Small Fender Rumbles vs Small Peavey MAX

[Realmongo]

I've got an Ampeg amp that is a bit much having to drag it up and downstairs every time I felt like playing with a bass, so I bought a Laney LX10B that I'm disappointed in as far as small practice-type amps go. I'm guessing it's mainly due to the small speaker size. I'm planning to trade it for either a Fender Rumble 15, a Peavey MAX 158 II, or Fender Rumble 25. Are experiences on buying one over the other?

 

[KevInDaBassment]

Which model of the Fender Rumbles? The black metal grill or the silver cloth one?

Personally, I find the 1x10 combos from most manufacturers to work great for home practice or Guitar and Bass rehearsal sessions. A lot of them are quite light and can come in as high as "100 watts" (take that with a grain of salt though).

Peavey Max 100
https://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/MAX100C--peavey-max-100-100-watt-1x10-inch-bass-combo-amp

Fender Rumble 40
https://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/Rum40--fender-rumble-40-1x10-inch-40-watt-bass-combo

Ampeg RB110
https://www.sweetwater.com/store/de...-bass-rb-110-1x10-inch-50-watt-bass-combo-amp

Ashdown Studio 10
https://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/Studio10C--ashdown-studio-10-50w-1x10-inch-bass-combo

Hartke HD50
https://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/HD50Combo--hartke-hd50-1-by-10-inch-50w-bass-combo-amp



I have the Ashdown and it's a pretty good combo, not a lot of coloration to it but the speaker is strong and the amp takes preamp pedals pretty well. All solid choices though, but I wouldn't let the wattage ratings scare you...they all come with volume knobs

 

[mpdd]

the 25 has been really reliable and it's fun to run my drum machine through it and to use the headphones jack for silent practice, however some of my sub like envelope filter tones aren't able to be reproduced with the combo, just something to look out for if you're playing super deep trip hop or industrial stuff

 

[Gervais Cote]

Which model of the Fender Rumbles? The black metal grill or the silver cloth one?

Personally, I find the 1x10 combos from most manufacturers to work great for home practice or Guitar and Bass rehearsal sessions. A lot of them are quite light and can come in as high as "100 watts" (take that with a grain of salt though).

Peavey Max 100
https://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/MAX100C--peavey-max-100-100-watt-1x10-inch-bass-combo-amp

Fender Rumble 40
https://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/Rum40--fender-rumble-40-1x10-inch-40-watt-bass-combo

Ampeg RB110
https://www.sweetwater.com/store/de...-bass-rb-110-1x10-inch-50-watt-bass-combo-amp

Ashdown Studio 10
https://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/Studio10C--ashdown-studio-10-50w-1x10-inch-bass-combo

Hartke HD50
https://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/HD50Combo--hartke-hd50-1-by-10-inch-50w-bass-combo-amp



I have the Ashdown and it's a pretty good combo, not a lot of coloration to it but the speaker is strong and the amp takes preamp pedals pretty well. All solid choices though, but I wouldn't let the wattage ratings scare you...they all come with volume knobs

When I needed a "small" combo, I bought an Ampeg RB 112 due to its nice sound and deep lows although it’s very light and easy to handle.

From the ones listed here, the Hartke 50 was my second choice by quite a little margin.

 

[buldog5151bass]

I have found that with the less expensive amps, anything worth a speaker smaller than a 10 really can't handle a bass, except at very low volumes. Spend a little more and get something decent.

 

[Exophysical]

I've got a Rumble 40 kicking around the house and its surprisingly good. When nobody is playing bass through it my youngest daughter likes to use it for her guitar, she preffers running a Sans Amp Fly rig and a Boss DS-2 through the Fender to using her Boss Katana. And I must admit, she's actually getting some pretty killer guitar tone out of that little amp.

 

[Gervais Cote]

I've got a Rumble 40 kicking around the house and its surprisingly good. When nobody is playing bass through it my youngest daughter likes to use it for her guitar, she preffers running a Sans Amp Fly rig and a Boss DS-2 through the Fender to using her Boss Katana. And I must admit, she's actually getting some pretty killer guitar tone out of that little amp.

That just confirms to me what my ears are saying to me : a 10" driver is very good for guitar.

 

[Exophysical]

That just confirms to me what my ears are saying to me : a 10" driver is very good for guitar.

I'm admitedly biased against guitar amps that dont have 12" speakers, with the exception of practice amps. I've owned two "real" guitar amps that had smaller speakers, and at high volume they sounded bad IMO. The combination of the Bass 10", and the Fly Rig adding highs/ upper mids does sound quite nice though. She plays a Squier Tele Deluxe, which has a bit of a harsh/ spikey voicing to it, and I think that guitar actually does sound better through that setup than anything else.

We've also run electric drums and acoustic guitars through that amp on occasion, and it sounded pretty good (surprisingly so with an acoustic guitar actually). Basically if you're involved in music at all its a pretty handy little tool to have around.

 

[jallenbass]

The Hartke HD's are quite nice.

 

[jutty17]

I have an older Peavy 10" practice amp. It's fine for around-the-house use, but I'd never try to carry a practice with it, it breaks up at less than 50% volume. I have the 350 watt Peavy TKO 115 also, and that thing is a workhorse, very loud and capable. We used it for a few years to mic the kick drum in a metal band rehearsal space, and it was great, but it weighs 85 lbs, not really "portable".

 

[Pilgrim]

My small portable is a Roland CUBE-20XL Bass amp. It's 20 pounds, about 12 inches square in all dimensions, 20 watts of power, 8-inch speaker, six amp models selectable, effects (Reverb, Delay, Chorus, Solo, Poly Octave, Compression, and Overdrive), and their "Power Squeezer" for better sound at low volume, and 3-band EQ.

They're hard to find, but a really nice practice amp, even for practices with other guys if they don't insist on too much loudness. If you find one, make sure it's the BASS model, as many people don't know the difference between the bass and guitar amps which are cosmetically almost identical.

Otherwise I take my Fender Rumble 100, which is only a few pounds heavier but takes up more space.

 

[Jjacks651]

I've got an Ampeg amp that is a bit much having to drag it up and downstairs every time I felt like playing with a bass, so I bought a Laney LX10B that I'm disappointed in as far as small practice-type amps go. I'm guessing it's mainly due to the small speaker size. I'm planning to trade it for either a Fender Rumble 15, a Peavey MAX 158 II, or Fender Rumble 25. Are experiences on buying one over the other?

Amp choice all depends on what "Practice" means. Are you just playing wiith music from your copmputer? Or are you just playing alone to learn new songs and increase skill level? You don't need much for those types of scenerios. Or, are you practicing with a band? Drummer, guitars, keyboards, PA and vocals? The you need something like the Hartke KB500 or Ampeg Rocket 100 or anything with at least 100 watts. JMHO.

Peace,
John

 

[BassicJazzy]

I have experience with the Rumble100 and the Rumble25. The 100 is more than you need, the 25 is less than you want. I would go with the Rumble40, or if you prefer the tone, the Ampeg RB110.

 

[DuluthDank]

Forget those and look at an Ampeg Rocket RB110. I have a Genz Benz Shuttle 3.0 10t, which is a fantastic high end, professional quality small combo, which replaced my RB110. But the Ampeg sounded 95 percent as good, and those things sell for cheap. I've been very impressed with how well Ampeg (Yamaha) voiced those Rocket combos. Those Rumbles really don't compete, but that's just my personal opinion.

 

[trevcda]

I'm usually not trying to play rock star in my living room so almost any amp works for me in that situation. From a Peavey Micro Bass, a Fender Rumble 25or Ampeg BA108 to a Roland Micro Cube Bass RX. or an Alto Uber LT for battery powered options. I usually practice with headphones, though. I find the headphones and smaller amps tend to not cover up inaccuracies and force me to play my parts cleaner.

 

[mdogs]

In all my time I have never met anyone who was disappointed that they bought an amp that was higher wattage than they thought they needed. That is, as long as it meets the size and weight requirements. A few years ago, I had a need for a small amp that I could carry up and down stairs easily, was loud enough to carry a low volume full band practice and sounded good enough. I bought a Rumble 100 and I have been pretty happy with it. I would not think about buying anything lower powered than this as you just never know when you may need a little extra ooomph. I would imagine that a similar Ampeg would have worked about as well, but I went with the Fender.

 

[klokker]

I have a Peavey Max 158 that I've had for years as a practice amp under my coffee table in the living room. I have thousands of hours of practice time on it without a wimper. It's on all day most of the time (and nights when I forget to turn it off). Works good. That's my review.

 

[ClassicJazz]

I had that Peavey Max 100 and found it very disappointing. I could never get a good sound out of it. Ended up trading it in for a Fender Rumble 100 which in my opinion sounds 1000 times better. Small enough for home practicing but very usable at low key gigs. Just used it recently at a gig and sounds great!

 

[darwin-bass]

I've had several. Here is how I rank them in order of general sound quality.

Rocket 112 > Rocket 110 > Rumble 40 > Rumble 100 > GK MB115

Currently I am using a PBJ Double Four. Does not sound great, but man is it small and portable.

When I want good sound, I run my bass through it's pedal board into a mixer and listen on good headphones.

 

[Giffro]

If buying the Rumble for a practise amp dont waste your money on a Rumble 15 or Rumble 25...the R25 is an expensive toy and waste of time with its smaller speaker.
I own one and its useless, especially if using a 5 string bass. Go for the Rumble 40 at a minimum...great little amp..the Rumble 100 would be the ideal amp for louder practise and its giggable also. I am quite impressed with the Rumble 40..a powerful little practise amp. Larger speakers are the way forward.