Do I need to buy an 8x10" cab now?

[Bassmonkey]

To echo many of the comments above - I agree the 8 x 10 is an amazing cab. Sounds great BUT there are lots of downsides depending on your circumstances:
It's huge - takes up lots of room to store and play with, depends on your typical stage size - may be too big for stage and your car
Its heavy - difficult to move on your own on anything but flat ground, stairs are more than a challenge without another pair of hands

If none of those are issues for you, i'd go for it. Again, bargains are there to be had

Good luck (I went from Ampeg 8 x 10 to Orange 2x12 - now that's almost polar opposites)

[cheddatom]

I've not had loads of experience with 8x10s. I've played through about 3 different ones, Ampeg, Ashdown, Marshall, a total of about 10 times. Obviously they all sound different but are all very impressive. That said, the best sound I've ever had on stage was playing ampless with two huge 15" monitors pointing up at me. I much prefer this to the 8x10s I've tried, and would describe it as far more "punchy"... but then I do have a somewhat unusual sound

[bassjim]

From personal experience : In the right circumstances its the best. In the wrong circumstances its a big big problem.

It may have been the stage you were playing on or just the right environment that allowed the bass to be heard and felt the way you like it. It might have been the case that the same sound, or just as good a sound, might have been got using a good 4 x 10, a pair of 2 x 10 or something of similar power handling to the 8x10.

If its only every now and then you need it you could hire it?

[deanovw]

[quote name='bassjim' timestamp='1469540341' post='3099155']
From personal experience : In the right circumstances its the best. In the wrong circumstances its a big big problem.

It may have been the stage you were playing on or just the right environment that allowed the bass to be heard and felt the way you like it. It might have been the case that the same sound, or just as good a sound, might have been got using a good 4 x 10, a pair of 2 x 10 or something of similar power handling to the 8x10.

If its only every now and then you need it you could hire it?
[/quote]

You may well be correct. I would like to do the gig again with my own setup. lol
I couldn't use one for every gig.
It was just so different sounding to my usual setup. So much more punch. Not volume. That low mid punch that you can feel from anywhere you stood. I am trying to work out if it is just a sealed 8x10" cab that can do this so well.

[Lw.]

It's hard to argue with an 810; the sheer surface area of moving speaker & the size of the box trumps most other cabs.

I you really don't think you can do without the awesomeness; buy a battered 2nd hand one - at least that way when you realise just how impractical it is & that it's not worth the hassle you won't lose any money when you sell it to the next person!

[mrtcat]

There's a berg nv412 for sale in the classifieds here and I can tell you from experience that it will give you that 8x10 punch and more. It's sealed, smaller and lighter than an 8x10 but in every other way it wins hands down.

[bassbiscuits]

I love the sound of an 8x10 - but they are an absolute ball ache to transport anywhere, and unless you've got roadies/parents/a large estate car, you'll probably get as fed up as I did lugging a cab the size and weight of a fridge to and from each gig.

I swapped mine for an Aguilar GS410 - half the size, but packs serious punch and huge volume too, so a much more user-friendly alternative.

I did a gig this weekend which had an Ampeg 8x10 cab and an Orange Ad200 head. Amazing sound, but no way would i want to be dragging that round.

[deanovw]

I like the look of the new Aguilar SL4x10. I'm not so keen on the price!

[deanovw]

[quote name='mrtcat' timestamp='1469544121' post='3099235']
There's a berg nv412 for sale in the classifieds here and I can tell you from experience that it will give you that 8x10 punch and more. It's sealed, smaller and lighter than an 8x10 but in every other way it wins hands down.
[/quote]
Just had a look. Shame it's in Hull.

[Lozz196]

The original post screams of multiple speakers, all going at the same time, and high up enough to hear very well rather than blasting away at kneecaps. I`m getting a Barefaced 410 & 210 to get near this myself, so that may be a nearly there solution. I know speaker size has no reflection on sound, but whenever I hear a whole load of 10s going I invariably like the sound - especially the "feel" of the sound.

[chris_b]

Can you lift an 85lb amp and then a 165lb cab? Do you have roadies? If you do you'll have to add road cases or your gear will end up smashed to bits.

Reality check.... Where do you see SVT 810 rigs being used? That's where they belong. Not down the Dog and Duck. 'Fraid so!

Seems to me Lozz196 has planned the most sensible and doable option.

[lowhand_mike]

why not just get 2 4x10s and that way you have a modular rig that will suit most places, certainly what i'm considering
but yeah lozz's idea seems the most practicle

Edited July 26, 2016 by lowhand_mike

[Guest]

[quote name='chris_b' timestamp='1469534254' post='3099042']
The Ampeg 810 is 4 x 210 enclosures in the same box. If you can find several of the older Classic range SVT 210HE cabs they will work the same.
[/quote]
[quote name='chris_b' timestamp='1469534633' post='3099047']
The Ampeg 210 weighs about 60lbs. It was a sealed cab, as is the 810, and the only Ampeg cab I liked the sound of, and I had them all.
[/quote]

This info is incorrect for a few reasons. firstly the Classic SVT210HE is ported. http://www.ampeg.com/pdf/svt210he_svt15e.pdf
The 210AV is sealed. and I think the PF210HE is sealed also.
But the problem comes with each 2x10 been 8 ohm. thus stacking 4 takes you to a 2 ohm load. The 810 uses 32 ohm drivers so the 8x10 is 4 ohm!
The only way to do it with multiple cabs would be two 8 ohm 4x10HE cabs which I believed are sealed and would do 4 ohms with two of them.

[blue]

There is no perfect cab.

An Ampeg 8x10 cab is nice if they're anything like the one I bought new in 1972. Lugging that cab around is not fun.

Blue

[blue]

[quote name='bassjim' timestamp='1469540341' post='3099155']
From personal experience : In the right circumstances its the best. In the wrong circumstances its a big big problem.

It may have been the stage you were playing on or just the right environment that allowed the bass to be heard and felt the way you like it. It might have been the case that the same sound, or just as good a sound, might have been got using a good 4 x 10, a pair of 2 x 10 or something of similar power handling to the 8x10.

If its only every now and then you need it you could hire it?
[/quote]

Excellent point

Blue

[dannybuoy]

The SVT210AV is cheap, light as a feather, sounds similar to the 810, but obviously not as loud. They also stack perfectly (visually) with the Micro VR you have incoming... But the amp was poorly designed in that if you hook it up to a pair of those cabs (that it was designed to be used with!) it cannot handle it and goes snap crackle and pop whenever you play anything over the volume of a mouse fart.

Those 2 cabs + any other amp is fine. That amp plus any other pair of 8 ohm cabs is also fine. There's a big thread on it over at Talkbass and I found the same when I bought and subsequently returned a Micro VR to go with my pair!

Edited July 26, 2016 by dannybuoy

[BigRedX]

[quote name='chris_b' timestamp='1469549566' post='3099293']
Reality check.... Where do you see SVT 810 rigs being used? That's where they belong. Not down the Dog and Duck. 'Fraid so!
[/quote]

Of course in those circumstances the FoH sound for 99% of the audience will be from the PA, and the onstage sound for the musicians will be mostly from the foldback and IEMs.

[chriswareham]

I don't understand the people saying an Ampeg fridge is hard to transport. Negotiating stairs with one yes, but on the flat theyre easy to wheel along and mine fits in a Ford Ka along with two amp heads, a flight cased pedal board and two bass guitars.

[M@23]

I had the same experience recently, Ampeg 810 and SVT-CL amp. It was wonderful. I know I'd never get my money's worth though. Maybe a quarter of my gigs would permit it, and it'd be horrendous getting it there and home. If you can make the logistics side of things work, then it'd be great fun.
However, for me a 4x10 or 2x12 and 25kg max weight are as big as my rig is going to be.
May be worth looking for a 6x10 as a compromise?

[Roger2611]

[quote name='bassbiscuits' timestamp='1469544494' post='3099237']
I love the sound of an 8x10 - but they are an absolute ball ache to transport anywhere, and unless you've got roadies/parents/a large estate car, you'll probably get as fed up as I did lugging a cab the size and weight of a fridge to and from each gig.

I swapped mine for an Aguilar GS410 - half the size, but packs serious punch and huge volume too, so a much more user-friendly alternative.

I did a gig this weekend which had an Ampeg 8x10 cab and an Orange Ad200 head. Amazing sound, but no way would i want to be dragging that round.
[/quote]

I have to agree, the modular rig seems to be the way to go, I have a 2x10 Mark Bass cab that I use for most smaller gigs where the bass is run through the PA, I can put the 4x10 Mark Bass cab underneath and have a cracking 6x10 set up if I want to (which is my preferred set up for bigger gigs) I can use either the 2x10 or the 4x10 with the 1x15 cab for pub gigs where the bass is not through the PA. Even though the 4x10 is reasonably light I still can't be bothered to lug it about if I don't need to

[M@23]

[quote name='chriswareham' timestamp='1469556560' post='3099366']
I don't understand the people saying an Ampeg fridge is hard to transport. Negotiating stairs with one yes, but on the flat theyre easy to wheel along and mine fits in a Ford Ka along with two amp heads, a flight cased pedal board and two bass guitars.
[/quote]

How?! That's amazing. I had a 2009 KA and with the back seats down could just about get my 2x12, flight case and bag of leads in! Plus it had an annoying boot that was sunken so everything had to be passed over the lip to get it in. I'm 6"4 so had to have my seat back though.

[deanovw]

Maybe a Barefaced 4x10" would be a better option with one of my 2x10"s?

[chriswareham]

[quote name='M@23' timestamp='1469557262' post='3099374']
How?! That's amazing. I had a 2009 KA and with the back seats down could just about get my 2x12, flight case and bag of leads in! Plus it had an annoying boot that was sunken so everything had to be passed over the lip to get it in. I'm 6"4 so had to have my seat back though.
[/quote]

I'll have to take picture next time. I fold the back seats and passenger seat down, then slide the 8x10 in on it's side so it's behind the folded forward passenger seat. The rest of the gear then goes on the driver side. This is the older style of Ka rather than the current one (mine's a 2001 reg one).

[Lozz196]

[quote name='deanovw' timestamp='1469559968' post='3099402']
Maybe a Barefaced 4x10" would be a better option with one of my 2x10"s?
[/quote]

I`d say so - and def hope so seeing as that`s what I`m getting.

[deanovw]

[quote name='Lozz196' timestamp='1469566202' post='3099478']
I`d say so - and def hope so seeing as that`s what I`m getting.
[/quote]

I'm really confused about the impedance of these cabs together though. What impedance is optimal?

2ohm 4x10 with 12ohm 2x10?
8ohm 4x10 with 4ohm 2x10?

how does it work? I always understood that running cabs of different impedance caused the cabs to work unevenly.