Okay, I did it. Pulled the trigger & bought the lightly-used Fender "Rumble 100" 210. Good GODS but this thing is a chunky piece of fuzzy black furniture!! I haul crap around the assembly line all day, but hiking this amp up the steps was some of the heaviest cardio I've done all year...

Speaking of which: Quibble #1, note to amp companies. Bolting a handle to the freakin' TOP of a 100-pound TV set in the 1960s didn't make the damned thing "portable"!!! It doesn't work any better in 2010 with big chunky amplifiers. Fender at least had the sense to use side-mount handles in later big Rumble models, though I wish they'd used Peavy-type scoops instead of the mousetraps.

The SRP on these beasts was $550. I got mine for under $300 after tax -- I love Kezar Music, & I know they're struggling a little, so I probably kept them out of the red for another week by taking this off their hands. I coulda got 10% off for cash (& maybe a bit more with some haggling), but I just chalk it up as a "goodwill" tax. Anyway, the 100s often appear online NEW at $250-$350 even though the model is discontinued.

Having tried it side-by-side with a new Rumble 150 1x15 & Rumble 75 1x12, it totally kicks the 75's butt at the same price-point, though the new 75 has a tilt-back cab that's kinda nice.

And given that the 150 is locked in at the $350 retail point, I suppose I coulda gone that way for a few bucks more... except I just didn't like the tone as much. Really, after a certain point there's only so much floor to shake. Sure, maybe the 150 raises hell at 50hZ & the 100 only gets down to 100hZ, so if raw power is important to you, you'll be VERY happy with the 150. For me, I like a certain indefinable sound in the upper midrange, & while the 150 was pretty good (remember: I am NOT a Fender fan, so that's praise!), the 2x10 cab just FELT better to me.

To reprise for reference, Kezar had the Rumble 30 & 15 too. The 15 sucks (& not in a good way), a little farty box that's vastly overpriced in the $100 range. The 30 is marginally better, but for about $175 still overpriced -- seriously, if you need a "bass practice amp" my vote would be to either go POD (or similar) straight to the board of a small PA or to your headphones, or get a good small combo-size bass amp. The Rumble 75 would (IMO) be an... <sound=teeth_clenching> acceptable compromise, especially if you can find one used under $150.

It'll take me a few days to rearrange stuff, & then maybe I'll add further comments.

Despite my glowing "gig report" (posted elsewhere), I now have something to gripe about. The tops of the Rumble's knobs are pretty much flush with the cabinet edges. So, I was rolling the beast through a doorway, & managed to snag the doorframe -- snapped the Volume control off flush to the faceplate.

Now, the press-on aluminum knobs look nice, but it occurs to me that if I'd gone ahead & swapped for plastic pointers, I might've broken the knob but the pot would be at least serviceable. But Fender really ought to consider real-world conditions, & not all their amps are going to live safely; all they'd have to do is move the faceplate in 1/4" or less.

And if I want to use the stock knob, I've got to pry the shaft out, which tends to be a pain -- something to be said for set-screw knobs.