Fender Rumble 800 Combo or something else?

[WILD FROG SHOT]

Hello!

 

I have been out in the wilderness not playing bass for a few years and sold all of my gear as I was primarily playing guitar, or not playing at all (boo!). I'm getting back into the saddle and have just joined a new band on bass so I need to get some of my own gear to play (yay!).

 

My wife and I were in a band together from 2017-2020 where she played bass and I played guitar, so for now I have temporarily been borrowing her Jazz bass, GK MB800 head and Barefaced Compact setup. This is working well in the new band setup as we obviously did our research right when buying the rig a few years back. Now it's looking like she will also be joining a new band, so demand for the gear is increasing with upcoming gigs and rehearsals for both of us. I've decided to buy my own gear to avoid any sharing stresses.

 

I've looked at a lot of different options, both combos and head/cabs and I'm a bit overwhelmed by the sheer amount of choice, so I'm looking for some help. I think my criteria are:

 

• Output - somewhere around 500W+. I will be playing in a post-rock band with a reasonably hard hitting drummer and two guitarists with valve amps i.e. one has a Fender Twin
• Lightweight - about 20 years ago, I used to lug around an Ampeg SS head and 4x10 cab up and down stairs of venues in Bristol. I really don't want to be doing that again!
• Minimalist with few bells and whistles - I don't really want digital amp simulators or a million different eq options. I just want bass, a tuner, an amp, maybe with an overdrive option, but not a deal breaker.
• Solid state - again for minimal maintenance, things that can break, weight.
• Cost - total up to around £1,500, but I realise I might not need to spend that much.
• Venues - generally small to medium, will usually be playing the local circuit in and around Oxford, for those that know it places like the Jericho Tavern, Bullingdon, maybe upstairs at the O2. These will have a range of monitoring capabilities from 3 primarily vocal monitors to all instruments coming back at you.

 

I've been looking at the standard Fender Rumble 800 combo as I think it ticks all of my boxes, so do I need to look any further? Appreciate it's 400W as is, but could I add another 2x10 cab in future if necessary to make it 800W. Then I've looked at things like Darkglass Microtubes 900 v2 or Mesa Boogie Subway D-800 combined with a Barefaced Compact or Super Twin, but appreciate some of these combinations could end up costing around £2,500 and be complete overkill.

 

Any advice would be much appreciated! (obviously I will go out to music shops and try some things out)

[gjones]

That GK MB800 head and Barefaced Compact set up can really shift some air, I know because, up until I got my Markbass combo, I was using the same setup.

 

I've got friends who use the Rumble 500 and it's loud, very light and sounds pretty good. It's also easy to get a second 2x10 rumble cab secondhand, if you need it, as there's plenty about.

 

 

Edited November 13 by gjones

[Lozz196]

The Rumbles are great amps, sound really good, imo difficult to go wrong with getting one of these.

 

However given your wifes set-up has worked well for you why not get the very same, then you have exact backups for each other in the unlikely event of breakages/failures (unless of course you’re gigging at the same time).

 

And this way should either of you end up on a very big gig you have the option of using both of the Compacts as a stack.

Edited November 13 by Lozz196

[BassAdder60]

What you need is 

EICH T900 900w head 

Vanderkley 212MNT bass cab 

 

I’m selling both and will do a deal if you take them together say 

£825.00 ?? 
 

Suffolk based but could meet if not too far away 

Edited November 13 by BassAdder60

[lemmywinks]

1 hour ago, BassAdder60 said:

What you need is 

EICH T900 900w head 

Vanderkley 212MNT bass cab 

 

I’m selling both and will do a deal if you take them together say 

£825.00 ?? 
 

Suffolk based but could meet if not too far away 

 

Belting deal that, just spotted the Eich in the classifieds a moment ago and though it was too cheap so came here to tell the OP!

[WILD FROG SHOT]

Thanks for the replies. Working on something with @BassAdder60

[Stealth]

Fender 800 Stage incoming today will review ASAP

[asingardenof]

On 13/11/2024 at 10:54, gjones said:

That GK MB800 head and Barefaced Compact set up can really shift some air, I know because, up until I got my Markbass combo, I was using the same setup.

 

I've got friends who use the Rumble 500 and it's loud, very light and sounds pretty good. It's also easy to get a second 2x10 rumble cab secondhand, if you need it, as there's plenty about.

The Rumble will only be c.300W without the second cab, though that should be plenty loud enough as you say

[Stealth]

Tried is at rehearsal yesterday its a keeper I think the key is to not get carried away with a million presets the Bassman 300 clean is very Mike Dirnt and it'd damn loud. Not the wats mean a lot buts its 400w at @ohm (internal) 800w with ext which I can't see needing. Editing is easy without the app. Footpedal is tough and it's a one hand carry. Pub gig this Sat rock and metal covers a proper test further reports to follow.

 

Stealth

Edited yesterday at 14:42 by Stealth