How big should I go? 100w vs 500w

[Jogobass]

The Fender Rumble 500 was my choice. Got it last year. Before that I had a 500 watt head into a 8 ohm cab. Never needed more than the master half way open. Now I have 350 watts with the combo alone and the full 500 if I attach my old 15 inch cab to it. I've played many gigs and 250 watts was more than enough to fill all the rooms I've been in. I have a bigger rig now because it was lacking on one outdoor gig. An extension cab would have solved that though.

 

[Chris cook]

Hey guys,

I currently play a fender rumble 25w which gets plenty loud to play at home.

I recently got in a band and they have a rehearsal room with real drums and all. I know my 25w amp won't keep up.

Thinking of upgrading to an Ampeg Rocket bass to use in rehearsal and hopefully when we play live too in some random bars in the future.

We play punk and metal. My previous band where I played drums, the bass player had a rumble 100 and did pretty good in rehearsal and live with it.

Question: should I go for the 100w Ampeg RB or should I splurge for the 500w? It's not really about the money, but more the comfort of moving it around. I know a lot will say bigger is better, but figured someone might have good insight.
Appreciate your thoughts!!

Always Go BIG
then
Go bigGER
Picking up amps , moving amps ,
Loading and unloading your amps /cabinets
then helping unload whatever is next.
Usually the Drummer. : ? D
Is all part of being a musician in a band or not

ALWAYS go BIG
Ya can turn big down
but little only gives little
GO BIG bAsS PlAyEr.

 

[Chris cook]

This is what you want...
View attachment 5027013

now That's what I'm talkin bout !!!!

 

[perfektspace6]

In a punk or metal setting you need extreme power to compete with the wall of guitars you are likely to encounter. 500w is probably sufficient but maybe more so you can always have the last word.

 

[hennessybass]

500 for sure.
Buy once, cry once.

Nothing worse than getting on the gig and realizing you don’t quite have enough juice.

 

[brisonic]

Hey guys,

I currently play a fender rumble 25w which gets plenty loud to play at home.

I recently got in a band and they have a rehearsal room with real drums and all. I know my 25w amp won't keep up.

Thinking of upgrading to an Ampeg Rocket bass to use in rehearsal and hopefully when we play live too in some random bars in the future.

We play punk and metal. My previous band where I played drums, the bass player had a rumble 100 and did pretty good in rehearsal and live with it.

Question: should I go for the 100w Ampeg RB or should I splurge for the 500w? It's not really about the money, but more the comfort of moving it around. I know a lot will say bigger is better, but figured someone might have good insight.
Appreciate your thoughts!!

Depending on whether they are rock or very loud tube slinging metalheads, a bigger rumble could be the answer?

 

[brisonic]

Encourage the band to not aim for deafness in practice, so you can hear what you are doing would also be a goal I would strive for.

 

[brisonic]

500 for sure.
Buy once, cry once.

Nothing worse than getting on the gig and realizing you don’t quite have enough juice.

Practice is probably the bigger concern. At a gig there will be a PA hopefully?

 

[bobomatic]

Practice is probably the bigger concern. At a gig there will be a PA hopefully?

Not always… don’t expect there to be. My stoner/doom band hasn’t played a venue yet where my bass went through FOH…. just drums and vocals. My rig’s had to cover some decently sized and pretty full rooms.

That’s why I come fully prepared… okay maybe over prepared but that’s why amps have volume knobs!

 

[JeezyMcNuggles]

Hey guys,

I currently play a fender rumble 25w which gets plenty loud to play at home.

I recently got in a band and they have a rehearsal room with real drums and all. I know my 25w amp won't keep up.

Thinking of upgrading to an Ampeg Rocket bass to use in rehearsal and hopefully when we play live too in some random bars in the future.

We play punk and metal. My previous band where I played drums, the bass player had a rumble 100 and did pretty good in rehearsal and live with it.

Question: should I go for the 100w Ampeg RB or should I splurge for the 500w? It's not really about the money, but more the comfort of moving it around. I know a lot will say bigger is better, but figured someone might have good insight.
Appreciate your thoughts!!

Me, I'd go with the 210. Add a pf115 to it if you need more than that later.

 

[JeezyMcNuggles]

Are you talking about a combo? The reason I ask is a 500 watt class d amp can be had the size of a box of tissues and weighing in at about the same. LOL. The deal with a combo is part of the issue is the size and weight of the cab and weight of the speaker (s).

The size /weigh differential between a 100 watt and 500 watt class D head is not much different because most of the weight is in the casing not the electrical components.

So, with cost not being a factor of course I’d opt for 500 watts spending your money. You alway want to plan for future needs.

That said, the object is how many dBs are able to create. In general, speakers, and more efficient speaker cabinets are a more important consideration than just wattage. JMO

The rb 210 is like 30 lbs. And it gets pretty loud. But he might end up having to add another 210 or 115 to it. Depending on his needs.

Coming from a rumble 25, he's gonna notice the difference.

 

[DwaynieAD]

You will very quickly find the 100 lacking

 

[bassicmike]

The Rumble100 is a great little amp. But.

I can't see it being enough for what you want/need it to do. It's not gonna push enough air for punk/metal.

I gig with my 100, but I'm using it as a monitor. I'm not asking it to go up against the drummer. That's what the PA is for.

 

[Auspuff]

Hey guys,

I currently play a fender rumble 25w which gets plenty loud to play at home.

I recently got in a band and they have a rehearsal room with real drums and all. I know my 25w amp won't keep up.

Thinking of upgrading to an Ampeg Rocket bass to use in rehearsal and hopefully when we play live too in some random bars in the future.

We play punk and metal. My previous band where I played drums, the bass player had a rumble 100 and did pretty good in rehearsal and live with it.

Question: should I go for the 100w Ampeg RB or should I splurge for the 500w? It's not really about the money, but more the comfort of moving it around. I know a lot will say bigger is better, but figured someone might have good insight.
Appreciate your thoughts!!

Headroom, to a Musician, is like Altitude, to a Pilot: More of it is your friend.

 

[CallMeAl]

I have the Rumble 100 and it’s been great for rehearsals, and 80% of gigs. And this is a blues trio that’s not crazy loud and usually offers PA support. I wholeheartedly endorse a 500w. (Ended up with a Markbass 500w myself.)

Side note, speakers are a big part of the equation. If you’re looking at combos make sure it has extension out so you can expand with more speakers if needed.

 

[sawzalot]

Go big. Get an 800 if you can afford it.

 

[mikewalker]

"GO BIG OR GO HOME"

 

[brisonic]

Headroom, to a Musician, is like Altitude, to a Pilot: More of it is your friend.

Lots of truth in that. The initial attack, especially on lower notes does demand a lot. At my loudest I played with a peavey xr600 powered mixer driving a pair of small toa speakers and a pair of peavey sp2 speakers driven by a crown power base 1. The guitarist had a mesa boogie combo with midrange for days.

 

[Riff Ranger]

Lots of truth in that. The initial attack, especially on lower notes does demand a lot. At my loudest I played with a peavey xr600 powered mixer driving a pair of small toa speakers and a pair of peavey sp2 speakers driven by a crown power base 1. The guitarist had a mesa boogie combo with midrange for days.

I never turn the master volume on my 20w/1x12 Mesa guitar combo past 9:00; I need both gain and master around 12:00 on my 200w/1x15 Mesa bass combo to keep up.

 

[DaveParker39]

If the money is there, once again, I would get a Invalid Link Removed
Itself, puts out 400 watts into a 2x10 with a tweeter, 800 with an extension.
It weighs 28 lbs. It weighs less than some guitars in cases.
Tone for days. Reliable. Often I run it in quarter power mode (100 watts) in smaller venues. I've never gone past 10:00 on the master volume.
It has a regular DI and a post-preamp DI with speaker sim if you want PA support in addition to the amp.
Did I mention it's 28 lbs?