New to bass and currently taking and enjoying the course, I have a question.
I currently play with the small amplug at home. I need to buy an amp, but here is the dilemma :
option 1 → I buy a nice practice amp around 40W with a 10’ speaker (rumble 40 or Ampeg RB110).
option 2 → for few more bucks (which in this range is not really a concern) I could get a 12’ speaker and 100W (Ampeg RB112 or rumble 100) which would be OK for practice and still be relevant if / when I join a band.
I can not stop on one option …
What do you think ? What would you do ? What would you recommend ?
I would get a JBL 710 or 712 and use an audio interface + software effects.
You could even use the Amplug for the time being with that, though that feels wrong (or “wong” as they say at BassBuzz ^^).
EDIT The EONs make especially sense if you play bass + other music (MP3 tracks etc.) through it, not only bass… Reason: it’s reasonably “neutral” and will not colour the sound…
Personally I went with the Rumble 100. My reasoning is that it was only a modest increase in price, but I get the ability to play outside of my practice room if I really need to. Amp is very light! You also get an effects loop with the 100 which isn’t there on the 40, though I don’t really use it TBH. Coming from a Spark 40 amp which has a small speaker that IMO didn’t move enough air, I wanted to go with the 12" speaker, too.
Considering I’d rather have it and not need it than need it and not have it, I went with the 100.
I started with the Rumble 40. Wish I had started with something beefier. If I had it to do over again, I’d probably go with either the Rumble 100 or one of the 100+ Ampegs. Probably the Ampeg as I also found the Rumbles to be a bit boring. Don’t know another way to put it. They’re almost too clean? At least in my opinion.
I don’t know @laurent 's use case, but is it not correct that something like a Rumble 100 is mainly to play your bass only.
So music (ie MP3s for backing tracks) must come from another source OR will sound mediocre?
This is why - in my opinion - PAs and monitoring speakers are better for “home” situations (like playing on the sofa)., as you can both bass & backing tracks through it.
You’ll get the frequency response of a bass amp and cab, not a full range stereo. It works just fine for practicing for me. If I cared more about backing track quality I’d play it through my daw in headphones.
If I was really motivated I could pull my amp into my living room and run a backing track into my stereo aux in, but I’ve never felt like that was worth it.
Simplicity. I can plug a bass into an amp, flip the switch, and play and sound good.
Edit: it also sounds plenty good enough. For complexity with a pa I’d want something to provide a cabsim, I have to think about whether the pa takes instrument level input, I’d have to think about whether I can run a headphone out from a phone into an aux in or something.
I like 10” and 12”. Going any bigger doesn’t fit my ear. Bigger speakers tend be a bit slower, I’m just used to tighter response. That said I love the Rumble 100.
Lol I just barely had this same conundrum. I went to Guitar Center today and played both the Rumble 40 and the Rumble 100 for a while. Ended up getting the 40 because A: the 100 is loud, but I have a couple friends who say that 100 watts 1x12” may not always keep up with every drummer, and B: with a trade-in I had, I got the 40 and a spare cable for like $70. I suspect I might have had domestic tranquility issues if I had spent more and got the 100. Also, if I ever have the need/opportunity to play out, I’d kind of like to go head+cab, so I’ll cross that bridge when I come to it.
If the drummer’s not a complete idiot then it works OK. I carry my super light Rumble 100 to band practice every week and when we have a drummer it’s still good.
I have a Rumble 800 as well; so I understand the difference between a small and bigger amp.
For the money the Rumble 100 is pretty hard to beat. The Rumble 40 might not work with a drummer unless he’s playing brushes! Go for the 100 if you can afford it. Hell, go for the 100 even if you can’t afford it
And if you can buy at Thomann, ignore everybody else but me and get a JBL EON 710/712 and Rumble 100 and do a shoot-out
(Providing you have an audio interface to use amp sims etc!)
You can always send the one back that you don’t like!
And in my office/practice room, the setting in the first picture is plenty loud. It’s the epitome of “have it and not need it”. It has been known to stray higher than that only on occasions where the wife and kids aren’t around.
