Best 200 Watt Amp

[nilorius]

A lot of for a lot of.

 

[BioWeapon]

And/or more efficient cabs.

The stock driver in the Rumble 100 is not all that sensitive (around 92 db/w/m). Replacing the driver with a driver that is only 3 db more sensitive would be like feeding 200w into the stock driver, except that the stock driver would go up in smoke. Replacing the stock driver with a 2512 (97 db/w/m) would be like increasing the amps power to a little over 300w. This might be an option if the OP just needs a little more volume. If the need is greater, then more power (a new amp/head) and more efficient cab are in order. Buying used with a $600 budget will easily meet allow that need to be met.

Replacing the stock driver with a 2512 would be like feeding 300 watts IF that's a suitable driver for that box. That's a big if there, and it's not an really an option at all unless OP is willing to go through the process of measuring the cab volume, port area and length, and learning simulation software.

 

[Bill Whitehurst]

First & second gen G-K 400RBs are 200 watts @ 4 ohms.
They punch well above their rated power.
They can be had (used only) for 100-200 bux.
TL606 cabs (again used) 100-300 bux each, depending on condition, etc.
Old, heavy, but very sensitive.
A pair of them with a 400RB will do as good of a job of getting it done with 200 watts as anything.

 

[abarson]

All good points above. But if you are stuck with 200 watts go with a Trace Elliot Elf.

How does one become "stuck with 200 watts"? What defines this glass ceiling?
There are so many options in the OP's price range that exceed 200 watts for $600, especially used.
@Mr Cheese please clarify whether you are insistent on a combo or whether you're interested in upgrading to components. What size venue are you going to gig in, and what musical style do you play?

 

[ColonelZulu]

200w Verellen Meatsmoke

 

[Gringo Basso]

Looking to upgrade my amp, I currently have a Fender Rumble 100, but I need some more power. I don't want to spend an arm and a leg, so my budget is $600-ish. I like the Rumble, but are there better options on the market?

If you like your Rumble 100 and have a 600 dollar budget, then it's a no-brainer - more watts more speaker and 600 brand new. Ticks all the boxes and keep your 100 as a practice amp.
Fender Rumble 500 2x10" 500-Watt Bass Combo

 

[Mr Cheese]

Are you seeking a combo amp?

Yes

 

[707GK]

Looking to upgrade my amp, I currently have a Fender Rumble 100, but I need some more power. I don't want to spend an arm and a leg, so my budget is $600-ish. I like the Rumble, but are there better options on the market?

Watts and volume are different.
Fairly standard-ish way of thinking:
Double the watts = roughly 3db of extra volume. So from 100 to 200 watts, you’ll only get 3db louder. An extra cab may give you more, if it’s the right cab.

Going from 100-500ish as many have recommended, you will get 6ish extra dB, all else being equal. This will be much more noticeable to the human ear, especially if you are looking for clean volume.

 

[frankie5string]

Many people like the sound a 200 watt combo makes. I personally do. Usually 200 watt amps are light, have enough power to get a good round sound, and have good projection if you need it.

I think it's perfectly reasonable.

 

[Jim Carr]

Yes

Have you considered what will happen when your next combo is not powerful enough? Extension speaker? New combo rig? Go modular?

At the very least, I would make certain that whatever product(s) you settle on can be expanded or (heaven forfend) modularly upgraded to meet your future needs.

If you would like, I can recite my standard critique of combo amps, of which I have owned and used very many, but I suspect you have experienced some of the combo trap problems first hand.

A significant fraction of bassists will tell you that what they use is the best gear choice, and in large part, I am no exception. However, today is my 70th birthday, and on reflection, I can tell you that playing a large variety of bass gear and diverse styles of music since I started playing bass in 1963, has made me skeptical of the relevance of most of the "love" professed by gear owners for their gear. They usually have too little experience to really back the claims they are making. Just saying.

So I'll ask you again, just for a closing rhetorical flourish:
Have you considered what will happen when your next combo is not powerful enough?

 

[AstroSonic]

Replacing the stock driver with a 2512 would be like feeding 300 watts IF that's a suitable driver for that box. That's a big if there, and it's not an really an option at all unless OP is willing to go through the process of measuring the cab volume, port area and length, and learning simulation software.

I've tried the 2512 in a wide range of cabinet volumes, and modeled it in the Rumble 100 cab. The 2512 in the Rumble 100 cab will have a punchy, but articulate ( more articulate than the stock driver) mid/upper bass that many players like, but lacks deeper bass due to the cab internal volume being a bit small for the driver. To get the low end that the 2512 is capable of a cab with an internal volume in the range of 2-3 cf is needed. However, you do get a less punchy tone. If the OP likes the stock Rumble tone, then he is likely to prefer the tone of the 2512 in a smaller cab (like the Rumble 100 cab).

The Beta 12a-2 and the S2012 sound similar to the 2512 (in the bass), and will provide a useful increase in maximum volume, but are a little less sensitive.

Unless the OP is only just a little short on volume, this driver swat is not going to solve the problem. The solution then is to get an amplifier/cab combination, head/cab or combo, with adequate maximum volume.

 

[mexicanyella]

I've tried the 2512 in a wide range of cabinet volumes, and modeled it in the Rumble 100 cab. The 2512 in the Rumble 100 cab will have a punchy, but articulate ( more articulate than the stock driver) mid/upper bass that many players like, but lacks deeper bass due to the cab internal volume being a bit small for the driver. To get the low end that the 2512 is capable of a cab with an internal volume in the range of 2-3 cf is needed. However, you do get a less punchy tone. If the OP likes the stock Rumble tone, then he is likely to prefer the tone of the 2512 in a smaller cab (like the Rumble 100 cab).

The Beta 12a-2 and the S2012 sound similar to the 2512 (in the bass), and will provide a useful increase in maximum volume, but are a little less sensitive.

Unless the OP is only just a little short on volume, this driver swat is not going to solve the problem. The solution then is to get an amplifier/cab combination, head/cab or combo, with adequate maximum volume.

I’m not the OP but must commend you on a succinct post full of clear, useful detail. I don’t even own a Rumble and I feel more knowledgeable for having read it.

 

[rtslinger]

My 2 cents if you are looking for a nice 200w combo Peavey max 112 I have one great little amp to gig with
imo

 

[starjag]

Happy BDay!

Have you considered what will happen when your next combo is not powerful enough? Extension speaker? New combo rig? Go modular?

At the very least, I would make certain that whatever product(s) you settle on can be expanded or (heaven forfend) modularly upgraded to meet you future needs.

If you would like, I can recite my standard critique of combo amps, of which I have owned and used very many, but I suspect you have experienced some of the combo trap problems first hand.

A significant fraction of bassists will tell you that what they use is the best gear choice, and in large part, I am no exception. However, today is my 70th birthday, and on reflection, I can tell you that playing a large variety of bass gear and diverse styles of music since I started playing bass in 1963, has made me skeptical of the relevance of most of the "love" professed by gear owners for their gear. They usually have too little experience to really back the claims they are making. Just saying.

So I'll ask you again, just for a closing rhetorical flourish:
Have you considered what will happen when your next combo is not powerful enough?

 

[SwitchGear]

If it's a head you seek, consider the MarkBass Nano. 300watts in a tidy little okge that will be appreciably louder than your current unit. View attachment 3684530

Wow thats a bright colored amp. Almost need a pair of shades to look at it. : )

 

[dbsfgyd1]

Looking to upgrade my amp, I currently have a Fender Rumble 100, but I need some more power. I don't want to spend an arm and a leg, so my budget is $600-ish. I like the Rumble, but are there better options on the market?

Buy more speakers first. Make sure cabs are efficient, and the correct ohmage. Increasing speaker area is usually cheaper than increasing your amp wattage.

If you already have the cabs that can handle the additional wattage, you have a lot of amp options in the $600 range, like a gently used Mesa amp.

 

[SJan3]

Wow thats a bright colored amp. Almost need a pair of shades to look at it. : )

That's Italian!
FWIW, I dig the looks of it and, more importantly, it's a great little amp!

 

[Mr Cheese]

Have you considered what will happen when your next combo is not powerful enough? Extension speaker? New combo rig? Go modular?

At the very least, I would make certain that whatever product(s) you settle on can be expanded or (heaven forfend) modularly upgraded to meet your future needs.

If you would like, I can recite my standard critique of combo amps, of which I have owned and used very many, but I suspect you have experienced some of the combo trap problems first hand.

A significant fraction of bassists will tell you that what they use is the best gear choice, and in large part, I am no exception. However, today is my 70th birthday, and on reflection, I can tell you that playing a large variety of bass gear and diverse styles of music since I started playing bass in 1963, has made me skeptical of the relevance of most of the "love" professed by gear owners for their gear. They usually have too little experience to really back the claims they are making. Just saying.

So I'll ask you again, just for a closing rhetorical flourish:
Have you considered what will happen when your next combo is not powerful enough?

Actually, I *would* like to hear your critique of combo amps.

 

[Jim Carr]

Actually, I *would* like to hear your critique of combo amps.

Ok, I am aggregating a few of my posts (with edits for "brevity," lol)...

Since 1963, I have owned or used extensively 12 or 13 combos, but who's counting? I don't have one now, but wouldn't rule it out. There is nothing inherently evil or bad about combo amps, but besides the advantages of supposed convenience, some sacrifices in quality and/or performance for a budget price are not uncommon. Some are very light, and some are very heavy. Some sound great, some don't. Some have extension speaker outputs, some don't.

It's hard to generalize about combo performance, price, weight, etc., except to say you will usually get what you pay for (buy used!), and that to upgrade performance to the level of a typical good modular rig may require lugging two combos, or a combo plus a powered cabinet, or perhaps just the combo with an extension speaker. These extra, possibly large boxes, all make combo ownership for price and convenience less compelling, as it is now a modular rig with the head trapped in a cabinet or two.

Thus, I'm re-introducing the epithet "combo trap." The combo trap is composed of problems such as, if the combo amp dies, the speaker is useless. Or, if the combo speaker dies, the amp is either useless until the whole thing comes back from repair—or you get to lug the whole combo with a dead speaker as the amp head for a different cabinet. All of these have happened to me.

Oh BUT, the (theoretical) combo lover will tell you "my combo is soooo much easier," and yes, if plugging in a speaker cable is too hard, your life will be better, I guess. Theoretical combo fans also say "moving a combo is easier," which is fine, if it is actually true.

Many combos are huge and heavy, though new lighter ones are more portable than the current ~70 lb. Hartke combos or the old combos like the 74 lb. SWR Workingman's 15 or 78 lb. Acoustic 136 I used to schlep. A combo's weight is always a big selling point, so many are very light, but all combine a speaker cabinet with a head. For it to be super light and cheap means trade offs somewhere. Care to guess where?

Let's say you want out. How to go modular when all you have is a single combo amp? Assuming your combo has a external speaker output, adding a good quality used cabinet can be a bridge for escaping "combo trap island." Get an extension cab that is a lot better than the built-in cab/speaker. After using the better cabinet for a while with the combo, you might want to simply move to a higher power micro amp with the better cabinet. That is, if your funds are not all tied up in the combo + cab.

Selling the combo to raise funds for a head is a problem if it won't yield enough profit to buy a nice USED head, so save up first (part of the trap thing). Keeping the combo for smaller gigs and as a spare or reheasal rig is a good idea, too. IME, selling a combo that was purchased new will not likely yield enough funds for new "upgrade" head. Part of the trap.

If you go modular, with a separate amp and cabinet, you can often actually get something more portable than if you simply add a extension cabinet to your combo. The newer micro heads deliver the goods while weighing in ~5 lbs. A good 112, 115, or 210 neodymium driver equipped cabinet can weigh between 25 and 35 lbs. Slip a micro head like a GK mb800 into your gig bag, and the cabinet will probably be lighter than your current combo.

My 212, a fEARful 12/12/6/1, has tilt back wheels, and is a breeze for this 70 year-old geezer to move and load and in/out of a vehicle. I don't have to carry the head at the same time, but I can, as it is in a shoulder bag.

Getting a rig that has a separate head and cabinet allows you to add a cabinet, upgrade the cab(s), replace the head, and sell either part if it becomes redundant. Modular rigs are free of the "combo trap" problems. You can even make the head itself modular, with a power amp, and a pre-amp (or two) in a rack.

But remember, nothing lasts forever. Be prepared and have a spare. I always gig with a spare compact head in my trick bag.

 

[Passinwind]

Ok, I am aggregating a few of my posts (with edits for "brevity," lol)...rick bag.

Bravo Jim!