Fender Rumble Club

[Linnin]

I'm still fuming at myself for not willing to spend a few extra 100$ for a Rumble 100.

Don't beat yourself up over it. You have the Rumble 40 and that's plenty good enough until you actually need a gig rig. And guess what? Even after you get a gig rig you are going want a small great sounding personal practice amp just like your Rumble 40! Until then...
Rumble On!

 

[Linnin]

Dynamat is sound dampener used mostly on vibrating metal panels in cars. It's not like an anechoic foam at all:

Dynamat is a patented, lightweight elastomeric butyl and aluminum constrained-layer vibration damper.... It is also used for ventilation ducts, relay cabinets, steel furniture, home appliances, sink units, computer equipment, machine tools and many other objects that suffer from vibration-produced noise.

I know, that's why the foam is the preffered choice for speaker cabinets.

 

[bdplaid]

I know, that's why the foam is the perfered choice for speaker cabinets.

We're talking about 2 different things. I'm talking about using Dynamat in place of cab bracing. what hard, physical bracing does is to stop a vibrating panel. Acoustic foam such as poly batting, mattress foam, fiberglass insulation does not address that, but rather changes the acoustic properties of the cab behind the speaker. Many cabs can benefit from both dynamat AND foam. But they do 2 very different things, acoustically. If you need one, then you very well might need the other as well. And there's no guarantee the Dynamat will solve a boom issue either; bracing may well be needed after all.

And by the way - polyester fill is not really a cheap alternative; IME it's a very effective product used to increase the cab volume that the back of a speaker sees. I've used all of it, poly batting, mattress foam, fiberglass insulation, and personally poly batting would be my first choice. The fiberglass insulation, while effective, requires using gloves and such to keep it off you skin. DO NOT try lining a cab with fiberglass in your living room as it will get all that nasty stuff everywhere. Mattress-type foam is the worst, as it will eventually break down, especially if stored in heat.
It would not be unusual to open a brand new cab of some high end maker and see something in there that resembles poly batting. But in the end, if you need something to slow down the sound waves inside a cab, almost anything soft will work. Just some better than others.

there are tons of articles online about this, and very interesting.

 

[DerekW]

How long have you had it? Any chance getting an exchange or decent trade-in?

 

[MovingPitchers]

How long have you had it? Any chance getting an exchange or decent trade-in?

Three weeks I think. I got it mid August but forgot the exact date.

 

[honeyiscool]

Been a few weeks. Still love the Rumble 500 combo. I'm so glad that I returned the 200 to get the 500. To me, the 2x10" has the sound I'm looking for and the 500 watts gives the volume. I still miss my Ampeg tone from time to time, but I'm learning to embrace the Fender tone. I've got some amp covers for the amps so they don't scratch while loading.

I've actually barely used the 1x15 cab at all. It works great as an amp stand, though, and it only cost me like $269, so it isn't exactly burning a hole in my pocket.

 

[richbassboy]

Been a few weeks. Still love the Rumble 500 combo. I'm so glad that I returned the 200 to get the 500. To me, the 2x10" has the sound I'm looking for and the 500 watts gives the volume. I still miss my Ampeg tone from time to time, but I'm learning to embrace the Fender tone. I've got some amp covers for the amps so they don't scratch while loading.

I've actually barely used the 1x15 cab at all. It works great as an amp stand, though, and it only cost me like $269, so it isn't exactly burning a hole in my pocket.

How much volume difference can you tell us between the 200 and 500? I have read you cant tell and that that people went with the 500 because they felt more comfortable just because its more watts.. i always liked a 15inch over 2 10's thats jist me personally i know many others are the opposite. .

 

[TTPbass1]

Oh man, I was saving in order to get a 200 V3 that costs $625 here in Peru. First impulse was a 100 V3, but I would like to have a bit more power just in case. I have always liked 15" combos, and today I found one on sale, brand new, for just $450. Problem is I can't try it, and is the only V3 combo I haven't tested. I'm looking for a round vintage bass tone, a bit aggressive but not distorted. Some in the league of the old Bassman Silverface. Would you recommend the 200 for me?

 

[Linnin]

Oh man, I was saving in order to get a 200 V3 that costs $625 here in Peru. First impulse was a 100 V3, but I would like to have a bit more power just in case. I have always liked 15" combos, and today I found one on sale, brand new, for just $450. Problem is I can't try it, and is the only V3 combo I haven't tested. I'm looking for a round vintage bass tone, a bit aggressive but not distorted. Some in the league of the old Bassman Silverface. Would you recommend the 200 for me?

Yes. Buy It. Be Happy!

 

[TTPbass1]

Yes. Buy It. Be Happy!

Thanks Linnin!

 

[TTPbass1]

I'm about to pull the trigger on the 200, just a question, did someone paired the 200 with a 115 ext. cab?, how about it?

 

[honeyiscool]

How much volume difference can you tell us between the 200 and 500? I have read you cant tell and that that people went with the 500 because they felt more comfortable just because its more watts.. i always liked a 15inch over 2 10's thats jist me personally i know many others are the opposite. .

It's actually not that much volume difference. As I can understand, there's a limit to how much sound a cab of a certain size can give out, and they're both the same exact dimensions for the cab as far as I can tell. But I think the average rock band would have no problem with either one. All the same, the 500 is extremely useful with an external cab, whereas 200 is somewhat limited in that regard.

 

[steve_rolfeca]

it's actually not that much volume difference. As I can understand, there's a limit to how much sound a cab of a certain size can give out, and they're both the same exact dimensions for the cab as far as I can tell.

This is a misconception.

I have a small AudioKinesis 1*12 cab, called a Thunderchild. It cost twice as much as a Rumble 500, it requires an insane amount of power (450 watts continuous / 900 watts peak), and it looks like a toy compared to the Rumble. But paired with an 800 watt head, that cab will tear the Fender a new one in any measure of performance. It's lighter, it plays a LOT louder, and a low B sounds much deeper and more substantial.

All of this to say that the limits on how loud and full a given box can sound are determined by what the designer was after and how much you're willing to pay, not by the physical dimensions.

 

[Linnin]

I'm about to pull the trigger on the 200, just a question, did someone paired the 200 with a 115 ext. cab?, how about it?

You are quite welcome, djasterix. Even though I have not played the 200 or 115 cab, here's what you get: a matched pair of Eminence 15's (that's a good thing), so adding the 115 moves twice as much air (another good thing), by stacking the combo on top of the cab you get something known as the 'coupling effect' (yet another good thing), and you go from 140 up to a full 200 watts (more goodnesss).
Plus you get a super sexy stack that sounds as good as it looks. What's not to love?

Rumbles Rock!

 

[nutdog]

I'm perfectly happy with my 112. I'm perfectly happy with my 112. I'm perfectly happy with my 112. I'm perfectly happy with my 112...

 

[TTPbass1]

...Plus you get a super sexy stack that sounds as good as it looks. What's not to love?

Rumbles Rock!

Super sexy sound on a stack that looks good, that's the target...

 

[TTPbass1]

Just looking at specifications on the Rumbles, as I also have a great deal on a 350 V2 combo, and realized the 200 V3 weights HALF of the 350 V2!!! 15.6 kg vs 29.8 kg... Wow!!!

 

[Linnin]

Just looking at specifications on the Rumbles, as I also have a great deal on a 350 V2 combo, and realized the 200 V3 weights HALF of the 350 V2!!! 15.6 kg vs 29.8 kg... Wow!!!

The Rumble 350 combo is made of M.D.F. which is quite heavy vs plywood. Plus the design of the combo is front slot ported (ala SWR Redhead) and is a bigger box. So yes, much heavier.

 

[west al]

The Rumble 350 combo is made of M.D.F. which is quite heavy vs plywood. Plus the design of the combo is front slot ported (ala SWR Redhead) and is a bigger box. So yes, much heavier.

M.D.F. was the one thing that bugged me about the V2 series. The V3 series is a for real amp, for what ever. Great choices to choose from.

 

[Bobb Nagel]

There has been a wealth of great information on this thread, and what I have read here over the last few weeks helped me make the decision to downsize, declutter, and lighten my load! I played the Rumble 500 combo at the local music store and loved the punchiness and sound. Last week I sold off my 2 SWR Goliath III 4-10's, Eden 15T and Eden 210T, and used some of the proceeds to buy the The Rumble 500 combo and Rumble 1-15 cab. I won't be able to try this set up with my band until next week, but at home it sounds absolutely fantastic. I'll be proud to have this stack behind me on stage. My first amp was a Bassman in the mid 60's with a 68 Dual Showman coming a few years later. After four decades, I'm back in the Fender family. I still have the Showman head, plugged it in with the 1-15 cab and it is a perfect match! I'm set for any situation now! Thanks for all the help here ladies and gents.