My reference was an older GK MB150 I had been using for years . I wanted a small practise head to keep at the in-laws .
Wound up with this .
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What new amp to get
- Thread starter ChrisWolfBass
- Start date
My reference was an older GK MB150 I had been using for years . I wanted a small practise head to keep at the in-laws .
Wound up with this .
Any amp can fail. That doesn’t mean that all amps of the same make and model are unreliable. I have 4 Rumbles of different sizes that have worked well for years.
Incidentally, I switched to Rumbles after my Ampeg failed - but I wouldn’t try to dissuade someone from getting an Ampeg on the strength of that alone.
Yep it may of been an isolated case
But for me I’ve owned many amps ( mostly valve amps ) and I’ve never had a new amp fail out of the box. For me I thought it was a reason to look elsewhere.
In fact I decided on the Rumble on reviews etc but my personal experience was a huge disappointment. Im sure they are a fine amp but once bitten etc etc
Happy with the Ampeg and just find it a better fit for my needs
But for me I’ve owned many amps ( mostly valve amps ) and I’ve never had a new amp fail out of the box. For me I thought it was a reason to look elsewhere.
In fact I decided on the Rumble on reviews etc but my personal experience was a huge disappointment. Im sure they are a fine amp but once bitten etc etc
Happy with the Ampeg and just find it a better fit for my needs
A studio I record at regularly puts me through a Rumble 25. I do think for home use the 40 might be a better choice but the Rumble is a really good amp either way.
If money is tight, I would suggest living with what you have and not getting another combo that just has a slightly larger speaker. Going from a 1x8 to a 1x10 may sound slightly better, but both compared to a 4x10 cab will sound pretty bad. I would save the money toward a much more functional solution that is a major step up and will work for future projects. You may find in a year or two you need a gigging rig and the money you saved can be applied to it.
But, if you have to spend money I would save a little more for a combo with a 15" speaker, a good powerful amp and the possibility to connect another 1x15 cab if more volume is needed. Something like the Markbass CMD JB Players amp. That combo amp sounds really good and is good enough even for a working musician.
Just to stir the pot, last time I shopped around for a small amp I purchased a B30 1x12 from acoustic. It had a compressor, headphones, aux, you name it and it sounded to me much more full than the rumble or ampeg offering in the same price range. I only recently sold it to someone i know who needed a cheap beginner set up (got him up and running with the acoustic B30, a GT1B and a Glarry P).
FWIW - The Rumble 40 has better preamp control/options. It is also a bit more useable should you ever desire to do a coffeehouse type gig. I would go this route.
That being said, I have heard/played through both and both are good choices.
Joe.
Tell us what that is! Especially the box on top, then the exact GK amp and PJB speaker cabinet. That looks like a really sweet rig!
I'm with you. Even if "just" a practice amp, why not be Inspired by what you hear.
"The tone is in your hands" dismisses the fact that certain amps appeal to certain buyers and that's why there are different brands.
Al Kraft
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I agree...the real test is how the manufacturer handled your problem. IME Fender has typically been pretty good in the customer service department and has solid designs/quality technology.
The amp is a GK MB200 . Great little amp . It also has a headphone out and mini aux in , so I can plug in my tablet and play along on headphones . The cab is a Phil Jones C2 . It will fart out when cranked , but is surprisingly deep at a low volume . I just use it as a low volume practice speaker . I have other amp rigs for gigs . Big and small . The box on top is a Nathan East NE-1 . It's a little preamp with a parametric eq , I use it to fatten things up at low volume , but don't always run it . They're sadly no longer made , Yamaha made them .
The Rumbles are very nice, but I found a great deal on a used Acoustic B50 for under $100. It is good enough for rehearsals and quiet gigs. It is small and sounds really good! If you can't find used or a new one is too $$, check out the B25 before you commit to the Rumble 25.
My 15" B100 was $80 used and the sound is starting to grow on me. The Acoustic combos can be found for pretty good prices. I think $1/watt or better for a combo is a good target for a practice amp.
GK MB108.
it can take an active bass extremely well with no sign of stress from the speaker compared to other brands IMO..
it can take an active bass extremely well with no sign of stress from the speaker compared to other brands IMO..
The Hartke HD25 is kickass with all the features for 129.99. Solid build quality. The Hartke HD50 all the better for 199.99. To me they have a more solid tone than the small Fenders.
Thanks everyone.
I went to the store today, and the lowest floor model Rumble they had was the 200. It blew me away. I haven't played that loud in years, and the tone was clear, smooth, and polished. I loved it.
Then the guy (Michael) introduced me to the Hartke HD50, which also sounded really good. In a lot of ways I liked the Harke better, because the tone sounds more natural. The Rumble is kind of a turn off, because it seems to "fix" the tone to something more polished, but I do like it for the more melodic, laid back basslines I write a lot.
So I'm still not sure what to get. I realized that the current amp I have, a 10 year old Hartke B200 20 watt, is all I need for bedroom use, and unless I want to get the Fender tone, it's not really worth getting the Rumble 40 or even 100.
Of course, my brother is a drummer, so if I start jamming with him soon, I might want to upgrade to more watts and larger speakers.
So I have more to think about now than before I went to the store.
In short, the Hartke tone sounds good for the edgier, rock style basslines I play, while the Rumble sounds good for the more melodic, laid back ones. Of course, all of you might disagree with this assessment, but it's the best way I can describe the types of basslines I play.
I went to the store today, and the lowest floor model Rumble they had was the 200. It blew me away. I haven't played that loud in years, and the tone was clear, smooth, and polished. I loved it.
Then the guy (Michael) introduced me to the Hartke HD50, which also sounded really good. In a lot of ways I liked the Harke better, because the tone sounds more natural. The Rumble is kind of a turn off, because it seems to "fix" the tone to something more polished, but I do like it for the more melodic, laid back basslines I write a lot.
So I'm still not sure what to get. I realized that the current amp I have, a 10 year old Hartke B200 20 watt, is all I need for bedroom use, and unless I want to get the Fender tone, it's not really worth getting the Rumble 40 or even 100.
Of course, my brother is a drummer, so if I start jamming with him soon, I might want to upgrade to more watts and larger speakers.
So I have more to think about now than before I went to the store.
In short, the Hartke tone sounds good for the edgier, rock style basslines I play, while the Rumble sounds good for the more melodic, laid back ones. Of course, all of you might disagree with this assessment, but it's the best way I can describe the types of basslines I play.
Since you're leaning a bit towards Hartke I'd look into the HD75 and KB12 if you get a chance to play them. Since you did mention that you have a drummer of a brother, the Hartke HD500 will be an awesome pair!
Thank you! Nathan East preamp/parametric EQ? Pretty cool! I bet that rig sounds great, as long as you keep it quiet.
That's saying something because the HD50 is far less powerful than the Rumble 200. My little HD25 has punchy tone too, and I can make it thick and loud (for fingerstyle) without distorting by turning up the bass knob to 2:00 and the Mid knob to 1:00. I keep the HIGH around 11:00. My belief is that the cabinet build is just more solid on the Hartke's giving them a less "boxy" tone like the small Fenders. They also have a snappy high end even minus a tweeter.
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