Help Me Decide Between Two Combos! (Or, Weight vs. Tone?)

[WhyIsPBassBest]

(TL;DR: currently own a Fender Rumble 100. Love the weight, hate the tone. Bought a Traynor SB115 a couple weeks ago on sale, love the tone, but it’s about 10lbs heavier than the Fender [and double the wattage/bigger speaker]. Can I still comfortably bus with the Traynor?)

Hello All,

I have been having a dilemma trying to decide which one of these two great combo amps I should keep:

A Fender Rumble 100 V3 (100W/12”)
Or:
A Traynor Small Block 115 (200W/15”)

What I do / my needs:
I’m the bass player for a starting-up band that some friends from university and I are putting together. I also frequently have jam sessions with those guys with a “just-for-fun” feel.
I need a LIGHT amp, but with enough power to hold down the jam in the immediate, plus handle a small house / bar show in the future.
I have no car so taking the bus with my bass and amp is a necessary evil.
My main criteria are light weight (objective), and tone (subjective).


FENDER RUMBLE 100:

So basically (bass-ically), I have owned the Fender Rumble 100 V3 for about a year now. I was never in love with the tone. Just sounded too bassy and scooped to me, and I couldn’t remedy it with the EQ to make me “love” it. My sound through that amp was always just “alright,” and never “great/in love”. But this thing sure is light. Under 25lbs. I feel as though it is close to maxed out (gain @ 11o’clock and master @ 2 or 3o’clock) when we’re having a loud jam, and I’m not sure how much more it could stretch if I ever end up at a small show with it.
It is a breeze to bus @ below 25lbs, but it only has a mesh speaker cover (!) which is a bit of a hazard in transit.


TRAYNOR SMALL BLOCK 115:

A couple weeks ago I came across this amp at my local Long & Mcquade, for a ridiculously low sale price being that it was used, and on a Boxing Day sale. I grew up playing an old Yorkville BassMaster combo and a friend of mine owns the exact amp that was on sale, an SB115.
I absolutely LOVE the tone I can get out of this amp. Mids! I generally love the sound of 15” speakers, and Yorkville/Traynor stuff. Maybe because that’s what I started with nearly 10 years ago.
Still haven’t jammed with this amp, but I’ve jammed with my friends which is the exact same amp.
I feel as though this amp has ample power for all of my current and future needs (jams/small shows with no PA).
I guess the only thing making me second guess is the relatively larger size/weight (about 10lbs heavier and 1 cubic foot bigger)
But it does have a proper metal grille speaker cover, so nobody can kick through the cone on a swaying, boisterous Saturday night bus ride, LOL!

Anyone with experience living the bus life care to pitch in your opinions?

I’m a pretty small guy, but then again, ~25lbs vs ~35 lbs isn’t some gigantic difference. Should I just muscle up and deal with the Traynor? It really looks to be everything I’ve ever wanted/needed out of an amp, apart from the slight disadvantage on portability.

...And try as I might, I wound up typing out so many words for you! I’ve left a TL;DR at the start.

Thanks to all the knowledgeable and experienced people here on TB! You are all great!

WIPBB

 

[JakobT]

Get the one you like the sound of.

 

[Jim C]

I too was less than satisfied with the Rumble 100.
Using a (NLA) used Boss parametric EQ makes this amp great for acoustic gigs.
The ability to pull approx. 400 Hz. gets rid of the mud while allowing a nice firm bass tone.
I never had issues with the upper mids or treble.
Plus the amp is stupid light!

 

[AstroSonic]

Keep the Trainer and get a portable/folding hand truck, something like this: https://www.amazon.com/Mount-Foldin...coding=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=YG4BKD6AB4YAGPXWVGNA

Alternatively, keep the Rumble after you add some Dacron to the port tubes, and are satisfied with the tone. It will decrease the mid-upper bass hump and make the sound more articulate. Experiment with the amount.

 

[el jeffe bass]

I have a Rumble 100 and can hardly stand the sound of it. I have tried everything including bypassing the preamp and using other preamps. Nothing seems to make it tolerable to me. Like you, I love the weight but am at wits end with it. With all of the class D amps out right now it should be relatively easy to find good tone and reasonable weight. Go for the tone that you like.

 

[CallMeAl]

Have you stumbled on the Rumble speaker mod or the lining/bracing mod?
It’s a small investment, and a gamble, but could potentially give you a nice compromise.

Ive considered these on my Rumble 100; it’s not the best amp I’ve ever played, but I’ve been happy enough to leave it as is.

If I were you, I’d probably keep both. Take the Rumble to jams, and Traynor to gigs.

 

[klokker]

35lbs isn't bad at all for a 1x15. I have a 1x15 that weight 55 lbs, its my beater rig but with a little folding handtruck it's not that bad and I'm an old guy. I gig a 2x12 that weights around 45 lbs. and it's no big deal.

If you like the Traynor take it. That weight is really not bad at all for a 1x15. A Mesa Subway "ultralight" 1x15 comes in at 37 lbs.

 

[CallMeAl]

Alternatively, keep the Rumble after you add some Dacron to the port tubes, and are satisfied with the tone. It will decrease the mid-upper bass hump and make the sound more articulate. Experiment with the amount.

You mean just roll it up into a tube, and stuff it in the port?

 

[shawshank72]

35lbs is not something to worry about for a 200 watt 1x15 combo.
I use this amp a lot and have no issues carrying it in one hand, it’s a dream.
That being said I like the Rumble series but comparing the 100 to the SB115 is not even close, the Traynor is a far superior amp than that model.

 

[BogeyBass]

The size and wattage can be ignored.
pretty much same thing.

i dont feel the wattage equals much with the rumbles
cause technically they work...but the speaker driver is not very special

to get the most bang for the buck and have a single driver/ single carry solution

a 15 " speaker will utilize the wattage the best, efficiency is higher
the overall size and airspace youll need to utilize a 15"
the box is gonna have to be a certain size.

i think you found your single carry solution with the 15"
likewise just most likely a better sounding speaker all together

as far as the bus thing...well it sucks been there.
someday life will change.
and a magic car will appear.

get a car and another 15" speaker LOL
and find out how fun the good old 2x15 sounds for bass

till then rock the 15" and maybe find band members that are nice enough to pick you up
or get a 1200 credit card
do 2 cash withdraws and buy a used honda

 

[Balog]

You already own both. Take the Traynor on the bus and see if it’s that big an inconvenience. No one here can tell you how you will feel about carrying something. Just try it and see.

 

[WhyIsPBassBest]

Thanks for the replies guys!
I did forget to add that I have tried lining and bracing the Fender, or rather I should say, I bought the amp used and the previous owner did these two mods.
Interesting suggestion with plugging the ports, I’ll have to try that since I haven’t already.
Nice to have reversible mod options to experiment with. I really do love the form-factor of this amp, so it’s worth it to me to play with some mods.

Thanks again,
WIPBB

 

[FLAT EARTH]

I would go for the sound personally, hate it out and save for a class D and a light weight speaker. The 15 would at least hold down your end at a show. If possible leave your rumble at practice spot, and take the 15 with tone to events.

 

[iagtrplyr]

Before you dump the 100, pull out the speaker and see how much modding the previous owner did. I found out the hard way that if you overfill the cabinet it'll choke the sound terribly. Pull some of the damping out and let her breathe. It does it’s own baked-in tone though and you just may not care for it.

If that’s the case, sell the Rumble, buy six-months at the gym, and schlep the Traynor. Good luck!

 

[Downunderwonder]

So long as the Traynor can be picked up and put on the bus without undue drama it's easy to shift with a trolley.

Ime of riding the bus to gigs there's usually a willing young man to help in getting it off.

 

[Frank77]

The weight difference is not insignificant, but I'd say go with the Traynor since you love its tone. It's quite clear from your post that it's the way to go: You're not happy with the Fender's tone and it's not quite loud enough for your needs anyway. I've always been very impressed by Traynor's bang-for-buck value. Plus, it's made in Canada.

As for commuting, see if you can find a small cart that would make things easier for you, or explore carpooling options with your bandmates, use a taxi when you have a gig, etc.

 

[Frank77]

35lbs is not something to worry about for a 200 watt 1x15 combo.

I know, right? The old Yorkville 200B rat-fur covered combo I "grew up with" (also a 1x15") was about 55 lbs!

 

[lbbc]

Traynor all day for the things you mentioned...200 watts andm grille. I, too, grew up playing Yorkville amps and love them!

 

[bassliner50]

I own both the Rumble 100 v3 and the Traynor SB115. I love and rely on them both. Depending on the venue, I gig regularly with either of these. Both are fine combos. The Rumble as you can imagine is more easily transported. It may take a bit longer to EQ to my satisfaction, then it does just fine. The (rat fur covered) Traynor has a more refined tone, always sounds impressive (rich, full, warm, balanced) even with EQ controls dead flat. I believe it is 31lbs as compared to 20 lb or so Rumble. For the very controlled gigs I do, really either would do the job well. I usually roll out the Traynor for the larger rooms. So far reliability has proven to be 100% for both these work horses. If I had to choose between them, I would probably prefer the Traynor SB15 or even SB12 based on quality of sound and potential quantity of sound. That said, I really like my Rumble 100 and my Rumble 40 BTW.

 

[Al Kraft]

Given that the size/weight difference is not night and day and there is no deal breaker aspect in utility of one over the other, I would always choose in favor of the tone/voicing I like. IME Traynor products have great reliability and in your description actually has some attractive aspects over the Fender (better tone, more power/volume, metal grille)...this would be a decision that makes itself for me.