Small Fender Rumbles vs Small Peavey MAX

[Bent77]

If you have an Ampeg now, you’ll probably like the sound of the Ampeg or the PV more

I also vote for larger speakers

 

[Tim Skaggs]

I’ve highlighted what I dislike about the Peavey on the spec sheet for the MAX 100 pasted below.

I discovered this when I bought a new MAX 150 back in October ‘25 and discovered it’s 120 watts RMS, but only with an 8 ohm external speaker attached, so it’s probably about 60 watts into its internal speaker. I’m just glad I didn’t buy the MAX 250, which is 150 watts RMS with an external speaker and about 75 watts by itself.

Peavey joined the misleading info crowd in recent times…

MAX 100 Specs from the Peavey electronics website.

Product Type: Bass Amp Combo
Product Condition: New
Color: Black
Connectivity: Wired
Instrument: Bass Guitar
Number of Speakers: 1
Model: MAX® 100
Product Line: MAX
Amplifier Type: Bass Amp Combo
Power: 60 Watts RMS
Impedance: 8 Ohms
Amplifier Technology: TransTube Shipping Weight: 14.06 kg
Shipping Dimensions: 21.5 × 17 × 16 in.

 

[ahbradot]

I have the Fender Rumble 25W
It is perfect for its exact intended use at low volume.
It's only used in the room on top of a desk while sitting right in front of it.
The tone, weight and size is perfect.
The price was nothing.
New only $129

"The Fender Rumble 25 (8" speaker) can sound "better" at low volumes than the 40 (10" speaker) because its smaller speaker might feel tighter or more focused at bedroom levels, but the Rumble 40 generally offers a fuller, richer tone with more authority due to its larger speaker cone and more headroom, even though its lower frequencies aren't as prominent until pushed, making the 25 seem clearer or less muddy when not cranked, while the 40 truly shines when given more power."

 

[Jszfunk]

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.

I think its all what your ears like and personal preference. I have played guitar for 40 yrs and prefer tens. I have a 410 Sunn cabinet loaded with Peavey Classics which I have used for 20 plus years. To me they have a nice mid range bark to it and if you know how to dial your guitar an amp it it sounds great...... at least to me. Its all preference.

I also have had Delta Blues 115 which I liked as well. It worked well with a couple of my semi hollow's with humbuckers.

 

[braud357]

I have owned both the Peavey MAX 158 and a Rumble 15. If this was only to choose between these 2 - I would vote for the Peavey "hands-down". Personally, I would look for something with at least a 10" speaker and a more wattage !

 

[DaveParker39]

If you get a Rumble, get a Rumble 40. The 40 has the same preamp as its bigger siblings and sounds killer. The smaller ones have a different circuit.

The 40 is a fine amp.

 

[Realmongo]

At this point, I wish I had kept my 20 watt Peavey MicroBass.
I'm probably going to buy the Rumble 25.

 

[shoot-r]

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?

I'd suggest your going to your nearest brick and mortar G.C., any and all mom and pop music stores in your area, with your own bass and any effects you may use. Audition "each and every combo" they have available for you to play through.

Every manufacturer will have a different spin on how their pre-amp responds and sounds, every manufacturer will have a different idea for how the driver and the enclosure is tuned. The time and effort to go and personally play through different manufacturers combos using your own ears will be time well spent and will hopefully save you from in the near future of having to replace a combo you just settled on.

Most G.C. stores will have Ampeg RB, Fender Rumble, G.C. Acoustic, Markbass, sometimes Hartke and G.K. combos on the floor for you to A/B them to each other.

Don't consider brand name, driver size, cosmetics, ect., ect.

Choose the combo that you believe will do what your wanting to achieve, and most importantly, the combo "your ears" liked best.

 

[Ostie]

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.

I had a Rumble 25 and it was ok, but I sold it and got a 40. It’s definitely worth the extra $$. A friend of mine has a Peavey Micro, and the Rumble 25 sounds way better, IMO.

I also have a Peavey Max 115, and it sounds good, but it’s heavy.

 

[BassicJazzy]

I had a Rumble 25 and it was ok, but I sold it and got a 40. It’s definitely worth the extra $$. A friend of mine has a Peavey Micro, and the Rumble 25 sounds way better, IMO.

I also have a Peavey Max 115, and it sounds good, but it’s heavy.

Yeah, I have a Blackstar Flybass with extension as a backup and it is so weak and crappy, I should have bought the Rumble25 instead. I recommended the Rumble25 to a friend who plays electric cello, and it is excellent for that instrument. Granted it isn't going to be great for bass at other than low volume, which is why I think the Rumble40 is a much better bet.

 

[Never2Late]

This 5-minute video shows the tonal differences between the speakers in the Fender Rumble amps, including the 15, 25, 100, 200, and 500.

Rumble speaker size comparison video

Listen using good headphones or earbuds. The tones exactly reflect my experience.

They don't have a Rumble 40. However, the 10" driver in the 40 sounds very close to the 10's in the 500, so listen to the sound of the 500 in the video to get an idea of the sound from the 40. I own both (the 40 and 500) and can verify that they're tonally similar.

I previously owned a Rumble LT25 but sold it, as (in my opinion) the 8" speaker lacked low bass and sounded more like a guitar amp. That can be heard in the video. The 15 (in my opinion) is even thinner and tinny, which also can be heard in the video.

Re: Ampeg RB110 vs. Rumble 40, I've had both and played them side by side.. I found them both far better tonally than the R25. But the Ampeg has the Ampeg sound and the Rumble has the Fender sound, which are quite different from each another.

TL;DR - single 8" speakers (IMO) lack bass and made practice less fun for me. Single 10's are where the warm, deep lows (that are nice for practice) start.

 

[ValerieK]

I had a Rumble 25 and it was ok, but I sold it and got a 40. It’s definitely worth the extra $$. A friend of mine has a Peavey Micro, and the Rumble 25 sounds way better, IMO.

I also have a Peavey Max 115, and it sounds good, but it’s heavy.

The Rumble 40 is also lighter than the Rumble 25, because it's made of thin plywood instead of thick MDF.

That being said, my small amp is now an Everse 8. 17 lbs, battery powered, 3 channels, plenty of bass response and volume for me. A lot more money than a Rumble 40 though...

 

[klokker]

That being said, my small amp is now an Everse 8. 17 lbs, battery powered, 3 channels, plenty of bass response and volume for me. A lot more money than a Rumble 40 though...

I have an Alto TS108 that isn't as good of course, but also works great for practice. With Bluetooth and xlr in you can play along, practice your vocals if you want to amplify all that. Do that all the time too. 8" speaker is more than enough. I use mine as a stage monitor on the gig.

But for a dedicated practice amp, at least in my case the smaller the better. If I had to buy a Rumble (I wouldn't) I'd get the smallest one they had......I'm sure it would be fine.

 

[H Nighttrain]

... I am using a PBJ Double Four. Does not sound great...

Is this a typo? Mine sounds great, clean, full, and articulate. It definitely belies its diminutive size.

I've used it to practice with a light drummer, even busked on the street g/b/d. It's obvuously not the loudest of the combos discussed here and it's comparatively expensive - but it's smaller than a shoebox, <10 lbs., and sounds excellent over its full range.

 

[ahbradot]

This 5-minute video shows the tonal differences between the speakers in the Fender Rumble amps, including the 15, 25, 100, 200, and 500.

Rumble speaker size comparison video

Listen using good headphones or earbuds. The tones exactly reflect my experience.

They don't have a Rumble 40. However, the 10" driver in the 40 sounds very close to the 10's in the 500, so listen to the sound of the 500 in the video to get an idea of the sound from the 40. I own both (the 40 and 500) and can verify that they're tonally similar.

I previously owned a Rumble LT25 but sold it, as (in my opinion) the 8" speaker lacked low bass and sounded more like a guitar amp. That can be heard in the video. The 15 (in my opinion) is even thinner and tinny, which also can be heard in the video.

Re: Ampeg RB110 vs. Rumble 40, I've had both and played them side by side.. I found them both far better tonally than the R25. But the Ampeg has the Ampeg sound and the Rumble has the Fender sound, which are quite different from each another.

TL;DR - single 8" speakers (IMO) lack bass and made practice less fun for me. Single 10's are where the warm, deep lows (that are nice for practice) start.

My Fender Rumble 25w sounds much better than that demo video.
I roll off my amp tone control.
The tone control adds a brittle tone.
I use the amp only solo in a low volume setting.
The amp is great for my limited propose.

 

[Realmongo]

This 5-minute video shows the tonal differences between the speakers in the Fender Rumble amps, including the 15, 25, 100, 200, and 500.

Rumble speaker size comparison video

Listen using good headphones or earbuds. The tones exactly reflect my experience.

They don't have a Rumble 40. However, the 10" driver in the 40 sounds very close to the 10's in the 500, so listen to the sound of the 500 in the video to get an idea of the sound from the 40. I own both (the 40 and 500) and can verify that they're tonally similar.

I previously owned a Rumble LT25 but sold it, as (in my opinion) the 8" speaker lacked low bass and sounded more like a guitar amp. That can be heard in the video. The 15 (in my opinion) is even thinner and tinny, which also can be heard in the video.

Re: Ampeg RB110 vs. Rumble 40, I've had both and played them side by side.. I found them both far better tonally than the R25. But the Ampeg has the Ampeg sound and the Rumble has the Fender sound, which are quite different from each another.

TL;DR - single 8" speakers (IMO) lack bass and made practice less fun for me. Single 10's are where the warm, deep lows (that are nice for practice) start.

Interesting video!

 

[BassicJazzy]

This 5-minute video shows the tonal differences between the speakers in the Fender Rumble amps, including the 15, 25, 100, 200, and 500.

Rumble speaker size comparison video

Listen using good headphones or earbuds. The tones exactly reflect my experience.

They don't have a Rumble 40. However, the 10" driver in the 40 sounds very close to the 10's in the 500, so listen to the sound of the 500 in the video to get an idea of the sound from the 40. I own both (the 40 and 500) and can verify that they're tonally similar.

I previously owned a Rumble LT25 but sold it, as (in my opinion) the 8" speaker lacked low bass and sounded more like a guitar amp. That can be heard in the video. The 15 (in my opinion) is even thinner and tinny, which also can be heard in the video.

Re: Ampeg RB110 vs. Rumble 40, I've had both and played them side by side.. I found them both far better tonally than the R25. But the Ampeg has the Ampeg sound and the Rumble has the Fender sound, which are quite different from each another.

TL;DR - single 8" speakers (IMO) lack bass and made practice less fun for me. Single 10's are where the warm, deep lows (that are nice for practice) start.

I'm skeptical that the same drivers are in both the 40 and the 500? That just doesn't seem likely to me, given the difference in power handling capability. Perhaps a 10" will always sound like a 10" at low volume levels? Plus, would Fender put a more expensive than necessary driver in the less expensive Rumble40? Kinda doubt it, but I do not know for certain either way.

 

[darwin-bass]

Is this a typo? Mine sounds great, clean, full, and articulate. It definitely belies its diminutive size.

I've used it to practice with a light drummer, even busked on the street g/b/d. It's obvuously not the loudest of the combos discussed here and it's comparatively expensive - but it's smaller than a shoebox, <10 lbs., and sounds excellent over its full range.

Not a typo. The Double Four's sound tends toward boxy. Lows below about 80 Hz are just not there. Highs are sort of harsh sounding, not all that smooth. This is my 2nd copy and both have been the same. It is a workable tone and amazingly loud given the amp's size, but PJB choose to prioritize loudness over wide smooth frequency response.

 

[Never2Late]

I'm skeptical that the same drivers are in both the 40 and the 500? That just doesn't seem likely to me, given the difference in power handling capability. Perhaps a 10" will always sound like a 10" at low volume levels? Plus, would Fender put a more expensive than necessary driver in the less expensive Rumble40? Kinda doubt it, but I do not know for certain either way.

@BassicJazzy - You are correct that the drivers in the 40 and 500 are different. The magnet of the 10" in the 40 is significantly smaller and lighter than the magnets of the 10's in the 500.

Also, the 500 sounds "fuller", even at low volumes, because of its two 10's vs. the single 10 in the 40.

With all of that said, I've found that tonally the 10" driver in the 40 comes closer to the tone of the 500 than any of the others (15, 25, 100, 200).

My personal preference out of all of the current Rumbles is the 500, even at low practice volumes, but it doesn't seem to meet the OP's criteria around easy portability. My R40 only comes out of the closet on the rare occasions I go to a friend's house to jam. I tried previously with my Rumble LT25, but it just didn't have the volume capability to be heard when my friend was playing his electric guitar (he practices much louder than I typically do).

As others have said, the 40 is lighter than the 25 (18 lb vs 21 lb), has a fuller sound, and can get much louder if needed. The only downside is a higher price.

With all of that said, there's also the Ampeg rabbit hole. My close friend played the Ampeg RB110 and the Rumble 40 with his bass, and bought the Ampeg.

 

[BassicJazzy]

@BassicJazzy - You are correct that the drivers in the 40 and 500 are different. The magnet of the 10" in the 40 is significantly smaller and lighter than the magnets of the 10's in the 500.

Also, the 500 sounds "fuller", even at low volumes, because of its two 10's vs. the single 10 in the 40.

With all of that said, I've found that tonally the 10" driver in the 40 comes closer to the tone of the 500 than any of the others (15, 25, 100, 200).

My personal preference out of all of the current Rumbles is the 500, even at low practice volumes, but it doesn't seem to meet the OP's criteria around easy portability. My R40 only comes out of the closet on the rare occasions I go to a friend's house to jam. I tried previously with my Rumble LT25, but it just didn't have the volume capability to be heard when my friend was playing his electric guitar (he practices much louder than I typically do).

As others have said, the 40 is lighter than the 25 (18 lb vs 21 lb), has a fuller sound, and can get much louder if needed. The only downside is a higher price.

With all of that said, there's also the Ampeg rabbit hole. My close friend played the Ampeg RB110 and the Rumble 40 with his bass, and bought the Ampeg.

Yes, that all makes sense. Many people prefer the Ampeg sound to the Rumble. Really that's just the different color and a little dirt added by the Ampeg Pre, other than that they are pretty close combos. If price wasn't an object the Rumble800 would be my personal choice, at only about 26 lbs, and with a lot of additional functionality (not to mention volume). In my case, I can barely even turn on my Rumble100 before I hit the volume threshold that I hold myself to, since I am in an apartment. And it's plenty for a jam with a couple other instruments, or even a light hitting drummer, which is all I aspire to these days. So anything more would be a waste of $ for me.

I think OP will be well served with either the Ampeg RB110 or the Rumble40.