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.
Here's Rumble 100 middle left, and the Rumble 40 middle right. both are flanked by a Rumble 500 left and Rumble 200 right.
![]()
Thanks...I see in your profile you have the GK MB212ii....I have the same. What are your thoughts/comparisons use cases between the two?
V3 was introduced at Winter NAMM 2014.When did the V3 line come out? I've got a line on a used model, but they can't tell me how much of the original 5 year warranty is left. Assuming it was one of the first sold, how long ago would that have been (2 years, more/less)? Thanks.
First introduced at Winter NAMM mid January, 2014. Pre-orders kept Rumbles sold out for about 6-9 months. A friend of mine at a major e-tailer said that he had never seen such strong pre-orders in his entire career. Rumbles sales have stayed strong since. Often selling out between shipments. Fender Rumbles are the very best selling line of bass amplifiers on the world market. With the Fender Rumble 500 combo being the best selling of the entire line. It may very well go on to become the best selling bass amp in history. It already outsells the entire bass amp production of Eden and Peavey put together, or the solid state output of ampeg.When did the V3 line come out?
I think I'm gonna be sick with G.A.S. I should not have seen this.Here's Rumble 100 middle left, and the Rumble 40 middle right. both are flanked by a Rumble 500 left and Rumble 200 right.
![]()
... With that having been said, I still prefer the 200 in a club because the 15 inch speaker just fills the room in a different way. People seem to dance more often when I use my 200. It puts down a thick palpable layer of oooy-goooy bass goodness on the dancefloor that moves them.
Cuba is getting slammed right now. Any Rumble Club members in the path of Hurricane Matthew? @Steadfast is in peril of serious flooding in Savannah, Georgia.
Are you wanting a number, then? Or are you still too busy playing with your new toy?After months of deliberation and asking a million annoying questions, especially to @Linnin and @Gravedigger Dav ...the man in the purple/orange truck delivered my Rumble 500 head from Sweetwater this afternoon. No pictures yet because I'm lazy and quite frankly, we all know what it looks like...
Not that anyone needs another review or cares but here are my initial thoughts:
- Versatile: I'm coming from an SWR head I had for over a decade...no matter what you plugged into it, it was very loud and very clean. That was well and good but always felt kinda cold to me. No amount of knob-fiddling was going to change it. The Rumble on the other hand...the range of tones you can get out of it is completely astounding. I printed out our tone pool and played around for 45 minutes with all the settings.; it's exceedingly easy to get an old school blues sound, then an 80s GK hair-metal sound, then a punk rock treble sound, then a slap tone etc. very very impressive. It's perfectly transparent and allows each bass to shine through without sounding sterile like some MarkBass heads do.
- Not very loud, or is it?: First plugged in my passive MIJ Mustang (because why not pair a Fender with a Fender!) and was pretty underwhelmed with the volume (going into an 8ohm 2x10 cab). Was really down about it, then tried my active Musicman Bongo and active Schecter. Suddenly, I was drinking from a fire hose...I couldn't get the master up past about 15% before the windows/lightbulbs started rattling. Absolutely insane that so much noise comes out of a small package. Also, I will say that with a lot of heads the master volume "tops out" around noon, it seems like the Rumble truly does get louder until about the 3:30-4:00 mark, which is really nice. I can't imagine what 4 ohms through 4x10s or 8x10s will sound like. Probably need to get the Mustang looked at, it has sounded sick for quite some time haha
- Overdrive: the most natural, organic, and pleasing fuzz I've ever heard. I'm a guy who hates distortion and effects on bass but this head has converted me, I almost prefer to play with it on rather than off.
- Voicing knobs: Haven't played with these too much but so far, they don't really do much for me. It's not a noticeable difference like with say the Ampeg ultra-hi and ultra-lo buttons. I'll have to spend some time getting used to them I guess.
Not sure when I'll get to try it out in a band setting, I don't have time for a regular gig at the moment (trying to nurture my "real world" career that is currently in its infancy) but at home the Rumble is a superstar!
Your band must be louder than mine. I've played outdoors with drums and 3 guitars and had plenty of volume, even before I got the 2x10 extension cab.
I've never had any issues being heard with the 500 head and 210 cab. I've played some rather large outdoor areas with no PA support. (You can see an older post where I showed that)
Update:
The good news is I am still alive. The bad news is that I only have 45% heart function. First will be a procedure called an electro cardioversion. This is when they do a hard restart with electric shock (much like defibrillation) to electrically get my heart back in its proper rhythm. This is not a one and done deal like getting strapped into 'Ol' Sparky' to ride the lightening for your first and last time. Oh no, I get to do this over and over again. Repeat as needed.
But wait! That's not all! I also get at least two separate surgery's. One going in a vein from the top through my neck to get at the aorta to look at and burn away any scar tissue from a previous heart attack.
The second going in through my groin to look at the pump of the heart - the left and right ventricles. If any blockage (and at 45% function there is) they will put in stents if minor. If major, then open heart surgery for how ever many bypasses I may need. Triple bypass being the most common. At any rate that is my immediate cardio future.
Update:
The good news is I am still alive. The bad news is that I only have 45% heart function. First will be a procedure called an electro cardioversion. This is when they do a hard restart with electric shock (much like defibrillation) to electrically get my heart back in its proper rhythm. This is not a one and done deal like getting strapped into 'Ol' Sparky' to ride the lightening for your first and last time. Oh no, I get to do this over and over again. Repeat as needed.
But wait! That's not all! I also get at least two separate surgery's. One going in a vein from the top through my neck to get at the aorta to look at and burn away any scar tissue from a previous heart attack.
The second going in through my groin to look at the pump of the heart - the left and right ventricles. If any blockage (and at 45% function there is) they will put in stents if minor. If major, then open heart surgery for how ever many bypasses I may need. Triple bypass being the most common. At any rate that is my immediate cardio future.
Anyone want to take a crack at diagnosing a hiss?
Two day old brand new Rumble 500 head produces a faint, but audible hiss with all settings at noon, master at 9:00+
It does this through my cab and headphones. I've tried different outlets, different cables, different basses, no bass etc. The hiss increases with the addition of gain, treble, and master volume (which is typical IME)
Additionally, when I play a note with the master at zero and then increase it, i get a crackle right around the 8-8:30 mark. All other knobs are fine.
Is the hiss normal, or did I get a wonky unit? I can live with the hiss but it's a bit disappointing.
almost all amps have some amount of normal operational noise/hiss. My Rumble 350 is the only amp I've ever owned that is dead quiet.Is the hiss normal
Welcome to our club! As long as your cab is 8 ohms it will work. I'll bet it is and that it will sound stellar with your Rumble 500! Those were well designed cabinets with what are now vintage woofers. Crank it up Baby!I got a good deal on a 500 combo today- mind blown by how good this thing sounds.
I have a 70's vintage Musicman 1x15 cab; can I use it with this? Do I have to make sure the ohms ratings match?
Think nothing of it @grrg63. We're all here to live our lives to the fullest. That means we play Fender basses through Fender bass amps.Thanks Linnin