There was s'posed to be another but...
Enjoy the benefits of a premium membership!
Upgrade Account
-
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 free Log in
Want zero display ads or expanded classifieds tools? Compare plans.
The Combo Club
- Thread starter ChefKen
- Start date
Congrats on your musical evening, Plaid. You made a whole bunch of jealous. Maybe I missed something, but did you pick up a second 100 or were you borrowing someone else's? I think it’d be fun to run a couple at the same time. How’d it sound?
- Oct 22, 2015
- 21,155
- 256,574
- Disclosures
- I am an affiliate for Ari Cap.
On this gig, which pays exactly $0, the BL provides the amp(s). In this case, 2 R100's. Being a 12" fan from way back(that's just west of Ottumwa), I love the sound(s) I'm able to coax/force outta them.
Hey guys, I'm looking at buying a new or secondhand combo in the coming weeks. Haven't played a bass in 7 years and just recently bought a used Warwick Corvette $$, an awesome bass to say the least. The Fender Rumble 500 and the Ampeg BA 210 have made it to the top of my list, purely based on customer reviews and Youtube videos. I'll check them out at Musicstore in Germany in the coming weeks. Has any of you been able to compare them side by side? At the moment the Rumble seems the go-to combo, mainly for its sound, but that's purely based on Youtube reviews, and could be different from hearing it live. Any advice would be greatly appreciated!
Thanks
Thanks
I would vote for the Rumble but, of course, I am biased.
Ok great, but why are you biased? What's so good about the Rumble? ;-)
Price, tone(s), weight, size. I have a Rumble 200 combo and have played through both the 500 and Ampeg BA-210. I prefer the tones available with the Rumble line but, of course YMMV and your preferences may be different than mine.
My $.02: I had an older Ampeg BA 112. I didn't like the 'baked in' Ampeg tone(yes, I tried multiple settings). The 7enders(Rumble 40, 100, and 200c)come closest to the tone(s) I want to hear. And they're light weight and comparatively inexpensive.
Welcome Sublab, and nice bass you picked up! Mine is a Rockbass model, and I find the pickups to be the hottest passive pups I've ever used.
For amplification, I'm normally using my GK MB150E-112 if I want to be heard over a drummer. It's a 150 watt beast with the ability to power external speakers. I pair it with a 4x10 if I play with a loud drummer. I like the small size, and 26 pound weight. The sound is more "modern" and clear, with less of what some call "baked-in sound." Of course, you may prefer the sound of an Ampeg or Rumble.
Yes, I have two of them. Long story, I'll tell you about it if you want.
They have not sold this model in several years, so good luck finding one used (part of my reason for 2). You may also consider the very similar MB150S-112, which just recently got discontinued.
Others have said that the newer MB series of combos are very nice, and I've heard good things about the MB 210.
Pricier than some others suggested, but maybe it's the sound you are looking for?
Bugera BXD15A update:
Well, still no Bugera combo available. I called Sweetwater to see what’s up, and was told they may be in by first week in April. It was suggested I preorder to ensure I get one because that first lot is already almost all spoken for. I told “Reuben” that I had preordered already, and he was able to confirm that, sooooo....still waiting.
Oh, and TERRIBLE news, a key member of our little Rez band is bailing on us and heading back East. His girlfriend was at the end of her rope here on the Rez, and with the pandemic and all- she convinced him to seek other opportunities- He wasn’t ready to go, but....Grrrrr. He will be missed! I don’t know how the band can continue without some fresh faces. Oh Well! A door closes, a window opens somewhere!! (Or is the saying “It’s five o’clock somewhere” more apt
Meanwhile, to keep things interesting, I pulled the trigger on one of these!
it looks versatile (DI, tuner, boost, compression), fun (chorus, analog octave, envelope filter w/fuzz...), useful (preamp section-Ampeg voiced, thru signal, and FX loop before chorus in chain). Oh, the tuner also mutes signal when engaged. Also included is an AC adapter- pretty sweet!
I hemmed and hawed, don’t really NEED it right now, but it seemed so cool- With the band despair fresh, I pulled the trigger two days ago on Amazon.
Best thing???? I went to site to grab the pic of the Dapper Bass DI, and......the price shot up $40!!!
Hang in there- I still need to post pic of the Rumble 40...
Thanks for reading! C-Note
Well, still no Bugera combo available. I called Sweetwater to see what’s up, and was told they may be in by first week in April. It was suggested I preorder to ensure I get one because that first lot is already almost all spoken for. I told “Reuben” that I had preordered already, and he was able to confirm that, sooooo....still waiting.
Oh, and TERRIBLE news, a key member of our little Rez band is bailing on us and heading back East. His girlfriend was at the end of her rope here on the Rez, and with the pandemic and all- she convinced him to seek other opportunities- He wasn’t ready to go, but....Grrrrr. He will be missed! I don’t know how the band can continue without some fresh faces. Oh Well! A door closes, a window opens somewhere!! (Or is the saying “It’s five o’clock somewhere” more apt
Meanwhile, to keep things interesting, I pulled the trigger on one of these!
it looks versatile (DI, tuner, boost, compression), fun (chorus, analog octave, envelope filter w/fuzz...), useful (preamp section-Ampeg voiced, thru signal, and FX loop before chorus in chain). Oh, the tuner also mutes signal when engaged. Also included is an AC adapter- pretty sweet!
I hemmed and hawed, don’t really NEED it right now, but it seemed so cool- With the band despair fresh, I pulled the trigger two days ago on Amazon.
Best thing???? I went to site to grab the pic of the Dapper Bass DI, and......the price shot up $40!!!
Hang in there- I still need to post pic of the Rumble 40...
Thanks for reading! C-Note
Good evening to all. Coming off my first of two conference nights and I’m ready for bed after unwinding, but I saw where once again I gave to defend the Ampeg name while all you Rumblers pile on!
Actually, I own Rumbles as well and did own the BA-210 v2 for a bit. I think I’ve become the resident Ampeg guy around here, though there are folks who stop by occasionally and love the brand.
Either line and/or model will do your bass playing justice, so your choice, IMHO, is win-win. That being said, there are two different tones awaiting you and it’s your job to pick the one you like best because in this case, your ears rule.
The Ampeg combo you’re looking at works hard to give you more of an SVT-type sound, where the Rumble follows that traditional Fender sound of a deep, booming bottom end.
Ampeg allows you maybe a little more latitude to alter its tone, but it’s heritage is baked in, no doubt. A more forward midrange is prominent compared to the Fender, and to be honest with ya, I like them both. Whatever mood I’m in, I get the sound I prefer at that moment.
Right now, I’m rocking my Rumble 100 because I’m in the mood to let down some fat bass for this month’s CSOZ piece, ‘It’s Raining Men.’ (Notice how an old codger such as me is displaying such a comfortable tone with the telling of our newest song).
Dorm the road, I’ll go with my BA-108 v2+ baby combo for a tighter, rock sound. Smaller amp, similar tone as the one you’re eyeing. Love that flavor and it’s keeper of a combo.
Sublab, if ya want the best (or at least pretty decent) of both worlds, save your rubles (you guys thought I was gonna say shekels, didn’t ya) and grab the Fender Rumble Stage 800 combo. 400 watts out of just the combo and enough modeling possibilities to burn out your calculator! Run an 8-ohm extension cab with it and double your power. Run two 8-ohm extension cabs with the combo and cause an earthquake in Thailand. At least that’s why I’ve heard can possibly happen...
So bottom line is try them both out, if you can, and choose the one that suits what you like best. If it’s a tie, then go to your lesser demands like weight, ability to move easily, features, expand ability, and maybe even looks. Soul Reflection gave you good examples of a criteria list. I could live with either, myself, but it’s what you hear and like that matters.
Good luck in your hunt and then you make the buy, take a pic of said winner and post it here. I’ll give you a membership number that will be the envy of TB.
Fearless Leader
Bugera BXD15A update:
Well, still no Bugera combo available. I called Sweetwater to see what’s up, and was told they may be in by first week in April. It was suggested I preorder to ensure I get one because that first lot is already almost all spoken for. I told “Reuben” that I had preordered already, and he was able to confirm that, sooooo....still waiting.
Oh, and TERRIBLE news, a key member of our little Rez band is bailing on us and heading back East. His girlfriend was at the end of her rope here on the Rez, and with the pandemic and all- she convinced him to seek other opportunities- He wasn’t ready to go, but....Grrrrr. He will be missed! I don’t know how the band can continue without some fresh faces. Oh Well! A door closes, a window opens somewhere!! (Or is the saying “It’s five o’clock somewhere” more apt
Meanwhile, to keep things interesting, I pulled the trigger on one of these!
View attachment 4198887
it looks versatile (DI, tuner, boost, compression), fun (chorus, analog octave, envelope filter w/fuzz...), useful (preamp section-Ampeg voiced, thru signal, and FX loop before chorus in chain). Oh, the tuner also mutes signal when engaged. Also included is an AC adapter- pretty sweet!
I hemmed and hawed, don’t really NEED it right now, but it seemed so cool- With the band despair fresh, I pulled the trigger two days ago on Amazon.
Best thing???? I went to site to grab the pic of the Dapper Bass DI, and......the price shot up $40!!!
Hang in there- I still need to post pic of the Rumble 40...
Thanks for reading! C-Note
68TB, you are having fun, aren’t ya? I can tell because that’s how I have fun; picking, choosing, buying, living or regretting...it’s all good fun.
Too bad about your Bugera, but the bright side of that is it must be a pretty good amp based on the fact Sweetwater didn’t keep them in stock! Your patience, my friend, will be rewarded at some point. We’ll be looking for pics of it as soon as it arrives next month.
As for your multi-pedal, I’ve seen it on Amazon and wondered how it rounded. Now you can do the heavy lifting and tell us shortly. My main concern from the unit would be noise.
For the price, tolerances are probably pretty low (no offense intended, just bring honest) and so if I’m running it between my bass and amp and the amp’s noise level is ten times higher then when it’s out of the path, it either gets used as a headphone amp only or returned to thr company with a permanent smile.
I’m very curious to what it sounds like and how it works for ya, so please let us know your thoughts. Thanks for sharing too!
Good evening to all. Coming off my first of two conference nights and I’m ready for bed after unwinding, but I saw where once again I gave to defend the Ampeg name while all you Rumblers pile on!
Actually, I own Rumbles as well and did own the BA-210 v2 for a bit. I think I’ve become the resident Ampeg guy around here, though there are folks who stop by occasionally and love the brand.
Either line and/or model will do your bass playing justice, so your choice, IMHO, is win-win. That being said, there are two different tones awaiting you and it’s your job to pick the one you like best because in this case, your ears rule.
The Ampeg combo you’re looking at works hard to give you more of an SVT-type sound, where the Rumble follows that traditional Fender sound of a deep, booming bottom end.
Ampeg allows you maybe a little more latitude to alter its tone, but it’s heritage is baked in, no doubt. A more forward midrange is prominent compared to the Fender, and to be honest with ya, I like them both. Whatever mood I’m in, I get the sound I prefer at that moment.
Right now, I’m rocking my Rumble 100 because I’m in the mood to let down some fat bass for this month’s CSOZ piece, ‘It’s Raining Men.’ (Notice how an old codger such as me is displaying such a comfortable tone with the telling of our newest song).
Dorm the road, I’ll go with my BA-108 v2+ baby combo for a tighter, rock sound. Smaller amp, similar tone as the one you’re eyeing. Love that flavor and it’s keeper of a combo.
Sublab, if ya want the best (or at least pretty decent) of both worlds, save your rubles (you guys thought I was gonna say shekels, didn’t ya) and grab the Fender Rumble Stage 800 combo. 400 watts out of just the combo and enough modeling possibilities to burn out your calculator! Run an 8-ohm extension cab with it and double your power. Run two 8-ohm extension cabs with the combo and cause an earthquake in Thailand. At least that’s why I’ve heard can possibly happen...
So bottom line is try them both out, if you can, and choose the one that suits what you like best. If it’s a tie, then go to your lesser demands like weight, ability to move easily, features, expand ability, and maybe even looks. Soul Reflection gave you good examples of a criteria list. I could live with either, myself, but it’s what you hear and like that matters.
Good luck in your hunt and then you make the buy, take a pic of said winner and post it here. I’ll give you a membership number that will be the envy of TB.
Fearless Leader
Amazing reply, and I hope you slept well! That baked in tone when referring to the Ampeg is very true, and I'm thinking it will be the point that makes me choose the Rumble 500 instead. That baked in tone is something I want to flip on when I need it, which I assume will be regular but not constantly. I'm thinking the Rumble 500, paired with a used Tech 21 VT bass to have the Ampeg tone on hand!
Now now...why not try and find a used GK MB212-ii? Lightweight, loud, AND able to cop 'pegish and fenderish tones. Switchable horn, contour button, even a boost knob for some smooth and sexy dirt. Just sayin'...
