Are you guys getting anything audible out of your horn? I have the 500 V3 and the only thing I get from my horn when I turn it on is a little hiss. I can't seem to hear it even when right next to it. I took the cover off and have been trying to figure out what the deal is because I never notice any difference when I turn it off/on.
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Quite possibly it's the cooling fan. Put your ear close to its exhaust opening...
Not the 350 head specifically, but with the v.3 500 and 200 combos.
Here's how you tell. First get a good band mix going at band volume. Stand 25-30 feet away as if you are in the audience. With the tweeter off play some high slap & pop. Have a band mate reach over and turn it on. You will hear it. It is only for high end reinforcement at high SPL. The very last thing you want is to have a horn honking it's head off in a bass amp. I hate horns.
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Great Article - Thanks FirewalZ!
Can't go to someone elses house and play loud. In fact with the volume at 12 o'clock and gain at 9 the amp is too loud where I play in my house.
I saw a YouTube video (below) and this guy suggests using a looper and let it run continuously to break in the amp. I've probably played 50 or so hours through this amp so far and am hoping I haven't screwed the pooch. I'm going to record a bunch of scales (different frequencies per FirewalZ's article) on the looper and when I leave the house tomorrow I'll let the looper run with the amp volume and gain at 12 o'clock while I'm gone. Hopefully it will be broken in better after a few days of this. And hopefully everything in my office won't have vibrated off of every surface and end up on the floor
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I'm starting to think this "break in" thing is for real. The more I play through the cab the better it sounds. I prefer playing with a more bridge heavy Jaco tone. That type of tone is starting to get more colorful. I'm still playing with my head set flat. There have been no eq changes, but I do hear a difference. At least I think so.
No, I can be sure it is not the fan. The cabinet stands on the other side of the room and when I switch on the amp the hissing noise comes very clearly from the cabinet. It is even clearer to locate when I switch on the HF horn of the cab (which normally is off).
However - thanks for the feedback from your 350 and the combos. Interesting that the newer combos also make noises. Do other users hear that, too?
Crank the gain, overdrive, treble and use the bright button, get it really fuzzy, then turn horn on and off, and it should sound like a good bass fuzz with the horn off and total buzzy crappy kazoo tone with the horn on. If there is no obvious difference, then the horn is bad. The slap pop method works but if you have dead strings, you might not notice as much. The fact that you hear a difference in hiss, tells me the horn is working, but you were not giving enough high frequency signal to notice. Full on fuzz gain and overdrive with the treble cranked and bright engaged should give you that even with dead strings.
Horns are really only appropriate for slap and percussive techniques, and relatively clean signal, horns and overdrive don't mix, otherwise guitar players would line out to the PA (not counting cabinet simulation amps, which can do that to a degree nowadays)
I have gone off the chain insane. My new setup at my last gig with my guitar amp added to the chain: (btw--the VOX amp sounded like crap when used in the chain)
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Some people claimed we were using backing tracks because they couldn't wrap their head around the fact I was playing bass and guitar at the same time.
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Some people claimed we were using backing tracks because they couldn't wrap their head around the fact I was playing bass and guitar at the same time.
It sounds bad***, too!
I got plans,, though, for a sideways blackface grill for the 500c, built from scratch. Stay tuned.
Take it as a compliment. I get it frequently because sometimes I use a Fender Stratocaster and it actually comes out as a guitar, a bass, and an organ, all at the same time. No loopers, no backing tracks. And I play the drums with my feet; real drums: bass and snare. I perform as a real one man band locally. Getting accused of using backing tracks is funny.
One man bands!
You (GregT) and Steadfast are very impressive! I'd love to see some of your work, you guys.
Hi guys, new to TB, first post! 
Longtime lurker on this thread as I have been looking at getting rid of my heavy gear for upcoming mini van tours with my band Cities of Mars. I am almost at a decision of buying the Rumble 500 with an extension cab.
Playing in a very loud band I want massive tone and thump and have been looking at the combo together with the 4x10 cab, creating a 6x10 setup? Are there any drawbacks or considerations with combo + 4x10, vs the combo + 2x10? The 4x10 is obviously more expensive, is it worth it, volume-and moving-air-wise?
Thanks for any input regarding this decision!
Longtime lurker on this thread as I have been looking at getting rid of my heavy gear for upcoming mini van tours with my band Cities of Mars. I am almost at a decision of buying the Rumble 500 with an extension cab.
Playing in a very loud band I want massive tone and thump and have been looking at the combo together with the 4x10 cab, creating a 6x10 setup? Are there any drawbacks or considerations with combo + 4x10, vs the combo + 2x10? The 4x10 is obviously more expensive, is it worth it, volume-and moving-air-wise?
Thanks for any input regarding this decision!
Value per driver wise, the 410 is less per speaker, since it is only $50 more.Hi guys, new to TB, first post!
Longtime lurker on this thread as I have been looking at getting rid of my heavy gear for upcoming mini van tours with my band Cities of Mars. I am almost at a decision of buying the Rumble 500 with an extension cab.
Playing in a very loud band I want massive tone and thump and have been looking at the combo together with the 4x10 cab, creating a 6x10 setup? Are there any drawbacks or considerations with combo + 4x10, vs the combo + 2x10? The 4x10 is obviously more expensive, is it worth it, volume-and moving-air-wise?
Thanks for any input regarding this decision!
But there are so many reasons why the 210 is a better match for the 500. The cabinet design and speaker arrangements of the 210 are not subjective to the same mid dispersion killing comb filtering of the traditional 410 design. The 210 has more cab volume per driver, and the 210 drivers handle a little more power, being a 350w cab 175w drivers vs 125w drivers in the 410. Also, many who have compared feel that the 210 is more solid on the lows as well. Plus it is smaller and lighter, and the rig looks real cool with matching cab dimensions.
The 210 is a gem.
Thanks Ubernator!
I've seen lots of praise of the 210. I'm longtime player, but am by no means an expert on speaker technicalities and such, therefore I'm a bit concerned going from my current 810 to perhaps a 2x210? Lots of speakers = lots of volume has been my mindset for many years I guess I'll have to sacrifice something going from a traditional, super heavy rig into more lightweight gear, but I need to get reasonably close volume- and tone-wise?
I've seen lots of praise of the 210. I'm longtime player, but am by no means an expert on speaker technicalities and such, therefore I'm a bit concerned going from my current 810 to perhaps a 2x210? Lots of speakers = lots of volume has been my mindset for many years
I guess I'll have to sacrifice something going from a traditional, super heavy rig into more lightweight gear, but I need to get reasonably close volume- and tone-wise?GregT takes the cake. I am not a one man band. We have a drummer and a singer that plays keyboards on a few songs. Just don't need a guitarist--they have been nothing but headaches for me. The smaller the band the easier all things are--except sounding like a kick-a** hardcore band. I am solving that problem. There are limitations as to how quickly I can switch amps on and off. Limitations on volume when playing opposing lines simultaneously (tapping with both hands) and what not. But, it is doable and when it goes wrong--I own it!
