Fender Rumble Club

[jp58]

So, I haven't had a ton of time to play with my Rumble yet, which has been extremely painful. I've had overtime back to back days and the weather here was atrocious tonight.

I did, however, discover that the vintage button puts me in the realm of the sound I want even with a flat EQ. It's just a touch boomy in my room, but it was not in my girlfriend's basement.

I also like the combo of it and my VT bass set pretty close to the stock "fliptop" setting as far as having an OD on. I haven't played with the OD on the Rumble much yet, but it got pretty gnarly when combined with the vintage button on. I'm back and forth on the bright button.

I probably will not ever have a use for the contour.

And it's light as a feather. I'll have no trouble dragging it everywhere.

 

[GregT]

I probably will not ever have a use for the contour.

I didn't think I would use the contour either, but every once in a while when I want to cut through in a live setting, I have engaged it. I don't leave it on long. Just long enough to have a little funky tone for a song. I was surprised it is as useful as it is.

 

[1stnamebassist]

1stnamebassist, thanks for the suggestion. I have been intrigued by the Fdeck for some time now, even for my other amps. I would imagine in a band setting, it could also help things sit better in the mix. Do you use and Fdeck?

ok I plugged my Jack Casady bass into my Fdeck 2 then into my Rumble 40 and it did indeed clean up the boominess yet it still retained the bottom. I rally noticed it when the windows were rattling and I dialed up more of the filter it stopped and I was able to get more volume out of it with no boom! Never need to use it with my Carvin combo it's really got a clean modern hifi tone plus sealed cabs.With the exception being my Kala UBass!

 

[Japheth M]

ok I plugged my Jack Casady bass into my Fdeck 2 then into my Rumble 40 and it did indeed clean up the boominess yet it still retained the bottom. I rally noticed it when the windows were rattling and I dialed up more of the filter it stopped and I was able to get more volume out of it with no boom! Never need to use it with my Carvin combo it's really got a clean modern hifi tone plus sealed cabs.With the exception being my Kala UBass!

Hey thanks for checking that out!! I'm not sure which Fdeck I should look into. I primarily play Solid body electric basses, but I too have a Hadean Uke bass solid body version. My understanding is the Fdeck 2 is better for piezo pickups, and the 3 is better for magnetic type pickups. Sorry, I didn't mean to get the Rumble thread off track

 

[1stnamebassist]

Hey thanks for checking that out!! I'm not sure which Fdeck I should look into. I primarily play Solid body electric basses, but I too have a Hadean Uke bass solid body version. My understanding is the Fdeck 2 is better for piezo pickups, and the 3 is better for magnetic type pickups. Sorry, I didn't mean to get the Rumble thread off track

You are right about the 2 and 3, but I think the 3 will work with the ubass. Their is a thread about the Fdeck somewhere, probably in the upright forums.

 

[riffermsytic]

Can I show off my ignorance and ask what it means for the amp to be ported? I like my rumble 40.

 

[Feralhog]

oops.....brb (No, you can't just copy and paste an image....I KNEW THAT! )

lol...and now it shows up....***.....

Link to ported cabinet

 

[Linnin]

Can I show off my ignorance and ask what it means for the amp to be ported? I like my rumble 40.

Great first post, and welcome to TalkBass, but more importantly ... Welcome to the Fender Rumble Club, riffermsytic! You are member #589

A bass reflex cabinet is ported (vented). Pull off your grill and you will see them. The porting allows for better low bass response along with better dispersion and more air movement than a sealed cabinet. Porting allows the designer to tune (tailor sonically) the cabinet to the woofer for the best possible sound quality. A lot of top notch acoustic engineering went into the design of both the cabinets & porting plus custom designed woofers by the engineers at Eminence. The engineers worked in concert together for a more harmonious final design on each and every Rumble combo and speaker cabinet. It is a beautiful thing. Rumble On!

 

[jp58]

I didn't think I would use the contour either, but every once in a while when I want to cut through in a live setting, I have engaged it. I don't leave it on long. Just long enough to have a little funky tone for a song. I was surprised it is as useful as it is.

I'll have to check it out when I'm learning new songs tonight. On Sunday, I was playing through them with vintage, bright, neither, and both enabled. I'll have to try a few with contour on as well just to see what's up.

 

[jbravo]

I would most definitely go with a pair of 210's whether it be a Rumble 500 combo plus Rumble 210 cabinet or a Rumble 500 head plus a pair of Rumble 210 cabinets. I'd only use a 410 cab in pairs in order to move maximum air and achieve maximum Sound Pressure Level.
My personal bias is in favor of twin 112 cabinets. Small/compact size, and light weight, yet big deep tone. I'd pop a Rumble 500 head on top of a pair of V3 Rumble 112 cabinets faster than you could say Rumbles Rock!

I'm considering the rumble 112's. Can 2 hold up to very loud volume with a rumble 500?

Im also thinking of a third 112, so I can use all three with the Mesa d800 (which can run at 2 ohm) I'm ordering Friday .

 

[Linnin]

I'm considering the rumble 112's. Can 2 hold up to very loud volume with a rumble 500?

Im also thinking of a third 112, so I can use all three with the Mesa d800 (which can run at 2 ohm) I'm ordering Friday .

I have no problem being heard with my pair of V2 Rumble 112's powered by my V2 Rumble 350 head. @bdplaid often runs a pair of V3 Rumble 112's and Rumble 500 head. I myself much prefer Fender tone over Mesa any day. If I had to run a trio of 112's, I think I'd choose the new Genzler Magellan 800. The only advantage of 3 112's is in moving 50% more air. Maximum SPL will only be about 3dB more.

 

[jbravo]

Ah, but it also puts the top cab closer to level with my aging ear!
By the way, the Mesa will be another flavor- I have no intention of moving the rumble...and I really liked my streamliner 900, but I've never had the chance to try anything Mesa.

 

[bdplaid]

Great first post, and welcome to TalkBass, but more importantly ... Welcome to the Fender Rumble Club, riffermsytic! You are member #589

A bass reflex cabinet is ported (vented). Pull off your grill and you will see them. The porting allows for better low bass response along with better dispersion and more air movement than a sealed cabinet. Porting allows the designer to tune (tailor sonically) the cabinet to the woofer for the best possible sound quality. A lot of top notch acoustic engineering went into the design of both the cabinets & porting plus custom designed woofers by the engineers at Eminence. The engineers worked in concert together for a more harmonious final design on each and every Rumble combo and speaker cabinet. It is a beautiful thing. Rumble On!

I'm well aware of the great level of computer modeling these guys do when designing a cab, but I still wonder how much wood they scrap when designing new cabs. Having done a little bit of it myself (hobby level), there is no substitute for actually hearing the cab in the flesh.

 

[Linnin]

I'm well aware of the great level of computer modeling these guys do when designing a cab, but I still wonder how much wood they scrap when designing new cabs. Having done a little bit of it myself (hobby level), there is no substitute for actually hearing the cab in the flesh.

I'll bet plenty of scrap. There is a lot of critical listening that goes on as woofer designs are tweaked and cabinet designs are optimized.

 

[bdplaid]

I'm considering the rumble 112's. Can 2 hold up to very loud volume with a rumble 500?

Im also thinking of a third 112, so I can use all three with the Mesa d800 (which can run at 2 ohm) I'm ordering Friday .

There are times when I have to unplug the bottom 12 to get a good sound, the rig is so loud. It's very articulate. I use the single 12 quite often, and my band is not quiet at all. Depending on what the guitarist brings, I'm competing with a 20 or 50 watt Soldano, if that gives you any idea.

If you want max meat and volume, go with two 210s. The 112s aren't as loud as the 210 cabs for the same wattage. The 210s are not as detailed in the mid, but punch like Frasier. And if you're that loud, I find detail to be less of a concern than punch.

 

[bdplaid]

And three 210s? that would be insane.

 

[jbravo]

I'm using 2 two ten gk mbe's now. Rated for 400 ea. I'm also considering the Mesa subway 12's, but at $650 each, three are a bit cost prohibitive... I'll have to see how much I like the head first, I guess. It never ends...

 

[jp58]

So, after a rather longer date with my Rumble, here's what I've come up with:

I like the EQ set flat. It all comes through pretty well there. The "baked in" tone these bad boys have is what bass is supposed to sound like to me. I like what having the vintage button engaged does, but it can be just a touch boomy (or my room totally sucks for bass practice). I like the harmonics and (to my ears) light compression on accent notes. I go back and forth on the bright switch. I originally thought it would make the amp sound a lot more modern, but I think it actually adds a little clank, pick noise, and percussion to the sound. I don't think the contour makes the amp sound very modern either, at least to my ears. Not that I'm complaining either. It seems to hit me with the "upper-mid scoop" that's very prevalent in rock and metal. It's not a sound I'm going to use a lot, but I've found a song or two that it seems to fit okay on. The VT bass sounds good with her. It adds a bit of definition and grind to the sound. The Big Muff has not fared as well with the Rumble in my opinion. For some reason, I think the frequencies pushed by the Rumble are not the same ones that the BMPi needs to have pushed in order to sound good. The best part is that this series is modular so that I can find a tone I like, and use roughly the same settings no matter how loud or quiet I need to be.

It'll be a few weeks before I can test her proper with other musicians, but I look forward to it.

Things I don't like: That I waited so long to get one.

 

[bdplaid]

So, after a rather longer date with my Rumble, here's what I've come up with:

I like the EQ set flat. It all comes through pretty well there. The "baked in" tone these bad boys have is what bass is supposed to sound like to me. I like what having the vintage button engaged does, but it can be just a touch boomy (or my room totally sucks for bass practice). I like the harmonics and (to my ears) light compression on accent notes. I go back and forth on the bright switch. I originally thought it would make the amp sound a lot more modern, but I think it actually adds a little clank, pick noise, and percussion to the sound. I don't think the contour makes the amp sound very modern either, at least to my ears. Not that I'm complaining either. It seems to hit me with the "upper-mid scoop" that's very prevalent in rock and metal. It's not a sound I'm going to use a lot, but I've found a song or two that it seems to fit okay on. The VT bass sounds good with her. It adds a bit of definition and grind to the sound. The Big Muff has not fared as well with the Rumble in my opinion. For some reason, I think the frequencies pushed by the Rumble are not the same ones that the BMPi needs to have pushed in order to sound good. The best part is that this series is modular so that I can find a tone I like, and use roughly the same settings no matter how loud or quiet I need to be.

It'll be a few weeks before I can test her proper with other musicians, but I look forward to it.

Things I don't like: That I waited so long to get one.

I agree with your assessment, especially about the "clank" in the bright switch. but that's good, when using a p-bass for the right song.

As for the Muff, try turning off the horn and turning up the treble. The old amps didn't have tweeters, but the amps could push a lot of treble to the crappy speakers then. I find doing this can sometime give me a pretty cool old school rock sound, I use it often, being old school myself...

 

[bdplaid]

I'm using 2 two ten gk mbe's now. Rated for 400 ea. I'm also considering the Mesa subway 12's, but at $650 each, three are a bit cost prohibitive... I'll have to see how much I like the head first, I guess. It never ends...

GK MBE's : I think I had one that I returned. if they are what I think they are the Rumble 210s are leagues better. In fact, I bought my 500 combo on the strength of the sound of the 210s in the combo.

I had been playing around with 210 cabs when I bought my Rumble combo, and had just returned a GK 210 (whatever the lightweight one is. I think the MBE). Sounded OK, but not really deep enough nor loud enough, and whenever I'd push it even a little (meaning all the time) it would smell like burning plastic. I think it was the voice coils overheating. So even though i generally hold GK in high regard, the Rumble 210 blew that GK out of the water. The Rumble 210 is the first 210 I've ever used that could really hold its own as a single cab.