A dozen years ago my Showmen shared the stage with a band whose tall blonde babe with big XXXXX was playing a stand-up bass somewhere in O/C. I remember talking to her on numerous occasions after that performance, trying to persuade her to sell me her blonde bass amp. That amp was bitchin. I remember it was a Fender Rumble Bass.

During the past month my present bass player has gone through a couple new Fender Bass Rumbles and each have been returned to GC. They sucked.

Disclaimer: Tone is in the ear of the beholder; some prefer the clean tone of Richard Dangel, others the raw, cutting edge of Link Wray.

Chris, I would neva' call ya a wimp, unless we were talking Band Masters v Showmans, and the discussion would stay on the amps.

On a side note, since one of your influences is the Astronauts and you are from the Rocky state, did you ever have the opportunity to sit down with one of their guitar players and delve into how they got that bitchin verb sound on their recordings?

We did a show with them in San Bernardino back in 62, maybe 63 and that deep, dripping reverb sound was not omni-present. They were busy signing autographs and being interviewed by the press as we took our equipment off stage, so there was no time to sit back and talk shop, so, I've always wondered if their unique sound was the result of the RCA studio equipment?

No band I have ever heard was able to mimic it, kind of like Dale's Del Tone recording of Miserlou, never replicated in another recording.

Dick has always told me since the mid 60's that he did not use a reverb when he cut Miserlou or the reverse side, that the sound came from the long hall in the recording studio.

I am always chasing after tone. I guess we all do that?

Thanks guys. That blonde looks like a monster! Definitely not light and portable.

I kinda had the feeling the new Rumbles were junk, I was seduced by the bf looks, and light weight.

Any reccomendations for a light (sub-40lbs), loud (200+watts) bass amp? I think it's gonna have to be class Dull...

The original Rumble Bass was a 300 watt, hand wired Fender Custom Amp Shop product that was offered, I think in 1997-99. It is a beast, comparable to an Ampeg SVT and arguably superior to that classic big stage bass rig. The power section of the Custom Shop Rumble Bass head was designed by Bill Hughes, the same engineer that designed the Ampeg SVT and the pre-amp was designed by Bruce Zinky. Both are well-known names in the amp world.

I've read that only 60 or 70 of these heads were ever built as they were very pricey. They provide a monstrous sound and like the SVT were intended for large venue professional shows. I had one for many years and sold it a couple years ago to a good friend and former bandmate who still has it.

When the second Rumble series appeared in the early 2000's they really were little more than toys, some of them featured a flashing red light inside that was visible in the horizontal port at the bottom of the cabinet. I bought the 25 watt version for my then-girlfriend's daughter and the kindest thing can say is that it was a piece of crap.

The current Rumbles get extremely mixed reviews on the TalkBass bass forum. The post-2000 Rumbles are Fender's entry level bass amps. I haven't played through one so I can't comment on how good or not so good they are. But personally, since there is a LOT of really good used bass gear on the market these days, I'd buy a nice, pre-owned mid- or high-line Gallien-Krueger, Fender Bassman, Ampeg, SWR, Genz Benz or something similar if I was looking for a quality bass rig at a very affordable price.

Jack Booth
(aka WoodyJ)

The Mariners (1964-68, 1996-2005), 2025
The Hula Hounds (1996-2000)
The X-Rays (1997-2004)
The Surge! (2004, 2011-2012)
Various non-surf bands that actually made money (1978-1990)

MP. Definitely go with Woody's advice. I've been on the surf scene since 1962, so I kind of know my way around guitars and amps, that is, if they are a Strat or a Showman. Anything else, I don't know squat, thus the reason I relied on Woddy's input to pass onto my bass player.

He bought the exact type of equipment Woody suggested before going through 3 different amp/speaker configurations. KILLER stuff.

Wood, check out the head on my bass players speaker cab. I can almost put it in a cargo pocket and as you said, my Showman head pales in comparison. That darn amp has super-duper power.

Erik is using the rumble 500. I'd hardly call the thing junk or dull. Well maybe dull in the sense that it just isn't a vintage showman or dually like he's always used, but sonically it's right there.

If I were still a bass player in any band I'd definitely buy one for myself.

WoodyJ wrote:

SurfBeat wrote:

Wood, check out the head on my bass players speaker cab. I can almost put it in a cargo pocket and as you said, my Showman head pales in comparison. That darn amp has super-duper power.

That's a Gallien-Krueger MB500 or MB800 An excellent amp!

You know your amps Wood: MB800 with two GK 15" speakers in two cabinets.

Leaves my Showman in the dust. Killer