Oh no no no, get the hell away from the Fender Rumble 15...
I have one. Got it along with a trade once. And I don't remember where I left it. That's how insignificant this little poop is. It sounds like cardboard being squashed together by a mouse.
Enjoy the benefits of a premium membership!
Upgrade Account
-
TalkBass has been independent since 1998. Add your voice.
Create a free account to reply to discussions, view embedded media, and browse with fewer display ads.
Join free Log in
Want zero display ads or expanded classifieds tools? Compare plans.
is this bass set good for a beginner
- Thread starter kingkongbundy13
- Start date
-
- Tags
- beginner beginner help
Oh no no no, get the hell away from the Fender Rumble 15...
I have one. Got it along with a trade once. And I don't remember where I left it. That's how insignificant this little poop is. It sounds like cardboard being squashed together by a mouse.
The only big problem is the 15 watt amp. If it were me, I might get an Ibanez TMB100 and a Rumble 40 amp. That with a strap, cord, tuner, and gig bag might be $600 out the door, but I think it will take you a good bit farther.
devnulljp
Supporting Member
Nah, spend a bit more, get a Squier CV and a better amp.
All those beginner starter kits are crap, designed to get money from people who don't know any better yet.
All those beginner starter kits are crap, designed to get money from people who don't know any better yet.
That is exactly what my Grandson got for Christmas in 2017 down in Australia. We were visiting our son and his family and their oldest son was taking lessons just using his teacher's P-bass. Of course I had to try and also show him a few things.
Now I am a very dedicated Fender Jazz player. I bought my 1965 Jazz in 1966 and toured with it in the early 70's (71 through 73). Then in '76 all my touring gear was stolen and damned if I could find another Jazz with that 60's slim C-shape neck with a 7.25" radius. The Jazz neck is about 1/4" narrower at the nut than a Precision Bass, so my '65 Jazz Bass was both narrow and thin. Every Jazz Bass I found after my '65 was stolen felt like I was playing almost on a baseball bat. Then in 1985 I found an '82 Jazz with a maple neck that had the same shape, profile, and radius that my '65 had. So I bought it hand have been playing that one for the last 37-years.
So I'm really picky about necks and was not holding my breath when I saw he got the P/J version of the Precision bass. After playing it for a very short time I realized I was pretty comfortable with the neck, which surprised me. I do have a 5-string bass that is wide neck with a 12" radius (pretty flat), but it is a slim neck. This P-bass was easier for me to play than my 5-string and I was impressed.
The whole kit works together well. That little 15-watt amp is enough to hear yourself for practicing and it comes with a simple cord 10' cord which is fine for practice, an OK guitar strap, and a decent gig bag. Also comes with three months of Fender Play, which is Fender's subscription bass lesson service. So it's a nice starter outfit.
The neck is what has kept me from getting P-bass for all these years, but the neck on that Squier Affinity is a very playable neck which is key to me. I may have to revisit P-basses if they have that neck. If you start to play with other musicians though you are going to need a louder amp. You'll be fine for playing with other acoustic guitars but electric guitarists often try to "out-loud" everybody and it's a whole lot easier to make their higher frequencies louder than it is to make your low frequencies.
Playing with drums would also be tough for that amp, but it's a good sounding amp, a surprisingly good neck on that bass in my opinion, and a good way to start.
Last edited:
Yup, he is. The Amazon link says .ca instead of .com. That's about the same price my son paid for the one he bought my Grandson, although that was in Australian dollars for him. The USD was worth about 20% more than the Australian dollar when we were there over Christmas 2017.
D
The bass is a good, solid bass for a beginner. A Squier is also a good platform for upgrading stuff like pickups/hardware. Not that any upgrades will be necessary at this point but maybe in the future when you get more experience, start playing in a band, start recording, etc.
The bass will most likely need a setup though. Basses in this price range usually do. My advice would be to buy from a store that offers a setup, which means a physical musical instruments store rather than an online logistics company that knows a lot about moving cardboard boxes but nothing whatsoever about bass guitars. A proper setup will make a bass in this price range feel like an instrument that costs at least twice as much! Make sure the setup includes filing the nut slots. The nut slots are usually way too high on basses in this price range which will make the bass much harder to play in the lower frets (which is where a beginner will probably play most of the time). A typical "store setup" may not include filing the nut slots but this is well worth paying a luthier (or an experienced guitar tech) a little extra for. Do NOT underestimate the importance of a good setup. It will be the best investment you do at this point!
The amp is ok for practising at home but nothing more. It's useless for playing with a band. You'll need something a LOT more powerful (and also a LOT more expensive) for that.
Buying used can give you a lot more value for your money but if you're a beginner you should NOT buy used unless you know an experienced bass player who can test/inspect the instrument/amp for you. There's a lot of JUNK instruments being sold used and as a beginner you will most likely not be able to spot them.
To sum it up:
-The bass is fine, both for a beginner and beyond.
-The amp is ok for home practise but nothing more.
-Buy from a proper musical instruments store who offers setup/support rather than an online logistics company.
The bass will most likely need a setup though. Basses in this price range usually do. My advice would be to buy from a store that offers a setup, which means a physical musical instruments store rather than an online logistics company that knows a lot about moving cardboard boxes but nothing whatsoever about bass guitars. A proper setup will make a bass in this price range feel like an instrument that costs at least twice as much! Make sure the setup includes filing the nut slots. The nut slots are usually way too high on basses in this price range which will make the bass much harder to play in the lower frets (which is where a beginner will probably play most of the time). A typical "store setup" may not include filing the nut slots but this is well worth paying a luthier (or an experienced guitar tech) a little extra for. Do NOT underestimate the importance of a good setup. It will be the best investment you do at this point!
The amp is ok for practising at home but nothing more. It's useless for playing with a band. You'll need something a LOT more powerful (and also a LOT more expensive) for that.
Buying used can give you a lot more value for your money but if you're a beginner you should NOT buy used unless you know an experienced bass player who can test/inspect the instrument/amp for you. There's a lot of JUNK instruments being sold used and as a beginner you will most likely not be able to spot them.
To sum it up:
-The bass is fine, both for a beginner and beyond.
-The amp is ok for home practise but nothing more.
-Buy from a proper musical instruments store who offers setup/support rather than an online logistics company.
Same price at Long&McQuade: Fender Musical Instruments - Affinity PJ Bass Pack w/Rumble 15, Gig Bag - Black
That's a way better kit than what I started out with, and I'm 45+ years in now and still going strong
But for the same $$ you can get a little better rig on the used market, if you take your time and shop around music stores, pawn shops, and online classifieds. Any local bass mentors there to guide you? Of course if yer out in the middle of nowhere ( IE not in one of Canada's handful of actual cities) - then you might as well buy that package online...
That's a way better kit than what I started out with, and I'm 45+ years in now and still going strong
But for the same $$ you can get a little better rig on the used market, if you take your time and shop around music stores, pawn shops, and online classifieds. Any local bass mentors there to guide you? Of course if yer out in the middle of nowhere ( IE not in one of Canada's handful of actual cities) - then you might as well buy that package online...
I haven't read all the replies but, my 2 bob. Do you already play guitar? Are you familiar with what good setup should feel like? If not, then, I'd get a playing friend to hit the shops with you and show what to look for in an instrument. A poorly setup instrument will kill your desire to play long before a crappy amp. Squires do have a reasonable rep for a low end instrument, but you may do better if you you go shopping for the items individually.
This , lot of cool colour option !!!
https://www.deviser.co.jp/en/products/bjb-1-rsm-m
This cheapo J has on pair QC to Yamaha TRBX504, Fender Performer and Vintera 50P . The factory fret work just perfect !!!!
The stock ceramic pup sound beefy , but i swap with Cort VTB-ST humcancelling pup for more modern J vibe.
All hardware has better quality than my Indo CV bass. Swap the bridge, pickup cover add and tug bar just for cosmetic.
The shinning part on this bass is rock solid Roasted Maple Neck ! Only adjust the truss rod once when i install a set of EB 2814 from Oct 2021 until current day. This is not FAKE Roasted Neck. Deviser make great stuff even on low cost product !!!!
I been a die hard fan of CIC Squier CV bass, after FMIC rebrand their VM to New CV line, i only have poor experience on Indo CV bass..... until i got this Bacchus J, a real game changer and Squier killer !!!!
Pair with Ampeg RB112 and she sing whole day long......
https://www.deviser.co.jp/en/products/bjb-1-rsm-m
This cheapo J has on pair QC to Yamaha TRBX504, Fender Performer and Vintera 50P . The factory fret work just perfect !!!!
The stock ceramic pup sound beefy , but i swap with Cort VTB-ST humcancelling pup for more modern J vibe.
All hardware has better quality than my Indo CV bass. Swap the bridge, pickup cover add and tug bar just for cosmetic.
The shinning part on this bass is rock solid Roasted Maple Neck ! Only adjust the truss rod once when i install a set of EB 2814 from Oct 2021 until current day. This is not FAKE Roasted Neck. Deviser make great stuff even on low cost product !!!!
I been a die hard fan of CIC Squier CV bass, after FMIC rebrand their VM to New CV line, i only have poor experience on Indo CV bass..... until i got this Bacchus J, a real game changer and Squier killer !!!!
Pair with Ampeg RB112 and she sing whole day long......
Last edited:
I've seen this kit in the wild and would also recommend it. I completely agree with the comment about looking used, as these kits do show up on Facebook Marketplace and Craigslist, sometimes barely used. Local shops often carry the package, as it comes as a kit from Fender, and an experienced shop employee or instructor can give the setup a quick look.
The comments about the amp not keeping up with a band are correct, but a small amp can be very handy at home in the bedroom or den. Especially if it's got a headphone jack and aux input, and/or your house or apartment has multiple stories and stairs.
Once you're ready to get together with others, there are loads of options for band / gig amps, especially on the used market.
Those of us with a few more trips around the sun have started with way less and it was far lower quality. Good luck with your new journey!
The comments about the amp not keeping up with a band are correct, but a small amp can be very handy at home in the bedroom or den. Especially if it's got a headphone jack and aux input, and/or your house or apartment has multiple stories and stairs.
Once you're ready to get together with others, there are loads of options for band / gig amps, especially on the used market.
Those of us with a few more trips around the sun have started with way less and it was far lower quality. Good luck with your new journey!
The amp will be kind of useless. You're best off just picking a decent bass and run through something that can put it into headphones until you decide if you're going to play with other people. Amazon has little headphone amps that plug into the jack of the bass that are cheap. Check out Sire basses as well.
JeezyMcNuggles
Inactive
- Feb 23, 2018
- 14,723
- 20,970
- Disclosures
- I suck, but nobody really notices
It's not a bad idea but there are plenty here on TB who have ordered on line and regretted it and that's with expensive instruments as well as beginner basses. No, it's far from always the case as technology has made it hard to find a really badly made bass compared to thirty years ago but if you can find a friend who knows anything about guitars and go into a shop you will remove that risk entirely. Squire are not just designed for beginners but for people who know you don't need to spend a fortune to have an instrument that will do the same job as a boutique bass. The amp you'll outgrow so quickly I wonder if it would be more economic to just buy a bass first and pick up a second hand amp later. Good luck.
The OP states that $469 is "kinda expensive", and lots of the replies tell him to spend more... WHAT???
Basses generally don't get worn out, and are just as good used as new.
It's not like clothes or tires, which require replacement over time, so I absolutely recommend buying used. I have only ever bought used.
There is nothing wrong with having a small amp.
Getting a bigger one later could be needed if playing with a band, but still having a small one that can always be ready to play at home encourages more / easier practice, which equals more fun and a better chance that you will stick with it.
Basses generally don't get worn out, and are just as good used as new.
It's not like clothes or tires, which require replacement over time, so I absolutely recommend buying used. I have only ever bought used.
There is nothing wrong with having a small amp.
Getting a bigger one later could be needed if playing with a band, but still having a small one that can always be ready to play at home encourages more / easier practice, which equals more fun and a better chance that you will stick with it.
Last edited:
