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Yeah I know. The video is from facebook. Tried converting it to MP.4 but I can't seem to upload a MP.4 to Talkbass..Let me know if this works...
Is the Rumble 200 Combo (1x15") loud enough for gigging with a band like this:
With the greatest of ease. Well able to go much louder than the ampeg b100r in the video, and sound a whole lot better while doing it too.
Sounded great. You were really strong in the mix- was that with FOH support, or was your amp carrying the whole room?
Yeah I had FOH support. The bass was a little to strong, our keyboard player runs sound and he is behind the PA. After that set I adjusted it down a little. And Thanks
Tone-wise, one of the Rumbles would almost certainly work. They all do that sort of old-school sound very nicely.
But you can't size an amp based on the style of a band.
What you need depends on where you play. Put a thrash-metal band in some producer's living room, and the bassist won't be able to crack the volume on his stack past 9 o'clock. Put a folk-rock band on an outdoor stage at some big festival, and the bass player will be hoping for an SVT and a fridge.
If all that band is ever going to do is record in the studio where they recorded that video, with that lineup, and if that Ampeg in the video was already handling pretty much everything they ever throw at it, then the Rumble 200 would be a logical upgrade, and give a little more headroom.
But if by gigging, we mean a variety of venues, and possibly some stages where the Ampeg might start farting out, then you would need quite a bit more. Maybe the 500 combo, or possibly even the 500 in some sort of stack, for a modular gigging rig.
The trouble is, we don't have nearly enough information to pin down a specific requirement:
- Are you in the band in the video, or were just using them for a reference?
- If not, is your drummer as gentle as that guy? How about your guitarist and keys?
- If that is your band, how is the Ampeg currently holding up on gigs?
- That song was pretty relaxed. Do you play any uptempo numbers, that hit harder?
- Are you looking at recording only, house concerts, coffee shops, clubs, stadiums?
- What is your average audience size? Your max to date?
- Do you expect to get more and bigger gigs in the future?
- Indoors only, or outdoor gigs as well?
- Do you always have FOH support, or do you sometimes have to carry the room?
Depending on your answers to these questions, you could end up needing anything from a 150 watt combo to a 500 watt head and a pair of 410's.
Just on a general note:
I would never recommend a 200 watt 1x15 combo to a serious gigging bassist these days, when there's a 500 watt combo available for that's only $100 more, similar in size and only 2 lb heavier.
There are two reasons for this:
1. Over 40 years of doing everything from folk duos to music theatre to prog rock, has taught me that you can never go wrong with some extra headroom.
2. Times change. The new Rumbles are a fraction of the size of the rigs that we used to carry back in the day. This is not magic: Newer speaker designs trade efficiency for extra power handling in a smaller, lighter box.
Back in the 70's and 80's, guys like me were gigging with 100-200 watt heads, and huge cabs loaded with hyper-efficient EV and JBL 15's. These days, we're all using 500 watt heads, and cabs that are less than half the size and weight.
In effect, 500 watts is the new normal...
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Fender Rumble Club - I suppose I should join. I owned a Rumble 150 head. Last Thursday I bought a Rumble 25 v3. Yesterday, I sold the Rumble 150 to a fellow TB member. Today, I ordered a Rumble 40 v3 and plan on returning the 25 when the 40 arrives. All in all, I like the Fender Rumble line of amplifiers.
May I have a number please?
May I have a number please?
You surely may! Welcome to the Fender Rumble Club, OldPlucker! You are member #253
Rumble On!
Have been reading....and reading.....and reading.... this thread for a while now. I'm heading to the big smoke tomorrow (nearly 2.5 hours each way) to try out some amps. I know they have the 500 V3 and either the 100 or the 200 (can't remember which) and a couple of others i might try.
I generally play with two acoustic guitars in a trio or a Uke band through a semi-decent PA in small to medium rooms with the occasional outdoor gig. There's also the possibility of the odd gig with two guitars and drums this summer. I also play a Invalid Link Removed for the drums in the uke group (one man rhythm section...it gives a great kick and snare sound when miced up and eq'ed right).
The 500 costs nearly $900 with the 200 being $670 and the 100 at $485 here in Australia. I like a decent bright sound as I tend to do a lot of upper register fills, particularly with the uke group as they provide no mids as you would expect.
Part of me says go for the most power for that 5% of time i MIGHT need it and another part of me says save a few bucks and deal with PA support for the 5% that i'm drowned out. What do you experts think?
I generally play with two acoustic guitars in a trio or a Uke band through a semi-decent PA in small to medium rooms with the occasional outdoor gig. There's also the possibility of the odd gig with two guitars and drums this summer. I also play a Invalid Link Removed for the drums in the uke group (one man rhythm section...it gives a great kick and snare sound when miced up and eq'ed right).
The 500 costs nearly $900 with the 200 being $670 and the 100 at $485 here in Australia. I like a decent bright sound as I tend to do a lot of upper register fills, particularly with the uke group as they provide no mids as you would expect.
Part of me says go for the most power for that 5% of time i MIGHT need it and another part of me says save a few bucks and deal with PA support for the 5% that i'm drowned out. What do you experts think?
Just a reference, it's not my band.
Same style like the Band in the Video
All of it, except playing in stadiums. If i ever will fill a Stadium with my music, i'm sure there will be some Roadies, Groupies and a suitcase full of Dollars
2.000
Most indoors, when we play bigger (and outdoor) gigs, we play ampless with our in ear monitoring system.
Ok, but i love 15" Speakers, the Rumble 500 has 2x10.
greets
Owned both 200 and 500 combos now i just own the 500. I was always a 15 guy but love the 2 10s on the 500... plus extra headroom. Tried several 2 10s my whole life never liked any and always had a 15.. that changed never thought it would..Just a reference, it's not my band.
Same style like the Band in the Video
All of it, except playing in stadiums. If i ever will fill a Stadium with my music, i'm sure there will be some Roadies, Groupies and a suitcase full of Dollars
2.000
Most indoors, when we play bigger (and outdoor) gigs, we play ampless with our in ear monitoring system.
Ok, but i love 15" Speakers, the Rumble 500 has 2x10.
greets
A few questions to help narrow down your decision:
About that "semi-decent" PA:
1. What does your bass sound like when you DI into the system?
2. Does it have a sub? If not, how much would it cost to buy one?
3. Do you ever drive the system hard enough that the treble starts to sound a little harsh?
4. Do the woofers ever start to break up on transients, especially on the lower register of the guitars?
5. Is everything direct, or are the guitars or ukes ever mic'd?
I ask, because keeping your bass out of the top bins will help them to stay clean when you push the system. However, a sub on the PA might be a better investment than a bigger bass amp, depending on how prices work out. Cranking a big bass amp on an acoustic stage can make things worse, rather than better.
About the occasional outdoor gigs: do you take your PA system, or is sound provided? If it is provided, do they have good monitor support?
About the gig odd gig with drums and two guitars: Electric or acoustic? If everything you do is acoustic and the drummer is gentle, the Rumble 500 might be overkill.
About a brighter sound with the Ukes: How bright are we talking? Jeff Schmidt on YouTube with his piccolo-tuned MTD's, or Norm Stockton on YT in his G-K demo videos? Either way, the tweeterless 100V3 is probably out of the question. As you would expect from a large cone driver, the highs are a bit peaky, and there's not much dispersion.
Australian pricing distorts the value equation.
The price gap in North America is about 20-25% per model, and Rumble prices undercut their main competition (mostly Ampeg and G-K) by a wide margin. The price gap between the 200 and 500 over here is about the same as renting a bigger rig a couple of times, so we need to be REALLY sure we'll never need more juice before committing to the 200.
According to your numbers, the gaps as you go up are closer to 40% in Oz. If you've always got decent PA coverage and you're mostly playing gentle acoustic music, the 200 might make the most sense.
I'm also wondering about pricing on other brands. How do G-K, Markbass and others compare to the Rumbles over there?
