Ampeg Rocket Bass Combos

[JimmyM]

Haha, can't beat free! Hahaha

Yeah, I do it on everything I buy. First thing I do is tighten screws. Ever since my handle came loose on a cab a while back. Come to find out, there's loose screws on just about everything. My buddy over at ernie ball told me it's very common for workers to leave them loose, because you strip a screw in the factory, and you've just ruined a product.

Snug but never overtighten...except for Straploks and neck bolts

Man, if I were still playing out I'd get myself one. They look beautiful. But Ampeg's been so good to me over the years that I'm overrun! Even sold a couple and I'm still overrun. Besides, lately it's all about my new love for the cheapo Dean 6-string banjo I got a month ago. I'll be using Ampeg with it for recording these songs I've been writing once I feel competent enough with the banjo to pull it off. I play guitar but there's still a learning curve adapting to banjo, even though they're tuned the same. 58 into my REDDI for the clean sound (not even close...micing blows away pickup sound for clean banjo), PF50T cranked hard with high and low pass filtering direct for the dirt.

Power trio. Was going to be a power duo with me on bass doing a rhythm/lead kind of thing with octavers, but then I thought it might be fun to have banjo on a couple songs and I just got a bunch of reward points from work, so I got this one. It has been a ton of work getting it into a playing shape that I actually like, but it's pretty close now. It's not for the faint of heart setting up one of these banjos from scratch, especially a cheap one, but I learned off vids on the net and the principles are basically the same as a guitar, just that everything you do affects everything else in a major way. Guitars and basses may as well be made of granite compared to a banjo.

OK, I know...no pic, no banjo...

 

[JeezyMcNuggles]

Snug but never overtighten...except for Straploks and neck bolts

Man, if I were still playing out I'd get myself one. They look beautiful. But Ampeg's been so good to me over the years that I'm overrun! Even sold a couple and I'm still overrun. Besides, lately it's all about my new love for the cheapo Dean 6-string banjo I got a month ago. I'll be using Ampeg with it for recording these songs I've been writing once I feel competent enough with the banjo to pull it off. I play guitar but there's still a learning curve adapting to banjo, even though they're tuned the same. 58 into my REDDI for the clean sound (not even close...micing blows away pickup sound for clean banjo), PF50T cranked hard with high and low pass filtering direct for the dirt.

Power trio. Was going to be a power duo with me on bass doing a rhythm/lead kind of thing with octavers, but then I thought it might be fun to have banjo on a couple songs and I just got a bunch of reward points from work, so I got this one. It has been a ton of work getting it into a playing shape that I actually like, but it's pretty close now. It's not for the faint of heart setting up one of these banjos from scratch, especially a cheap one, but I learned off vids on the net and the principles are basically the same as a guitar, just that everything you do affects everything else in a major way. Guitars and basses may as well be made of granite compared to a banjo.

OK, I know...no pic, no banjo...

View attachment 4322752

GVT for that banjo?

 

[JimmyM]

GVT for that banjo?View attachment 4322768

Too much power for me to be able to crank it hard, but I don't see why it can't work for the dirty sound if you're trying to blow people's eardrums out

But for clean sound live, I think you need a tweeter or run direct to get the most banjo-like tone out of the pickup. Not that I'll ever have to worry about it. But I have had a lot of fun with it, and I even started doing fingerstyle again, this time with picks.

 

[Wild Rice Chris]

Fun fact: the B-15 was originally designed for banjo. That's what the "B" stands for.

 

[JimmyM]

Fun fact: the B-15 was originally designed for banjo. That's what the "B" stands for.

Yep, and they also had an A-15, but banjos were way more popular than accordions in the early 60's so they stopped making the A-15's.

Thank you for remembering history so well, Chris.

 

[JeezyMcNuggles]

The SGT (Super Grit Technology) replaces the gain function. They're trying to keep it affordable to steal sails from the Rumble.

I tried the SGT...I'm not a fan. It also doesn't work as a gain knob, in the slightest.

But, I have an aftershock.

 

[JimmyM]

I tried the SGT...I'm not a fan. It also doesn't work as a gain knob, in the slightest.

But, I have an aftershock.

Killer pedal that I just couldn't gel with. Some pedals are like that.

 

[Bass]

I tried the SGT...I'm not a fan. It also doesn't work as a gain knob, in the slightest...

No, because the SGT circuit is after the pre-amp. If I understand gain correctly.

Instead of gain there are two inputs, one at 0 db and one at -15 db. Unlike the Rumble with only one input.

I guess if you want more gain you need to plug an active bass into the 0 db circuit or use a pedal.

 

[JeezyMcNuggles]

Had its first live run today in church. It's perfect. Bass down 1 knotch, mids up half a knotch, volume on 3. Big, open, all ampeg. And, it looks great!

Tone sat perfectly on stage, and all was well through the system. No hum, no volume problems, cherry.

I love it when I get the right thing the first time.

 

[iagtrplyr]

Had its first live run today in church. It's perfect. Bass down 1 knotch, mids up half a knotch, volume on 3. Big, open, all ampeg. And, it looks great!

Tone sat perfectly on stage, and all was well through the system. No hum, no volume problems, cherry.

I love it when I get the right thing the first time. View attachment 4323318

Andca hearty congrats to ya for your wise decision-making. And it barely takes up any space too. The minute you explained how it sounded I could hear it in my head.

And like you said yesterday, you don’t necessarily need the 115 to achieve the bliss. I say if you don’t have to add a second cab, save the money, enjoy the same power, and love the lighter weight by purchasing the 112.

Plus, it looks great alongside your Jazz!

 

[JeezyMcNuggles]

Andca hearty congrats to ya for your wise decision-making. And it barely takes up any space too. The minute you explained how it sounded I could hear it in my head.

And like you said yesterday, you don’t necessarily need the 115 to achieve the bliss. I say if you don’t have to add a second cab, save the money, enjoy the same power, and love the lighter weight by purchasing the 112.

Plus, it looks great alongside your Jazz!

Word.

What's really great about it is, I didn't even test the di before hand. Hahaha. I did bring my downtown express just in case there was some sort of problem, but all was well just going with it. High five!

I think it's about time to wipe down my J though. Hahahaha. The tone is not in the mojo.

 

[DuluthDank]

Does the Fender Rumble 200 get all 200 watts without an extension speaker? As I understand it, the RB-115 is only 100 watts by itself, right?

 

[butterfingers1]

No, Rumble is 200W with extension cabinet, 140W on its own (I think).

The RB 115 is similar.

I will soon be corrected if need be.

 

[butterfingers1]

The Rumble 100 and RB 112 are both 100W 112 and have no extension output.

 

[Bass]

The Rumble 200 is the Fender version of the RB-115. The Rumble 200 is rated at 140 Watts on its own and 200 watts with an extension cabinet. The RB-115 is rated at 100 Watts on its own and 200 watts with extension cabinet.

Does anyone own both of these ? I would like to know how actual volume compares in the real world.

 

[butterfingers1]

I had the Rumble 200 (140W 115) and I find it was comparable in volume to my Traynor 110 120W.

Maybe because Traynors have built-in HPF, which filters out subsonic low frequencies which consume a lot of power.

Maybe also because the Rumbles sound muddled foggy and boomy and are just hard to hear bass guitar.

 

[JeezyMcNuggles]

The Rumble 200 is the Fender version of the RB-115. The Rumble 200 is rated at 140 Watts on its own and 200 watts with an extension cabinet. The RB-115 is rated at 100 Watts on its own and 200 watts with extension cabinet.

Does anyone own both of these ? I would like to know how actual volume compares in the real world.

A conservative 100w. It's really the same thing. 200w @ 4ohms

2/3 ish at 8ohms.

Same as every other amp head.

 

[evs]

The Rumble 200 is the Fender version of the RB-115. The Rumble 200 is rated at 140 Watts on its own and 200 watts with an extension cabinet. The RB-115 is rated at 100 Watts on its own and 200 watts with extension cabinet.

Does anyone own both of these ? I would like to know how actual volume compares in the real world.

I have both the RB-210 and the Rumble 500.
Both are 2x10's with 500watt capability.

From my post #899 on page 45:
I tested it at the volume I use in my rock band and it gets the same perceived volume as the Rumble (the rumble is 350 watts at 8ohms, the RB210 is 250 watts at 8ohms).

Based on my experience, I would imagine that there would be no real perceived difference between the 140watt rumble or the 100watt RB.

 

[evs]

Haha, can't beat free! Hahaha

Yeah, I do it on everything I buy. First thing I do is tighten screws. Ever since my handle came loose on a cab a while back. Come to find out, there's loose screws on just about everything. My buddy over at ernie ball told me it's very common for workers to leave them loose, because you strip a screw in the factory, and you've just ruined a product.

Glad I read this comment.
I just tightened the screws on my RB-210.
Pretty much all of them needed a tighten, but especially the handle was surprisingly loose!

 

[JeezyMcNuggles]

Glad I read this comment.
I just tightened the screws on my RB-210.
Pretty much all of them needed a tighten, but especially the handle was surprisingly loose!

Hahaha, told ya.

That's not a joke, workers do that on purpose.