Mark Bass cab w/ Fender Head.

[Luke67]

Hi, everybody.

I'm used to playing at home with a small 20W combo amp, which is fine for practice. I'm jamming with these guys in a studio and boy are they loud! My small combo is completely useless in there, and the house PA speakers just crap out the tone of my bass. We are planning to gig in pubs or small venues soon. Time to upgrade!

From my research, I figured a 4x10 cab between 400 and 600w would be ideal.

I found a Markbass 104HR black series on clearance, that fits my budget well. I was thinking of pairing that with a Fender rumble 800 (which according to specs pumps 400w at 8ohms). MarkBass amps are a bit off my budget. Ashdown and Peaveys are also within budget, but I thought the ones I mentioned better options.

My questions are:
1- Cab-wise: too much, too little, or just right?
2- Amp-wise: Is that pairing adequate? Should I try to stick to same-brand, or no such thing?
3- Any other suggestions?

I appreciate any input. Cheers!

 

[rodl2005]

Should be good.

As with any high powered amp. just be careful with the volume and/or bass eq control.

 

[Redbrangus]

Should I try to stick to same-brand, or no such thing?

There's no particular advantage to sticking to the same brand for amps and cabs. What you're considering should be fine.

 

[Marko 1]

I agree with the two posters above.

 

[Bassdirty]

I agree with the three posters above.


T$

 

[ebo]

I would opt for two 210 cabinets. Use one at home and both at gigs. One 210 might work for small pubs. Having multiple cabs gives you choices. Add a 115 and you have mix and match heaven.

 

[G-Dog]

... ... , I figured a 4x10 cab between 400 and 600w would be ideal.

I found a Markbass 104HR black series on clearance, that fits my budget well. I was thinking of pairing that with a Fender rumble 800 (which according to specs pumps 400w at 8ohms). ... ... ...

Not enough info.

• The MB 104HR is available as 8 ohm or 4 ohm. Which one are you considering? They seem to both handle 800w RMS, but the 8 ohm can only draw up to 400w Continuous (like RMS) from any Fender Rumble 800.
• Also, which of the three, count 'em 3(!), Fender Rumble 800s do you have in mind?

1. In 2018 the Rumble Stage 800 2x10" bass modeling combo was introduced. It's quite different from most bass amps, but easy to use with the Fender TONE App via Bluetooth! 400w Continuous alone, 800w Continuous with 8 ohms or 4 ohms total of extension cab(s). Same ceramic speakers as the Rumble 210 cab.
2. In 2019 the Rumble 800 HD head was introduced. 400w Continuous into 8 ohms, 800w Continuous into 4, 2.67 or 2 ohms total of cab(s)!!
3. In 2022 the newest Rumble 800 2x10" NEO combo was introduced. 400w Continuous alone, 800w Continuous with 8 ohms or 4 ohms total of extension cab(s). Plus a 1/4 Power Output switch to get just 100w Continuous alone, or just 200w with 8 ohms or 4 ohms total of extension cab(s) for practice/rehearsal.

... ... My questions are:
1- Cab-wise: too much, too little, or just right? ... ...

The 4 ohm cab with the Rumble 800 HD head would be a perfect match. Anything else is a bit more cab than you can actually use. The 8 ohm cab has between 400w to 533w more power handling than with any Rumble 800. The 4 ohm cab has between 267w and 400w more power handling than with either combo.​

... ...
2- Amp-wise: Is that pairing adequate? Should I try to stick to same-brand, or no such thing? ... ...

The 4 ohm cab with any Rumble 800, or the 8 ohm cab with either combo, is probably most often more than adequate at 800w!! It's probably more often overkill, but awesome nonetheless! (And can be turned down.) The 8 ohm cab, with the Rumble 800 HD head, at 400w, is plenty adequate for most pubs and small venues.

You could stick with the same brand, but no overriding reason you should. Either Rumble 800 combo alone, or the HD head with a Rumble 210 cab, would give you a plenty adequate 400w rig, and probably cost less than your planned rig. Many 800 Rumblers do quite well with a single 2x10" Rumble at 400w most of the time, or just occasionally add a second 2x10" cab for 800w.​

... ...
3- Any other suggestions? ... ... ...

Fender makes a 500w 8 ohm Rumble 410 cab, if that's what you really want, probably less expensive than the MB on clearance.

And the Rumble 210 cab is rated 350w Continuous "on paper", but is actually quite capable of 400w, even encouraged*, with a Rumble 800 amp.

*Some Rumble 210 cabs have black grill aesthetics to match the Rumble Stage 800 combo, which contains the exact same speakers!

Whatever Rumble you get, go to the TalkBass Fender Rumble Club to get a free membership.​

.

 

[Luke67]

Not enough info.

• The MB 104HR is available as 8 ohm or 4 ohm. Which one are you considering? They seem to both handle 800w RMS, but the 8 ohm can only draw up to 400w Continuous (like RMS) from any Fender Rumble 800.
• Also, which of the three, count 'em 3(!), Fender Rumble 800s do you have in mind?

1. In 2018 the Rumble Stage 800 2x10" bass modeling combo was introduced. It's quite different from most bass amps, but easy to use with the Fender TONE App via Bluetooth! 400w Continuous alone, 800w Continuous with 8 ohms or 4 ohms total of extension cab(s). Same ceramic speakers as the Rumble 210 cab.
2. In 2019 the Rumble 800 HD head was introduced. 400w Continuous into 8 ohms, 800w Continuous into 4, 2.67 or 2 ohms total of cab(s)!!
3. In 2022 the newest Rumble 800 2x10" NEO combo was introduced. 400w Continuous alone, 800w Continuous with 8 ohms or 4 ohms total of extension cab(s). Plus a 1/4 Power Output switch to get just 100w Continuous alone, or just 200w with 8 ohms or 4 ohms total of extension cab(s) for practice/rehearsal.

The 4 ohm cab with the Rumble 800 HD head would be a perfect match. Anything else is a bit more cab than you can actually use. The 8 ohm cab has between 400w to 533w more power handling than with any Rumble 800. The 4 ohm cab has between 267w and 400w more power handling than with either combo.​

The 4 ohm cab with any Rumble 800, or the 8 ohm cab with either combo, is probably most often more than adequate at 800w!! It's probably more often overkill, but awesome nonetheless! (And can be turned down.) The 8 ohm cab, with the Rumble 800 HD head, at 400w, is plenty adequate for most pubs and small venues.

You could stick with the same brand, but no overriding reason you should. Either Rumble 800 combo alone, or the HD head with a Rumble 210 cab, would give you a plenty adequate 400w rig, and probably cost less than your planned rig. Many 800 Rumblers do quite well with a single 2x10" Rumble at 400w most of the time, or just occasionally add a second 2x10" cab for 800w.​

Fender makes a 500w 8 ohm Rumble 410 cab, if that's what you really want, probably less expensive than the MB on clearance.

And the Rumble 210 cab is rated 350w Continuous "on paper", but is actually quite capable of 400w, even encouraged*, with a Rumble 800 amp.

*Some Rumble 210 cabs have black grill aesthetics to match the Rumble Stage 800 combo, which contains the exact same speakers!

Whatever Rumble you get, go to the TalkBass Fender Rumble Club to get a free membership.​

.

Thanks for the thorough explanation!

l'll have a browse at the available options in stores... A 2x10 cab appears to be a more sensible option for what I need.

 

[Doug P]

Many players mix brands on amps and cabs. I have as well. But the companies do build both amp and cab to achieve “their sound.” I’ll only speak about my experiences here. My Ampeg SVT rig sounds like well, the Ampeg sound. Same for my GK 700 and RBH rig. Has that GK sound. The GK amp and Tech 21 RPM with the 8x10 Ampeg my “go to” rig works for me. But I still believe that using the same companies components and how they build / tune the amp and cab to get their unique sound ………