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I don't like my Rumble 100, help me find a solution

Christian C

Christian C

Oct 13, 2023
20
16
17
Little Silver, NJ
#1
I have owned a Rumble 15 for pretty much my whole time playing bass. It sounded pretty poopie so I wanted a replacement. I heard people praising the other Rumble amps in the line, and I thought it would be a great decision for a great practice/gigging amp that's light, loud, and good-sounding.

What I have is that while it may be light and loud, it most definitely is not good sounding; it sounds like it is under a blanket and is super muddy, while sounding super boxy in the mids, and flat in the treble. I have tried all of the settings one could imagine (yes, I know that flat is around 10/2/2/10 o'clock for the knobs. It also didn't really help.), even with the bright on, it still sounds muddy. When I boost the treble to unreal amounts with the bright on, the treble is harsh and not zingy how I would want AND THE MUD IS STILL THERE!!!!!

I honestly am desperate for help, as all other amps in my price range don't seem to fit my needs (Ampeg Rocket, orange crush, etc.), so here are some solutions I have come up with.

A. New EQ settings (I highly doubt this)
B. Speaker replacement (I heard the Eminence Basslite S2012 neo speaker really improved the sound, but I'm still skeptical if it will give me the sound I want)
C. Downgrade to the rumble 40 (Heard it sound clearer, but I want to be able to gig)
D. Get a new amp (Would like recommendations.)

Any other suggestions would be greatly appreciated, Thank you!
 
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#3
I would also like to know about the rest of the rig. My immediate ideas are: Tone knob on bass, speaker condition, cable condition, string type and gauge, finally any pedals run are they perhaps not true bypass or old but still usable battery. Now I'll start at #1. The know adjustment will lighten or darken tone by limiting the high end output. When working right this is great for shaping tone however I have seen so many basses that the cap on the tone pot or the tone itself is blown out sticking the instrument at one end or the other of said spectrum. So check the range of it by casual adjustment, if no difference is found that is likely it. Furthermore consider swapping the capacitor most basses use a 45 swapping to a 33 opens so much brightness its amazing. The difficulty is fairly low the cost is nominal. #2 was unit new or used was it a demo/floor model could a speaker be blown and muddling the sound? #3 Cables are an unsung hero most people don't realize these are semi consumable items sheck your resistances. #4 Strings can have one of the most dramatic tonal effects ever. Flats have subdued tones rounds are brighter, nickel is darker stainless is lighter, heavier strings aren't as bright as lighter. Tapewounds, yeah, tapewounds dark best way to make an electric sound like an upright. Now last but not least pedals true bypass won't muddy the waters when pedal is off it makes a major difference my best example is my old Duncan crybaby even off it threw the signal so bad it was borderline unusable, my Cliff signature is outstanding no such issue.and next battery. A 9v battery can drop to 8v with age and still be usable frequent changes are recommended but, pricey. All said I've tried numerous rumbles in big box stores, I've considered the swap to a rumble studio. My SWR is old and heavy the Rumble is equal in power to my rig and less than half the weight I haven't gigged in years but love to rattle windows given TPO even just playing for myself.
 
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#4
Christian C said:
I have owned a Rumble 15 for pretty much my whole time playing bass. It sounded pretty poopie so I wanted a replacement. I heard people praising the other Rumble amps in the line, and I thought it would be a great decision for a great practice/gigging amp that's light, loud, and good-sounding.

What I have is that while it may be light and loud, it most definitely is not good sounding; it sounds like it is under a blanket and is super muddy, while sounding super boxy in the mids, and flat in the treble. I have tried all of the settings one could imagine (yes, I know that flat is around 10/2/2/10 o'clock for the knobs. It also didn't really help.), even with the bright on, it still sounds muddy. When I boost the treble to unreal amounts with the bright on, the treble is harsh and not zingy how I would want AND THE MUD IS STILL THERE!!!!!

I honestly am desperate for help, as all other amps in my price range don't seem to fit my needs (Ampeg Rocket, orange crush, etc.), so here are some solutions I have come up with.

A. New EQ settings (I highly doubt this)
B. Speaker replacement (I heard the Eminence Basslite S2012 neo speaker really improved the sound, but I'm still skeptical if it will give me the sound I want)
C. Downgrade to the rumble 40 (Heard it sound clearer, but I want to be able to gig)
D. Get a new amp (Would like recommendations.)

Any other suggestions would be greatly appreciated, Thank you!
Click to expand...

The baked in Rumble tone is the Rumble tone. It is what it is.

A. I went with an 11, 1, 1, 11 EQ setting to get the tone more "flat" and less muddy. That was the best I could get it to sound, and like you I never quite bonded with it.

B. Wouldn't waste your money. It *might* help, but I suspect the difference would be near imperceptible.

C. Wouldn't waste your money. Still a Rumble.

D. This is what I did. Your musical needs and resources may not match mine, but I have been VERY happy with Mesa gear.

Additional option: Explore pedal board options. The onboard stuff wont change the tone much, but a few pedals certainly would.

Both option D. and the pedal board idea are highly dependent on what YOU want/need. Doesn't hurt to start by researching the rigs of bass players who's tone you already know you like. Check out YouTube demos of said brands and models. Then try to find music stores with that gear in stock so you can see if it sounds as good when YOU are playing it.

There ARE brands out there you may need to make a leap of faith when you purchase, I had to do so with Mesa, but I dug enough to have a fairly good idea what tone I was signing up for.
 
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#6
I was really close to replacing the speaker on mine, the reviews are favorable; but ultimately decided not to roll the dice on the mod and just get another amp. I ended up with a Markbass 121p and its head and shoulders above. (I still like the rumble for low level jams, but it has limitations.)

I was also really close to a GK MB amp, 112 or 210 (though these have really gone up in price.) Ampeg Rocketbass would be my recommendation if you want to stay in a similar budget.
 
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#9
I gigged a Rumble 100 for years. I got rid of that boxy boomy sound by turning the bass knob way down, boosting the low and high mids and treble at noon. Usually leave the bright, scooped, and vintage switches off. Gain at 2 o clock. I play a passive P bass, usually with flats.

I recently ordered a RB115 to replace it though, so we’ll see how that goes.
 
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#10
Oh and +1 to trying it with the low mids cut. I have come to find that while 10/2/2/10 is near-flat for the preamp, the box itself, the cab sim and the other layers to the sound end up with a pretty heavy-handed low mid coming out the speaker.
 
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#12
Christian C said:
I have owned a Rumble 15 for pretty much my whole time playing bass. It sounded pretty poopie so I wanted a replacement. I heard people praising the other Rumble amps in the line, and I thought it would be a great decision for a great practice/gigging amp that's light, loud, and good-sounding.

What I have is that while it may be light and loud, it most definitely is not good sounding; it sounds like it is under a blanket and is super muddy, while sounding super boxy in the mids, and flat in the treble. I have tried all of the settings one could imagine (yes, I know that flat is around 10/2/2/10 o'clock for the knobs. It also didn't really help.), even with the bright on, it still sounds muddy. When I boost the treble to unreal amounts with the bright on, the treble is harsh and not zingy how I would want AND THE MUD IS STILL THERE!!!!!

I honestly am desperate for help, as all other amps in my price range don't seem to fit my needs (Ampeg Rocket, orange crush, etc.), so here are some solutions I have come up with.

A. New EQ settings (I highly doubt this)
B. Speaker replacement (I heard the Eminence Basslite S2012 neo speaker really improved the sound, but I'm still skeptical if it will give me the sound I want)
C. Downgrade to the rumble 40 (Heard it sound clearer, but I want to be able to gig)
D. Get a new amp (Would like recommendations.)

Any other suggestions would be greatly appreciated, Thank you!
Click to expand...
New amp no question. What music do you like abs do you want another combo? There are so many options.
 
#15
Since I'm seeing many like-minded replies, I'll go ahead and say the Rumble tone (which is PRETTY baked-in) was not for me either, even the standalone cabs were not as flexible as I'd like.

Unlimited budget? Get Mesa!! GK and Markbass also have some great new offerings :bassist:

Bang for the buck, you'll have a hard time beating used gear (if money is a concern). Old GK or Peavey, Ampeg, Markbass, Genz Benz....the list goes on of solid amps and cabs to get used. What kind of tone or what are some examples of tone you're looking for?
 
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#17
I'd throw in SWR if you like mids and highs and CLEAN lows. Just move the Aural Enhancer to 0 you can adjust that till happy it's like a low budget compression the only issue is weight. Most are on casters.

I will add a side note to try everything you can. We all have personal tastes for example I did a show years ago the house Amp was a G.K. I hated it it made my setup sound like the closest thing to farting on a snare drum. Some people like that tone, Dusty Hill was an example. Personally, I prefer punch and fluidity think Simple Man. That's why there are almost as many options as there are bassists. Find what you love and don't look back.
 
#18
I'm wondering how much of it is coming from the amp, or how much of it is coming from what the amp is getting.

- If you have any pedals or FX or Processors between your bass and amp, unplug them. Go straight into the amp with your bass's pickups 50/50 (both full volume) and wide open tone. If you get rid of the pedals and the mud goes away, the problem is in your signal chain, not the amp.

- If you played it with different basses, how does it sound? If you have friends with different basses, have them bring their basses over and take turns playing through your amp. Put the EQ on the amp at "Flat" and have their basses set to 50/50 both pickups, and tone wide open. If it's an active bass, leave the bass eq flat. Take turns playing and see how the different basses and different players affect the amp's tone. See if different strings or pickup styles affect the tone. If the "mud" stops with different basses or different players, then it's not the amp.

- Go to a store and bring your bass and play different amps. Again, amp settings flat, bass settings everything wide open/flat. Now the variable is the amp, not the player or the bass. If the mud is gone, then it's your Rumble 100. (I also wonder, if you played a different Rumble 100, would it also be muddy? If another Rumble 100 is less muddy with the same bass and player and settings, then your amp might just need to go to the shop. Something might be wrong with it.)

- Also, where is the amp in your room and where are you standing with respect to it? Are you right on top of it? If that's the case you're gonna hear way more lows than mids & highs because bass waves are omnidirectional and mids & highs are directional waves. Stand directly above your amp is an easy way to make any amp sound more muddy than it is. Standing across the room from your amp where there's a direct path from the speaker cone to your ears and you'll hear much more full-spectrum sound. Might even help tilting the amp up so it's pointing directly at your ears and also not coupling the lows with the floor.

All the semi-scientific experiments to narrow down where the mud is coming from aside, as others have pointed out, the Fender Rumble series seems to have a very distinct tonal characteristic baked into it, which means you're either gonna love it or hate it. Baked in sounds are always polarizing.

You don't mention what it is you're looking for in an amp tone. And you don't say what your price range is, although i can infer from the other amps you didn't like. But if you're looking for a combo amp that's good for home-practice & stage, look into the Hartke HyDrive 210c. It's an older model, which mean's you'll have to find one used, but it also means you can probably get a great deal on the used market for it. They have one at the jam i go to in a local bar. It sounds great and can get pretty loud. We usually leave it with the EQ flat and the compressor just gently compressing. When i play with my P bass with flats and the tone rolled all the way off, it's super bassy and meaty, without being muddy. And other people show up with really bright basses like J basses and Stingrays, or active J bass, etc, they also sound great.

But really, your best bet would be to go into a guitar store and just plug into all the amps and see which ones you like. Then, even if they're out of your price range, you can get suggestions for similar sounding amps in your price range. Or you'll find the exact perfect amp right there in the store and buy it.
 
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#19
Christian C said:
I have owned a Rumble 15 for pretty much my whole time playing bass. It sounded pretty poopie so I wanted a replacement. I heard people praising the other Rumble amps in the line, and I thought it would be a great decision for a great practice/gigging amp that's light, loud, and good-sounding.

What I have is that while it may be light and loud, it most definitely is not good sounding; it sounds like it is under a blanket and is super muddy, while sounding super boxy in the mids, and flat in the treble. I have tried all of the settings one could imagine (yes, I know that flat is around 10/2/2/10 o'clock for the knobs. It also didn't really help.), even with the bright on, it still sounds muddy. When I boost the treble to unreal amounts with the bright on, the treble is harsh and not zingy how I would want AND THE MUD IS STILL THERE!!!!!

I honestly am desperate for help, as all other amps in my price range don't seem to fit my needs (Ampeg Rocket, orange crush, etc.), so here are some solutions I have come up with.

A. New EQ settings (I highly doubt this)
B. Speaker replacement (I heard the Eminence Basslite S2012 neo speaker really improved the sound, but I'm still skeptical if it will give me the sound I want)
C. Downgrade to the rumble 40 (Heard it sound clearer, but I want to be able to gig)
D. Get a new amp (Would like recommendations.)

Any other suggestions would be greatly appreciated, Thank you!
Click to expand...

Do you play through a compressor? That's the only thing I've found that can banish the mud at high volume on my Rumble 100. If you don't have a compressor, they aren't cheap, but you can get a bare bones bass compressor for about $130.

SpectraComp Mini Bass Compressor Pedal - Sweetwater
 
#20
Christian C said:
I like a clean articulate tone that is good for jazz, but can also distort well with my pedals. I have a Strobostomp tuner in buffered bypass, oc5, mxr bass envelope filter, dark glass b3k, bass big muff (I hate this and will most likely replace it), and a bass clone.
Click to expand...

Their cabs (the Neo series ones IME) can do a good job, but where I feel GK really shines is their amps. The 700RB-II is my drug of choice, but the MB500 (or even the MB200 if that's all you need) and its Fusion-variant cousins were great amps too. I love the GK RB series because there is a lot of flexibility in the tone stack, and they can handle effects on the front end pretty well IME.

Voicings can be pretty strong (and vary) from cab to cab, even within the same brand or series...so try it in person if you can. I had good luck with Avatar cabs (if you want better mids, I might avoid the ones loaded with neo drivers), but they aren't for everyone either. The Fender voicing sounds like it's not your bag, but some aforementioned brands may do the trick for you. I'd look at something with good power handling and frequency response, without a lot of scoop in the mids. In GENERAL, I'd say a 2x12, 4x10s, or perhaps 2x15s might be the caliber of cabs you should look at, especially if you want big fuzz and OD tones to sound good. YMMV, but hope this helped some.
 
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