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Ampeg Rocket Bass Combos

That plus what the ear perceives as "loud" might not really be louder. TC Electronics seems to have tapped into what the ears hear (or the brain perceives) as well as anybody, if not better. They took a beating on their ratings with earlier amps, but even the famous Bass Gear amp tech Tom Lees admitted the technology in them was amazing and the amp was far louder than the actual power ratings. I think they did it with multi-band compression and/or filtering.

Mm- good point! I'm going to try to check them out tomorrow, but the GC in Southfield doesn't have the 108 in stock, and Motor City doesn't have the 110.

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Do they have a 112 or is that out for you? It's the one I want. Grab and go 100w 112.

Yeah, I'm with you on that one. From what I'm hearing, that's the one to have. I'm trying to find something for one of the kids- a 20 year old with a small apartment who just needs a small practice amp. If they have the 112, I'll definitely check it out (but that one would be for ME).

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Yeah, I'm with you on that one. From what I'm hearing, that's the one to have. I'm trying to find something for one of the kids- a 20 year old with a small apartment who just needs a small practice amp. If they have the 112, I'll definitely check it out (but that one would be for ME).

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Yeah maybe a smaller one for that is better, unless they head off to jams. Can always turn it down or use headphones.
 
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Yeah, I'm with you on that one. From what I'm hearing, that's the one to have. I'm trying to find something for one of the kids- a 20 year old with a small apartment who just needs a small practice amp. If they have the 112, I'll definitely check it out (but that one would be for ME).

.
I'd definitely go for the 110 minimum.
 
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Having the RB110 and RB112 at home for comparing. So far the RB110 sounds nearly as loud as the RB112, but with a little bit less low end. The RB112 has a bit deeper and richer low end. Not a surprise as the RB112 has the better speaker and the bigger box. The RB110 does a really good job considering its format and price.

I tried the RB110 against the Fender Rumble 40 last week and the RB110 has a bigger/better sound. Less boxy. So far I have them in this order on my shortlist:
#1 Ampeg RB112
#2 Ampeg RB 110
#3 Fender Rumble 40

Just wondering where to place the Fender Rumble 100 in this list. Someone tried the Rumble 100 against an Ampeg RB?
 
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Having the RB110 and RB112 at home for comparing. So far the RB110 sounds nearly as loud as the RB112, but with a little bit less low end. The RB112 has a bit deeper and richer low end. Not a surprise as the RB112 has the better speaker and the bigger box. The RB110 does a really good job considering its format and price.

I tried the RB110 against the Fender Rumble 40 last week and the RB110 has a bigger/better sound. Less boxy. So far I have them in this order on my shortlist:
#1 Ampeg RB112
#2 Ampeg RB 110
#3 Fender Rumble 40

Just wondering where to place the Fender Rumble 100 in this list. Someone tried the Rumble 100 against an Ampeg RB?

Not yet, but I will be comparing the Rumble 500 with the Ampeg RB210 very soon.
 
Yes, I have had the Rumble 100 since its release and now I own an RB110. The Rumble 100 is louder/has a deeper tone and punch. The Ampeg is clearer and the SGT is superior to the Rumble overdrive. If you are looking lightweight for a DI and enough for practice/modest drummer, the Rumble 100 is the way to go (they are about the same weight). Oddly, shortly after getting my RB110, my Rumble 100 blew up. The Ampeg Gods apparently had enough.

Having the RB110 and RB112 at home for comparing. So far the RB110 sounds nearly as loud as the RB112, but with a little bit less low end. The RB112 has a bit deeper and richer low end. Not a surprise as the RB112 has the better speaker and the bigger box. The RB110 does a really good job considering its format and price.

I tried the RB110 against the Fender Rumble 40 last week and the RB110 has a bigger/better sound. Less boxy. So far I have them in this order on my shortlist:
#1 Ampeg RB112
#2 Ampeg RB 110
#3 Fender Rumble 40

Just wondering where to place the Fender Rumble 100 in this list. Someone tried the Rumble 100 against an Ampeg RB?
 
Yes, I have had the Rumble 100 since its release and now I own an RB110. The Rumble 100 is louder/has a deeper tone and punch. The Ampeg is clearer and the SGT is superior to the Rumble overdrive. If you are looking lightweight for a DI and enough for practice/modest drummer, the Rumble 100 is the way to go (they are about the same weight). Oddly, shortly after getting my RB110, my Rumble 100 blew up. The Ampeg Gods apparently had enough.
I’d think that 100w and a 12” driver may have the edge volume wise over 50w and a 10” driver.
 
Finally stumbled onto a Ampeg RB 108 in a semi local brick and mortar store (GC) to give a play through.

Played a off the rack P bass through it that definitely hadn't been set-up.

Tone just wasn't pleasing to my ears.
Boxy, high endish, with a feel of feeble power under the hood.
(I realize this is a bedroom practice combo.)

The store also had a Fend*r Rumble 500 on the floor.
I honestly couldn't dial in anything but a slightly muffled, woolly tone.
Definitely not for me.

BIG surprise!
(For my ears atleast, and especially with the bad rap this brand gets on T.B. that I've read.)
They also had a few of the new, tilt-back cabinet, Guitar Center brand, Acoustic bass combos.
Plugged into the 100 watt, 1-12" model and was floored by how clean, clear, defined and punchy the sound/tone was.
Drawback, it felt lacking in power.
"If" the Acoustic hadn't felt lacking in the wattage department it'd have probably came home with me!

The store put me on a list for when the RB 100 1-12" and the RB 2-10" models are on the floor.
I'll give them a audition then.
 
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Hey, first post on this forum so that's pretty cool. I've been playing guitar poorly for two decades so I decided it was time to play bass poorly too and quickly found it to be way more fun.

Anyway, after turning a guitar amp I hated into a Squier bass by way of store credit at my local music store I found myself rapidly in need of an amp. After scouring reviews here and elsewhere I came to the conclusion that I needed a Fender Rumble 40. Then I found this thread and recognized these little guys as a few of the handful of bass amps the same local music store had in stock. I went in today and plugged the cheapest bass I could find on the rack into the three Ampegs they had sitting in the corner (RB110, RB108, BA108) and set them all to roughly the same volume/eq, which was a bit cranked.

I picked a few of the simple bass riffs I'm somewhat confident in and played in a store full of people. Gentle talkbass peeps, I have literally never felt confident doing that with a guitar amp in a store.

Anyway, my emotional journey of loving bass isn't what you're hear to read about. Here's the skinny on the amps.

BA108 - Clean, articulate, loving. Sounded like a decent solid state guitar amp. Lacking in thump. Definitely lacking in rumble. I liked it but it was a little boring. It was impossible to get a bad sound out of it, but it was also impossible to get a...fun sound out of it? It's the amp equivalent of a person you wouldn't kick out of bed. There's nothing wrong with it and it's pretty great, but I wouldn't take it home on purpose.

RB108 - LOUD. Holy crap. I don't know why this thing was so loud but it was, and it sounded good. The 'SGT' switch made it sound like hot water garbage, but it sounded fine without it. Initially I actually liked it the most. It had a solid thump the others lacked, it was louder, it just seemed like an authoritative little amp. I would say there's not a bad sound in it, but I did manage to find one later.

RB110 - I ended up buying this one and walking out with it. Initially I thought I was going to get the little one instead but then I realized what the RB110 had that the RB108 lacked was...room. If I were reviewing some hifi gear I'd call it a sound stage or 'airiness.' It was quieter and less thumpy but overall it just sounded better. As I started playing with the EQ I found the 110 sounded good no matter what I did where the 108 really fell apart if you turned the bass up past 2'oclock or did something atrocious like cranking the mids. It was impossible to make this one sound bad.

As soon as I got home I did what any person who spent too much time playing guitar would do and plugged straight in, hit that distortion switch and dimed the gain and volume and left the EQ flat. It did not disappoint. I don't know how it would stand up in a room with a drummer but I don't care, it stood up just fine to rattling the windows a little bit.
 
Hey, first post on this forum so that's pretty cool. I've been playing guitar poorly for two decades so I decided it was time to play bass poorly too and quickly found it to be way more fun.

Anyway, after turning a guitar amp I hated into a Squier bass by way of store credit at my local music store I found myself rapidly in need of an amp. After scouring reviews here and elsewhere I came to the conclusion that I needed a Fender Rumble 40. Then I found this thread and recognized these little guys as a few of the handful of bass amps the same local music store had in stock. I went in today and plugged the cheapest bass I could find on the rack into the three Ampegs they had sitting in the corner (RB110, RB108, BA108) and set them all to roughly the same volume/eq, which was a bit cranked.

I picked a few of the simple bass riffs I'm somewhat confident in and played in a store full of people. Gentle talkbass peeps, I have literally never felt confident doing that with a guitar amp in a store.

Anyway, my emotional journey of loving bass isn't what you're hear to read about. Here's the skinny on the amps.

BA108 - Clean, articulate, loving. Sounded like a decent solid state guitar amp. Lacking in thump. Definitely lacking in rumble. I liked it but it was a little boring. It was impossible to get a bad sound out of it, but it was also impossible to get a...fun sound out of it? It's the amp equivalent of a person you wouldn't kick out of bed. There's nothing wrong with it and it's pretty great, but I wouldn't take it home on purpose.

RB108 - LOUD. Holy crap. I don't know why this thing was so loud but it was, and it sounded good. The 'SGT' switch made it sound like hot water garbage, but it sounded fine without it. Initially I actually liked it the most. It had a solid thump the others lacked, it was louder, it just seemed like an authoritative little amp. I would say there's not a bad sound in it, but I did manage to find one later.

RB110 - I ended up buying this one and walking out with it. Initially I thought I was going to get the little one instead but then I realized what the RB110 had that the RB108 lacked was...room. If I were reviewing some hifi gear I'd call it a sound stage or 'airiness.' It was quieter and less thumpy but overall it just sounded better. As I started playing with the EQ I found the 110 sounded good no matter what I did where the 108 really fell apart if you turned the bass up past 2'oclock or did something atrocious like cranking the mids. It was impossible to make this one sound bad.

As soon as I got home I did what any person who spent too much time playing guitar would do and plugged straight in, hit that distortion switch and dimed the gain and volume and left the EQ flat. It did not disappoint. I don't know how it would stand up in a room with a drummer but I don't care, it stood up just fine to rattling the windows a little bit.

Welcome, and congrats on the new amp!
 
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Having the RB110 and RB112 at home for comparing. So far the RB110 sounds nearly as loud as the RB112, but with a little bit less low end. The RB112 has a bit deeper and richer low end. Not a surprise as the RB112 has the better speaker and the bigger box. The RB110 does a really good job considering its format and price.

I tried the RB110 against the Fender Rumble 40 last week and the RB110 has a bigger/better sound. Less boxy. So far I have them in this order on my shortlist:
#1 Ampeg RB112
#2 Ampeg RB 110
#3 Fender Rumble 40

Just wondering where to place the Fender Rumble 100 in this list. Someone tried the Rumble 100 against an Ampeg RB?
I have the 12 and the 210. They're pretty much the same volume. Except, you can expand the 210. Personally though, the 12 sounds better.
 
Question: I see the RB-115 dimensions read as the following.
  • Height:20.2"
  • Width:22.4"
  • Depth:13.9"
However in the pics it looks like the cab is taller than wider. Can someone confirm if these dimensions are correct?

Thanks.