Hello all, I recently got back into bass playing. I picked up a used fender rumble 25 to use along with my squire PJ bass. About the fourth time I used the amp the speaker started farting/crackling etc. The amp can only be used at very low volumes now and even then I can hear the speaker farting when I pluck the strings. I thought maybe it was the bass so I plugged the bass into my small guitar amp with the same cable and it did not replicate the symptoms. Does anyone think I have a bad speaker in my rumble 25? If so is it recommended to replace the speaker or just move on to another amp?
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Help with Fender rumble 25 problem
- Thread starter 42Bass
- Start date
Nothing in the EQ max’d out?
Is there a reason you can’t return it? Used? Maybe you were sold a damaged amp
Is there a reason you can’t return it? Used? Maybe you were sold a damaged amp
Not sure I havent tried to take anything apart and it is a sealed back cabinet.
Ive had the eq settings at 12 oclock since I bought it. I just bought it to use as a home practice amp for lessons.
If you can get at the cone, with the amp off, lightly tap with your fingertip midway between the dust cap and the outer edge of the cone. Listen for any scratchy sounds or chuff kind of noises. If the cone is free, you should hear just a dull thud. Anything else indicates damage.
I removed the speaker grill which exposed the cone (front of the speaker, My ignorance led me to believe the cone was at the rear). Anyway, I tapped around the cone like you said and only
dull thuds sounds were produced. Anything else I can check?
It's normal for these little bass practice amps to distort if the volume is above halfway, but if you're still getting crackling at low volumes, (volume control on 2 or 3) that sounds like your speaker is damaged.
had the same thing happen to a rumble i was borrowing...Forget what version of rumble it was, maybe a 15"---it had the lights on the bottom with wheels. I think a wire had came lose from rolling it on concrete pavement...
Should not be happening,I have owned a rumble 25 and never had this issue so I can only think that yours is faulty
It has an aux input. Plug a phone or iPad into it and play some music and see if you get the same result.
Pull the cord out of the top of it and pop it back in with some authority. It might take more than once.
Mine does something similar to what you describe.
I suspect that the tip contact isn't as tight as it was new, but I am too lazy to open the amp up and see.
Mine does something similar to what you describe.
I suspect that the tip contact isn't as tight as it was new, but I am too lazy to open the amp up and see.
Before moving to another amp, back to basics. You might just have a dirty or (broken solder joint) on the input jack. I picked one up, used, and it was dead when I tried it. There was so much dirt in the controls that I had to spray them all. Bingo - worked perfectly. Have someone check out the amp that knows how to troubleshoot it.
Welcome to TB. Check out the Rumble Wiki with lots of info..you may find some answers there. Also drop into the Rumble club for loads of help. Both links below....
Fender Rumble Club Wiki Page | TalkBass.com
Fender Rumble Club
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If it has faston connectors on the speaker terminals, make sure they are tight. If they work their way loose, it can certainly cause distortion from mechanical vibration.
I had the same issue with a Rumble a few years back. What solved it for me was to remove the speaker and caulk the wood joints all around the inside of the cabinet. It seemed that the air being pushed by the speaker cone was leaking through a gap somewhere in the cabinet joints. I couldn't actually pinpoint the leak, but caulking the wood joints did the trick.
Often such problems come from bad connections somewhere.Twist the volume and eq knobs around several times to remove dirt from the internal resistor contacts, check the contact to the input cables. Difficult to diagnose and fix from a distance, but most of the time the speaker is not the problem.
