them :( What I do understand is this: a real 500 watts out of 2 10s aint really a thing.
 
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#198
JakobT said:
Not only does it make sense, it’s actually completely normal with heads, as well as combo amps that can take an extension cab. They put out one level of power at 8 ohms and another at 4 ohms.

It’s no problem making a combo that puts out its full wattage into the built-in drivers, of course, but then you wouldn’t be able to add an extension cab. For this reason it’s usually only smaller combos that do this, as you wouldn’t need an extension cab anyway.

There are exceptions, both GK and Blackstar, for instance, have combos that put out their full power on their own, but if you want to add an extra cab it has to be a powered one.
Click to expand...


This pretty much sums it up, but I feel the need to add something from personal experience. I owned a Blackstar Unity 500 combo (the one that apparently runs the full 500 watts on it's own) and that thing was no where near as loud as my Rumble 500 combo (with no extension). This is why I don't always trust the numbers, plus I don't always understand them :( What I do understand is this: a real 500 watts out of 2 10s aint really a thing.
 
#199
Bassdoggydogg said:
This pretty much sums it up, but I feel the need to add something from personal experience. I owned a Blackstar Unity 500 combo (the one that apparently runs the full 500 watts on it's own) and that thing was no where near as loud as my Rumble 500 combo (with no extension). This is why I don't always trust the numbers, plus I don't always understand them :( What I do understand is this: a real 500 watts out of 2 10s aint really a thing.
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I have a Rumble 500 as well, and I agree that it’s crazy loud. :)
There are many factors that determine exactly how loud an amp is, and the amount of watts is only part of the picture, not to mention the fact that different manufacturers rate their amps differently, so the numbers aren’t always directly comparable.
 
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#200
If you want a 210 combo that gracefully handles 500w RMS internally, you have to shell out the big bucks for something like the new GK Legacy or Fusion 800 series, which are 1200 - 1349 bucks respectively. The Fender Rumble 500/210 (300w internally) is only 600 bucks. That's plenty for most gigging situations for a large percentage of bassplayers. The new Ampeg RB-210 comes in at 649 bucks so it is what it is, a direct competitor for the very popular Rumble.
 
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