Fender’s latest incarnation in the Rumble line is the LT25, a 25 watt combo amp featuring a digital interface loaded with tones and presets. Sizing up a little under 40x40x30cms the LT25 is a compact unit ideally intended as a practice amp for just about anywhere you can envisage it (home/studio/bedroom/shed etc). This iteration of the Rumble continues with the cream coloured vintage styled control knobs and black textured vinyl covering, but this time with a matching black grille cloth (as opposed to the typical silver). The black looks a little more understated and inconspicuous and the whole unit is sleek and restrained. Specs wise, the control panel features Gain, Bass, Middle, Treble and a Master level. Next, we come to the Display Window, with a rotary control and buttons labelled ‘Back’, ‘Save’, ‘Menu’ and ‘Tap.’ Alongside the power switch and input jack there are Aux and USB inputs and a mini 3.5mm headphone output for quiet practice.
Plug into the LT25 and you can immediately dial a range of tones from clean and scooped through to warmer rounder type sounds. The standard EQ section is straight forward with the additional interface then adding the real flexibility. 30 onboard presets range from clean to fuzz to delay to compressed, octave, phaser and more. Offering amp types and EQ, Stomp, Mod and Delay effects blocks you can flick through the presets and then edit as you like. The rotary controller allows you to navigate the menus fairly easily and you can of course save and edit preset names.
Smaller ‘practice’ style amps have really come a long way. Presets, effects, portability, a good range of tones and the ability to use headphones and plug in an external source give you a great base to hone your chops solo or jamming along with tracks on your smartphone. I like the look and size of the LT25 and the single 8” produces more oomph than you’d think giving you enough volume to jam out at home. The presets cover a solid range of tones and the amp models and effects are more than enough to keep you busy. Essentially, the LT25 can be straight forward if that’s your vibe or a little more in depth if you want to dig a little deeper into the pocket of what this little guy has to offer. Cool.
