Well, I spent about an hour in a nearby GC in Brooklyn and I had the chance to try a couple of rigs. Including an A/B between the small Ampeg210AV and the Acoustic260.
Just thought of writing something.
BASS: Squier Classic Vibe Jazz bass (was really good BTW).
No Ampeg micro head available so I tried the small Ampeg 210AV and Acoustic cab with the Acoustic head.
Ampeg210AV-
PROS: lighweight, vertical orientiation, very mid punchy, classic sealed sound. Not very deep in the bass department , but I think it should sound really good in the mix, with it's punchy midrange.
CONS: No Speakon connector, did tend to get a little un-focused and not as defined at higher volumes with the bass' tone knob all the way down (off).
Acoustic260-
PROS: lightweight, very cool towel bar and wheels, looks like a mini 810. Sounded more open, wide and deep. I felt it was more articulate. I was surprized at how well it sounded having only a single 10" speaker. I think the porting/design of the cab really helps in a bigger-than-it-should-be sound.
CONS: No Speakon, a little heavier than the Ampeg cab.
OVERALL: I like both cabs a lot. I would have to try them with my TC Classic450 and one of my basses if I was to decide. Bottom line, the Ampeg had that mid bump sealed sound with not a lot of bass or treble sizzle. The Acoustic was more balanced and versatile with a better grip when boosting the Bass EQ in the amp.
In the end it wasn't a fair fight, since I didn't have the Ampeg micro-SVT at hand, but I felt that testing both cabs with the same head, gave me a more even playing field.
Also tried:
GK MB115:
Sounded very nice, balanced and NOT trebly as I was expecting. Lightweight and a nice price. Would love to try the 210 or 212.
Markbass LittleMark tube head w. Traveler 102 cab:
The amps features were really nice. Going from "tube" to "ss" and in between gave me some subtle tone changes. Reminded me of my old Hartke3500, mixing the Tube and SS sections made the amp louder and got a nice balance.
While the amp felt nice, I wouldn't spend the extra $$$$ over an F1/F500 or LM3. The cab sounded very mellow and dark. I didn't like it.
Markbass CMD102 combo:
The cab sounded way bigger and deeper because of the porting and tuning IMO. The head was basically an F1 which I liked a lot. Very tight, fast and small (if taken out of that bulky combo enclosure).
Epifani Performer 210:
They had a used one that I plugged to the Acoustic micro head and did not like it at all. Very bassy, mild scooped mellow mids and a little bright. I much prefered both Ampeg and Acoustic cabs to this Epifani. IMO.
Well, sorry for the looong post...
