Fender Rumble Club

[GonePlaid]

Wondering if anyone else has experienced issues like this: Same problem at 2 gigs this week using the 800 Stage plus 15" cab. Outside, and we were playing rather loud, my vol set to 11:00 o'clock. On both nights, into later part of performance, volume dropping, less deep bass tone, notes had a strong attack instantaneously, but dropped down in vol and slightly distorted...switched my bass to passive mode, same results.
Gig #1: Turned off amp at end of last set, we were brought back for encore, switched the amp on and it suddenly was normal again.
Gig #2, same problems developed into set 2. Turned off amp between sets, and when I returned for set 3 the Stage 800 returned to normal operation for the entire set.
Would appreciate your thoughts...

Gremlins? I'd call-or write-7ender to see what they have to say. Meanwhile, turn it off at the end of each set(?). My bassman 25 quit in the middle of a song. I tried switching cables, power cord, etc. Finally, turned it off and was about to go to the van and get the backup amp. Turned it back on and it worked the rest of the night.

 

[chupacerveza]

Wondering if anyone else has experienced issues like this: Same problem at 2 gigs this week using the 800 Stage plus 15" cab. Outside, and we were playing rather loud, my vol set to 11:00 o'clock. On both nights, into later part of performance, volume dropping, less deep bass tone, notes had a strong attack instantaneously, but dropped down in vol and slightly distorted...switched my bass to passive mode, same results.
Gig #1: Turned off amp at end of last set, we were brought back for encore, switched the amp on and it suddenly was normal again.
Gig #2, same problems developed into set 2. Turned off amp between sets, and when I returned for set 3 the Stage 800 returned to normal operation for the entire set.
Would appreciate your thoughts...

My first thought was the batteries in your bass, but I guess switching to passive mode rules that out... depending on exactly how your bass works....

 

[LoveJackBruce]

That's a drag. IMO, the power amp is teetering on cutting itself off due to overheating. Far from a expert and not sure if technically even possible. I know that weak active EQ batteries have caused this effect to happen to me once before.

 

[cooks33]

Here's my Rumble 200! May I have a number please?

 

[RumbleMan3]

Here's my Rumble 200! May I have a number please?
View attachment 3526800

Beautiful!

 

[pdryan60]

Here is the official (slightly unofficial) list. I need Edward G and joebar to please verify that they do want a number. I took the liberty of assuming both of you did want a number.

01. BumbleB
02. BassSurfer
03. Edward G
04. joebar
05. tabdog
06. rocksmoot
07. adk teleman

Have any of you used your Rumbles with other instruments? We recently bought an electric cello and I'm assuming it could be played with this amp, but we haven't tried it yet. If anybody knows anything about how well these two pieces play together please let me know!

Thank you for the continued interest!

I just bought the Rumble Stage 800, discovered an Acoustasonic preset and plugged my guitar in.....great acoustic sound, fully adjustable, also takes my electric guitars, great sounds through the '59 Bassman presets.....

 

[G-Dog]

I just bought the Rumble Stage 800, discovered an Acoustasonic preset and plugged my guitar in.....great acoustic sound, fully adjustable, also takes my electric guitars, great sounds through the '59 Bassman presets.....

Right, ryan! What guitars have you played thru your Stage? How about a photo?
.

 

[G-Dog]

Say G-Dog, perhaps you can answer a rhetorical question that I've been tossing around in my tiny brain... can I run the Rumble 800HD head into a sixteen Ohm cabinet? Good, bad, indifferent? Would it reduce the Wattage and would it overheat the amp are the two main concerns (I think...?)? I believe the best answer is to rewire the cab for fewer (8 or 4) Ohms, but would I NEED to... (assuming the cab can handle 800 Watts)?
Thanks for your insight!

For what it's worth, this is the reason for the question:
Ran my Streamliner at 16 ohms tonight -- a revelation

Well, if you're asking "in order to produce an effect or to make a statement rather than to elicit information", like most rhetorical questions, then . . . I'm impressed! How's that for an effect? I dunno what statement it may be making.

If you were asking a theoretical question, I would speculate that the head might produce somewhere in the neighborhood of 200+/- watts into your 16 ohm speaker load (approx. half the power into an 8 ohm load), depending on various technicalities beyond my ken, not the least of which would be the safety of the amp and/or cab. But, again, I could only speculate that it might work OK, at least at low volumes. But, I really dunno. Sorry. I can understand your reluctance to just "try it and see", and I applaud you for it, chupy.

How 'bout it, all you really technical Rumblers? What do you think? What do you know? Anybody done this, connected an 16 ohm cab to a 8/4/2 ohm amp?
.

I'm still researching this question of a 16 ohm speaker load on a Rumble 800 HD head. So far, I've found this thread about a 16 ohm speaker load on a Genz Benz Streamliner 900 amp head: Ran my Streamliner at 16 ohms tonight -- a revelation Although this particular post addresses the general concept of less amp stress on higher speaker loads, the Streamliner amps also have a special tube emulation circuit that only kicks in at high output levels. So, all the Streamliner owners were hot for series cables to increase their speaker loads!

I don't believe Rumbles have such a circuit, else we would also all be making series cables! However, you would, I believe, be delving deeper into the delta-comp circuitry that adds more compression and sustain at higher volumes, though. So, perhaps that could, in some circumstances, be a more desirable tone?

And, to my knowledge, the series cables can only give a 16 ohm load, using two 8 ohm cabs, to amp heads and not combos. Any series cable users to confirm this?
.

 

[jfh2424]

Hello fellow Rumblers.

Anybody taken the badge off their Rumble cabs? Just curious if taking the badge off leaves sizable holes that are noticeable.

And once they are off, can they be easily put back on? Anything to be careful about during the process?

Thanks!

 

[CallMeAl]

Hello fellow Rumblers.

Anybody taken the badge off their Rumble cabs? Just curious if taking the badge off leaves sizable holes that are noticeable.

And once they are off, can they be easily put back on? Anything to be careful about during the process?

Thanks!

Took both mine off, only because they both broke. No holes or damage. They are screwed into a piece of wood on the grill frame, so replacement is as easy as finding those holes again. (Which I can see on mine if I look closely)

 

[Ted S]

"And, to my knowledge, the series cables can only give a 16 ohm load, using two 8 ohm cabs, to amp heads and not combos. Any series cable users to confirm this?"

Am thinking that without internal modification of the combo, MAX impedance is always 8 ohms.
And 8 ohms is seen when there is NO additional external speaker added to the output circuit.
Plugging ANY addition load into the combo ALWAYS REDUCES total impedance load since it is always in parallel with the internal 8 ohms. Again, I believe this is true unless the combo internal wiring is modified. So, connecting any combination of series speakers to the combo will always present total impedance of 8 ohm or less to the amp. Can't get to 16 ohms. ( and don't think you really want to do that anyway).
Lastly, you could certainly wire two 8 ohm spkr cabs in series for a total of 16 ohms and connect that to a stand alone amp/head. But you'd only want to do that if there was an advantage for your particular amp's design.

 

[dougjwray]

More praise for the mighty Rumble...

I'm subbing in a very good bluegrass band at a folk festival on Saturday, and we had a rehearsal yesterday. Bluegrass isn't really my thing, but I knew that I was subbing for an upright player, and I wanted to at least try to approach that sound with my Fender.
This combination worked superbly:

MIM Fender Jazz Bass (neck pickup only), five-year-old medium gauge Chromes.
Fender Rumble 500 v3 head (contour engaged, no overdrive, everything else flat, gain and master at 9:00)
GK 112II cabinet
The Rumble delivered all the warmth and thump I needed.

 

[G-Dog]

"And, to my knowledge, the series cables can only give a 16 ohm load, using two 8 ohm cabs, to amp heads and not combos. Any series cable users to confirm this?"

Am thinking that without internal modification of the combo, MAX impedance is always 8 ohms.
And 8 ohms is seen when there is NO additional external speaker added to the output circuit.
Plugging ANY addition load into the combo ALWAYS REDUCES total impedance load since it is always in parallel with the internal 8 ohms. Again, I believe this is true unless the combo internal wiring is modified. So, connecting any combination of series speakers to the combo will always present total impedance of 8 ohm or less to the amp. Can't get to 16 ohms. ( and don't think you really want to do that anyway).
Lastly, you could certainly wire two 8 ohm spkr cabs in series for a total of 16 ohms and connect that to a stand alone amp/head. But you'd only want to do that if there was an advantage for your particular amp's design.

Yes, that is my understanding, too, Teddy. The 200, 500 & Stage 800 are the only Rumble combos that can use extension cabs and they are hardwired at 8 ohms internally, effectively giving them that 8 ohm max load. Any additional cab(s) can only reduce that max impedance.

In the thread I linked there is an advantage in the design of the GB Streamliners in the form of a tube emulation circuit at higher volumes. And some may consider the Delta-Comp Limiter circuit in the Rumbles a desirable design advantage, I dunno.

Then, there is the instigator of this topic, who will remain anonymous (cough, cough, @chupacerveza, cough) who wanted to try a 16 ohm cab with his Rumble 500 head. Sure wish that anonymous poster could, somehow, let us know how it sounds.
.

 

[Jeremy Jones]

I use a Studio 40 and/or V3 40 for that same thing. I do run to the mains as well from the amp.
Can kind of see it there in the background.

I have a Kay upright with gut strings and play in an acoustic bluegrass 4-5 piece. The rest of the band goes through a condenser mic and I just need a touch of amplification and possibly the ability to DI out to front of house. Mic'ing the cab could also work... Would any of the Fender Rumble series suit my needs? Thanks in advance.

 

[Swizzledoop]

Good looking rig! The 40w didn't end up being enough for me. I guess I'm power hungry... I bring my GB Streamliner 900 and 2x12 Neox cab with me now. It's overkill in almost all situations but I get lots of compliments on the tone. I put foam plugs in the f holes to help with feedback and resonance. If I end up booking any clubs with small stages or coffee shops I might look at the Rumble 100 or 200. I love how light they are!

 

[chupacerveza]

Yes, that is my understanding, too, Teddy. The 200, 500 & Stage 800 are the only Rumble combos that can use extension cabs and they are hardwired at 8 ohms internally, effectively giving them that 8 ohm max load. Any additional cab(s) can only reduce that max impedance.

In the thread I linked there is an advantage in the design of the GB Streamliners in the form of a tube emulation circuit at higher volumes. And some may consider the Delta-Comp Limiter circuit in the Rumbles a desirable design advantage, I dunno.

Then, there is the instigator of this topic, who will remain anonymous (cough, cough, @chupacerveza, cough) who wanted to try a 16 ohm cab with his Rumble 500 head. Sure wish that anonymous poster could, somehow, let us know how it sounds.
.

If I knew, I would! I don’t own the huge PJB 16 Ohm cab to test it, but I strongly suspect the best answer is to rewire the cab to 8 Ohms.

There’s also the Radial Cab-Link which one can use to run cabs in parallel or series, but it’s only rated to 400W, so it’s just another question mark as to whether I can use the Rumble 800HD with it. It’s a thought I’d consider when driving just a pair of SVT210AV cabs since it might help prevent sending too much wattage to them—however the tonal changes might not be desirable. Now this is something I could test if I had the Cab-Link (or a “series cable”).

Anyway, I love the 800HD and appreciate y’all’s help in this thought experiment.

 

[GonePlaid]

If I knew, I would! I don’t own the huge PJB 16 Ohm cab to test it, but I strongly suspect the best answer is to rewire the cab to 8 Ohms.

There’s also the Radial Cab-Link which one can use to run cabs in parallel or series, but it’s only rated to 400W, so it’s just another question mark as to whether I can use the Rumble 800HD with it. It’s a thought I’d consider when driving just a pair of SVT210AV cabs since it might help prevent sending too much wattage to them—however the tonal changes might not be desirable. Now this is something I could test if I had the Cab-Link (or a “series cable”).

Anyway, I love the 800HD and appreciate y’all’s help in this thought experiment.

I Googled "does it harm an 8 ohm amp to run a 16 ohm cab". According to a few 'posters', no, just 1/2(+/-)the wattage. I only have 8 ohm stuff*, so I'm only interested academically-sorta.
*not counting when I run the 112 cab offa the 200c, of course.

 

[Aaron Houts]

From Battle Rig to Home Practice Rig.
This will be a permanent setup at home now.
Time to find out what the MudStand and a single 15 can do.
Don’t worry, plans for the other 15 are in the works...

 

[Gravedigger Dav]

The first Monday of each month is "big trash day" where I live. That means you can put out anything and they will take it away. It doesn't have to fit in one of the two barrels. So yesterday, two crapped out 25 v3 combos went on the heap. Both had the same problem, one I'd seen someone else report. When you first turn them on the sound really bad. All you get is a lot of farting and static and the volume goes up and down dramatically. Leave them on for a few minutes and they sound alright. But, I pulled my 40 into service as my practice amp and like it a lot better. Since a new 25 is $99, I can't see putting any money into repairs. I would expect the repair tab to be more than a purchase. So now I'm down to 5 Rumbles.

 

[Tim Skinner]

I have a Kay upright with gut strings and play in an acoustic bluegrass 4-5 piece. The rest of the band goes through a condenser mic and I just need a touch of amplification and possibly the ability to DI out to front of house. Mic'ing the cab could also work... Would any of the Fender Rumble series suit my needs? Thanks in advance.

Sorry, I'm a little late to reply to this but I have a Stage 800 that I use with my band where I play both electric and upright. I use a fender line selector to switch between the two on the fly and manage settings through the Rumble footswitch. Ifind the amp to be great fro both. With a little tweaking the Acoustasonic preset gets me a nice tone on the upright.

If you really want to get trippy, try using some of the synth type presets on uproght with a bow......

Interesting sidenote, my guitarist came with me when I bought my Rumble and was so impressed he bought the guitar version (Mustang GT200) and now it's his main amp at the expense of his beloved Orange.