razze06 Posted October 26, 2011 Share Posted October 26, 2011 I've found very little on these cabs on the internet in terms of serious reviews, so I thought I'd share my thoughts with the BC community. After years of having the luxury of a ground floor practice room where to store all my heavy gear, I found myself back to lugging kit up and down a number of flights of stairs. The TC RS212 i also own is much smaller and lighter than many cabs (52 pounds), but it's hard work getting it up and down stairs for every gig or serious band practice. So I went to a local shop with my amp and bass, tried a fender rumble 112, and walked out with it. It's 8ohm, 250W, and about £230. First (unplugged) impressions are mixed: it looks very simple and plain, black tolex, black metal grille, logo in the middle of the grille, one plastic handle (not much unlike old school peavey top handles ). It's got rubber feet both on the bottom and on the side, so it can to be placed tall or squat, so to speak. It also has a special anchoring system for the matching amp, consisting of 4 recesses for the amp feet and magnets to keep it in place. Sizewise, it is small enough to fit on the passenger seat easily, it's about 50 cm (foot and a half?) tall, so you can sit on it if you want to On the back there is a panel with two parallel jack inputs (no speakons), and a three-position rocker switch, to change horn settings: on, off, -6db. When you try to move it you realize that it is [u]very[/u] light and easy to carry. At 24 pounds it passed the stairwell test easily, as I managed to carry bass, amp and cab in a single run from the car to the front door of my flat. Now, sound. I used it mainly with my TC RH450, using mainly my PJ Fender Aerodyne Precision. Very pleased with the results. Overall, i would say that the cab has a very distinctive voice, with a certain midrangey and honky quality that i like. I took it to practice last night: reggae and ska, tough gig for a single small cab. Full band, with drums and guitar and keys and voices. Immediately after setting up i found myself adding some more bass on the amp eq, but i really enjoyed the more defined mids. Using , i found that it coped extremely well for the whole 2 hours, filling the room nicely, if with a lot less low end rumble than the RS212. Different, but not wrong. During certain songs I found myself changing playing style a little from the usual, as I found that the sound was thinner than normal.Playing closer to the neck, or with less J pick dialled in did the trick. In terms of volume, well i had to dial up the knob to about 40% instead of the usual 20%, and adjust the eq a bit. It coped easily with the kind of volume i bought it for, and felt like it had lots left to give. Still, not one for the big outdoor, no-PA gigs! Ultimately, I am well aware that I am never going to get the same strong low end of the RS212, but I am willing to make compromises. And for the money, I think it's a very good cab. I'm going to keep it for a bit, and gig it in a week's time. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Smash Posted October 26, 2011 Share Posted October 26, 2011 Thanks for the review and interesting read, I too am on the look out for a lighter cab, I used to have am RS210 with an RS112 but sadly a back injury made moving the RS210 about awkward, how would you think one of these Rumble 112 would sound like with a single RS112 cab? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
razze06 Posted October 26, 2011 Author Share Posted October 26, 2011 I think the TC RS cabs and these fender rumble are voiced differently, so it won't sound the same. In my ears, the fenders are weaker in the lowest frequencies, but with more honk and definition (midrangey?). Perversely, they lack the "rumble" of the RS cabs I think you may still like them though, definitely a lot easier to carry and set up! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Smash Posted October 26, 2011 Share Posted October 26, 2011 I suppose it is best not to mix and match, either go for the ultra lightweight Fender Rumble 1x12 and 2x8 with more midrange or 2 x RS112 but with more vintage deeper tone.... more decisions. Have you tried the Rumble 2x8? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
razze06 Posted October 26, 2011 Author Share Posted October 26, 2011 Unfortunately not, the shop didn't have one, and i like to try before I buy. I believe it's the same identical box, maybe with different porting (and two drivers instad of one). from what little i've seen online, the combination of the two is said to be quite effective. Cynical as I am, i'll reserve judgement until I hear it Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ghost_Bass Posted November 9, 2011 Share Posted November 9, 2011 I've got one of these sitting in my room, it arived today and tomorow will be giged. I'll let you know how it sounded after he brakes in. First impresions are of a nice, light and clean sounding cab, maybe a bit of a vintage colous going there but i'll know better after it breakes. You can draw some good bottom out of it if you place it on the floor but it looses some when lifted (neo cab problem). After tomorow i'll be deciding if i'll get another 1x12 or the 2x8 cab for a cheap, light but reliable rig to go under my Shuttle 9.0. Volumewise i can't find it lacking power, we all should know by now that the shuttles 900W are more like 500Wish so i believe i won't be harming the cabs. More info in a couple of days! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ghost_Bass Posted November 21, 2011 Share Posted November 21, 2011 Ok, time for my review. I must say i'm well surprised by this cab. Very light, well buildt and great finish. The first thing i've done to it was to take it appart and see the quality of the components. Everything looked in good shape, not top notch material as we would suspect from a low-budget cabinet but very well put together with no visible flaws. Nice solders, good placing of the damping, very professional looking, only 4 screws securing the driver when it has 8 holes (), no paint flaws, tolex well glued, rough handle... The only thing that caught my eye was the cone of the Eminence driver. The paper was very rough and looked a bit like recicled paper (LOL), it wasn't as smooth as other cones i've seen... The lack of a speakon connector on the back pannel is a big flaw IMV. Soundwise i've got nothing to report. A very articulate and defined sound. Surprising lows for a Neo cab. The tweeter could use a pot instead of the 3 position switch but with it flat (-6db) i get pretty decent highs, with it on full it gets a little harsh. It's not a high-end cab in terms os power-handling (250-300W max) but it handled my Shuttle 9.0 without farting during a three hour gig with volume around 13-14 o'clock. I did two gigs with the cab alone and one with my 1x10" added, i can say that this is not for a one cab solution live if you play with a moderate loud drummer, for smaller things it handles the gig easily. Today i'm ordering a twin, after trying other high-end cabs (GB, Epi, Shroeder, MB, TC) i find that this cheap cab ticks almost every one of my boxes (i'll be installing a Speakon connector on the backplate - plenty of room to do it - and i'll be replacing that hedious metalic grill with some good old vintage grill cloth). It's a 12"er with front porting, tweeter and can be placed on it's side leaving the tweeter on top and the port on the bottom. The side handle could have been recessed though... My opinion is to try one (or two) of these, They worth it! Probably next time i get back to this thread i'll be gigging with a different rig... this GAS!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ghost_Bass Posted November 25, 2011 Share Posted November 25, 2011 My second it's here: It makes a nice looking rig, but i'm waiting for some silver grill cloth (fender vintage) to give it a proper look! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
razze06 Posted November 25, 2011 Author Share Posted November 25, 2011 Very nice, i like! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ghost_Bass Posted January 3, 2012 Share Posted January 3, 2012 (edited) With some rags and a few mods my rumbles went from this: to this: Cheers P.S. - Any similarity with a well known fellow BC cabinet maker's products its [b]not[/b] a coincidence... Edited January 3, 2012 by Ghost_Bass Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
razze06 Posted January 5, 2012 Author Share Posted January 5, 2012 [quote name='Ghost_Bass' timestamp='1325552097' post='1484408'] With some rags and a few mods my rumbles went from this: to this: Cheers P.S. - Any similarity with a well known fellow BC cabinet maker's products its [b]not[/b] a coincidence... [/quote] Very nice and retro Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ghost_Bass Posted January 6, 2012 Share Posted January 6, 2012 [quote name='razze06' timestamp='1325766630' post='1487240'] Very nice and retro [/quote] Yep, that was the idea. I prefer the look of the cloth and it goes better with my current band's style, a Funk/Soul/R&B covers project [size=1](see link on my sig )[/size] Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lozz196 Posted January 6, 2012 Share Posted January 6, 2012 I`m really interested in the Rumble 410. The Fender TV Clips on Youtube are very good for this range of amps/cabs. A (fairly) lightweight 500 watt 410 for £250ish. Gotta find somewhere with them in stock, give one a blast. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Clarky72 Posted January 6, 2012 Share Posted January 6, 2012 [quote name='Ghost_Bass' timestamp='1325552097' post='1484408'] With some rags and a few mods my rumbles went from this: to this: Cheers P.S. - Any similarity with a well known fellow BC cabinet maker's products its [b]not[/b] a coincidence... [/quote] Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
razze06 Posted January 12, 2012 Author Share Posted January 12, 2012 I'm seriously considering selling the TC cab and get another rumble 112... Lozz196, they have one for sale in a local shop here in edinburgh. Possibly not much help for you, but I'm planning to pay them a visit anyway... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lozz196 Posted January 12, 2012 Share Posted January 12, 2012 Cheers, would be very interested to hear an opinion on these. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ghost_Bass Posted January 12, 2012 Share Posted January 12, 2012 [quote name='razze06' timestamp='1326383556' post='1496464'] I'm seriously considering selling the TC cab and get another rumble 112... Lozz196, they have one for sale in a local shop here in edinburgh. Possibly not much help for you, but I'm planning to pay them a visit anyway... [/quote] They sound very good, the sound is sweet and defined. With both on the ground side by side you have lots of bottom at your service. Next to a TC 112 the TC has more bass buth the mids and highs on the rumble are better. I took them to a bash last weekend and they were a pleasant surprise, they held their ground in the middle of Jerzy, Smith, Warwick, Walter Woods, Avalon, Gallien Krueger, TC. I can only put two faults on my cabs, the power handling could be bigger and the tweeter control would benefit from a pot insted of that 3 way switch. I'm not going to do a full review of that bash due to lack of time but once i upload the videos from that day over here you'll hear it for yourself! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Prime_BASS Posted January 12, 2012 Share Posted January 12, 2012 been thinking of getting 2, 2x8 rumbles. just for shits and giggles. this thread isn't helping, haha. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
razze06 Posted January 12, 2012 Author Share Posted January 12, 2012 i'm just holding back because i'm unsure about how the two rumbles would sound for reggae... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ghost_Bass Posted January 13, 2012 Share Posted January 13, 2012 Razze, two 112 would handle a good bottom and if you place them both on the ground they would benefit some extra coupling but it all will depend on thew power you need on stage, like i said they are a bit limited in power if you have a very loud drummer or play in the middle of two guitards with a 4x12 valve stack! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
razze06 Posted January 14, 2012 Author Share Posted January 14, 2012 ...and so i got the second cab today, at a local shop for less money than the internet! Can't wait for band practice on monday to wheel them out! Lozz, i tied the 410 from the same series, and it's ok. Not great, but ok.It doesn't have the neo magnets in the speakers, so it weighs like a normal 410, which is quite a bit. still less than most TE and Peavey cab though, and a one man lift. Soundwise, it's pretty loud and with good low mids.Using the shop's matching rumble 350 amp and aerodyne precision, the sound is nicely rounded and define, but certainly not aggressive or modern. In short, i quite like it, but i prefer the 112. At 250 pounds it had me thinking for a bit Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lozz196 Posted January 14, 2012 Share Posted January 14, 2012 (edited) Nice one, thanks for the info. I`ve managed to get hold of a Schroeder 21012, which can do both the aggressive/modern, and the rounded/warm, but was hoping one of these would be ok as a backup cab, but it`s the modern/aggressive bit that I need. Oh well, my quest goes on - possibly to the GK MBE. 410. Edited January 14, 2012 by Lozz196 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Dark Lord Posted January 15, 2012 Share Posted January 15, 2012 Good looking cabs with the silver cloth. I wouldn't have thought that would have made an improvement, but it did. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ghost_Bass Posted January 16, 2012 Share Posted January 16, 2012 [quote name='razze06' timestamp='1326566026' post='1498999'] ...and so i got the second cab today, at a local shop for less money than the internet! Can't wait for band practice on monday to wheel them out! Lozz, i tied the 410 from the same series, and it's ok. Not great, but ok.It doesn't have the neo magnets in the speakers, so it weighs like a normal 410, which is quite a bit. still less than most TE and Peavey cab though, and a one man lift. Soundwise, it's pretty loud and with good low mids.Using the shop's matching rumble 350 amp and aerodyne precision, the sound is nicely rounded and define, but certainly not aggressive or modern. In short, i quite like it, but i prefer the 112. At 250 pounds it had me thinking for a bit [/quote] You won't regret getting the 2nd cab, let us know how they handled the rehearsal! [quote name='mercuryl' timestamp='1326618187' post='1499466'] Good looking cabs with the silver cloth. I wouldn't have thought that would have made an improvement, but it did. [/quote] It realy did, i bought the cloth after getting my first cab, my band plays funk/soul/r&b and the modern look of that (ugly) metal grill was a bit off the rest of the band's look so out of pure vanity i replaced it by the cloth and the cabs ended up looking very sexy (and i can swear that they sound better now, )! It makes me wonder why Fender put that awfull grill on the original cabs when thay had the cloth (it's the fender vintage silver cloth) available... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
razze06 Posted January 16, 2012 Author Share Posted January 16, 2012 [quote name='Ghost_Bass' timestamp='1326714463' post='1500773'] You won't regret getting the 2nd cab, let us know how they handled the rehearsal! It realy did, i bought the cloth after getting my first cab, my band plays funk/soul/r&b and the modern look of that (ugly) metal grill was a bit off the rest of the band's look so out of pure vanity i replaced it by the cloth and the cabs ended up looking very sexy (and i can swear that they sound better now, )! It makes me wonder why Fender put that awfull grill on the original cabs when thay had the cloth (it's the fender vintage silver cloth) available... [/quote] To keep costs down? Or maybe they weren't going for the vintage/retro look, with the modern block letters logo and the matte black grille... Practice tonight with the rock/soul covers band, and wednesday reggae/rocksteady/dub. That'll be interesting! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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