With the Rumble Bass series , Fender set out to create portable-friendly, lightweight bass amplifier line that didn't sacrifice overall loudness and tone. With several combo models in the series, ranging from the small 15-watt Rumble 15 all the way to the 500-watt Rumble 500 – along with Rumble 200  / 500 heads and 115  / 410 cabinets – bass players interested in the line definitely accept a lot to cull from. Today, we take a wait at the biggest amp in the series, the Rumble 500.

The Build

From the get-go, it's obvious that the quality of the amp is very high. From the sleek, classic await to solid construction, the Rumble 500 is definitely a not bad looking amp. Featuring a tough plywood frame, metal front panel, black textured vinyl covering with a silverish grille cloth and a cherry LED pilot light jewel, the Rumble 500 looks exactly how you would expect a Fender amp to look like.

Rumble 500

But seeing every bit how the combo was made to be powerful nevertheless portable, the beginning thing I did when I got my hands on the amp was to choice it up. Every bit shortly as I did, it was immediately axiomatic that Fender delivered on one of its two goals. Despite its plywood frame, the Rumble 500 is a deceptively light amp. 36.5 lbs. to be exact – something pretty much unheard of in the early days of bass combo amps and nevertheless on the lighter side even today. I'm rarely the strongest guy in the room only I am able to easily behave the Rumble 500 with piddling effort. In fact, most players should be able to carry the amp with i manus if they wanted to.

The Features

Aside from a solid build, the Rumble 500 also ships with a proficient amount of features and control settings. The majority of the sound is dialed in using a standard fare of EQ knobs – Bass, Low-Mid, High-Mid, and Treble – along with Proceeds and Master Volume settings, each working as you lot would expect them to. And and then we have the born effects toggles: Bright, Contour, Vintage and Overdrive, the last of which also features two farther knobs labeled Drive and Level.

Rumble 500

On the back of the Rumble 500, you'll observe an Effects Loop send and return jacks, headphone jack, auxiliary input, optional footswitch, an external speaker output and an on/off switch for the included horn tweeter.

Rumble 500

All in all, the Rumble 500 isn't the virtually feature-rich bass combo I've come beyond but it has the important essentials and some nice extras, more plenty to keep most bass players happy.

The Sound

The sound of the Rumble 500 is powered by a pair of 10" Eminence speakers. And when y'all add the ability to employ an external speaker, you lot can see that the amp tin potentially put out a lot of ability. But all that means nix if tone and clarity are sacrificed in the process. Fortunately, that isn't the instance with the Rumble 500 as information technology remains strong and clear, fifty-fifty as the Gain and Master knobs are set up near the max. Even with the bass response dialed up, the Rumble 500 remains stiff and articulate, and enough loud for most gigs.

The four EQ knobs work cracking, allowing you lot dial in the precise tonal response for your setup. Whether you're the blazon of histrion that needs a lot of oomph in the low-end or prefers a brighter attack, the Rumble 500 delivers. While the main controls work slap-up, the included effects and voicings are a chip less useful. The Bright setting works as intended, giving the amp some high-end emphasis, but information technology seems to do so at the expense of the low end. The Vintage setting adds a polish layer fuzz to the overall sound while the Contour selection compresses the tone a bit. And as for the Overdrive, information technology works as intended simply if you lot're the type of bass player that uses OD in their sound, it probably won't replace a dedicated pedal. While it's a nice touch that Fender added these features, I tin can't say I come across myself using them much. Notwithstanding, the core sound of the Rumble 500 is slap-up on its own without any demand for those extras.

The Verdict

If the two goals Fender set out to attain with the Rumble serial was portability and power, they definitely succeeded with the Rumble 500. Featuring 500 watts of power, (mostly) useful extras, a peachy range of tonal possibilities and a sound that remains clear and articulate even when pushed -- all in an amp that weighs only 36.five lbs. -- the Rumble 500 is definitely a combo amp worthy of the Fender legacy!

For more data on the Rumble 500 or the rest of the Rumble line, check out the links beneath. And if y'all have any questions regarding the purchase of this or any other piece of gear, don't hesitate to chat with one of our friendly PAL pros by using the alive conversation feature below or by calling us toll-free at ane 877-671-2200!

Fender Rumble 500 Bass Combo Amp

Fender Rumble Series Combos, Heads, And Cabinets

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