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Fender Rumble 500 head

#41
I own the Rumble 500 head and two Rumble 2x10 cabs. More than enough for my situation but, I am finding it hard to get a tone I like with this head. I am sure its in there somewhere & I will find it. Another head I owned that you should consider is the Hartke LH500 it does weigh about 25 lbs though
 
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#43
yucafrita said:
So a lot of love for the rumble and at least one person that hates them.
I have a rb700 that I like, but is rack mounted with a furman and I would like something lighter.
very curious about how the rumble performs but the mb500 could be the othe option.
Do the rumbles work well with preamps? I have a VT bass and Sansamp RBI.
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Yes, I have the Radial Bassbone V2 and it plays nicely with the Rumble 500.
 
#44
For reference: I mostly play a Markbass LMlll through an Audiokinesis cab and my tone goals are more of a Motown-ish sound. I did a gig with the Rumble 500 as backline and loved it. I thought it compared nicely to the LMlll.
To my ears the GKs are more of a Hifi sound and the Mesa 800+ is somewhere between the GK and LMlll but closer to the LMlll. Tone Hammers are very strong in the mids.
If you're looking for an aggressive tone to cut through (as is popular in metal and rock) then you won't like the Rumble. If you like a warm, fat sound like you often hear in blues and oldies then the Rumble is a great choice.
 
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#45
I got a Rumble Combo 40 for a small cafe gig, and it did the job quite well, AND stupidly light as well! Don't know the other heads, but GK is always a good stalwart choice (I've used many in the past). I tend to stay away from Peavey for bass matters. But in the long run, at least for me, these days if I'm asked for my choices on gig-provided backline, I usually say "anything over 700 watts and one 15" or 4x10 cab". That seems to at least get me through practically any guerrilla situation. :)
 
#46
I have had a Rumble 500 head and the 4x10 cab for a few months now. Imho it's a nice setup.
20180303_195418.jpg
 
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#48
yucafrita said:
Hello
I have some amazon gift cards and I would like to get a D class small head around 500 watts.
Amazon selection is not that extensive and most are out my price range (500$ or less).
So seriously thinking about the fender rumble head, other options are the GK mb500, Tone hammer 350 and the peavey minimax which is now on sale for 307.99$!
between these affordadle heads, what do you guys like best?
Im thinking of using my Epifunky Cabs (1x15 8ohms) and 4x10(4ohm), not together obviously!
My main giging basses are squier Vintage modified Precision and Jazz bass, and I play mostly classic rock and alternative.
All comments are welcome!
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I think any of those would be fine. I’ve played through both the tone hammer and the rumble. IMO, I think the tone hammer may have better tone shaping capibilities, but that not say the rumble doesn’t sound great.
 
#52
Thanks for the reply... Interesting, the cab is heavier than I would have thought. The combo 40 is 18 lbs.! Of course it is 40 watts... but still! :hyper:

And I'm gonna try out those Daddario flats - my first bass ever had black nylon flats on them, and I guess I'm feeling nostalgic. :)
 
#53
kikaida03 said:
Thanks for the reply... Interesting, the cab is heavier than I would have thought. The combo 40 is 18 lbs.! Of course it is 40 watts... but still! :hyper:

And I'm gonna try out those Daddario flats - my first bass ever had black nylon flats on them, and I guess I'm feeling nostalgic. :)
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The cab has 4 10" eminence alnicos and it's solid plywood. It's not too bad due to the casters. The cool thing I like is the head attaches to the cab with magnets in the feet.
 
#55
yucafrita said:
Im still trying to decide!
I want a tone hammer but hard to justify the 300$ difference!.
So far the rumble 500 is winning.
Pity there is little feedback on the peavey minimax the current amazon price is great!
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When I was looking at backup heads, I asked my Sweetwater rep about it. He said he would not recommend it, either for sounds or quality. I am pleasantly surprised with the Rumble. As I said, it has replaced the GK for rock gigs.
 
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#56
I bought the Rumble 500 head after my Carvin failed (since "repaired" with Deoxit!) and after having just returned a new and deeply discounted Ashdown head that had shut itself down a few times. So, I was looking for reliability more than anything, and after some research I concluded that the Rumble is a reliable head.

I almost took it back, though, and I now consider it my backup. As some have said, the tone really is "baked in". I personally don't think the tone is that great for recording; it's hard to get what I call a "clean" tone. I haven't played it through speakers at gig volume so I have no opinion there. A few other things I don't like - no mute switch and no separate DI output level control. If you can live without those features and if you're looking for an inexpensive, reliable head then the Rumble might fit the bill, but I would definitely give it a listen if you haven't already.

By the way, some of us have replaced the white knobs with black ones for what I think is a "classier" look. For pics check, I think, the Fender Rumble Club thread and search for "knobs".
 
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#57
yucafrita said:
Im still trying to decide!
I want a tone hammer but hard to justify the 300$ difference!.
So far the rumble 500 is winning.
Pity there is little feedback on the peavey minimax the current amazon price is great!
Click to expand...
The minimax is OK, but I don't hear a wow factor. The amp tone seems like it was designed to not offend anyone. Not bad but not much color. Typical Peavey - deep and clear, but not warm. Plenty of lows and a lot of features for the price point. Peavey's are always durable. Hope that helps.
 
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#58
PDGood said:
The minimax is OK, but I don't hear a wow factor. The amp tone seems like it was designed to not offend anyone. Not bad but not much color. Typical Peavey - deep and clear, but not warm. Plenty of lows and a lot of features for the price point. Peavey's are always durable. Hope that helps.
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Actually, that may be not that bad since I have a VT bass and an old sans amp.
I wonder how the rumble take preamps.....
 
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