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Fender Rumble Club

For that tone you're going to have to whip up some dragon lotion. Synth + bass, but the actual electric bass guitar sounds like a Fender Precision through a sunn ((o tube amp.
Dragon lotion is fine, but that sound isn't that complicated. It does sound a little like Sunn, which I like. Buzzy distortion is a like a little bo-peep diploma.
 
How big of a room can a Rumble 200 be used in (with FOH support)?

Here she is:

693F6A21-DFCB-4E33-AA87-5662EFB49F22_zpsok8xzfyf.jpg


Standing back a bit more:

F7D73522-7874-4038-9911-ADA62D0BF1B0_zpsoc0lzagf.jpg


And in action:

26C8D4CF-E85C-42DB-8BFB-24757603F1FD_zpsrko8myj0.jpg


IMO the Rumble mixes well...gets over the drums and is a featherweight. Great amp. I think for pure tone from the speaker I still like my Rumble 100 just a tiny bit more, but the 200 has more push and still sounds excellent.


OK, I think these pics just sold me on one of these amps. I've used my trusty B100R in similar settings with great results, but I need something MUCH lighter weight these days. Just curious though - how do you think your Rumble 100 might've held up on that stage, with that band, instrumentation, etc. as your on-stage amp (with FOH support of course)? I know it would be pushing it, but curious nonetheless.
 
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OK, I think these pics just sold me on one of these amps. I've used my trusty B100R in similar settings with great results, but I need something MUCH lighter weight these days. Just curious though - how do you think your Rumble 100 might've held up on that stage, with that band, instrumentation, etc. as your on-stage amp (with FOH support of course)? I know it would be pushing it, but curious nonetheless.

I used my Rumble for a big outdoor gig. Once the monitors kicked in I couldn't hear it. But...I also own a B100r and the Rumble 100 is right there. The Rumble 200 has more low end than the B100r. I found that if you use a preamp in front of the B100r you can get some more out of it.

Now...2 Rumble 100's would be sweet and still less weight than the B100r. :D
 
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Okay guys, I've got a few more questions that I've thought of.

Do the Rumbles play well with grit pedals?
I like the Rumble OD and would probably leave it always on the same way I leave my VT bass on now. I've been known to get a wild hair and kick on something more exotic though. I wasn't able to check that at GC because I didn't bring my pedals, and theirs were locked up and "not for demo."

Is a 210 really the best choice for me?
Mostly this would be used at home. I'll probably have the tweeter off or on the -dB setting. The plan would be to have a 210, and to get a second later. Would the pair of 210's hold up to a 500+ watt head? Or will the Rumble 200 even drive the 410?

I'm after a warmer/vintage rock sound. The tone that's jumped out at me most recently has been Nate's in the Foo Fighter song "Outside."
 
I'm after a warmer/vintage rock sound. The tone that's jumped out at me most recently has been Nate's in the Foo Fighter song "Outside."
Check this Austin City Limits vid.
Even though Nat's got a pair of what looks to be fridge cabinets behind him, they are just for looks. Check out the back line and scope out what looks to be a mic'd Fender Super Bassman & Bassman Pro cab. That is most definitely 'the Fender Sound'. There's your answer. Yes! Fender Rumble can do!

So how much air do you need to move? What are your SPL requirements?
 
I used my Rumble for a big outdoor gig. Once the monitors kicked in I couldn't hear it. But...I also own a B100r and the Rumble 100 is right there. The Rumble 200 has more low end than the B100r. I found that if you use a preamp in front of the B100r you can get some more out of it.

Now...2 Rumble 100's would be sweet and still less weight than the B100r. :D

Thanks for the info! Yeah, I might be leaning more towards the 200 vs the 100 now---it's still crazy light(compared to the B100r) and affordable, and I've always liked 15"s. The extra headroom and low end wallop would make it worth the extra few lbs and $s in the long run I think.
I actually do often use either my Xotic BB or RC preamps with the B100R. The BB for a little grit if it's that kind of gig, or the RC if I want to fatten up a bass that needs more umph.
 
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I don't have specific SPL requirements now. We have people over once a week or so to jam, and I drag the bass and amp out probably twice a month. Same groups of people. Handful of acoustics, one or two electrics, one or two "vocalists" but we all sing along when we know the words, and we've had a drummer come exactly once in three months. No real structure, just a group of people looking to make some noise. I haven't had to turn up probably past 5 ever. When I was playing with other groups, it didn't seem to make a ton of difference though. Anywhere after 5 or 6 on the BG, and there was nothing I could to to sound better than mud.

The biggest thing to me is the tone. I can't get what I want out of the BG, and I've tried everything I know to do other than get something else.

I thought Nate only played Ashdown stuff. I don't remember if I saw that on a documentary or what. Maybe not.
 
@jp58, if money is not an issue, I'd run with a Fender Bassman 100t and the cabinet of your choice. If you have a Nate Mendel Precision and can play well, you should be able to nail that tone in spades.

Money isn't the issue.

Practicality is the issue to me. A tube or hybrid head would be wonderful to have, but I think it would be a waste/overkill in my situation. If I were gigging, sure. But I don't see that in the near future. That might be something that I take a look at again towards the middle or end of the year. Part of what attracted me to a micro head and cab is that they will be fairly easy to move, have the headphone and aux jack (silent practice), more towards the tone I want, and I could upgrade parts of the rig if I needed to.
 
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Okay guys, I've got a few more questions that I've thought of.

Do the Rumbles play well with grit pedals?
I like the Rumble OD and would probably leave it always on the same way I leave my VT bass on now. I've been known to get a wild hair and kick on something more exotic though. I wasn't able to check that at GC because I didn't bring my pedals, and theirs were locked up and "not for demo."

Is a 210 really the best choice for me?
Mostly this would be used at home. I'll probably have the tweeter off or on the -dB setting. The plan would be to have a 210, and to get a second later. Would the pair of 210's hold up to a 500+ watt head? Or will the Rumble 200 even drive the 410?

I'm after a warmer/vintage rock sound. The tone that's jumped out at me most recently has been Nate's in the Foo Fighter song "Outside."

The 200 head will drive a pair of 210 cabs, though that amp might be a bit underpowered for that kind of setup. If money isn’t an issue, I recommend getting the 500 head and a single cab, then go from there. You’ll find that you really don’t need much more than that unless you are playing decent sized clubs with little to no PA support. Now, it might seem like overkill to get the 500 head if you aren’t gigging at the moment, but it save you the trouble of having to get another new amp down the road, just another cabinet if you need it. Or, you can go the route I did and pick up the 500 combo and a 210 cab down the road, it saves a couple of bucks but the downside is the typical one with combos, non-interchangeable amps. Still, I took a chance and that setup hasn’t let me down. I don’t know if that answers your question, but I hope it helps.

As far as Nate Mendel’s tone on “Outside”, he more than likely used his Ashdown rig (the Sonic Highways show that aired on HBO showed them using their own gear for the most part), but one can get a comparable tone with the Rumble by playing around with the Overdrive and Gain, among other things.
 
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