Does adding a cab to a Rumble improve tone or just volume?

[Space Pickle]

it makes more rumbles

 

[G-Dog]

agedhorse can stop by and explain the physics of “coupling” , but from what I understand adding the right cab can give the effect of a fuller sound at the same decibel level. ... ....

Well, he doesn't really explain it in this post, but just reading him say, "improved low frequency extension from driver coupling" is good enough for most folks!
.

 

[Yahboy]

R500 Combo alone on floor Vs Stack R500 Combo+ Ext Cab on floor, you will notice the MID voice improve and more toward to your ear on stack combo. Tilt the upper combo a tiny angle able reduce natural boomy from R500.

 

[FronTowardEnemy]

I gig a Rumble 500c and raise it up on a stand pointing at my head. Plenty of volume there. As others have said, adding a second cab won’t change the tone necessarily as much as slightly increasing volume.

I prefer a clean tone with a little hair when I dig in so I run either a SushiBox FX Underground Accelerator Or PAX in front of my Rumble (both tube preamps).

What tone are you after?

 

[willymotts]

Yeah, I have an amp stand and I will see what it sounds like when the new amp (with good speakers) comes in. I'm just looking for clarity and "richness". The lead singer told me once that she couldn't really hear what I was playing because it sounded "muddy"...

 

[JeezyMcNuggles]

I've seen numerous similar posts but they all pretty much end up confusing me with ohms and air movement...
I have the Rumble 500 which has plenty of volume so improvement in that area is not needed.
Here is the question: Should I expect an improvement in the overall tone of the Rumble if I get the matching 2/10 cabinet? The dealer where I would get the 2/10 thinks it would be only volume.
Thanks.

Yes, your tone will get fuller. More bass, more mids, more highs, more clean volume. More is just that, more.

 

[FronTowardEnemy]

Yeah, I have an amp stand and I will see what it sounds like when the new amp (with good speakers) comes in. I'm just looking for clarity and "richness". The lead singer told me once that she couldn't really hear what I was playing because it sounded "muddy"...

Let us know how the new amp works out for you. If you haven’t already, check out the Fender Rumble club. Might be able to find what your looking for over there.

 

[el murdoque]

If you have a cab and SS head, and add a similar cab to the equation, the maths say that you get +6dB.
+3dB are gained from doubling the power (by halving the ohms) and +3dB are gained from doubling the speaker surface. Your volume will get a significant bump, that is for sure.
There also will be a perceivable change in tone. It's hard to describe - I wanna say you have the same tone as before, only there is more of it.
That means the lows are a bit more substantial and it's a lot harder for the mix to bury your signal.
I've had it on occasion that a sound was great on its own but did not work in the mix with a 212 cab. When I added another 212, it worked out.

 

[eric_B]

I've seen numerous similar posts but they all pretty much end up confusing me with ohms and air movement...
I have the Rumble 500 which has plenty of volume so improvement in that area is not needed.
Here is the question: Should I expect an improvement in the overall tone of the Rumble if I get the matching 2/10 cabinet? The dealer where I would get the 2/10 thinks it would be only volume.
Thanks.

I've done it. Volume goes up and tone gets deeper.

Same here, I own the 500 combo and the 210 cabinet.
It is not just having more volume but the sound also gets fuller and deeper, also at lower volumes.

 

[JakobT]

I've seen numerous similar posts but they all pretty much end up confusing me with ohms and air movement...
I have the Rumble 500 which has plenty of volume so improvement in that area is not needed.
Here is the question: Should I expect an improvement in the overall tone of the Rumble if I get the matching 2/10 cabinet? The dealer where I would get the 2/10 thinks it would be only volume.
Thanks.

The question is what you mean by «improvement». With a 210 cab, the combo will be louder and sound fuller, but it won’t fundamentally change your tone. Also, the combo alone is usually more than powerful enough, IMHO. I hardly ever use my extension cab.

My advice would be not to get the extra cab if you’re unhappy with your current tone, but to sell your Rumble and get something you’re happier with. If you are happy with your tone, but want to go louder, then by all means buy that extra cab.

 

[BassPilot]

I had a Rumble 200 combo (150 watts with 115). When I went to sell it I tested every aspect of it including the extension jack which supports 1 8 ohm cab. I plugged it into a Bergantino CN112 and that completely changed the sound of that amp - fuller more rounded bottom end. I almost didn’t sell it…almost.

 

[BobDeRosa]

Yeah, I have an amp stand and I will see what it sounds like when the new amp (with good speakers) comes in. I'm just looking for clarity and "richness". The lead singer told me once that she couldn't really hear what I was playing because it sounded "muddy"...

"Muddy" sound has a lot of different sources. Don't be afraid to keep your Gain very low or even off. And even though you're a bass player, turning your Bass control down to 9:00 or 10:00 on the clock and turning Treble and High MIds up a bit is not a sin.

 

[BobDeRosa]

Eh, it's all subjective. I know I'm in the minority with my feelings about Rumbles (and I have tried several).

I'm a Rumble fan but I definitely respect your opinion and everything is relative. It would be interesting to know what amps you like and use. If they're similarly priced to the Rumble series, that's one thing, but if you're talking $1000+, that's another. I contend that the Rumble v3 series is the best value on the market, but it will probably fall short, sound-wise, when compared with Mesa or similar. Can't beat the light weight, though, which appeals to me as an old man.

 

[FirewalZ]

I'm a Rumble fan but I definitely respect your opinion and everything is relative. It would be interesting to know what amps you like and use. If they're similarly priced to the Rumble series, that's one thing, but if you're talking $1000+, that's another. I contend that the Rumble v3 series is the best value on the market, but it will probably fall short, sound-wise, when compared with Mesa or similar. Can't beat the light weight, though, which appeals to me as an old man.

This is my same conclusion having owned a Rumble stack, GK and now Mesa. Rumbles are a great value or low budget option, especially if you like an old school “Fender Bass” sound. I played 100’s of gigs, lugging them around issue free. However GK and Mesa are in another league so it’s not a fair comparison.
I started with a Mesa D800 head, plugged in into my Rumble 210’s and was blown away by the difference….so of course I had to get Subway cabs to match

 

[buldog5151bass]

It's not a hi Fi type tone, but its decent. I had picked up a Rumble 500 head cheap to have a backup head for my GK MB 500, and I've ended up using it for several rock gigs.

 

[willymotts]

The question is what you mean by «improvement». With a 210 cab, the combo will be louder and sound fuller, but it won’t fundamentally change your tone. Also, the combo alone is usually more than powerful enough, IMHO. I hardly ever use my extension cab.

My advice would be not to get the extra cab if you’re unhappy with your current tone, but to sell your Rumble and get something you’re happier with. If you are happy with your tone, but want to go louder, then by all means buy that extra cab.

I'm not sure if I love the tone of the Rumble yet. The bad speakers kind of ruined that for me. When the new one gets here, I want to give it every chance to please me. If that means spending more on a cabinet, that's what I need to do. I already have too much invested in it to quit - especially with all the love the Rumble gets from users. As I am "up there" in years and I'm sure my leftover money isn't going with me, I might as well try to make the best of it while I'm here!

 

[JakobT]

I'm not sure if I love the tone of the Rumble yet. The bad speakers kind of ruined that for me. When the new one gets here, I want to give it every chance to please me. If that means spending more on a cabinet, that's what I need to do. I already have too much invested in it to quit - especially with all the love the Rumble gets from users. As I am "up there" in years and I'm sure my leftover money isn't going with me, I might as well try to make the best of it while I'm here!

It’s always good to let things settle in before making a decision. Like most amps, the Rumble has a signature tone, and leans towards the vintage end of the spectrum. However, you can get lots of different tones from it if you’re willing to experiment.

When your new Rumble arrives, spend some time with the controls until you find a tone you like. The Rumble Club Tone Pool has a lot of different settings to get you started. When you’re satisfied, you can plump for that extension cab, and you’ll be rewarded with a louder and deeper version of that tone.

And do be sure to join us over at the Rumble Club, if you haven’t done so already.

 

[emblymouse]

I put a Rumble 1 12 cab under my 2 10 combo and it definitely fills in nooks and crannies. They are hard to find but they stack perfectly

 

[tripp2k]

The lead singer told me once that she couldn't really hear what I was playing because it sounded "muddy"...

This would be enough to steer me towards something completely different. You likely hear the same thing as does your audience if you’re without PA support. Too many other options out there you can pick up used and get better tone.

 

[JakobT]

This would be enough to steer me towards something completely different. You likely hear the same thing as does your audience if you’re without PA support. Too many other options out there you can pick up used and get better tone.

A trip to the EQ controls would be an easier and cheaper first option.