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i hate decisions!

pcake

pcake

Sep 20, 2011
10,169
31,502
Los Angeleez
#1
so for the past few weeks, i've been trying to find a very light, decent sounding and cheap combo for playing late at night in the livingroom. i actually bought a blackstar fly3 bass, but there was something wrong with it. i returned it and got a blackstar fly3 bass pack (with the extra speaker), but i'm not pleased with it and sweetwater is letting me return it.

so we headed off to guitar center where they have no small bass amps lighter than the rumble 25, which is heavier than my wimpy self wanted to deal with, but i really do like that particular amp. sam ash carries some of the amps that interest me, but there are none in stock within 150 miles of me.

i wasn't able to find any of the other amps on my list to try, so i read reviews, checked demos - ignoring the tone on the ones with the mic touching or almost touching the grill.

that leaves these two as the best sounding. i know the rumble is going to be challenging for me to move around, although i could slide it on the floor. the warwick, a full 8 pounds lighter, has been recommended to me by several people on TB and the samples have a hint of ampeg BA-108 to the tone, which is nice, but there are none in stock anywhere, so i'd have to buy to try AND would have to wait till mid december, assuming they show up on time.

without further ado, the rumble and warwick samples.

https://www.thomann.de/gb/warwick_bc_10.htm

[Invalid or Expired Link Removed]

thoughts?
 
#5
Spidey2112 said:
@pcake, my wife is the same, when it comes to making decisions... just the other day, she asked if she should cut the lawn?

Sounds good to me... and then I jammed out, for the next 2 hours... it can be hard making all those decisions, but I do my best.
Click to expand...

i can decide things like whether i should cut the lawn - well, we're in a condo, but you know the type of thing. what i have problems with is making decisions that aren't what i'd consider informed. these days, we can shop for all kinds of things we can't see in person without buying. fitness equipment, instruments and amps, furniture, tools, lenses, clothes - lots of things you can't be sure will work for you without trying/trying on.

and these days, most of my decisions involve online. sometimes it gets easy. i was involved in deciding which writers my number 1 client would hire and i would edit and manage. some sent us poor samples, and that was easy enough to figure out, but one stood out. what made that particular "writer" easy to decide no on was that he sent in stolen samples, and i was 100% sure of that immediately because of the 6 samples he sent, his bad luck was in choosing 3 pieces that i had written :D

but stuff you buy for sound or ergonomic reasons or that need to fit you without trying them in person? you're likely to buy some that won't work out, and i've been unlucky recently in that way. i hate returning stuff, particularly if i have to send it back. i sent return a bass a few weeks ago and am sending back an amp this week.

so i research, listen to demos, read reviews, ask for advice, knowing that ultimately the only way to be sure something will work out in most cases is to toss a coin and buy the thing. and i HATE those kinds of decisions like crazy!!! it's getting harder for me to make those decisions, too :(
 
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#7
pcake said:
... his bad luck was in choosing 3 pieces I had written.
Click to expand...

images.png
 
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#9
Not gonna lie, I'm not going to be helpful...

But I've found a few more in your weight range:
Behringer BT-108 - 11
Dean BO15 - 12
Laney LX10B - 6

I have no sound clips, but all those can be found on this side of the pond pretty easily.

Why not just retrofit locking casters to the Rumble? Won't help for lifting, but if you don't have to lift it, then you can easily move it around.
 
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#10
Decisions are easy. You choose one and don’t second guess yourself.

As for which amp is better. If you needed to have the amp serviced, which would be less painful and have the quickest turnaround. This is a very important consideration.

Warwick:
Has rat fur which gathers dust.
Has a mini headphone jack. They can break, ¼" is better.
10W, 8” speaker in a bass reflex housing to move air.
Has a fan. If you can hear it, it could bug you.
The amp is smaller.


Fender:
Has vinyl skin.
Has a ¼” headphone jack which will stand up better.
25W, 10” speaker in a simple cabinet.


If you want clean, the Warwick has a compressor that can reduce distortion. It sounds better to me but demos can be deceiving.

Fender is a safe bet in the US.
 
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#11
pcake said:
so for the past few weeks, i've been trying to find a very light, decent sounding and cheap combo for playing late at night in the livingroom. i actually bought a blackstar fly3 bass, but there was something wrong with it. i returned it and got a blackstar fly3 bass pack (with the extra speaker), but i'm not pleased with it and sweetwater is letting me return it.

so we headed off to guitar center where they have no small bass amps lighter than the rumble 25, which is heavier than my wimpy self wanted to deal with, but i really do like that particular amp. sam ash carries some of the amps that interest me, but there are none in stock within 150 miles of me.

i wasn't able to find any of the other amps on my list to try, so i read reviews, checked demos - ignoring the tone on the ones with the mic touching or almost touching the grill.

that leaves these two as the best sounding. i know the rumble is going to be challenging for me to move around, although i could slide it on the floor. the warwick, a full 8 pounds lighter, has been recommended to me by several people on TB and the samples have a hint of ampeg BA-108 to the tone, which is nice, but there are none in stock anywhere, so i'd have to buy to try AND would have to wait till mid december, assuming they show up on time.

without further ado, the rumble and warwick samples.

https://www.thomann.de/gb/warwick_bc_10.htm

[Invalid or Expired Link Removed]

thoughts?
Click to expand...
It will be hard to get lighter than a little over 15 lbs. for anything. What about a Pignose or one of those small Rolands. Problem is, the Rumble will sound really good. Some of those other offerings, I don't know.
 
#12
I'm an admitted fan of the Rumble. Great little amp, I have the 100 and it cooks, and has a warm, traditional sound that I like very much. The Rumble series is hugely popular. Don't forget that there are tons of them on the used market, too...just make sure you're getting the current model with its wonderful lightness.

I haven't heard the smaller ones, but if they sound good to you, IMO this is a no-brainer: Fender.
 

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