Hey gang, I just want to thank everyone here and especially the admins of this awesome community. The wiki in particular is such a treasure trove of advice and information.
Enjoy the benefits of a premium membership!
Upgrade Account
-
TalkBass has been independent since 1998. Add your voice.
Create a free account to reply to discussions, view embedded media, and browse with fewer display ads.
Join free Log in
Want zero display ads or expanded classifieds tools? Compare plans.
You got it, Biggie! I'll join you in thanking all the members and visitors here who keep a civil atmosphere, and the admins who keep the software running and handle the occasional uncivil "contributors". They all do a great job making this a really fine community.
Your Fender Rumble Club Wiki page is a product of the fine membership here, too. I noticed we were having quite a lot of helpful information occasionally being searched for here in The Club thread. Then I discovered the Wiki facilities of TalkBass. So, I started a wiki linking some of The Club's good info, so we wouldn't have to search so hard every time. Pretty soon the Wiki got pretty big itself! I've even split off some topics into their own "sub-wikis" linked at the top. And its Table of Contents helps to find topics. But it also helps a lot to use your browser's "Find on Page..." facility in your browser's menu to search for words or phrases. And it is my great honor and labor of love to maintain The Rumble Club Wiki. But it's the wonderful membership here that has contributed the contents of the Wiki! Thanks to you, Rumblers all, for all your helpful contributions!
.
Last edited:
I thought about putting 'legs' on mine, at least the 100 and 200c, but decided on using one of these:
or my latest acquisition:
I’ve had some experience with Orange amps (though not the actual Glenn Hughes 50), and they’re voiced quite differently from Rumbles, so what it boils down to is really whether you prefer the Orange sound or the Rumble sound.
As @G-Dog rightly points out, the extra 10 watts and slightly bigger speaker won’t do much in terms of volume, so while the Rumble 100 is better than the 40, the Rumble 200 would be my choice.
D
When the v3 Rumbles were released years ago, I bought a 40c and a 200c. Loved them both. Nothing I've seen or heard since then would suggest to me that I should have chosen differently. While I crave another 200, the Studio 40 I bought here in France is more than enough for my apartment, where I converted the small 2nd bedroom into a studio.
Hello Rumblers. New member here. Just unpacked my Rumble 40 and it sounds great. I have a newbie question:
I have set my EQ controls all to 12 O'clock and will NOT be using the overdrive channel. This leaves me with 2 main controls: The gain and the master.
How should I approach using/balancing these 2 controls to effect overall volume. It looks like both control eventual volume, but the dynamics seem to improve with increasing the gain whereas the master seems to just increase raw volume.
I am playing in a home practice room with a pick with my short scale Ibanez TMB30 bass with GHS Pressurewound strings newly set up. The amp is about 2-3 feet away from me on the floor while I am sitting. I am not interested in high volume, but will be playing along with backing tracks and tutorials on my computer played through my JBL 5" monitors.
Can you help this newbie understand these two controls and how they interact? (For my electric guitar playing, I use an amp sim through my monitors so real amp controls are unfamiliar to me)
I have set my EQ controls all to 12 O'clock and will NOT be using the overdrive channel. This leaves me with 2 main controls: The gain and the master.
How should I approach using/balancing these 2 controls to effect overall volume. It looks like both control eventual volume, but the dynamics seem to improve with increasing the gain whereas the master seems to just increase raw volume.
I am playing in a home practice room with a pick with my short scale Ibanez TMB30 bass with GHS Pressurewound strings newly set up. The amp is about 2-3 feet away from me on the floor while I am sitting. I am not interested in high volume, but will be playing along with backing tracks and tutorials on my computer played through my JBL 5" monitors.
Can you help this newbie understand these two controls and how they interact? (For my electric guitar playing, I use an amp sim through my monitors so real amp controls are unfamiliar to me)
It's listed as a live recording without credit to album (that I can find on the net) but I haven't had a chance to listen yet.
First off, your EQ is not flat with everything et at middle points. Check the Rumble Wiki for details[1]. (This is true of a lot of amps, BTW).
The gain is like an input gain control on an audio mixing console, a variable pad. Ideally, turn it up as high as you can while keeping a clean signal from your bass (any and all effects between bass and amp bypassed, except for always on effects).
The master is a typical master volume. It comes after the preamp and controls the signal going into the amp section. Use this to se the overall volume.
-Miles
[1] Fender Rumble 500 Frequencies | TalkBass.com
The gain is like an input gain control on an audio mixing console, a variable pad. Ideally, turn it up as high as you can while keeping a clean signal from your bass (any and all effects between bass and amp bypassed, except for always on effects).
The master is a typical master volume. It comes after the preamp and controls the signal going into the amp section. Use this to se the overall volume.
-Miles
[1] Fender Rumble 500 Frequencies | TalkBass.com
I like the looks of those "legs", but the price is a bit steep for me. So, I sometimes use an inexpensive stand as well.
With the hot output on my L1500 dimed I set the gain to zero. Adjust your gain to match your bass input and master for volume
Just for gits and shiggles I unplugged the internal speaker on my Bassman 100 110 and plugged in my 210 Rumble extension cab. Wow!
And only 8ohms
And only 8ohms
put the amp on the cab and ditch the milk crate?
I already thought about that but want to try my old Randall head with the 210 and maybe chaining them together. Besides, I'm lazy and want to quickly take the 210 to rehearsal to hook up to my 500C!
A. @Miles_ONeal is right on in his reply above.
2. You should also consult the Rumble 40-500 manual about such things.
.
Thanks guys so far for your comments. A few responses:
The Rumble Wiki gives "flat" recommendations specifically for the Rumble 500. Can we assume that the Rumble 40 would be the same?
From Miles's response I take it that I should maximize my input gain just like I do on my computer interface for my amp sim without getting any distortion or clipping. Since there is no levels meter, I will need to do this by ear. Then the master knob just controls output volume. So max the gain input as able and adjust the master to simple volume taste. Is that correct?
G-dog, thanks for the thought, but the manual (at least the one I got with the amp) does not address any of these issues except in the most basic manner without much explanation, at least at my newbie level of understanding.
Thanks for helping me along.
The Rumble Wiki gives "flat" recommendations specifically for the Rumble 500. Can we assume that the Rumble 40 would be the same?
From Miles's response I take it that I should maximize my input gain just like I do on my computer interface for my amp sim without getting any distortion or clipping. Since there is no levels meter, I will need to do this by ear. Then the master knob just controls output volume. So max the gain input as able and adjust the master to simple volume taste. Is that correct?
G-dog, thanks for the thought, but the manual (at least the one I got with the amp) does not address any of these issues except in the most basic manner without much explanation, at least at my newbie level of understanding.
Thanks for helping me along.
Yes, since the Rumbles 40-500 have the same preamp, hence the same manual, it's reasonable to believe the scoped frequencies of the 500 are shared by the others.
Correct, ... in general. But be sure to include any of the Voicing buttons you might even just occasionally use, such as Vintage (liked by many), when you listen for distortion/compression from the Gain.
And, since higher Master levels "result in more compression", you may have to readjust the Gain lower for higher Master levels. But, of course, it's all "to taste" for your own approval. There's not a single "best" setting for all users. So, play with it to find your preferred tone.
Since these controls are SO interactive it's kind of a moving target to dial-in your preferred tone. So, give yourself time to get used to using them at different levels.
And, since higher Master levels "result in more compression", you may have to readjust the Gain lower for higher Master levels. But, of course, it's all "to taste" for your own approval. There's not a single "best" setting for all users. So, play with it to find your preferred tone.
Since these controls are SO interactive it's kind of a moving target to dial-in your preferred tone. So, give yourself time to get used to using them at different levels.
Or, the terse manual descriptions may actually be too advanced for newbie level understanding. Either way, we more experienced Rumblers are happy to step in with our explanations, though they may not always totally agree. Like I said, settings are intended to produce the tone the user desires, as difficult as that may be to define for the newbie. 
But my link to the manual was not intended to put you off, at all, but rather to make sure you always have access to a manual (linked on your Wiki), just in case no printed one accompanied your Rumble.
But my link to the manual was not intended to put you off, at all, but rather to make sure you always have access to a manual (linked on your Wiki), just in case no printed one accompanied your Rumble.
You're entirely welcome, Photo. That's what we're here for. 
.
.
Last edited:
Terrific answers!! Thanks for all the clarification. I was not put off at all by your manual comment. Just working through getting educated. I feel like I am oriented now. Sure sounds better than through my amp sim!!
Got a new question for ya. Looks like I can use the simple economy Fender foot switch (super cheap at Sweetwater) to act as a mute. I take it I set the overdrive drive and level knobs to "0" and engage the overdrive button. Then when I press the foot switch button, the amp will be muted (great for plugging and unplugging the bass without the big pop). I reread the foot switch warnings in the manual several times, but let me see if I have this straight. Since this switch does not have an LED, then I just pay attention to the overdrive light on the amp itself to know that the overdrive is engaged. But, per the manual, I may discover that the overdrive engage button might be either up or down when engaged, but just pay attention to the light. Is this correct?
If so I think I will order the switch so I don't have to lean over so much.
Got a new question for ya. Looks like I can use the simple economy Fender foot switch (super cheap at Sweetwater) to act as a mute. I take it I set the overdrive drive and level knobs to "0" and engage the overdrive button. Then when I press the foot switch button, the amp will be muted (great for plugging and unplugging the bass without the big pop). I reread the foot switch warnings in the manual several times, but let me see if I have this straight. Since this switch does not have an LED, then I just pay attention to the overdrive light on the amp itself to know that the overdrive is engaged. But, per the manual, I may discover that the overdrive engage button might be either up or down when engaged, but just pay attention to the light. Is this correct?
If so I think I will order the switch so I don't have to lean over so much.
That's correct, Photo. The footswitch doesn't move the OD button, it overrides it, so it will be out of sync one way or another. And the LED footswitch also can get out of sync. So, the economy non-LED footswitch and watching the amp's OD light is the way to go.
.
Last edited:
