That was my impression of the 500c vs the 800c. I bought the 500c because of this plus I have plenty of pedals and processing power (Sansamp) outside the amp and have always preferred that flexibility rather than having everything on board and having to learn what I like and don't like all over again and coming up with settings. Regarding the weight, although the 800 is lighter the weight of the 500 is pretty damn light (36.5 lbs) compared to other combos out there and I find it very manageable. I think both amps are exceptional pieces of equipment and you can't go wrong with either. They fit two different positions in the market in my opinion.
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Yeah, 850 smackers for a 6.5 lb. differential....I've sneezed more than that away in my day, but just thinking how wonderful my life would be, if only I bought another amp. Sigh.
Great sound, indeed! Makes me all that more excited to play mine when we finally gig again next weekend. I’ve had it for about a week now and have only gotten to play in the bedroom so far. Like several others, I’m watching/listening to the videos and am quite impressed by the overall quality of the group and certainly by your contribution to the sound. I wish I had a good way to record one of our shows.
Thanks! Yeah, those mics make it easy. I also have a Zoom Livetrak that functions as a mixer/multitrack recorder. Really easy to use and you can get used ones at very reasonable prices. You can actually use them to run live sound and record all of it at the same time!
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Picked up a Rumble 800 a few days ago. Loving the tone so far especially with my band.
Anyone else bothered by the fan noise in a quiet room? Pretty sure I will get over it since I am super anal when I buy something new. Did not notice it at guitar center with the background noise. Went back and the 500 and 800 at the store both seem to have it. Hard to tell if mine is excessive since there is so much background noise at the store. My last amp did not have a fan.
Anyone else bothered by the fan noise in a quiet room? Pretty sure I will get over it since I am super anal when I buy something new. Did not notice it at guitar center with the background noise. Went back and the 500 and 800 at the store both seem to have it. Hard to tell if mine is excessive since there is so much background noise at the store. My last amp did not have a fan.
Greetings, Nightly. @Night Owl, you are now member #1643 in the Fender Rumble Club. Congratulations and welcome. Please put that number in your TalkBass Signature for safe keeping. Then make yourself at home here and on your Rumble Club Wiki page, the repository of all Rumbling wisdom and knowledge.
I've never heard the fan in my now 9-year-old Rumble 500 combo! Even when I listened for it when this question came up some years ago. It could be that it doesn't come on until the unit heats up, in my case. But other Rumblers have heard theirs at various times. Hopefully you'll get some collaborative comments.
So, Owly, how about telling us a bit about yourself, such as your bass experience in general and your Rumble journey in particular? You'll fit right in here since we have all kinds. But we all love to ... ... ...
Rumble On!
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I have a Rumble 800c and am likely getting the Rumble 210 matching cab. Having a final doubt though.
What is the downside to going all-out and getting the Rumble 1000w 410? $100 more? ~25lbs more weight? Anything else?
What is the downside to going all-out and getting the Rumble 1000w 410? $100 more? ~25lbs more weight? Anything else?
For ease of transport and modularity, you could pick up two 210s. Use one for smaller gigs, both stacked vertically for bigger gigs.
One "advantage"(?) of having lost some hearing over the years. The only way I can hear the fan in my R200c is if I put my ear right against the cab. Very difficult to play in that position.
The way to do that is sit on a drum throne and put the amp on a keyboard stand next to you. Makes it really easy to play that way.One "advantage"(?) of having lost some hearing over the years. The only way I can hear the fan in my R200c is if I put my ear right against the cab. Very difficult to play in that position.
I have the 500 combo but I wanted to chime in on my experience with the 100 combo I've been playing at the local jazz jam. It is loud and it sounds great. Gain was at noon and master at 10 o clock. This was with a loud drummer and a horn section. The sound levels next to the drummer were often such that I needed hearing protection. But the little combo handled it just fine without even breaking a sweat. I haven't played my 500 live yet but I can only assume it will be plenty loud.
That seems like a lot of grit with the gain at noon. I've never turned mine past 10 (in public). But I do agree the 100 doesn't get the respect it deserves.
A. The important rating of any cab is its RMS or Continuous power handling. The Rumble 410 is 500 watts Continuous (1,000 watts Program, or very short-term), just like the Bassman 410 Neo cab.
3. Don't worry that the 210 cab is published as being 'just' 350w Continuous (700w Program) and the R800c can output up to 400w Continuous into a single 8 ohm cab. The R210 cab has the exact same speakers as the Rumble Stage 800 combo which also can output 400w Continuous into them! So, the 210 cab can actually handle whatever the R800c can throw at it. 
¥. As abarson points out, you can run two 210 cabs, if desired/needed. But, to truly go all-out you could run two Rumble 410 cabs! Or a single Bassman 610 cab!! OR even a Bassman 810 cab!!!
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I don't hear grit when I turn the gain up like that. On my own 500 it is often at 3 o clock. But I can put it full open and not hear distortion. My bass has relatively low output especially in passive mode. I'm old school so I learned to maximize the gain and adjust the master accordingly for best noise/signal ratio. Mind you I didn't use the overdrive channel, but I understand the gain setting on the rumbles affect that overdrive section
My 200c has fan noise, I practice in a small room and I can hear it. When I've moved it into a larger area and hook up the 115 ext cab, crank it a bit, the fan speeds up and gets a little louder. That being said it's not a big deal for me, certainly don't hear it while playing notes
Re: fan noise
Someone asked me the other day (via PM) “How audible is the fan during quiet home/practice?”
My response:
Not at all really. Like, while I’m playing, zero. You would absolutely not know it was there. When I first flick on the power, or when I’m putting down my instrument and shutting everything down for the night, yeah, I can hear that it’s running, but it’s not more than a whisper. In fact, my central air (HVAC) just kicked on, and it’s way more noticeable. With it (that is, the air conditioning) running, I absolutely can’t hear the amplifier’s fan. I tried it just now. So, it’s considerably quieter than my home typically is during a southern summer. (Keep in mind, I’m not running a window unit; this is my central heating and air I’m talking about.)
Before my arrived, I read from someone on the forums (or maybe it was an online review) saying that they had a loud fan. I’ve also read someone who complained of a rattle in the grill. I’ve had neither of these problems, thankfully, and I have to believe that those issues are anecdotal anomalies and not reflective of anything you’re likely to encounter if you buy one. At least, that’s my gut feeling, based on my experience.
I’ve not owned a ton of amps. A few guitar amps through the years, and now this, my second bass amp. So, I don’t have a ton of references, but I really like the amp so far and don’t foresee perhaps ever needing or wanting to get rid of it. It sounds great; it looks nice; it seems sturdy; it weighs almost nothing, especially considering the size and power. And the fan (a cool feature, imo, and useful in my area, with the heat and humidity) is nearly silent.
Someone asked me the other day (via PM) “How audible is the fan during quiet home/practice?”
My response:
Not at all really. Like, while I’m playing, zero. You would absolutely not know it was there. When I first flick on the power, or when I’m putting down my instrument and shutting everything down for the night, yeah, I can hear that it’s running, but it’s not more than a whisper. In fact, my central air (HVAC) just kicked on, and it’s way more noticeable. With it (that is, the air conditioning) running, I absolutely can’t hear the amplifier’s fan. I tried it just now. So, it’s considerably quieter than my home typically is during a southern summer. (Keep in mind, I’m not running a window unit; this is my central heating and air I’m talking about.)
Before my arrived, I read from someone on the forums (or maybe it was an online review) saying that they had a loud fan. I’ve also read someone who complained of a rattle in the grill. I’ve had neither of these problems, thankfully, and I have to believe that those issues are anecdotal anomalies and not reflective of anything you’re likely to encounter if you buy one. At least, that’s my gut feeling, based on my experience.
I’ve not owned a ton of amps. A few guitar amps through the years, and now this, my second bass amp. So, I don’t have a ton of references, but I really like the amp so far and don’t foresee perhaps ever needing or wanting to get rid of it. It sounds great; it looks nice; it seems sturdy; it weighs almost nothing, especially considering the size and power. And the fan (a cool feature, imo, and useful in my area, with the heat and humidity) is nearly silent.
My central AC is way louder too. Not even close to that. Cant hear it while I am playing either but if I want to mic the amp for recording it will most likely pick up the noise during a pause. Could not hear it at all when i was playing with my band when we took breaks. Just in a quiet room. Guess the biggest issue would be recording. Not sure if mine is excessively loud. That is what I am trying to figure out before I decide to keep this particular one. It is pretty noticeable when its quiet so maybe I got a bad one. Love it otherwise.
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