Fender Rumble LT25, Studio 40 & Stage 800

[iagtrplyr]

Great conversation, fellas! Bluzlvr, you did make a great score on that 100c for a Franklin. If I found a deal like that I would've scooped it up as well. My 100 is far from the best combo I own, but there's something about it that tugs at my heart. And at 22 lbs, the tug isn't hard to live with either.

 

[Bluzlvr]

Great conversation, fellas! Bluzlvr, you did make a great score on that 100c for a Franklin. If I found a deal like that I would've scooped it up as well. My 100 is far from the best combo I own, but there's something about it that tugs at my heart. And at 22 lbs, the tug isn't hard to live with either.

Agreed plyr. Probably not getting rid of my 500C anytime soon, but with my MusicMan Sterling HS and TI flats that 100 sounds pretty darn good playing dabluz (and some classic rock).

 

[joellay]

Like I said above, I wasn’t trying to start anything. You asked for thoughts on modeling amps and I offered mine. No offense was intended and I hope none was taken.

I don’t need any specific support from Fender for any of these amps.

I was initially kind of disappointed in Fender in regards to modeling amps, though. When these series of amps originally came out, Fender implied and even out right said that there would be updates and expansions, etc. Except for some initial bug fixes, none of that came to fruition, even though there was some shining on done by some Fender reps on the Fender Forums back then. What they didn’t say was that they were going to abandon each previous generation as the new generations came out.

Like you said, technology marches on. I’ve watched now these several generations of Fender modeling amps for both guitars and basses being a basically “one and done” for each generation. It’s kind of the definition of planned obsolescence.

That warranty used to be five years and then it was shortened to two years. That certainly shortens the required support cycle, doesn’t it?

Not just my Rumbles, but all of my Fender amps have been and continue to be good amps. I’ve not had one go down or blow up. I have enjoyed them all very much and learned a lot fooling with them. I forgot to add that I also have a Mustang Floor, an original G-DEC, and a G-DEC3-30.

I’ve seen other folks whose warranty period has expired and did need service were unable to get any parts or support and such. It seems that after your warranty expires, if you have a problem with the electronics, firmware, or software, you have a box or cabinet maybe with a speaker or two in it.

All that is fine as long as you understand it going in. I just decided that I was not going to stay on the hamster wheel trying to keep up with each new generation of modeling amp. Heck, I’ve not worn out any of the old ones.

That was why when just the straight Rumbles came out, I went that way. That’s just what I decided was the best path for me. I am happy with my Rumbles and that was why I decided to buy the 500H and the two 112 cabinets while I could still find them.

I’m certainly not throwing out any of the rest of my Fender amps. I just think that in the future that I will buy traditional amps rather than modeling amps. Everyone else should do whatever they think is best for them.

I do think that this a good thread and I will follow it. I’m sure that I will learn something.



I did learn about effects and such from the various modeling amps without having to buy a whole bunch of pedals and such to figure them out. The Mustang Floor was cool for that with both guitar and bass. Yeah, I plugged a bass into it and ran it into a bass cab.

None of this has soured me on Fender at all. Modeling amps don’t make me nervous, I just decided to walk on by as you said. I decided that for me that I wanted to go with more traditional amps and a simple pedal board.

View attachment 3492997

I may add another pedal or two before I am done.

If I do decide to upgrade amps in the future, I think that I may just go with heads vs. combos seeing’s as how I have some good cabs.

I have good equipment that I am happy with. I don’t need anything different. Hopefully, I’ll be able to Rumble On with what I have for a long time. That was why I got an additional Rumble rig while I could still find it.

I’m a Fender kind of guy. As you can see, I like Fender stuff.

View attachment 3492998

Would love your thoughts on the built in compressor for the Downtown Express. Plus how strong is the preamp in this one?

 

[Heavy Blue]

Would love your thoughts on the built in compressor for the Downtown Express. Plus how strong is the preamp in this one?

Great request! I’ll second the motion!

 

[Slingy]

Hi guys, I'm new here and I have some questions. If they've already been answered please forgive me, I tried going through this thread but there are a ton of replies.
I've briefly browsed these forums several times before but have been too intimidated to make an account and post here. Made a few posts and comments over in the r/Bass sub on Reddit, but after having more and more questions, Google searches kept leading me here. I just got a Stage 800 so I figured now I have something to talk about, may as well make an account

Anyway I haven't had it for long but I've put maybe 10-12 hours into messing around with all the different amp and cab sounds and all the settings trying to find the tone I like. Haven't put much time into effects as they are less important to me right now.

I am struggling to find a good baseline tone to use. My previous amp was a Yorkville BM100 and I'm so used to only having the 3-band EQ to adjust to what sounds the 'least bad' that I didn't know where to go with this amp at first. I've put in enough time that I feel comfortable enough with what it has to offer, but I am not well versed enough with all the different settings that each amp can provide.

I have been tweaking my settings in my room with headphones, and also out loud because they obviously sound much different. I figured the Rumble V3 would have the most 'standard' kind of sound but I found it too muddled. I like to have a bit clearer of a sound, with a nice sort of 'thud' when plucking the string (fingers not pick). I really enjoy the vintage sort of sound but each preset seemed too dead sounding to me. I've spent hours trying to come up with my own but you go a little crazy after a while and can't really tell what sounds right and what doesn't.

My goal is to have a couple different tones that I like before the weekend. The band gets together every weekend, and I know they won't be perfect but there are 2 or 3 distinct tones I'd like to work towards so that I'm not fighting the amp next practice and I can just tweak it to what's necessary.

Here's what I'm looking for:

(I know strings will affect this too but I just need something to start with that I can be confident I haven't completely goobered)

1. A vintage sort of sound. Dull but not dead sounding. I might be asking too much but I like to have some brightness to it as well. I like to have a nice deep thud when plucking.
2. A more 'growly' modern-ish kind of tone. Not too heavy but more on the hard rock kind of side. I've been messing with overdrive and fuzz but so far they've all been too much, or too quiet when I tone it down.
3. A nice clean, clear and well rounded sound. Lots of low end, but not muddy or too loud, the kind of low end that feels like your soul is just taking a bath in it. Haven't had an issue with too sharp of highs on this amp yet so that's nice, but I figured I'd get this sound with the studio preset, however I found it to be fairly flat sounding to me.

I know there are good combinations of amps and cabs, with some setting tweaks to get to these, and I feel I'm on the right track. I've heard some good stuff come out of this amp but every time I get close I start to lose it. I'm here to ask people with some experience in the amp, as well as various settings like compression and noise gate and stuff that I am not overly familiar with (Probably should know about compression at the least, but hey it's never too late to learn)

Sorry for such a long post, and if you're taking the time to read and help, thank you very much! I'm looking forward to participating more on these forums.

 

[Jack]

Took just the combo home without my ext cab. I did a bunch of fiddling around, changed cords, changed batteries, couldn't really come up with anything.
Really let it eat at home. Wasn't sure if it was any different. Took it back to practice, plugged the ext cab in and it rocked it's normal loud volume. Played New Year's eve with an outrageously loud stage volume due to our older fellas requiring side fills. The Stage 800 did not disappoint.
So I didn't fix it, but it's better. I never feel good about that scenario!

Same speaker cable? 'Cos if it's not the same speaker cable then oe of your speaker cables is wired out of phase.

 

[Cardsfan_69]

Same speaker cable? 'Cos if it's not the same speaker cable then oe of your speaker cables is wired out of phase.

Yep. Always the same Speakon cable.

 

[Cardsfan_69]

Hi guys, I'm new here and I have some questions. If they've already been answered please forgive me, I tried going through this thread but there are a ton of replies.
I've briefly browsed these forums several times before but have been too intimidated to make an account and post here. Made a few posts and comments over in the r/Bass sub on Reddit, but after having more and more questions, Google searches kept leading me here. I just got a Stage 800 so I figured now I have something to talk about, may as well make an account

Anyway I haven't had it for long but I've put maybe 10-12 hours into messing around with all the different amp and cab sounds and all the settings trying to find the tone I like. Haven't put much time into effects as they are less important to me right now.

I am struggling to find a good baseline tone to use. My previous amp was a Yorkville BM100 and I'm so used to only having the 3-band EQ to adjust to what sounds the 'least bad' that I didn't know where to go with this amp at first. I've put in enough time that I feel comfortable enough with what it has to offer, but I am not well versed enough with all the different settings that each amp can provide.

I have been tweaking my settings in my room with headphones, and also out loud because they obviously sound much different. I figured the Rumble V3 would have the most 'standard' kind of sound but I found it too muddled. I like to have a bit clearer of a sound, with a nice sort of 'thud' when plucking the string (fingers not pick). I really enjoy the vintage sort of sound but each preset seemed too dead sounding to me. I've spent hours trying to come up with my own but you go a little crazy after a while and can't really tell what sounds right and what doesn't.

My goal is to have a couple different tones that I like before the weekend. The band gets together every weekend, and I know they won't be perfect but there are 2 or 3 distinct tones I'd like to work towards so that I'm not fighting the amp next practice and I can just tweak it to what's necessary.

Here's what I'm looking for:

(I know strings will affect this too but I just need something to start with that I can be confident I haven't completely goobered)

1. A vintage sort of sound. Dull but not dead sounding. I might be asking too much but I like to have some brightness to it as well. I like to have a nice deep thud when plucking.
2. A more 'growly' modern-ish kind of tone. Not too heavy but more on the hard rock kind of side. I've been messing with overdrive and fuzz but so far they've all been too much, or too quiet when I tone it down.
3. A nice clean, clear and well rounded sound. Lots of low end, but not muddy or too loud, the kind of low end that feels like your soul is just taking a bath in it. Haven't had an issue with too sharp of highs on this amp yet so that's nice, but I figured I'd get this sound with the studio preset, however I found it to be fairly flat sounding to me.

I know there are good combinations of amps and cabs, with some setting tweaks to get to these, and I feel I'm on the right track. I've heard some good stuff come out of this amp but every time I get close I start to lose it. I'm here to ask people with some experience in the amp, as well as various settings like compression and noise gate and stuff that I am not overly familiar with (Probably should know about compression at the least, but hey it's never too late to learn)

Sorry for such a long post, and if you're taking the time to read and help, thank you very much! I'm looking forward to participating more on these forums.

Welcome and congrats on a great purchase. I love my Stage 800.
I found many of the presets have reverb. Turn that off or delete it from that preset and it will help.
I use the KG800 as a base to build off of most often. Also the Rumble V3.
Try going to an empty setting and start with Tube Pre-amp or Bassman 300 clean and build from there. Have fun! I've had mine almost a year and even last night I made a preset that is just freaking killer with my old Fender Power Jazz Special.

 

[Slingy]

Welcome and congrats on a great purchase. I love my Stage 800.
I found many of the presets have reverb. Turn that off or delete it from that preset and it will help.
I use the KG800 as a base to build off of most often. Also the Rumble V3.
Try going to an empty setting and start with Tube Pre-amp or Bassman 300 clean and build from there. Have fun! I've had mine almost a year and even last night I made a preset that is just freaking killer with my old Fender Power Jazz Special.

Thanks! I'll make note to check for reverb, didn't even think of that.

 

[G-Dog]

Hi guys, I'm new here and I have some questions. If they've already been answered please forgive me, I tried going through this thread but there are a ton of replies.
I've briefly browsed these forums several times before but have been too intimidated to make an account and post here. Made a few posts and comments over in the r/Bass sub on Reddit, but after having more and more questions, Google searches kept leading me here. I just got a Stage 800 so I figured now I have something to talk about, may as well make an account

Anyway I haven't had it for long but I've put maybe 10-12 hours into messing around with all the different amp and cab sounds and all the settings trying to find the tone I like. Haven't put much time into effects as they are less important to me right now.

I am struggling to find a good baseline tone to use. My previous amp was a Yorkville BM100 and I'm so used to only having the 3-band EQ to adjust to what sounds the 'least bad' that I didn't know where to go with this amp at first. I've put in enough time that I feel comfortable enough with what it has to offer, but I am not well versed enough with all the different settings that each amp can provide.

I have been tweaking my settings in my room with headphones, and also out loud because they obviously sound much different. I figured the Rumble V3 would have the most 'standard' kind of sound but I found it too muddled. I like to have a bit clearer of a sound, with a nice sort of 'thud' when plucking the string (fingers not pick). I really enjoy the vintage sort of sound but each preset seemed too dead sounding to me. I've spent hours trying to come up with my own but you go a little crazy after a while and can't really tell what sounds right and what doesn't.

My goal is to have a couple different tones that I like before the weekend. The band gets together every weekend, and I know they won't be perfect but there are 2 or 3 distinct tones I'd like to work towards so that I'm not fighting the amp next practice and I can just tweak it to what's necessary.

Here's what I'm looking for:

(I know strings will affect this too but I just need something to start with that I can be confident I haven't completely goobered)

1. A vintage sort of sound. Dull but not dead sounding. I might be asking too much but I like to have some brightness to it as well. I like to have a nice deep thud when plucking.
2. A more 'growly' modern-ish kind of tone. Not too heavy but more on the hard rock kind of side. I've been messing with overdrive and fuzz but so far they've all been too much, or too quiet when I tone it down.
3. A nice clean, clear and well rounded sound. Lots of low end, but not muddy or too loud, the kind of low end that feels like your soul is just taking a bath in it. Haven't had an issue with too sharp of highs on this amp yet so that's nice, but I figured I'd get this sound with the studio preset, however I found it to be fairly flat sounding to me.

I know there are good combinations of amps and cabs, with some setting tweaks to get to these, and I feel I'm on the right track. I've heard some good stuff come out of this amp but every time I get close I start to lose it. I'm here to ask people with some experience in the amp, as well as various settings like compression and noise gate and stuff that I am not overly familiar with (Probably should know about compression at the least, but hey it's never too late to learn)

Sorry for such a long post, and if you're taking the time to read and help, thank you very much! I'm looking forward to participating more on these forums.

Hi, Slingy! Welcome to TalkBass. Glad to have you with us. And thank you for posting your questions here. Don't be shy. We wanna help each other get the most enjoyment out our Rumbles. Please post a photo of yours in the main Fender Rumble Club thread to officially join us and get a member number (not required, just part of the fun).

Now, I have to admit to feeling a bit at a loss when you say you've tried "all the different amp and cab sounds and all the settings" and yet you're still "struggling to find a good baseline tone to use"! Personally, I have trouble selecting any particular preset because my Studio 40 has so many that I like (exactlythe same as the Stage 800). But, that's probably just me.

Actually, the more I think about it, though, your approach to craft a very specific bass tone you have in your head is really exactly what this amp is designed for, IMO!! Unfortunately, for me at least, I haven't gotten into much tweaking, much less creating presets from scratch. So, I regret I may not be much help there. But I vehemently applaud your tone quest with your Rumble Stage.
.

Welcome and congrats on a great purchase. I love my Stage 800.
I found many of the presets have reverb. Turn that off or delete it from that preset and it will help.
I use the KG800 as a base to build off of most often. Also the Rumble V3.
Try going to an empty setting and start with Tube Pre-amp or Bassman 300 clean and build from there. Have fun! I've had mine almost a year and even last night I made a preset that is just freaking killer with my old Fender Power Jazz Special.

Thanks for chiming in here, Cardy. Helping out is what we're about here.
.

Thanks! I'll make note to check for reverb, didn't even think of that.

Another possible aid to you could be some of the preset information linked in the TONE App Support section of the Rumble Club Wiki page linked in my signature. Particularly The Droopy_TX Preset Experience there with very detailed listings of the various and sundry components in the stock presets. You could even use a printout of the detailed spreadsheet as a scratchpad to design your own presets to try several approaches and keep tabs of what you really like, or don't like. Highly recommended!

There ya go, Slingy. Feel free to ask more questions, please. And, please keep us updated on this Tone Quest of yours. We've all done a bit of it here and there, to some degree or other, but rarely with such extensive tools! And you never know what help your experiences may give others.
.

 

[Slingy]

Hi, Slingy! Welcome to TalkBass. Glad to have you with us. And thank you for posting your questions here. Don't be shy. We wanna help each other get the most enjoyment out our Rumbles. Please post a photo of yours in the main Fender Rumble Club thread to officially join us and get a member number (not required, just part of the fun).

Now, I have to admit to feeling a bit at a loss when you say you've tried "all the different amp and cab sounds and all the settings" and yet you're still "struggling to find a good baseline tone to use"! Personally, I have trouble selecting any particular preset because my Studio 40 has so many that I like (exactlythe same as the Stage 800). But, that's probably just me.

Actually, the more I think about it, though, your approach to craft a very specific bass tone you have in your head is really exactly what this amp is designed for, IMO!! Unfortunately, for me at least, I haven't gotten into much tweaking, much less creating presets from scratch. So, I regret I may not be much help there. But I vehemently applaud your tone quest with your Rumble Stage.
.



Thanks for chiming in here, Cardy. Helping out is what we're about here.
.



Another possible aid to you could be some of the preset information linked in the TONE App Support section of the Rumble Club Wiki page linked in my signature. Particularly The Droopy_TX Preset Experience there with very detailed listings of the various and sundry components in the stock presets. You could even use a printout of the detailed spreadsheet as a scratchpad to design your own presets to try several approaches and keep tabs of what you really like, or don't like. Highly recommended!

There ya go, Slingy. Feel free to ask more questions, please. And, please keep us updated on this Tone Quest of yours. We've all done a bit of it here and there, to some degree or other, but rarely with such extensive tools! And you never know what help your experiences may give others.
.

Thanks for the reply and positive welcome!

While I have tried all the amp and cab sounds, and messed with most of the settings available for them, my issue arises when I start getting close to the sound I want. I hear it coming and I know there's something else just a little bit off, so I start tweaking other things. But I don't have an extensive knowledge of what I'm doing so I don't exactly know what I should be tweaking next. I end up changing a few things and getting further from the sound again. I have a few presets where I'm close and I save to an empty slot so I can have the starting point back again if I mess up, so I'm sure it'll just be a matter of time.

I'll definitely make sure to check out those spreadsheets. Thank you for sharing them!

I shall be continuing my 'Tone Quest' and I will absolutely keep you guys updated. The band is coming over to jam later on today so it'll be my first experience finally letting this thing rip and I can't wait. Hopefully I don't have too many tone issues and hold up the guys, but that's why I've put so much time into it since I got it.

 

[G-Dog]

... ... , my issue arises when I start getting close to the sound I want. I hear it coming and I know there's something else just a little bit off, so I start tweaking other things. ... ... I end up changing a few things and getting further from the sound again. I have a few presets where I'm close and I save to an empty slot so I can have the starting point back again if I mess up, so I'm sure it'll just be a matter of time. ... ...

Exact-o-mundo! The modeling Rumbles are an electronic scratchpad, as well! Sounds like a plan.

... ... I shall be continuing my 'Tone Quest' and I will absolutely keep you guys updated. The band is coming over to jam later on today so it'll be my first experience finally letting this thing rip and I can't wait. Hopefully I don't have too many tone issues and hold up the guys, but that's why I've put so much time into it since I got it.

I'm positively giddy for you, Sling! Do keep us apprised of your progress, please.

I've got a Bluegrass jam this afternoon with my Rumble Studio 40. It does great as the only electric instrument along with, sometimes, up to 20-something other instruments. I try to keep time regulated for slow newbies and fast pros alike. ('Course, it's really best towards the end when the newbs have quit and it's just a few truly exceptional players letting me try to keep up with them.)

Lately been hitting the downloaded Acoustic and Acoustasonic presets pretty much for Bluegrass. But, I really love the #8 "Clean Focus" and #9 "Deep Rumble" for the slow Sunday morning church songs. Those two really nail the rich attack I hear in my head. But, I've also used some of the raunchier presets for some faster contemporary Christian songs! Ah, I love versatility.
.

 

[Slingy]

I've got a quick question: has anyone found a cover for the Stage 800? I guess there's no official Fender one... Found one on Amazon for $70 and another $30 to ship to Canada

 

[Droopy_TX]

I've got a quick question: has anyone found a cover for the Stage 800? I guess there's no official Fender one... Found one on Amazon for $70 and another $30 to ship to Canada

The cover for the 200c and 500c also fits the Stage 800.
I got mine through Sweetwater. It's not extremely heavy-duty, but it's sufficient to keep your amp dry, clean, and scuff-free. Only around $20 USD.

 

[Slingy]

The cover for the 200c and 500c also fits the Stage 800.
I got mine through Sweetwater. It's not extremely heavy-duty, but it's sufficient to keep your amp dry, clean, and scuff-free. Only around $20 USD.

Hi Droopy!
Thanks for confirming that for me, I wasn't sure.

Also I must give a huge thanks to you for creating the "Preset Experience" spreadsheets! The decoder is incredibly useful and I can't describe enough how thankful I am to you for putting that together! It will be printed off and kept with me every time I'm playing with the amp

 

[Droopy_TX]

Hi Droopy!
Thanks for confirming that for me, I wasn't sure.

Also I must give a huge thanks to you for creating the "Preset Experience" spreadsheets! The decoder is incredibly useful and I can't describe enough how thankful I am to you for putting that together! It will be printed off and kept with me every time I'm playing with the amp

Cool! Thanks. Glad to hear it helps.

 

[wxfloyd]

I've got a quick question: has anyone found a cover for the Stage 800? I guess there's no official Fender one... Found one on Amazon for $70 and another $30 to ship to Canada

Slingy, if you need something a little more heavy-duty, Tuki makes a cover for the stage 800.
Fender Rumble Stage 800 2x10 Bass Combo Amp Padded Cover

Otherwise, here is the lighter Fender cover Droopy_TX mentioned.
Fender Rumble 200/500/STAGE Amplifier Cover

Also regarding the trouble with finding your tone, I have a suggestion that probably falls under the common sense rule. I noticed as I was trying out some of the factory presets, some sounded fairly dull, almost muffled. I had a bit of a “slap on the forehead” moment when I walked away a few feet in front of the amp. Many of the presets that I thought sounded somewhat muffled were much clearer. After playing nothing but acoustic instruments for the last decade, apparently I’ve forgotten how to properly adjust amps

 

[Slingy]

Slingy, if you need something a little more heavy-duty, Tuki makes a cover for the stage 800.
Fender Rumble Stage 800 2x10 Bass Combo Amp Padded Cover

Otherwise, here is the lighter Fender cover Droopy_TX mentioned.
Fender Rumble 200/500/STAGE Amplifier Cover

Also regarding the trouble with finding your tone, I have a suggestion that probably falls under the common sense rule. I noticed as I was trying out some of the factory presets, some sounded fairly dull, almost muffled. I had a bit of a “slap on the forehead” moment when I walked away a few feet in front of the amp. Many of the presets that I thought sounded somewhat muffled were much clearer. After playing nothing but acoustic instruments for the last decade, apparently I’ve forgotten how to properly adjust amps

Thanks for the links!

Also, of course! I stood right in front of it too The dull and muffled sound that you describe is exactly the issue I had with many of the factory presets. Seems so obvious now haha, I'll have to check over the ones I didn't like again!

 

[iagtrplyr]

Slingy, congrats on your 800 purchase. Those two tens put out a lot of bass on their own without the addition of preset bass, but it can definitely be controlled with a little due diligence and the interest to do so. The info you've received so far on this page is terrific. It's a knowledgable group, no doubt. Keep at it and you'll find your sounds. To me, it's a steep learning curve at first, but it'll get easier over time after you find the type of tone you're ultimately looking for.

Good luck with your practice today. Just use what you've got and explain to the band it's a work in progress. There are a couple of basic presets that are fine starts to begin your tweaking101 class. I like Tube Preamp as a blank canvass you can mess around with. Also, depending on the music you guys play, the acoustic model isn't half bad either but is very dry. Maybe my fave is the Hiwatt model (British Watts). It's a smooth, effortless tone that you can tweak, and is especially nice for pop and acoustic music. The Rumble v3 is a favorite of many of us, but you may like the v2 Rumble that I find a little less boomy in comparison. The Stage has it available too.

As has been mentioned, ask questions to get good advice. We're kinda all learning as we go and it really does matter how deep you want to go to make the tones all yours. Those who pedal their modelers two months after the bought them should've stayed with a one-tone basic combo because they didn't want to work at it, but that's exactly what will make it a special amp for you that standard amps just cannot do.

Finally, after you join the Rumble Club, stop on over to the Combo Club where we have a number of members with these Fender combos. Post a pic and tell us a little something and I'll award with your own number. It's a great group with many of these same people present.

Again, enjoy your Stage 800!

 

[G-Dog]

.
Yo, @nitrofix! Have you seen the presets lists & decoder files linked in The Droopy_TX Preset Experience on the Rumble Club Wiki page, linked in my signature, in the TONE App Support section? They are very educational and helpful, and the spreadsheet provides a way to document your preferred settings in case an electronic anomaly loses them from the amp. Hope this helps.
.