I apologize for the essay before the pics. There is a bit of a story associated with getting this amp.
Two weeks ago I walked into a local Pawn shop, not expecting to find much. On the wall was the usual assortment of plywood basses with a string height of about 3cm, but in the corner I spotted a Fender Rumble 100 in the corner.
At first I was wary, seeming as big amps usually get thrashed around by the local metalheads, and unfortunately develop a nasty case of blown speakers. I was then quite surprised to find upon further inspection that not only was the speaker intact, but the plastic wrapping was still on the fender logo! A very good sign. Still wary, I plugged in one of the basses off the wall, tuned it up and gave it a whirl. It sounded surprisingly good. Not a hint of buzz anywhere. I couldn't see a price tag on it, and when I asked the attendant how much it was, I was shocked to find they only wanted $250AUD for it. I didn't want to haggle the price down, because I felt I was already ripping them off at half price for a almost brand new amp. I almost thought it was too good to be true. Turns out, it was.
About 2 hours after I came home, the amp started fizzing and clicking, a very bad sign. I thought it may have been overheating, so I switched it off, and left it alone for half an hour. When I switched it back on, it was dead. I called a friend that builds amps, and he said that it was a damaged capacitor. Lucky for me, because if the speaker had blown, then I would've been in real trouble. The problem was, this meant that I had to go back to the shop to explain the situation, and force a repair out of them. I didn't have the time, because it was the last week of the semester, so I asked for a favor from a good friend of mine who happens to be 6 foot 2 heavy machinery technician with hands the size of a dinner plate.
He sent the amp back to the store to explain the situation, and to force the money for a repair out of the owner's hands. The guy who owned the store took a look at it, and tried to blame it on me, saying that I blew the speaker (not the actual problem with the amp, and not possible when playing it set flat at position 4). That moment immediately lost all respect we had for the man, and I don't think I'll ever do business with him again (For the muso's that play in SA, avoid the store next to southern music).
After a good deal of intimidation, my friend managed to convince the store owner that it was in his best interests that the amp got fixed as soon as possible. A week later he rocked up at my door with amp in hand, and I finally got to really enjoy this beauty.
Here's a quick sound file. Bad playing on a bad camera phone, but you get the idea. The amp sure pushes a lot of sound out of it. And those lights are just killer.
Invalid Link Removed
I'm a very happy man.
I do have a question though; for those that use the Rumbles, what kind of venues does this amp work well for? Can it do pubs, or would I need something a little bigger? Cheers.
Two weeks ago I walked into a local Pawn shop, not expecting to find much. On the wall was the usual assortment of plywood basses with a string height of about 3cm, but in the corner I spotted a Fender Rumble 100 in the corner.
At first I was wary, seeming as big amps usually get thrashed around by the local metalheads, and unfortunately develop a nasty case of blown speakers. I was then quite surprised to find upon further inspection that not only was the speaker intact, but the plastic wrapping was still on the fender logo! A very good sign. Still wary, I plugged in one of the basses off the wall, tuned it up and gave it a whirl. It sounded surprisingly good. Not a hint of buzz anywhere. I couldn't see a price tag on it, and when I asked the attendant how much it was, I was shocked to find they only wanted $250AUD for it. I didn't want to haggle the price down, because I felt I was already ripping them off at half price for a almost brand new amp. I almost thought it was too good to be true. Turns out, it was.
About 2 hours after I came home, the amp started fizzing and clicking, a very bad sign. I thought it may have been overheating, so I switched it off, and left it alone for half an hour. When I switched it back on, it was dead. I called a friend that builds amps, and he said that it was a damaged capacitor. Lucky for me, because if the speaker had blown, then I would've been in real trouble. The problem was, this meant that I had to go back to the shop to explain the situation, and force a repair out of them. I didn't have the time, because it was the last week of the semester, so I asked for a favor from a good friend of mine who happens to be 6 foot 2 heavy machinery technician with hands the size of a dinner plate.
He sent the amp back to the store to explain the situation, and to force the money for a repair out of the owner's hands. The guy who owned the store took a look at it, and tried to blame it on me, saying that I blew the speaker (not the actual problem with the amp, and not possible when playing it set flat at position 4). That moment immediately lost all respect we had for the man, and I don't think I'll ever do business with him again (For the muso's that play in SA, avoid the store next to southern music).
After a good deal of intimidation, my friend managed to convince the store owner that it was in his best interests that the amp got fixed as soon as possible. A week later he rocked up at my door with amp in hand, and I finally got to really enjoy this beauty.
Here's a quick sound file. Bad playing on a bad camera phone, but you get the idea. The amp sure pushes a lot of sound out of it. And those lights are just killer.
Invalid Link Removed
I'm a very happy man.
I do have a question though; for those that use the Rumbles, what kind of venues does this amp work well for? Can it do pubs, or would I need something a little bigger? Cheers.
Congratulations Splods! 
It's good to see the original first generation Rumbles are still rockin' out 10 years later. The Rumble 100 combos came in both 1x15, and 2x10 formats, and are loud enough for a jam or play a small (100 soul) pub on their own. Beyond that you will need PA support. You are more than welcome over at the Fender Rumble Club, and we'd be pleased to have you as a member. 
