Fender Rumble Club

[bassinflorida]

OK one and all, I'm off to the VA hospital in Salem, Virginia in the early morning for some tests. Then early Friday morning an angiogram of sorts. It better be good! I'm not going through this crap again. If I hadn't been having sharp chest pains and shortness of breath, I would have blown this off totally. Poo!

The force is with you sir.

 

[FirewalZ]

So i'm still saving for my first Rumble rig, im guessing Nov/Dec timeframe. I've been frequenting the Rumble Club for some time and have noticed that there is a genuine fan base/sub-culture (dare I say cult like following for this product. Nearly everyone seems to have positive opinions, experiences and comments regarding these amps, even if they don't prefer the tone or some other aspect, the opinion remains favorable. This seems rare for a mass produced product these days, I usually find there are two types of anything mass produced, cheap throw away and expensive high end(that still may have questionable quality). Fender seems to have found that sweet spot in the middle. Just a general observation I thought I would share......anticipating my club number.

 

[Gravedigger Dav]

So i'm still saving for my first Rumble rig, im guessing Nov/Dec timeframe. I've been frequenting the Rumble Club for some time and have noticed that there is a genuine fan base/sub-culture (dare I say cult like following for this product. Nearly everyone seems to have a genuine positive opinion and experience with these amps, even if they don't prefer the tone or some other aspect. This seems rare for a mass produced product these days, I usually find there are two types of anything mass produced, cheap throw away and expensive high end(that still may have questionable quality). Fender seems to have found that sweet spot in the middle. Just a general observation I thought I would share......anticipating my club number.

When I first went to look at a light weight Class D, it was because my old giant rig was getting to be a hassle to haul around. The options I had were Ampeg, Markbass, and Rumble. Going in, I was certain I would choose the Ampeg because that is what I had been using since the late 70s. I doubted the Rumble would make the cut. I had an older v2 15 I was using as a bedroom practice amp and was expecting the Rumble 500c v3 to be in that tonal range. I played the same bass through all 3, one after the other. After a couple of hours in the store experimenting with them, I went home with the Rumble. Neither price, looks, nor weight really factored into my decision. I was going for tone alone. The only point where I thought the Rumble was lacking is control placement. It seems vulnerable, but after over a year, there has been no issue other than after putting the cover on and tacking it off, the control positions get changed and I have to start over every time.
I will say, that if weight, size, and cost were not a factor, I'd be playing a V4B and 8x10, but the Rumble is my second favorite amp ever. I use the 500 and a 2x10 extension.
We will be happy to have you among us. Let us know when you are ready for your number.

 

[Gravedigger Dav]

Best of luck to you @Linnin. Hope it all goes well. Now, we will expect a full gig report with pics of hot nurses, but because it is a hospital, you can skip the food pics. I hope @dbase wont be disappointed, though.

 

[dbase]

Best of luck to you @Linnin. Hope it all goes well. Now, we will expect a full gig report with pics of hot nurses, but because it is a hospital, you can skip the food pics. I hope @dbase wont be disappointed, though.

Hot nurses are eye candy .. that's food, right?

 

[bdowd]

For those running the 200 combo with a 115 rumble underneath, how is the sound? The combo and 115 seem like slightly different boxes. I have the 200 combo, looking to add to it.

 

[Gravedigger Dav]

Hot nurses are eye candy .. that's food, right?

of course. I just didn't think you would enjoy pictures of jello and little cartons of milk.

 

[Scott Truesdell]

For those running the 200 combo with a 115 rumble underneath, how is the sound? The combo and 115 seem like slightly different boxes. I have the 200 combo, looking to add to it.

The sound is fantastic!

The cabs are different. This upsets some people while others are just fine with it.
Here's my Rumble 200 combo with Rumble 115 cabinet. I put a vintage Fender logo on the 200 just because:

 

[Gravedigger Dav]

The force is with you sir.

Fond memories of Salem, Virginia. I played a hotel there a few times. I think it was originally a Holiday Inn, but changed to different hands between the first time I played there and the second.

 

[Aahzz]

The sound is fantastic!

The cabs are different. This upsets some people while others are just fine with it.
Here's my Rumble 200 combo with Rumble 115 cabinet. I put a vintage Fender logo on the 200 just because:

Where did you get the logo for the combo? I might want to do that to mine so that the logos match - I'm not anal about the cab size matching, but the mismatched logos are tweaking my OCDness just a touch. Did it fit in the same mounting holes where the original was screwed in?

Thanks!

 

[Steadfast]

I have been known to take logos off and replace them with a homemade comic logo--I do this to my homebuilt boats.

Hmmmmm--Maybe I can do something strange to the Fender logo......

 

[Scott Truesdell]

Where did you get the logo for the combo?

I can't remember if I bought it from Fender or Amazon.com. Cost around US$10.

Did it fit in the same mounting holes where the original was screwed in?

No, but it doesn't matter. The grill cloth covers all. I did not drill a new pilot hole; just applied a little elbow grease.

More important is to match the angle of the logos. If it's different, you can pick that up from across the room. I put a piece of paper so the corner fit into the corner of the corner and pressed the paper into the logo so it picked up an impression from the cab. Then I moved the paper to the combo and placed the new logo over the impression and screwed it in place, straight through the paper. Then I unscrewed it, removed the paper, and reinstalled it. Sounds more complicated than it was.

 

[Scott Truesdell]

I have been known to take logos off and replace them with a homemade comic logo--I do this to my homebuilt boats.

Hmmmmm--Maybe I can do something strange to the Fender logo......

Reminds me of my Hobie Cat days. Fleet #1 (Dana Point, duh!) used the stylized "H" in the official Hobie logo as the "FL" in "Fleet", which I thought was pretty clever.

 

[ubernator]

For those running the 200 combo with a 115 rumble underneath, how is the sound? The combo and 115 seem like slightly different boxes. I have the 200 combo, looking to add to it.

I compared the sound of the rumble 200 combo to a rumble head into the 115 cab, same settings, back and forth testing for that very purpose. The 115 cab is boomier than the combo, not as tight, but perhaps the 2 blend well together. Something I didn't test at the time because I didnt want to make a scene at Sam ash.

I ended up with a 112 because @honeyiscool was selling one at a good price $150 and was close enough to meet halfway requiring less than an hour drive. AND because I liked the small size and matching width.

I will say though, if you need maximum headroom, the 115 will push more lows per watt.

 

[munkeyfish]

Dang it. Went to order a second 210 cab and they are out of stock. No more due to Nov.11th. I currently run the 500 head and 210 cab.

Should I wait or explore other cab options? I was real interested in the 112 as well, but afraid I would blow it with the 500 head.

Thought about the 410 too, but the size difference from the 210 is kinda odd. I've seen the combo/210 stacked with the 115 and I assume it would be similar. Plus I read that the 410 does not have the umph of the 210 or even better, 2 x 210 cabs. Even thought about the 115, read that had great results too.

Any thoughts?

 

[ubernator]

Dang it. Went to order a second 210 cab and they are out of stock. No more due to Nov.11th. I currently run the 500 head and 210 cab.

Should I wait or explore other cab options? I was real interested in the 112 as well, but afraid I would blow it with the 500 head.

Thought about the 410 too, but the size difference from the 210 is kinda odd. I've seen the combo/210 stacked with the 115 and I assume it would be similar. Plus I read that the 410 does not have the umph of the 210 or even better, 2 x 210 cabs. Even thought about the 115, read that had great results too.

Any thoughts?

You won't blow the 112. I hear it is a good blend with 210, but you will push more air and SPL with a 210 or 115.

210 is ideal though, have you tried other dealers? Used?

The 112 is pretty cool though, and actually might give you a smooth midrange bump compared to the 210. You could experiment with putting it on the top or the bottom.

Because we know, the world might end, or at least there is a really good chance of civil unrest exploding between november 8th-11th, not to mention the transit time. You may never even get to use the 210

 

[GregT]

Other than dollars, why would someone choose a Rumble 200 over a 500?
I was in the guitar store today and noticed the difference is only 2 lbs. So other than speakers (2x10 vs 1x15), watts and bucks, I don't see a big difference. It seems to me if money were no object then the 500 is the way to go.

Here is what I wrote when I got my 115 to add to my 200. I could have gotten the 500, but chose the 200. Not because of price. I believe the 15s fill a room best!

Here you go! Like I said, on a dark stage, I would probably just run them like they came, but who knows?!!

Then I plugged it in. First with just the combo. Great! Sounded like it always sounds. Plenty of everything. So I thought..... When I plugged in the 115 cabinet, it just came to life! Same amp, but it was like it had grown up and its voice had changed. It sounded huge. If you never hear the two together, you'll have no idea what you are missing. Ignorance is bliss, as the saying goes. Once I heard two fifteens together, I knew! I was enlightened! I can't unknow it.

I really am not kidding. I think the difference between just the 200 and the 200+115 is like:

200: "Wow, your bass sounds great!"

200+115: "Wow, that is the most amazing bass I have ever heard! I can really feel it!"

Me: "Its a Fender."

 

[FirewalZ]

Has anyone previously commented on or compared the 500 combo vs separate 500 head and 210 cab, is there any discernible difference in sound? I already have a combo as my main rig so want to go separate this time so I'm curious, my local stores only have the combos out on the floor.

 

[bdowd]

I'm borrowing a 115 rumble cab next week and will pair it with my 200 combo to see how it fairs(I'm sure it will be thunderous at the least). I did have a 112 rumble for a bit, form factor was great but I want a matching driver set up. Right now I have a Genz 210 shuttle extension cab under the combo, sounds awesome, will do for this weekend's gigs. Sometimes I've been running an ampeg 50t di into the effects return of 200combo, and that is a bit sweeter than the rumble pre, but not by much...and man, 150 watts can really make your ears ring.....

 

[Indiedog]

You know, my irrational desire to acquire a 115 cab to pair with my 500c is NOT being helped by all of this recent talk.

It is only because it is FENDER FRIDAY that I will tolerate this.