Double Bass Rumble 100 sounds great but only if tilted

[Chuck M]

Most of us have tried to reduce the size and weight of our amps to make load in/out easier. I bought a Fender Rumble 100 as a practice amp for electric bass and it sounded just okay to me with electric bass. I decided to try it with my upright and the tone tended to sound boomy.

I use my Thompson hybird most of the time and it is equipped with a Realist Copperhead pickup. I use an old Fishman Model B preamp so I have volume and tone controls on the bass (preamp clipped to the bow caddie). I don't recall why I tried leaning the amp back against the wall but was blown away by the tone. Gone was the accentuated lows and the tone of the bass came through wonderfully.

So I bought a little amp stand that leans the amp back and have been using that with great success. Most of my gigs are acoustic with no amp but I played in a group Friday night where I needed an amp and used the Rumble 100. It really sounds just like the bass with tone controls on the Fishman and the Rumble centered. I received many compliments on how good the bass sounded. I have used the Fender in a 7 piece band in a big hall and it was plenty loud.

My other bass is a carved Wilfer 7/8 (Lemur sold it as the "Gentleman's Jazz"). The Wilfer is equipped with an old Underwood pickup and it also sounds terrific through the Fishman/Fender Rumble combination.

The Fender Rumble 100 weighs just 22 pounds so it is very easy to move around.

 

[Hoochie Coochie Man]

When the Rumble line first came out I was impressed by two things about them. The light weight, and the low price.
How did you employ the Bright, Contour, and Vintage switch settings?
I would expect that you did not find the Vintage setting to be useful in this situation.

Your experience shows how a little experimentation with the placement of a bass speaker can affect how it will sound.

 

[mcnach]

It sounds like a lot of the higher frequencies were not making it to your ears until you tilted the speaker aiming closer to you ears.

 

[Chuck M]

I was not using any of the tone shaping button switches.

I do think having it tilted up toward my ears was a help, however I believe that it was more important to break that connection between the amp and floor that accentuates the lows. There is a term for it that I do not recall.

Yes, the light weight and fairly low prices make the Fender Rumble amps attractive. I have one gig where I play electric bass and the load in/out is lousy and parking is on the street sometimes many blocks from the gig. For that gig I bought the Fender Rumble 800 which has two neo 10's and a class D amp. It weighs 29 pounds and it sound quite good.

 

[Ggaa]

I have one for a rehearsal amp. Sounds best elevated with bass around 10 oclock and the others around 1. Contour switches not worth much.

 

[fdeck]

Without actually measuring the response, I can only guess, but the Rumble probably has the classic "scooped" voicing of many electric bass amps. Turning down the bass knob might be a preferable starting point for getting your desired sound out of the amp.

 

[bassicmike]

A few things with the Rumble:

Flat is 10-2-2-10

It does sound better on a tilt stand (how I use mine) as it's now sending sound to your head, not your feet.

I did the cabinet mod recommended in the Rumble forum - dowels to stiffen the box, then lined with polyfill. Block the ports with polyfill. Really tightened up the sound of the amp. (I'm typing on my phone now, I'll find the post and send it a little later)

 

[Roxbororob]

Its also possible that you are experiencing reduced coupling to the floor (even more so on the stand).

 

[Lionel Albert]

When the Rumble line first came out I was impressed by two things about them. The light weight, and the low price.
How did you employ the Bright, Contour, and Vintage switch settings?
I would expect that you did not find the Vintage setting to be useful in this situation.

Your experience shows how a little experimentation with the placement of a bass speaker can affect how it will sound.

How lucky you are ! Mine is heavy : around 60 pounds !

 

[bassicmike]

A few things with the Rumble:

Flat is 10-2-2-10
It does sound better on a tilt stand (how I use mine) as it's now sending sound to your head, not your feet.
I did the cabinet mod recommended in the Rumble forum - dowels to stiffen the box, then lined with polyfill. Block the ports with polyfill. Really tightened up the sound of the amp. (I'm typing on my phone now, I'll find the post and send it a little later)

Here's the post with more detail about the cabinet mods for the Rumble.

https://www.talkbass.com/threads/nad-fender-rumble-v3-100.1093478/

 

[Hoochie Coochie Man]

How lucky you are ! Mine is heavy : around 60 pounds !

I am lucky indeed.
I say this because I own numerous old Ampeg, and other amps, and a Mesa Boogie Subway D800, and a Subway 115 but, I don't own any Fender Rumble amplifiers, (yet).
(Check my profile so see a partial list of some of the amps and other stuff I own. Much of it is definitely not light weight).

 

[Pep]

Most of us have tried to reduce the size and weight of our amps to make load in/out easier. I bought a Fender Rumble 100 as a practice amp for electric bass and it sounded just okay to me with electric bass. I decided to try it with my upright and the tone tended to sound boomy.

I use my Thompson hybird most of the time and it is equipped with a Realist Copperhead pickup. I use an old Fishman Model B preamp so I have volume and tone controls on the bass (preamp clipped to the bow caddie). I don't recall why I tried leaning the amp back against the wall but was blown away by the tone. Gone was the accentuated lows and the tone of the bass came through wonderfully.

So I bought a little amp stand that leans the amp back and have been using that with great success. Most of my gigs are acoustic with no amp but I played in a group Friday night where I needed an amp and used the Rumble 100. It really sounds just like the bass with tone controls on the Fishman and the Rumble centered. I received many compliments on how good the bass sounded. I have used the Fender in a 7 piece band in a big hall and it was plenty loud.

My other bass is a carved Wilfer 7/8 (Lemur sold it as the "Gentleman's Jazz"). The Wilfer is equipped with an old Underwood pickup and it also sounds terrific through the Fishman/Fender Rumble combination.

The Fender Rumble 100 weighs just 22 pounds so it is very easy to move around.

Here you go.
https://www.sweetwater.com/store/de...0-folding-tiltback-amp-stand-large-120lbs-max

 

[bassicmike]

I've got this one. Works great with the Rumble and folds down nicely.

https://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/RS7500--on-stage-stands-rs7500-tilt-back-tripod-amp-stand

 

[fdeck]

A few things with the Rumble:

Flat is 10-2-2-10

It does sound better on a tilt stand (how I use mine) as it's now sending sound to your head, not your feet.

I did the cabinet mod recommended in the Rumble forum - dowels to stiffen the box, then lined with polyfill. Block the ports with polyfill. Really tightened up the sound of the amp. (I'm typing on my phone now, I'll find the post and send it a little later)

Blocking the ports to limit the low end response is consistent with "tighter" sound, similar to turning down the bass knob. The only caveat is that depending on the nitty gritty details of the driver design, it may compromise the power handling ability of the speaker. Caution is advised.

 

[lurk]

Tilting any amp is an old and effective trick that often works. You can also try setting it on a chair or even a barstool. When I had a GK black box as my main amp I often used the tire on my Gaines wheel as a chock under the front of the amp to tilt it. Just make sure there's something behind it so it doesn't fall.

 

[Low Main]

Amazing how many pros still have their amp on the floor.

Isolating the amp from the floor is important. Some years ago, a lot of folks swore by the Auralex isolation pads. Ed Friedland was an early adopter.

Now there are more brands available. I use a pad of 2 1/2 in. thick Ethafoam - I had a partial plank left over from a job, so the price was right.

 

[bassfiddlesteve]

Amazing how many pros still have their amp on the floor.

Isolating the amp from the floor is important. Some years ago, a lot of folks swore by the Auralex isolation pads. Ed Friedland was an early adopter.

I think knowing what isolating your amp form the floor does is what's important, but it doesn't need to be the default setting for every situation.

In most cases I leave my amp on the floor to use the coupling effect to my advantage, but there are times when I elevate it when I want more clarity and less boom. I recently advised two of my bass playing friends who were complaining of sound problems not to put their bass amp on a stand and it helped.

- Steve

 

[basss]

+1 to bassfiddlesteve. I have a rumble 100 that works well for me with upright. I tilt it back sometimes, it really depends on the room and band.

 

[flatwound62p]

If you want coupling to the floor and also an upwards tilt, just pull out the back pair of casters. Nice middle ground

 

[AGCurry]

If you want coupling to the floor and also an upwards tilt, just pull out the back pair of casters. Nice middle ground

There's not much point to casters on a Rumble 100...