The Fender Rumble 100 V3 is an affordable stage amp with reasonable portability.
And while it does carry the Fender clean bass tone, it does allow for a bit more tone shaping with its contour, bright and vintage controls.
Speaking of vintage, this setting results in warmer bass tones that work well with Americana and folk music. This works on top of Fender’s renowned clean tone which is easily the main reason why most users are happy with the Rumble 100 V3.
At 1000W and with a 12″ speaker, this bass amp is capable of handling small to medium size venues, and can fill up closed door venues even better.
Another selling point of the amp is its dedicated line out. So should you choose to, provided that the venue you’re playing at has a P.A. at its disposal, you’re not going to be held back by the amp’s wattage should you choose to perform live.
Features
- 100-Watts
- 12” Speaker
- Controls: Bass, Low Mid, High Mid, Treble, Gain, Drive, Level, Master, Contour, Bright, Vintage
- AUX-Input, Headphone-Output, Footswitch, Line Out
- Weight: 22 lbs.
Pros
Being an owner of a Fender Rumble myself, I am at one with the market in commending the Rumble 100 V3’s power to weight ratio. It really is surprisingly light for its power rating and actual volume. Tone is another big reason why many rate this bass amp highly, along with the versatility afforded by its vintage switch and contour knob. It also helps that the Rumble 100 looks every bit as classy as more premium Fender amps.
Cons
Being light caused a few to wonder about the amp’s durability, but they are outnumbered by those who describe the amp as a solidly built. There are a few who feel that it is not as loud as they want, but after having experienced the low-end rumble of this amp myself, I wonder how loud these users want the amp to go!
Overall
For fans of Fender’s classic bass tones, the Fender Rumble 100 V3 is a no brainer. But even if you’re not a fan, its great balance of quality, affordability and portability makes this a very likable stage amp for bassists.
Although this was previously on our recommended list, there are now more highly rated options available which you can see in our guide to The Best Combo Bass Amps.