Fender Rumble Club

[chupacerveza]

So, chuy, what 4 cabs you thinking about for your 800HD?
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Fair question! Just odds and ends sitting around, if my PF-500 has bitten the dust it’ll need a stand-in. The answer though would be a PJB C-4 (Piranhas), a pair of Ampeg SVT210AV cabs, and a SWR 15” (Workingman's 1x15T), not necessarily in that order or any particular configuration. The flexibility and headroom as well as a very positive experience with the Rumble 100 Combo contours are the driving considerations, this puppy ticks ALL the boxes, including aux in and headphones for quiet practice, an FX loop—dang, who am I telling, you already know all that!

I should say though that I very deliberately try not to ever need 800 Watts of stage volume—or two cartloads of gear! So the question is really more self-entertainment, but it’s quite real as far as a seller is concerned, and I'd definitely have to hook it up at least once just to feel the breeze....

 

[MaxC]

Agree completely, I have mine off too. Perhaps consider adding your chosen tone to the Fender Rumble Club "TONE POOL" ?

Thanks I wasnt aware of this chart

 

[JakobT]

May sound weird but I like the stock Fender strings, especially after they break in.

I do, too - but it depends on the bass. On my Noir Precision, which is after all a MIM Standard, they sound simply awesome, but on my American Standard with the Custom Shop pickups, they sound a little weak and lacklustre. For that bass, Chromes are a much better option.

 

[RumbleMan3]

I do, too - but it depends on the bass. On my Noir Precision, which is after all a MIM Standard, they sound simply awesome, but on my American Standard with the Custom Shop pickups, they sound a little weak and lacklustre. For that bass, Chromes are a much better option.

Interesting! My player series jazz bass still has the stock strings, worn in a good couple months. They lack a bit of punch, same as you describe your American standard. The custom shop 60s pickups, and my player series pickups, are both alnico V. Could it be a related issue? Maybe not, but it’s odd that the strings sounded like they lacked punch on the American standard jazz instead of the MIM precision.

Cool to hear that chromes helped on your bass... I have looked into trying some EB cobalt flats... kinda like chromes (but not really)! Should bring out the punch a little.

 

[chrisan2]

Im running a 4ohm load , 2 rumble 210 cabs , on my rumble 500 head, thus getting its full 500 watts. If I upgraded to the new 800 watt head , and kept the same cabs Im only getting 450 watts at 4 ohms. Or would the head room of the 800 change things?

 

[twc1313]

Im running a 4ohm load , 2 rumble 210 cabs , on my rumble 500 head, thus getting its full 500 watts. If I upgraded to the new 800 watt head , and kept the same cabs Im only getting 450 watts at 4 ohms. Or would the head room of the 800 change things?

I have the 800 head with 2 Rumble 2x10 cabs as well. At a 4ohm load (like what you already have) you would be getting the full 800 watts with the new head.

 

[JakobT]

Interesting! My player series jazz bass still has the stock strings, worn in a good couple months. They lack a bit of punch, same as you describe your American standard. The custom shop 60s pickups, and my player series pickups, are both alnico V. Could it be a related issue? Maybe not, but it’s odd that the strings sounded like they lacked punch on the American standard jazz instead of the MIM precision.

Cool to hear that chromes helped on your bass... I have looked into trying some EB cobalt flats... kinda like chromes (but not really)! Should bring out the punch a little.

The alnico pickups were introduced on MIM Fenders with the Player series, I believe. My Noir P-bass has the ceramic pickups of the old Standard series. They are hotter than the pickups on my American Standard, and seem to have a bit of a bump in the lower mids which gives them a lot of punch, not entirely unlike Seymour Duncan Quarter Pounders.

The Custom Shop 60’s pickups on my American Standard are more subtle, and benefit from the general thumpiness of flats, and the Chromes have a little sparkle in the top to give bite and definition.

I tried the EB Cobalt flats on my Classic Sabre, but didn’t really get on with them.

 

[J-Bassomatic]

I have the 800 head with 2 Rumble 2x10 cabs as well. At a 4ohm load (like what you already have) you would be getting the full 800 watts with the new head.

And, that full 800 will sound awesome, I upgraded to the 800 also and have the same cabs. The 800 is a bit of a different animal I've discovered, for the better. I find I can't part with the 'lil' 500 though.

 

[jdshimkoski]

And, that full 800 will sound awesome, I upgraded to the 800 also and have the same cabs. The 800 is a bit of a different animal I've discovered, for the better. I find I can't part with the 'lil' 500 though.

Please explain why you feel it is a different animal. I’m interested in hearing the experience from someone that has been able to use both the 800 head and the 500.

Thanks in advance!

 

[Aaron Houts]

You talkin’ to me?
You talkin’ to ME??!!!

ha ha!
I wouldn't mess with him!

 

[Aaron Houts]

May sound weird but I like the stock Fender strings, especially after they break in.

Yeah.
I'm not sure where I'm going with this String Quest.

I put the DRs on yesterday. Great tone, but even stiffer than I remember the stock Fenders being...and seemed to have less bass than the Fenders. Maybe they just need time to break in.

Plus, now I kind of miss the bendiness of the Slinkys.

I may go back to the Ernie Balls but go with the Power Slinkys which is a heavier gauge than the Fenders and the Hi-Beams I have on there right now. Well, the E and the A strings are the same size. The other three are thicker. The B string for the Power Slinkys is 135 which is bigger than the current one at 125. Maybe that will tighten up the string and give it a stronger bassier sound?
...but then will it feel out of place with the other strings because it's too big. I know I'm Goldilocksing the whole thing here.

 

[J-Bassomatic]

Please explain why you feel it is a different animal. I’m interested in hearing the experience from someone that has been able to use both the 800 head and the 500.

Thanks in advance!

I noticed that the 500 brought the volume up quickly, quite loud at the 10 o'clock position and not so much with the 800. The interplay between master and gain is a bit different, I have the gain turned up a lot less that the 500. Plus it has things like I would have liked on the 500 like post/pre output and 2 ohm capability. It's like it should be Rumble V3.5. I am not knocking the 500 at all, it's a heck of an amplifier. When I first plugged in the 800 I set all the settings exactly like the 500 and it was not the same. I mean it's the Fender sound and all but needed to be tweaked on it's own. I wouldn't sell either of them (he says now ). I find it hard to imagine a situation where the 500 and 2 210s wouldn't cut it but the 800 was just THERE and I WANTED it.

 

[CallMeAl]

Yeah.
I'm not sure where I'm going with this String Quest.

I put the DRs on yesterday. Great tone, but even stiffer than I remember the stock Fenders being...and seemed to have less bass than the Fenders. Maybe they just need time to break in.

Plus, now I kind of miss the bendiness of the Slinkys.

I may go back to the Ernie Balls but go with the Power Slinkys which is a heavier gauge than the Fenders and the Hi-Beams I have on there right now. Well, the E and the A strings are the same size. The other three are thicker. The B string for the Power Slinkys is 135 which is bigger than the current one at 125. Maybe that will tighten up the string and give it a stronger bassier sound?
...but then will it feel out of place with the other strings because it's too big. I know I'm Goldilocksing the whole thing here.

Aw man that's a bummer!

 

[MustangWally]

Thanks I wasnt aware of this chart

Actually the whole Fender Rumble Club Wiki Page | TalkBass.com is well worth a read, there is some really good stuff in there.

 

[GonePlaid]

I noticed that the 500 brought the volume up quickly, quite loud at the 10 o'clock position and not so much with the 800. The interplay between master and gain is a bit different, I have the gain turned up a lot less that the 500. Plus it has things like I would have liked on the 500 like post/pre output and 2 ohm capability. It's like it should be Rumble V3.5. I am not knocking the 500 at all, it's a heck of an amplifier. When I first plugged in the 800 I set all the settings exactly like the 500 and it was not the same. I mean it's the Fender sound and all but needed to be tweaked on it's own. I wouldn't sell either of them (he says now ). I find it hard to imagine a situation where the 500 and 2 210s wouldn't cut it but the 800 was just THERE and I WANTED it.

GAS defined.

 

[chrisan2]

I have the 800 head with 2 Rumble 2x10 cabs as well. At a 4ohm load (like what you already have) you would be getting the full 800 watts with the new head.

Yes I didn't study the picture of the back of the head hard enough, now I see, 800at 4 and 2 ohms , 450 at 8
Are the 500 and 800 identical eq parameters, just different power sections?

 

[twc1313]

Yes I didn't study the picture of the back of the head hard enough, now I see, 800at 4 and 2 ohms , 450 at 8
Are the 500 and 800 identical eq parameters, just different power sections?

Yup, just more juice!

 

[G-Dog]

Actually the whole Fender Rumble Club Wiki Page | TalkBass.com is well worth a read, there is some really good stuff in there.

Merci, Wally! Also, just let me know if you find something that needs to be added to our Rumble Club Wiki.
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Yes I didn't study the picture of the back of the head hard enough, now I see, 800at 4 and 2 ohms , 450 at 8 ... ...

And you either mis-typed or should try reading the Rumble 800 HD owner's manual, linked on the Rumble Wiki linked in my signature. It is 400 watts at 8 ohms.
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... ... Are the 500 and 800 identical eq parameters, just different power sections?

I believe that @J-Bassomatic answered that question above. Short answer is "no".
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[Aaron Houts]

Aw man that's a bummer!

Okay.
I think I may have figured it out.
The DRs are settling in and sound fantastic. I've going to give them a while. I think I'll probably still want the bendiness of the Slinkys.
I figured out what's going on with them:
The B string in their 5 string sets is farther apart in size from the other four strings comparatively.
I picked out the Super Slinkys because the B was the same size. The other four were smaller.
The stock Fenders and DRs are: 45 65 85 105 125
The Super Slinkys are: 40 60 75 95 125
I'm starting to think it was the gauge and not the strings I didn't like.
I think I'm going to try the B I have from the Super Slinky set and get a four string regular Slinky set.
That would be: 50 70 85 105 125
That's a lot closer to the stock Fender.
But alas, this has nothing to do with Rumbles...
I've tried the DRs out on three different Rumble rigs today. Does that count?

 

[G-Dog]

Yup, just more juice!

That would have been my guess, too. Is your experience with the 800HD different from J-Basso's?
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