• 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 freeLog in
    Want zero display ads or expanded classifieds tools? Compare plans.

Rumble vs Markbass

Rumble vs. MarkBass??

It's like Mustang or Camaro vs. Maserati or Porsche. They both work to get you there, but . . . . .

Absolutely not true in my opinion. There are many amp models from many brands I consider high-end. I just don't think Markbass is that leap from Fender Rumble. Maybe a ' bump' higher the amp chain but no Porsche. Just my opinion though!

Marc
 
I have the new Rumble 500 and the Rumble 115 cab. I was very surprised when I first played through the new Rumble series of heads and combos. I would purposely try to find something I wouldn't like about them but I couldn't. I've been waiting for something to go wrong with this rig but so far not a single issue at all and I'm well past the honeymoon phase...... I'm still digging it.
 
I'm a repeat rumble offender, I've gigged markbass heads and combos, loved the head it almost reminded me of swr, almost. The combo sounded as sickly as those yellow cones. Just my opinion! I love my V2 rumbles but those new V3s are also sick played the 500 head through 2 of the 115s at a jam and holy smokes it was a beautiful thing. Rumbles win for bang for buck
 
Rumble vs. MarkBass??

It's like Mustang or Camaro vs. Maserati or Porsche. They both work to get you there, but . . . . .

I just want to make sure that the MarkBass people have heard the newest v3's and are not comparing them to the old line of fender combo's. It is easy to talk or think like the quote above but MarkBass better watch their back. More people have liked the v3 Rumble on this thread and not just because of price. I really think that they are onto something. I don't know. Time will tell but I will always remember my wife's reaction to the rumble at GC...and she doesn't go for "stupid" lows. The response has been astounding.
 
I own a Markbass CMD 15P Jeff Berlin and have loved it very much. I also sell Markbass and Fender Rumbles so you can guess where I work. I have been a Markbass home boy for several years but since the V3's arrived I am considering selling my MB and getting a Rumble 500. I like the MB sound but TO ME the Fenders just sound better.

That is exactly the type of opinion I have heard again and again about the new v3's. I'm not saying it...I'm just listening to it. If I buy a rumble when I go to Italy, I will pay the same as what I would pay to get a similar MarkBass meaning that the fender is now commanding a premium.
 
That is not the issue. It's the voicing. Someone mentioned the voicing of the MarkBass, it is those mids that allow it to cut through and give it some definition. The Rumble is good for someone on a budget.
Going to disagree. Gigged a markbass head for a year. Nice warm tone that does come through in the mix with that VLE, but it's all lows that have a tendency to get away from you, and it's a fair bit sterile. Excellent tone for my jazz sets but just lacking flavor for anything else. Pedals didn't help me, either. Rumble has been very different in the handful of gigs i've had so far. Voicing that sits well in any mix, nice woody, slightly compressed tone if i hit the vintage switch. Takes pedals very well. I've tried a lot of higher end micro's, and for the average gigging joe the new Rumble beats all of them for me.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Frank Kreber
Going to disagree. Gigged a markbass head for a year. Nice warm tone that does come through in the mix with that VLE, but it's all lows that have a tendency to get away from you, and it's a fair bit sterile. Excellent tone for my jazz sets but just lacking flavor for anything else. Pedals didn't help me, either. Rumble has been very different in the handful of gigs i've had so far. Voicing that sits well in any mix, nice woody, slightly compressed tone if i hit the vintage switch. Takes pedals very well. I've tried a lot of higher end micro's, and for the average gigging joe the new Rumble beats all of them for me.

Thanks Jumblemind. these opinions are very helpful to me. You are helping me make a decision.
 
I recently bought an amp and while I was shopping I played the Markbass Players School, an Eden Nemesis RS210, the Rumble 75 (old and V3) the Rumble 100 and the Rumble 200.

I ended up buying the rumble 100 but almost went for the old Rumble 75. Here is what swayed my decision.

  • First, the Markbass had a strange buzz in the cab on open A so being broken killed that deal. I still wonder whether I should have found another to test but where I live...no chance.
  • The Eden was weak and a bit blah.
  • The rumble 200 was nice and loud but got muddy when you took either the master or the gain over 9:00. (the 100 goes to about 1:00 or 2:00 before the amp starts getting pissed)
  • The 75 was clear (older was clearer) and got pretty loud.
  • The 100 was clear, light, loud and had a ton of different sounds available.
  • The Rumble 100 left me enough in the budget to pick up a cheap bass for bar gigs.
My wife will tell you that I was upset for days that I got a stupid Rumble...again (I have owned 3 and still have my old Rumble 25). I finally had the money to buy a "nice" amp and I ended up getting another Rumble instead.

3 months on, I really like this little amp. It's great to lug up the stairs, (35 pounds for the Markbass? HAH! this one weighs 22 pounds) it's loud enough to take on a small PA, 2 guitar amps and a percussionist (not a metal drummer but stuff like a conga and cajon) while never going past 10:00.

I will probably keep this amp for a long time as it is great for the band I am in now but someday I will have a really nice amp setup. Take what you can from this rumble ramble but I can definitely recommend a V3 rumble.
 
My wife will tell you that I was upset for days that I got a stupid Rumble...again (I have owned 3 and still have my old Rumble 25). I finally had the money to buy a "nice" amp and I ended up getting another Rumble instead.

Yes, that is where the big surprise comes from. I think that the name and price hurts the Rumble's reputation. It's like when I was at GC for the first time. I said to myself, "That sound came out of that...a dinky 12" Rumble?" A rumble can't be a "nice" amp can it? Even if the sound is close to, equal or better than a MarkBass, it will be considered a Camaro in comparison to a Maserati by some. I thought the same for a while...until I played one for the fourth time at Sam Ash. There is snob appeal to the name and packaging that might sway some thinking more than the sound.

That said, I would still like to hear from a JB Players School owner about their thoughts. There don't seem to be many out there.
 
I got the Markbass LM250 the amp included in the JB Players combo, it's an amazing amp, there is no difference in tone between the lm250 and all the other MB amps,it has the same pre as LM III , awesome DI, ultra clean with dedicated volume , if you're looking for a small amp for recordings, practice or small venues there is nothing better out there, my 02c ;)
Here is a test in german, but you can hear how it sounds:
 
Last edited:
I bought a Rumble 350 I found on sale(last one) at Sam Ash. Put a 4x10 GK cab on it and wow! Small and powerful. Lots of tone control. Lots of head room. Sounds great with my American jazz bass. Don't really see a need for anything else.
 
How many of you have tried both and like the rumbles better? In store is not the same as at a gig, I know, but I was extremely surprised that I liked the Fenders better. They are half the price so I'm wondering what they sound like in the real world where you can crank. I'm moving to Italy and the Markbass amps are a little cheaper there. Thanks!

I´m a happier owner of a MarkBass CMD 121P. Before to buy it I tried the Rumble to compare and honestly I must say that it seamed to me that the Markbass it has a better quality sound that the Fender. It delivers a real fatter and powerfull low end and a great clear sounding.
 
I haven't tried any of the Markbass amps however, my son has one & really loves it. 2 years ago I had Rumble 150 head. When I got it I also tried an Ampeg & a GK. It sounded much better than either of them. But, in less than a years time it blew the output diodes twice. It was in the shop 2 weeks both times. I won't even look at another Rumble, whether they are new & improved or not. Wound up dumping mine for an Eden WTX500. Totally satisfied with my decision.