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Ampeg Rocket Bass Combos
- Thread starter kranahan
- Start date
Very sharp looking. Let's hear a review soon!
Being infamous for my long-winded posts, I'll keep chipping away at reviewing the RB-112, and tonight's installment is the first time plugging in my year-old MIM P-bass. Oh, mother of grace, the holy grail is upon me...well, close as I'll get tonight.
I've been using the Ampeg the past few days and nights working on songs with my best friend who came back from Ohio for the week. I figured it was a good time to begin breaking the am in, but I only used my Rogue Beetle bass being the P was in its case and out of the way of too much stuff in too small a room. Also, I was too lazy to make the swap.
We wrapped up tonight and I decided to put the room back together and that meant getting the Precision back out. Well, I had to plug in just for a moment and I'm so glad I did. wow, did that mate perfectly with the Rocket Bass amp. Now I want the 115 for gigging!
The pickups are much warmer than the Rogue's and that output increase was immediate. I've been hearing boomy bass all week, but when I began playing the P, the tone just tightened right up. Every note burst through and not only the amp's tone controls showed terrific variance when turned, tweaking the bass' tone control made for some nice tonal changes.
Here's where it got fun though. Messing with different combinations of the SGT (yes, there's an obvious difference when using a bass made for a little grind), my TCE Spectra Comp, my Ampeg SCR-DI, I came up with a fat, B-15ish sound and a convincing SVT tone with the DI's Ultra Lo engaged. I did not play along with any music to see how it'd sit in, but I'll try that with some recording tomorrow or Tuesday to assess that.
The cool thing was going right from the bass to the amp, bypassing everything else, gave that renowned warmth we seek when looking at Ampeg. So you don't have to spend any more than what you have to get a great tone out of your rig, though having a few toys only enhances it when done right. Against acoustic guitar all week, my sound blended in beautifully and more than held its own at 10:00-12:00 volume levels.
All of a sudden, my other practice/low-level jam amps are waiting in line. This is the sound I love hearing while I play and it's gonna be hard switching out. Add to that the non-weight issue, the features it offers for the price, and the fact it looks great, this was wise money spent.
If you're looking, at any of the RB line on your audition list. If you're on the fence, do some listening/playing comparisons and pick what best suits you and your needs. My opinion still holds that I think the Rocket Bass series will end up a big winner for 2021 and I'm glad I made the decision to grab the 112.
Thanks for reading!
Finally, Ampeg released the video about the RB-210 on Youtube:
I was almost decided on the 210 but now I wonder if the 100 W of the RB-112 would be enough for most of gigs (w/o PA) while being smaller and lighter than the 210 for easy carrying. Moreover, the difference in price is significant...
I was almost decided on the 210 but now I wonder if the 100 W of the RB-112 would be enough for most of gigs (w/o PA) while being smaller and lighter than the 210 for easy carrying. Moreover, the difference in price is significant...
Surprisingly with the top model RB210 tone !!!! Sound different than both RB112 and 150, meanwhile the SGT engage voice just shocking me ...... Not grind, it just sound like bad effect pedal.
Well!! RB 115 should arrive on Thursday!! That’s what the “SweetTracker” says! 
I’ve been away for a week, so catching up on posts here, reviews etc etc.
@iagtrplyr weighing in on the 112– very nice!!
No one with a 115 yet?? Am I the ONLY one who pulled the trigger on this one??
Lots of chatter about MarkBass, GK, combo dissing, combo loving, Traynor and PJB, and Mesa. whaat?? Thought this was about the Ampeg Rocket Bass line?
Here’s a shot of the Green Monster from last Monday’s game at Fenway to keep this slightly off topic. Sox won in bottom of ninth…the “Wicked Hazy IPA” was nice.
I’ve been away for a week, so catching up on posts here, reviews etc etc.
@iagtrplyr weighing in on the 112– very nice!!
No one with a 115 yet?? Am I the ONLY one who pulled the trigger on this one??
Lots of chatter about MarkBass, GK, combo dissing, combo loving, Traynor and PJB, and Mesa. whaat?? Thought this was about the Ampeg Rocket Bass line?
Here’s a shot of the Green Monster from last Monday’s game at Fenway to keep this slightly off topic. Sox won in bottom of ninth…the “Wicked Hazy IPA” was nice.
@68Tele-Bass cant wait for that review on the RB115. Make sure to post.
I've had a 115 for a bit over a week. However, I don't think I can do a competent review. I am primarily a guitar player. I originally ordered a 112 but when they got delayed I picked up a 110. I liked the 110 but I just didn't think it would be loud enough. While I primarily just play at home, I occasionally get together with friends. So I decided to exchange it for a 115. I figured that the 112 and 115 would be about the same for home use, but the 115 had more potential for playing out. It was basically a coin toss between those two.
I like the 115. At the volumes I've been playing (low), it doesn't sound much different than the 110. I didn't have both amps at the same time so I couldn't do a side-by-side comparison, but I think the 110 was a more focused sound, if that makes any sense. I haven't been able to play the 115 at volume yet other than about 5 minutes one day. I only got to about 2 o'clock before it was knocking pictures off the walls. As soon as I got the amp my schedule get very full and I haven't been able to spend much time with it. So I can't say much more about it other than that I like it.
I would expect a 110 to sound more focused as you say (well said) and more intimate. Smaller combos have their own quality other than lower cost.
Thanks for the info!! Good to have another 115er out there!!
I’ll try to do the whole unboxing thing etc etc.!
This came today…a day early!! 
Much more to follow!!
Initial great news! Young Alex (6) brought it in himself
That bodes well for the portability!!!
Much more to follow!!
Initial great news! Young Alex (6) brought it in himself
That bodes well for the portability!!!
Pics or it didn't happenThis came today…a day early!!
View attachment 4312013
Much more to follow!!
Initial great news! Young Alex (6) brought it in himself
That bodes well for the portability!!!
But seriously, hope you enjoy the amp!
Excited to hear how the 115 stacks up against the 110 and 112!This came today…a day early!!
View attachment 4312013
Much more to follow!!
Initial great news! Young Alex (6) brought it in himself
That bodes well for the portability!!!
I just brought home a 110, I have had a chance to play around with it for about an hour. I got it to replace the Peavey Minx 110 I've had as a practice amp since the 90s, so bear in mind that my experience here is based on a comparison from literally a generation ago. I tried this with both of my basses, a Fender P Bass Special and an Ibanez SR800.
First thoughts - 1) shag, this thing is LIGHT. Like, maybe half the weight of the Minx, despite having a slightly larger housing. 2) Damn this looks nice. I wasn't a fan of the Ampeg BA series look, I'm much more fond of the retro style look of this, but that's just my taste. YMMV. 3) This thing can get LOUD. I turned it up to maybe 60% of full, before realizing it would wake up my kids on the other end of the house. So I'm not actually sure how loud it can really get before it clips out, but I suspect I could hold my own with a drummer. 4) I like that the EQ knobs have a detent at the 12:00 position. I played around with EQ a bit, it seems responsive but doesn't go too far in any direction. Everything sounds pretty good at 12:00, but for a clean tone I tend to roll up the mids and highs a bit.
5) SGT is a nice feature to have. Even turned all the way down it gives a little dirt when turned on, or you can crank it way up for a really overdriven sound. I think it tends to sound better with the mids turned down and the bass boosted a bit, which means fiddling with knobs every time I want to use it. It definitely suits the P bass better than the Ibanez. 6) Aux in is a really nice feature. I use a drum loop app on my phone for practice, now I don't have to set up a separate speaker for it or just rely on the phone speaker.
I guess it's not terribly surprising that this feels like an upgrade over my 30 year old Peavey, but I'm really happy with this purchase. I bought it to be a practice amp, which it will work great for, but I think I may also use it for recording and jam sessions too.
First thoughts - 1) shag, this thing is LIGHT. Like, maybe half the weight of the Minx, despite having a slightly larger housing. 2) Damn this looks nice. I wasn't a fan of the Ampeg BA series look, I'm much more fond of the retro style look of this, but that's just my taste. YMMV. 3) This thing can get LOUD. I turned it up to maybe 60% of full, before realizing it would wake up my kids on the other end of the house. So I'm not actually sure how loud it can really get before it clips out, but I suspect I could hold my own with a drummer. 4) I like that the EQ knobs have a detent at the 12:00 position. I played around with EQ a bit, it seems responsive but doesn't go too far in any direction. Everything sounds pretty good at 12:00, but for a clean tone I tend to roll up the mids and highs a bit.
5) SGT is a nice feature to have. Even turned all the way down it gives a little dirt when turned on, or you can crank it way up for a really overdriven sound. I think it tends to sound better with the mids turned down and the bass boosted a bit, which means fiddling with knobs every time I want to use it. It definitely suits the P bass better than the Ibanez. 6) Aux in is a really nice feature. I use a drum loop app on my phone for practice, now I don't have to set up a separate speaker for it or just rely on the phone speaker.
I guess it's not terribly surprising that this feels like an upgrade over my 30 year old Peavey, but I'm really happy with this purchase. I bought it to be a practice amp, which it will work great for, but I think I may also use it for recording and jam sessions too.
Great review @Isaac_James !!
If it’s anything like a Rumble 40- (and I think it is…) it will do great for recording and jam sessions. It will even do smaller gigs!
Well, for larger gigs I usually run directly into the PA or have a mic on my speaker. This would work for that as well.
One word of caution, I noticed that the aux input's volume is not controlled by the amp master volume - it's totally dependent on the volume setting on whatever device is connected. I plugged in my metronome and forgot to turn it down and was treated to a very loud PING! Fortunately it doesn't appear to have damaged the speaker, but it was quite a surprise.
Great review, Isaac_James. And isn’t it nice that in the case you decide to direct record with it you have a built-in DI (which sounds good to my ears)?
If you’re interested, look us up at the Combo Club and post a pic with a brief description and I’ll be happy to add your name to our ever-growing roster of combo enthusiasts. Everyone’s welcome!
Should be both. Always start with the amp volume down low and the AUX device down low. Bring each up slowly. Maybe set the volume setting on the AUX device so it replicates the input of your bass. It's an active input so more care is needed.
Thanks for the heads up!!
I plan on unboxing and test drive tomorrow- I’m home with the Boyz tomorrow, so they will undoubtedly be a part of this…gotta raise ‘em right
! Same shot, but….this should be Fun!
My thoughts exactly on my 110, great review. Glad I sold my Rumble 40 for it. Sounds great with a VT pedal as well.
Can’t wait for the 210 to come in stock.
