Indeed!Well, fiddle!That sure sux.
But, unfortunately, that has become a standard hazard of modern online shopping, often with "free" shipping.
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Frank looks on with distain at broken tweeters.
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Frank looks on with distain at broken tweeters.
I used an MXR M81 bass pre for a while (it was the best of the less expensive options). It was fine. I now use a MasterEffects Super 800 Plus, which I love. In both cases, I start with the Rumble EQ flat (see the Rumble wiki here for details), use the Rumble OD as a mute switch, and just played with the (always on) Super 800+ to get the tone I want. I plug into the instrument input; the FX receive jac wants a LOT of drive.
I have both, but haven't tried both together. You can do as Miles suggested, using it like a preamp pedal into the input jack.
The BDDI can put out really high output, so you can probably plug into the effects return on your R500, and control the overall volume using the BDDI output knob. Everything on the R500 will be bypassed except the power amp and speaker. I haven't tried this, but the BDDI manual says it can drive a power amp.
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I'll correct myself before G Dog does. The effects return is upstream of the delta comp limiter, so that'll still work on the Rumble. The Sansamp will be your tone shaper and will provide great tube overdrive grit for your Geezerness. Hmmmm, I'm tempted to try this....
Hey, I wasn't gonna say anything! I knew what you meant!
But, since you bring it up, the block diagram shows the 2nd order HPF also still in play, along with the Aux In, Headphones, Line Out, Clip Detection and Fan. But who's counting?
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I use my Tech21 BDDI maybe half the time, running through the instrument input usually, but try the effects in and see if you like that. I found the drive on the Rumbles good, but I experimented a lot with some extreme settings, playing while rotating knobs to hear the changes, but usually end up with drive/level settings around 10-12 when alone, and maybe just 10 when using the drive from the BDDI to taste.
Bringing the BDDI is a backup as well should my Rumble ever fail for some reason (none ever have for me) and I could run straight from BDDI to the board and through the PA in a pinch. And I could be wrong, but it seems to me that the Rumble drive kicks in more when gain is up and I dig in more, strumming harder, than softer for slow songs for example. Kind of like break up on a guitar just at the edge where the player starts digging in more on rocking songs and cleaner most the rest of the time.
Unfortunately, what sounds good to me, or anyone else here, can vary widely, so take a few hours and experiment with the BDDI running into your Rumble, their are tons of tones you can get varying widely to everyone's tastes, from the offered BDDI prests in the short manual, and then altering them to get even more tones, but more than likely plenty of which you will love, and some not so much.
You are not wrong at all, the rumble OD is (can be) quite sensitive! I kind of hated it first, but then I turned knobs around (gain/OD/OD level) and when set "right", You can get to the "edge of breakup" and works quite well.
It removes a bit of lows tough, and I usually set it just a tad louder than clean. Helps with cutting through the mix/band.
Bought a cheap-ass footswitch too when I realized this, works like a charm.
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So just talkin out loud here. Fill in where you see fit. I'm having a GAS related issue. I already have a Rumble 500 (2x10”). I mostly do garage, local and/or outdoor festivities. Just the good ole local boys who like to rock out. I want to add a cab. But its not about how loud I can get cause I think I’m plenty loud now. But nowhere near as loud as the guitar. So I would like to space them out on stage. Not to mention I’m interested in any tone variations it would provide me – just for the fun of it.... OK, OK, I got GAS..... I “thought” I wanted a Rumble 115 (1x15”). But I’ve read that adding the 2x10 cab is the better way to go. Then a local deal pops up for a Rumble 200, a COMBO ANP that’s 200 watts into 1x15” and its half the price of either of the above options. So the gears start turning….. Can’t I just use it as a cab and get a (relatively) inexpensive 15” out of it. Plus if I ever do want to use the 200 watt amp for something (vice the 500) that’s always an option. Lets call it a backup to the Rumble 500. Does that work??? Is that even a sane decision??? What would you do?
Bienvenu, Doc! @DrBnz, you are now member #1741 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.
Remember, the R500c is up to just 350 watts alone and the R200c is up to just 140 watts. An 8 ohm cab adds up to 150 watts to the R500c or up to just 60 watts to the R200c. Either cab can help either combo, but matching speakers can add extra coupling effect enhancement when stacked vertically. If spaced apart, then not so much. The two combos can chain together connected FX Send to FX Return with the Sender controlling both! My personal preference would be to stack a 210 under my R500c, but any of your possible configurations could work for you!
So, how about telling us a bit about yourself, Doc, 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 actually have a 200c and a 500c. Mostly use them separate but sometimes I chain them via the FXsend to the FX return (just as G-Dog suggests) and get a 490w, 2*10 + 1*15 stack.
And as you pointed out, by getting two combos, you also get a backup.
I'd go with the 200c and chain the two amps together via the FX jacks as G-Dog mentioned. Yeah, the power would be unbalanced between them when spreading across a stage, so if that's an issue, don't go that route. But in my situations, it wouldn't be a problem. I don't think the 200c comes wired to be used as just a cab, but I could be wrong.
You're right, Miley, none of the Rumble combos are factory equipped to be used as a passive speaker cabinet. And wiring them so yourself voids the warranty, in addition to risking unintentional damage of parts! I believe "extra" combos are much more useful as powered extension speakers by sending a signal to their FX Return jack, or Input if no loop.
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1. Adding an 8 ohm cab to your Rumble 500 combo (R500c) would be a great way to evenly divide it's sound across a space.
B. A Rumble 115 cab would be a great addition to your R500c! "Better" is someone's opinion which may, or may not, agree with your own opinion (which is the only one that should matter to you). And that's...Ok. I sometimes use a Bassman 115 Neo cab with my R500c and it's great. I cannot tell any significant difference between the sounds of the two.
B. A Rumble 115 cab would be a great addition to your R500c! "Better" is someone's opinion which may, or may not, agree with your own opinion (which is the only one that should matter to you). And that's...Ok. I sometimes use a Bassman 115 Neo cab with my R500c and it's great. I cannot tell any significant difference between the sounds of the two.
%. The Rumble 210 cab CAN BE a better choice IF you plan to stack it with the R500c to gain extra harmonic enrichment from the coupling effect of vertically stacked identical speakers.
€. No, Doc, the Rumble 200 combo (R200c) is only up to 140 watts into 1x15". You need to add an 8 ohm cab to get the full 200 watts, and it will be evenly divided 100 watts from the 1x15" R200c and 100 watts from whatever is in the cab.
¥. Well, Doc, if that bargain R200c is fully functional (which the price does not indicate) you can use it as an inexpensive powered cab, as I said above. FX Send of one combo to FX Return of the other combo, with the Sender controlling both combos (the Returner controls are bypassed), but both combos run at their own 350w or 140w power. My opinion is that's MUCH better than modifying a combo to use it as a passive cab, but YMMV.
π. Some have, of course, modified their combos to use the speaker(s) as a passive cab. But, because of the crossover PCB, and other peculiarities, it can be a very tricky procedure to get exactly right. Then there is the possibility of overpowering the speaker, if used with the wrong amp!
Your thinking is quite sane. But, of course, the 140w R200c cannot be a full backup to the 350w R500c. But sometimes a partial backup is better than nothing. Ideally, adding another R500c to your current R500c provides full backup!
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Well this is my full on stack now and I have to say it sounds amazing. The shipper offered a partial refund because of the broken tweeter in this because I realized it only cracked the plastic horn off the driver and could be epoxied back on. Thats how its made from the factory anyhow. So I repaired it and checked all the impedances and crossover and its all good!
The 200 C combo was pretty darn good on its own but putting the 210 extension cab underneath it just makes it sound amazing. It fills in some thing that was missing somehow in the tone. The particular guitar I have right now plus a dark glass B7K pedal really gives me a mid-rich Richenbacher tone and I’m telling you my ears are ringing like crazy from jamming for the last two hours to Yes tunes.
Thanks to all in the forum, I know it’s a mismatched speaker set, but they really do work very well together.
It's not really a mismatch, BK, since all
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Understood, that makes sense.
While I have your ear, let me ask you a question. In inspecting the damaged cab, I did my research on how much it would cost to replace the tweeter.
I realized right away that the broken tweeter in the 210 cab is very different in shape and design from the one in the combo (although they would physically interchange) and has no part number. Now this would make sense since they tune the drivers together that they wouldn’t be exactly the same as the combos, but since there’s no part number or anything on the one out of the 210 cab in my hand, I cant verify.
I understand the cab is made in China and the combo is made in Indonesia, maybe that’s just a locality thing and the specific tweeter they have available where they build the cabs?
The tweeter in my 200 combo has a fender sticker on it and a definite part number. It also maches the tweeter in the 500 combo. Do you have a good resource for what part # I would order or is the one in my combo actually an ok substitute over the plain cabinet? I’m leery about just changing components willy-nilly as I am sure they’re engineered to work together properly and they sound different to me. The one in the combo is smoother.
All the web searches I’ve done so far keep coming up with the that looks identical to the one in my combo, not the plain cabinet.
Wait.... say what? Thats interesting. So if there isn't a significant difference of a 115 and 500C (which is 2x10). Then adding a 200 (1x15) to my 500C won't do much for it either as thats the same diff. If thats the case I think I'd prefer to ditch the 200 idea and go for the 500C + 210 cab route to get a 4x10 stack. Hmmm..... GAS pressure relief valve just cracked opened ..... pfffft.
Still thinking though. I love the looks of that 200 / 210 stack. But it seems a little tall and thin. I'd prefer short and fat (on a cab anyways). Assume I've got my 500 and 210 now. I wanna stack em. But I wanna lay em on their side first. Can I just lay some high density foam mating between them and walla? or do I need to mod them w rubber feet.
