Fender Rumble 500 Head or Combo with 210 Cab?

[BassGeekJack]

I'd say bite the bullet and get the head and cab. In the long run it's going to be a lot easier to transport once you're gigging. I have the older Fender 350 combo (210) and it weighs like 61 pounds. Really annoying to carry to all my gigs. I have to save and get a head and cab but I can't stop buying basses I know the combos are much much lighter now, but still, your body will thank you.

 

[CharlieMac]

If you get the head separate from the cab. . you can buy more heads, different cabs, etc as time goes on. You won't have to sell out to change things around. It's all part of the fun!

 

[jeff7bass]

I am yet to read or meet anyone that can hear a sound difference between the 500 combo and the 500 head + 210.

It's a technical thing that I'm sure a few of our cab builders here at Talkbass could clarify better than I could. Just thinking about it though, the top of a speaker cab is a solid baffle in itself. With a head built into the cab, a sturdy baffle would have to be beneath the amp and the dimensions of the cab portion would have to exactly the same as the standalone cab in order to sound exactly the same. Assuming all this is true, a standalone head will also have rubber feet insulating the head from the cab's vibration even further. This could actually extend the life of the head as it experiences less vibration over time. I am making assumptions here but I've though about this going way back like 10 -15 years ago. Bottom line is this, you really just can't slap a head inside a cab and expect it to perform (and last as long) as the same head built into a combo. Even with really good engineering, IMO it's worth a few extra bucks to purchase separate components. The combo has convenience going for it, I admit.

 

[G-Dog]

. . . .... you really just can't slap a head inside a cab and expect it to perform (and last as long) as the same head built into a combo.

????? I don't think that's what you meant to say.

I take your point. As a "thought experiment", I think it would take a rigorous sound lab to detect the difference. But I don't think any real life gig environment could reveal it.

Sure, separates are cool for trying different amps & cabs but, in this case, there's a $150 cost for that flexiblity, unless you buy used.

 

[Daniel Piper]

After years and years with heads and cabs


I am just playing a 210 combo and loving it.

 

[JakobT]

I'd say bite the bullet and get the head and cab. In the long run it's going to be a lot easier to transport once you're gigging. I have the older Fender 350 combo (210) and it weighs like 61 pounds. Really annoying to carry to all my gigs. I have to save and get a head and cab but I can't stop buying basses I know the combos are much much lighter now, but still, your body will thank you.

That is a strange piece of reasoning, considering that the combo actually weighs less than the head and cab.

 

[AcridSaint]

I'm not a fan of combos at all, but there seem to be a lot who are. Only you can decide that. I think you have more options separating the cab and head, as already mentioned. Some of those options include swapping out the head easily if yours dies, swapping out the head easily if you don't end up liking the head. Swapping the cab easily if you don't like the cab. The ability to play your head and your settings through another cab, including 4 ohm cabs. The ability to bring just a head as a DI, and so on.

 

[Jaycephas]

I’m gigging my 500c with a 210 extension cab tonight. The weight is a huge factor for me, but the tone is also great. Can’t go wrong with the combo alone, and it is a pleasure to carry from practice to the car (verses my Ampeg rig).

 

[AcridSaint]

I'm also curious how folks think that the combo and the cabinet perform exactly the same, seeing as how they are the exact same dimensions and the combo weighs less than a standalone cab (with an amp shoved in there). This tells me that they are not identical cabs even if they both have Eminence speakers in them. Of course, I have never personally A/B'd these.

 

[PennyroyalWe]

I have a Rumble 500 combo 2x10, and it is more than enough for what I need. I play in a hard rock/indie band and the guitarists love turning way up...I’ve yet to need to turn up past 5, if volume is your concern about the 210 not being enough.

 

[39-Bassist]

Get the combo and the extension cab....it is well worth it and sounds great too!

 

[Linnin]

I am yet to read or meet anyone that can hear a sound difference between the 500 combo and the 500 head + 210.

^^^ Agree 100% ^^^ In a double blind survey I doubt if any bass player could tell the difference. I'm not even sure if mastering technicians with their magnificent ears could tell.

 

[G-Dog]

I'm also curious how folks think that the combo and the cabinet perform exactly the same, seeing as how they are the exact same dimensions and the combo weighs less than a standalone cab (with an amp shoved in there). This tells me that they are not identical cabs even if they both have Eminence speakers in them. Of course, I have never personally A/B'd these.

The amp in the combo weighs little more than the cab wall it replaces, whereas the 210 cabinet has two very heavy duty lifting handles, one each side, and the 4 magnet-equiped amp head stabilization cups in the top.

 

[Old Garage-Bander]

That is a strange piece of reasoning, considering that the combo actually weighs less than the head and cab.

I agree. The OP should have posted this in the Talk Bass Logic and Reason thread.

 

[G-Dog]

I agree. The OP should have posted this in the Talk Bass Logic and Reason thread.

Yeah, that, too. But the OP wasn't who he was addressing.

BTW, where is that Logic and Reason thread? I couldn't search it up anyhow. Logic snd Reason seem to be mutually exclusive in TB thread titles, in more ways than one.

 

[AcridSaint]

The amp in the combo weighs little more than the cab wall it replaces, whereas the 210 cabinet has two very heavy duty lifting handles, one each side, and the 4 magnet-equiped amp head stabilization cups in the top.

Fender lists the combo at 36.5lbs and the cab at at 39lbs. The amp is listed at 5lbs. Are you saying the handles and cups weigh 7.5lbs? I'd like to see that. And, this does not address the fact that the amp is taking up something like 250 cubic inches of cabinet space.

 

[jeff7bass]

That is a strange piece of reasoning, considering that the combo actually weighs less than the head and cab.

That actually plays to my point that there's extra material in the head and cab as compared to the combo. I've taken apart some combo's and not only didn't find a baffle between the amp and cab, but the amp's components are exposed to the inside of the cab, meaning the electronics are getting bombarded with speaker vibration every time you play. That's how they save weight. Some expensive combos don't do this however.

 

[jastacey]

I have the Rumble 500 head, and have used it with several cabinet combinations, it with cover most gigs, I have also played the Rumble 500 combo, you'll have plenty of volune/punch, for most gigs, but if you aquire the additional 210 cab, you'll be set for all, but the loudest gigs, the Rumble 500 with 410's will get extremely loud, whether it's the combo & 210's or with a good high quality 410 .... IMHO

 

[JakobT]

That actually plays to my point that there's extra material in the head and cab as compared to the combo. I've taken apart some combo's and not only didn't find a baffle between the amp and cab, but the amp's components are exposed to the inside of the cab, meaning the electronics are getting bombarded with speaker vibration every time you play. That's how they save weight. Some expensive combos don't do this however.

I don’t think anyone disputes that there are differences in construction between the combo and cab - one is a combo and one is a cab, for starters. What people are saying, me included, is that they sound the same. I’m sure it’s possible to find slight differences if you make very careful measurements, but to me, that’s not very useful. I certainly can’t hear the difference, and don’t think many other people would be able to either. So I would say that for all practical purposes, they do sound the same - the difference, if there is one, is largely theoretical.

More important than TB how-many-angels-can-dance-on-the-head-of-a-pin discussions is that the OP actually asked a very practical question, which was mainly concerned with weight and price. Any difference in sound between combo and head/cab wasn’t mentioned at all. Some advised the more flexible, but heavier and more expensive solution, I myself and others have suggested that the lighter, cheaper solution is preferable, all things being equal. In fact, it’s the old combo vs. head/cab discussion all over again, but limited to Fender Rumbles.

However, none of this was the point of that post of mine that you quoted. I was simply curious as to how a lighter, smaller rig would somehow be more cumbersome to transport.

 

[Old Garage-Bander]

Yeah, that, too. But the OP wasn't who he was addressing.

BTW, where is that Logic and Reason thread? I couldn't search it up anyhow. Logic snd Reason seem to be mutually exclusive in TB thread titles, in more ways than one.

Oh! You’er killin’ me.