Fender Rumble 40

This has been in use in my studio for about a year now and it's done very well. I've used it it playing with a full band (with electronic kit) for rehearsals and such, as well as when recording, and also I use it as a practice amp.

The amp is astonishingly light which is great if you need to move it or take it anywhere. (The postman, who plays guitar too, asked me what it was when it arrived - he said he saw Fender on the box so he thought it was an amp but it was too light so it couldn't be. I told him it was a bass amp and he didn't believe me at first! ) Nevertheless the cabinet is very solid, not at all flimsy and doesn't suffer from rattles, buzzes or other cabinet noises, even when it's turned up loud.

The amp will go quiet enough for "bedroom use" and loud enough without breakup to comfortably play along with a drum kit as long as the drummer isn't too hard hitting. it copes fine in a medium sized room playing along with electronic drum kit and a full band. It wouldn't have the power or headroom to work in a large room or with a loud band. Small low volume gigs would be ok and for that, it's small size and light weight would be a huge bonus.

A decent range of sounds are available and I was surprised at the amount of low end that would come out of a small, light cabinet with a small speaker. At sensible volumes the response is very even, but when it's turned up toward it's maximum volume things get a little less smooth. For high volume high gain kinda stuff you're probably going to want more power and tone shaping capabilities but for just about everything else you'd do on a 4 string bass this will get you into the general area and sound pretty good. With the deeper notes on a 5 string bass it copes well at moderate volume,

The line out socket is very useful and gives a workable sound for recording, it's a good option to have if you just want something quick Would be useful if playing live with a full PA system too.

All in all, a very handy and pretty decent sounding amp for home, rehearsal and studio use. No it's not an Ampeg SVT, but an SVT couldn't do the jobs this does!

The new Fender rumble is advertised as a new lighter design.. they weren’t lying, its a fantastic amp. The rumble 40 is ideal for home practice or gigging small venues. Its not overly loud for home practice but does have a headphone jack to keep the neighbors happy.

Pros.. easy to carry, nice clear sound with easy to use controls. Design is nice to look at as a piece of furniture.

Cons.. can’t really think of any.. if you need more power, buy the 100,200 or 500.

Thomann were excellent as always.