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Fender Rumble 500 vs. Fender Stage 800
- Thread starter ClassicJazz
- Start date
Well that's my point, I was not able to emulated the Rumble 500 even though I selected all the correct components (2x10 Rumble V3 which is the Rumble 500 cabinet model, the Rumble V3 amp which is the model of the amp in the Rumble 500). I setup the EQ exactly the same. So ideally the 800 should have sounded pretty close to my actual Rumble 500. Both use the same speakers and the physical cabinet is the same. But nope. As I mentioned the 800 was just to processed sounding where the 500 was much more warmer and natural sounding.
Bottom line digital processing sucks the warmth out of bass signals. Has been that way for years. Granted some prefer that Hi-Fi Victor Wooten sound. In fact my first Fodera which had active EMG PJ pickups, the same in Victor's bass probably would have sounded good through the 800. My preference with amps is having an actual tube preamp section. I have a GK Fusion 800 and a Genz-Benz Shuttle 9.0, both with tube preamps. They sound amazing, but sadly I am constantly having issues with those amps. The Rumble 500 has been the closest I found sound wise to those amps, and man the Rumble is a workhorse. I use it at all my gigs as well as a open mic I run. So it gets allot of use and abuse! lol Yet like the Energizer Bunny keeps going and going!
Used my Rumble 500 over the weekend for a band livestream. Got a full thick sound out of it but just a touch bass heavy. I just opened the tone control on my Lakland J-Sonic and it fixed it!
It used to be that way. Now that's not really the case. Sounds like Fender just implemented it poorly. My basses sounds fantastic through my Helix. I've had nothing but compliments on my sound live. The first time I brought it to a gig with my old cover band instead of the SVT-CL, they were blown away by how great it sounded and that it did so without putting a bunch of low frequencies on stage to bleed in the drum mics. Even the sound guys who are skeptical at first are very complimentary after sound check.
I had Fender modelling combo for guitar that I bought on a whim because a coworker was selling it cheap. It also sounded very digital and fake. Not at all like the helix. Quality modelling has really come into its own in the last few years and the old "digital modelling sucks out the warmth/life" attitude that I too used to have does not apply anymore as a blanket statement. If you use the high quality stuff (Helix / AxeFx / AX8 / Kemper / HX Stomp) you shouldn't have that problem.
Given the choice between a Rumble 500 and a Fender 800 modelling amp I would take the rumble. But I'll take one of the top tier modellers over the Rumble. I have a great Rumble preset I created for the bass player of a band I play keys for who used a Rumble.
Which cabinet should you select, the 2x10 Rumble V3 or the NONE?
And just to complicate things, according to this post:
Fender Rumble Club
the Rumble500c also has an embedded cab simulator...
... (correction) that only affects the XLR and headphone outputs.
This is a very responsive and one of my favourite settings for a passive Fender Jazz:
Amplifier: RUMBLE V3, cabinet: 2x15 D130, Vintage: OFF, Overdrive: OFF, Contour: OFF, Bright: ON, Compressor: OFF, Noise Gate: LOW, Gate Position: PRE, Gain: 6.1, Volume: 9.2, Treble: 4.6, Mid Low:7.2, Mid High: 6.7, Bass: 4.3, Od Drive:3.6, Od Level: 5.5
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Which cabinet should you select, the 2x10 Rumble V3 or the NONE?
And just to complicate things, according to this post:
Fender Rumble Club
the Rumble500c also has an embedded cab simulator...
This is a very responsive and one of my favourite settings for a passive Fender Jazz:
Amplifier: RUMBLE V3, cabinet: 2x15 D130, Vintage: OFF, Overdrive: OFF, Contour: OFF, Bright: ON, Compressor: OFF, Noise Gate: LOW, Gate Position: PRE, Gain: 6.1, Volume: 9.2, Treble: 4.6, Mid Low:7.2, Mid High: 6.7, Bass: 4.3, Od Drive:3.6, Od Level: 5.5
Rumble 500C? Don't know that model. Not on the Fender website. The only modeling Rumbles are the Studio 40 and Stage 800. To answer your question, tried both ways. Kind of odd that they have a model for the 2x10 Rumble cabinet since the actual combo and the extension cabinet are pretty much the same. Same speakers, same horn, same design. The only difference is the combo just has an off/on switch for the horn where the extension cabinet has Full/Off/-6dB. Obviously the crossover for the horn is different.
I own a Fender 800 Stage and have been very pleased with the tonal options. You have to experiment with it, a lot and eventually you will find your own. Anyway, my question is: I am looking to add a cabinet to my Fender 800 Stage and unsure which way to go, so far, I have considered the Fender Rumble 210/2x10 700 watts. Does anyone on this list have this set-up (amp + cab)? If so, please tell me your experience(s) with it and what differences it will make besides just volume. Feel free to add any other suggestions. Thanks in advance! Bill
The 500C is the 500 combo, it’s been a fairly common designation used to differentiate it from the 500 head, but as this is now discontinued, it’s no longer necessary. Many of us still do it out of habit, though.
@Lemur Bassman ...I use the Stage 800 w/ the Rumble 210 extension cabinet. Fun stuff! Loud & clear, unless you run some distortion
Nope, I upgrade to the 800 Combo (not the stage). I used that for a while, great combo. But now went in a whole other direction. Brought my Genz Benz Shuttle 9.0 out of retirement and had a full factory service done. And picked up two GR Bass carbon fiber cabinets (112 and a 210). Best cabinets I have ever used! AND super lightweight! My whole rig including the amp only weighs 36 lbs!!
Nice one! Can't beat those Genz-Benz Shuttle and Streamliners IMO.
I'm thinking of going in the opposite direction to you. Selling up my Barefaced 410 cab and Genz-Benz Shuttle 9.2 , Streamliner 900 and 600. I'm not gigging and figure a Rumble 500 or 800 would be more than enough to practice at home and then portable enough to take to jams with friends or the occasional pub jam. I do like the fact that the Rumble 500 combo I used to own had plenty of low end which I liked. So with your experience on the 500 and 800 combo, was their much sound difference between the 2 since they have different speakers? Was one warmer and thicker or pretty similar? Thanks.
Overall I found the 800 better. The extra power equates to more headroom and a cleaner tone when you dig. Also the 800 is lighter! Tone wise they were close.
