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Fender Rumble Club

You'll see where it's made if you read the back of the amp. It's clearly marked. You're overdrive must be defective in your demo. It's very easy to dial in just a hint for a warm tube vibe. It is the very best overdrive on the market and just happens to come with a fabulous Fender Rumble bass amp. ;) The overdrive also comes in an all tube version with the Bassman 100t or the Super Bassman.

You Sir, are an EVIL $^%&**(!

Today I ordered a 500...

Please reinstate my Fender Rumble Club Number! Glorious #327!
 
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Wondering what is the actual difference side by side, the Rumble 200 vs the 500. I like the 15" fat sound, but how are those 2x10s on the 500? I am planning to go to Guitar center to try them out, but if anyone has some input now, it would be greatly appreciated. Right now I am using an Ampeg PF500 w/ 1x15, (+ 1x15 ext. speaker) but looking to reduce some weight and maybe a fatter sound. I have a rumble 100 and always like the sound. Would appreciate some input. Thanks!
 
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I think an important consideration is how much volume you need... with the 500 obviously being louder.
You could also combine a 500 with the 115 extension cab, which seems to sound awesome according to some users here, giving you the best of both worlds. This might well be too expensive for your needs, but it sure would move a ton of air as well.
 
Wondering what is the actual difference side by side, the Rumble 200 vs the 500. I like the 15" fat sound, but how are those 2x10s on the 500? I am planning to go to Guitar center to try them out, but if anyone has some input now, it would be greatly appreciated. Right now I am using an Ampeg PF500 w/ 1x15, (+ 1x15 ext. speaker) but looking to reduce some weight and maybe a fatter sound. I have a rumble 100 and always like the sound. Would appreciate some input. Thanks!
They are far more alike than they are different. Same cabinet, and even ship in the same box. Same pre-amp/front end. The 200 is just shy of 35 lbs and the 500 about 2 lbs heavier. Both have new Eminence custom designed ceramic magnet drivers. Both have powered extension speaker output jacks. Both utilize B&O ICE Power modules. They sound much more similar than different. $100 difference in price and the biggest deal is 500 vs 200 watts at 4 ohms or 350 vs 140 with the internal 8 ohm speakers only. If money is an issue than the Rumble 200 is the one. If volume is an issue than the 500 is your huckleberry. If neither one is a big deal, then just pick the one you like best.
 
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the biggest deal is 500 vs 200 watts at 4 ohms or 350 vs 140 with the internal 8 ohm speakers only.
I'll admit that as a beginner my knowledge of bass amps, speakers, and impedance is very rudimentary, but the quote above bothers me. If I bought a 500 watt combo amp I'd expect it to deliver 500 watts as is without needing an extension cab. I'd be upset if i found out later that the wattage was being knocked down to 340 due to the internal speakers being 8 ohms. Is that expectation unreasonable? Are all bass combos this way or is this particular to the Rumbles?


sleepy
 
I'll admit that as a beginner my knowledge of bass amps, speakers, and impedance is very rudimentary, but the quote above bothers me. If I bought a 500 watt combo amp I'd expect it to deliver 500 watts as is without needing an extension cab, not being knocked down to 340 due to the internal speakers being 8 ohms. Is that expectation unreasonable? Are all bass combos this way or is this particular to the Rumbles?


sleepy
Yes, your expectation is not so unreasonable as it is uneducated. Take the Rumble 100 for example: it has 100 watts at 8 ohm to it's internal speaker. It does not have an extension speaker output. It is just a combo and as such is non-expandable. Both the Rumble 200 & 500 are available as combos and also as heads. The heads put out 200 & 500 watts into a 4 ohm load, and 140 & 350 watts into an 8 ohm load. This is normal. The 200 & 500 combos are not just combos only, but are also expandable making them far more versatile.
 
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Yes, your expectation is not so unreasonable as it is uneducated. Take the Rumble 100 for example: it has 100 watts at 8 ohm to it's internal speaker. It does not have an extension speaker output. It is just a combo and as such is non-expandable.
I think I understand now. So since the 200 and 500 are expandable, their internal impedance needs to be 8 ohms so that when an extension cab is added it only drops to 4 ohms and doesn't overload the amp, correct?


sleepy
 
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Yup.
For example the V2 Rumble 350 was a full 350 watts, as the speakers were wired 4 ohm. However, you cannot add an extension cabinet.

It's standard procedure to name an amp after its maximum wattage. Combo or head

But that is dependent on the speaker load. So if a combo is wired 8ohm and allows an extension, you'll only get the maximum wattage if you add that extension. If the combo is wired 4 ohm and doesn't allow an extension (cuz then the amp would have to be 2ohm compatible) then you get the maximum wattage.


It's no different with any head. If it's rated to 4ohm, and you only use one 8ohm cabinet, you only get a percentage of the max. Add a second 8ohm cab, and you get max. Or use a single 4ohm cab and you get max.

Clear as mud?


Having said all that, 340 watts is still lots, and now you have the option to make it louder, by adding an extension.

A happy accident is that by adding speakers, you're pushing more air, and therefore could possibly run the amp lower and still perceive it as loud or louder than a single cab.
 
I'll admit that as a beginner my knowledge of bass amps, speakers, and impedance is very rudimentary, but the quote above bothers me. If I bought a 500 watt combo amp I'd expect it to deliver 500 watts as is without needing an extension cab. I'd be upset if i found out later that the wattage was being knocked down to 340 due to the internal speakers being 8 ohms. Is that expectation unreasonable? Are all bass combos this way or is this particular to the Rumbles?


sleepy

The wattage quote is peak. 350 is quite a bit of power. A 150w combo can make your head hurt, so 350 will do awesome
 
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The wattage quote is peak. 350 is quite a bit of power. A 150w combo can make your head hurt, so 350 will do awesome
No, Fender's wattage quotes are always in clean continuous watts before clipping and the onset of the limiter. The new V3 schematics haven't been released yet, but the V2's show wattage rated at both 8 and 4 ohms measured at both 100Hz and 1,000Hz. Fender is very honest with their wattage ratings and conservative in their measurement.

Unlike some other amp companies that I won't name (but could) that either flat out lie about their wattage or quote some rather fanciful 'peak watts'. So if you believe in the Good Watt Fairy, just put your wallet out on your front porch when you go to bed and just maybe you'll get the watts they say you have.
 
Excellent answers, thank you all. I appreciate you taking the time to explain it to me and I now understand why the wattage and ohms work the way they do. Really, all I need to do is buy an amp that has enough power at the default ohms so it isn't immediately necessary to add an extension cabinet, but it's there as an option in case I need the max wattage down the road.


sleepy
 
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I think an important consideration is how much volume you need... with the 500 obviously being louder.
You could also combine a 500 with the 115 extension cab, which seems to sound awesome according to some users here, giving you the best of both worlds. This might well be too expensive for your needs, but it sure would move a ton of air as well.
Actually looking for less to carry as well as weight. I want to have the stage fat sound as I also go direct through the system. Just was wondering if the 210s on the 500 combo ould be somewhat thinner than the 200 1x15 and if the 200 combo would cut through in a smaller venue without going direct.
 
Actually looking for less to carry as well as weight. I want to have the stage fat sound as I also go direct through the system. Just was wondering if the 210s on the 500 combo ould be somewhat thinner than the 200 1x15 and if the 200 combo would cut through in a smaller venue without going direct.
In a word, No.

The 500 sounds plenty beefy. It's a little more articulate with the tone controls at noon, but thanks to the speakers chosen and the extra headroom (more than double the wattage with or without an extension cab), it can be EQ'd brighter, darker or deeper than the 200.

It's also much less likely to need FOH support if you play with loud drummers or guitarists.
 
Wondering what is the actual difference side by side, the Rumble 200 vs the 500. I like the 15" fat sound, but how are those 2x10s on the 500? I am planning to go to Guitar center to try them out, but if anyone has some input now, it would be greatly appreciated. Right now I am using an Ampeg PF500 w/ 1x15, (+ 1x15 ext. speaker) but looking to reduce some weight and maybe a fatter sound. I have a rumble 100 and always like the sound. Would appreciate some input. Thanks!
I've had both. The 200 on loan till my 500 came in (it was a bit of a wait)! Anyway the 200 is plenty loud but don't think the 500 doesn't go low and fat because it does, by the bucket load. The 200 I had coped well with a heavy hitting drummer and two loud guitar players. We are covering stuff like "The Who" FFS!!!
 
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Picked up the v3 200 combo on black Friday and finally got a
Chance to test it out last night.

Audition scenario small room with a reasonably hard hitter on a nice dw kit and 100w tube 412 guitar, rumble used with swr wm1x10t extension cabinet. Plenty of volume, I do have to sacrifice a "high" 10 since the rumble does not allow for putingnthencab on top due to the handle and top facing controls, but I put the 1x10 in tiltback mode with the bottom handle/stand and that let me hear the note definition better. I turn the horns off because I like overdrive. This was a 2nd auditon with these guys, last time was the wm10/1x10t "stack" next to the ampeg micro-cl "stack", which was doing fine till the wm10 died mid backstroke and left me with just the ampeg. This time I didn't need the ampeg, despite going from 4 10's down to 1 10 and a 15. The guys were way happier with the rumble, and I enjoyed it too.

When I was offered help loading in I said "be careful, it is very light"

Probably loud enough for most clubs, and have the option to use effects send into the ampeg if I need a little more coverage or higher altitude definition.

I used 98 amstd jazz bass, no preshape buttons in, overdrive at about 10 o'clock gain and eq low down to about 1 o clock too, not much more than a subtle cut of low mid and similar slight bump in high mid and there it was.

I believe now!
 
Picked up the v3 200 combo on black Friday and finally got a
Chance to test it out last night.

Audition scenario small room with a reasonably hard hitter on a nice dw kit and 100w tube 412 guitar, rumble used with swr wm1x10t extension cabinet. Plenty of volume, I do have to sacrifice a "high" 10 since the rumble does not allow for putingnthencab on top due to the handle and top facing controls, but I put the 1x10 in tiltback mode with the bottom handle/stand and that let me hear the note definition better. I turn the horns off because I like overdrive. This was a 2nd auditon with these guys, last time was the wm10/1x10t "stack" next to the ampeg micro-cl "stack", which was doing fine till the wm10 died mid backstroke and left me with just the ampeg. This time I didn't need the ampeg, despite going from 4 10's down to 1 10 and a 15. The guys were way happier with the rumble, and I enjoyed it too.

When I was offered help loading in I said "be careful, it is very light"

Probably loud enough for most clubs, and have the option to use effects send into the ampeg if I need a little more coverage or higher altitude definition.

I used 98 amstd jazz bass, no preshape buttons in, overdrive at about 10 o'clock gain and eq low down to about 1 o clock too, not much more than a subtle cut of low mid and similar slight bump in high mid and there it was.

I believe now!
Welcome to the Fender Rumble Club, ubernator! :woot: You are member #295 :hyper:

:laugh: Rumbles Rock! :smug: