Bergantino???

[MooseKnuckle]

What's the deal with these cabs? Are they well constructed? Are they lightweight? Or are they just inexpensive/cheap? I'm not knocking'em in any way, I just wanna know what the "buzz" is all about these cabs. Thanks

[T. Alan Smith]

For me, they sound like I always dreamed a cab should sound like.
When it came time for me to put a new rig together, I went with the 1x12". I could have gotten a 4x10" from any other manufacturer, but went quality over quantity...to the max.

[sevenorchids]

Inexpensive? NO
Lightweight? Not the Bergs that I have had
Superbly constructed? Yes
Worth the money? Yes

Where did you see that they were inexpensive? Probably some of the highest prices you could pay for cabinets but, again, worth every penny.

A quick search on Bergantino will get you all the information that you could ever need.

[KJung]

I rarely say this, but man, do a search. There is a Berg megathread active on virtually the same page as your thread. There are literally thousands of reviews, pictures and comments on these cabs.

In short, Bergantino makes a wide variety of designs, types, weight, etc.... from the oldest of old school to the most modern voicing.

[MooseKnuckle]

I was just looking for a quick answer as to why alot of bassists own'em, and why they were so popular.

[sevenorchids]

This is not the place to get a quick answer to anything. This is the place to spend hours searching and reading thousands of posts to find the one that actually answers your question.

Bergantino are high quality, high priced cabinets made with high quality components that are worth every penny. If they meet your tone goals, there is nothing better, in mine and others opinions. I have owned some of the older models (HT322, IP310, HT115) and some of the newer (NV610, NV215) models. All were great.

I don't own any now, though. That's mostly due to GAS and the fact that Bergantino's seem to hold their value reasonably well and get back most of the money that you pay for them (especially if you buy used). That's certainly not the case with most cabs.

[groooooove]

Originally Posted by KJung

I rarely say this, but man, do a search. There is a Berg megathread active on virtually the same page as your thread. There are literally thousands of reviews, pictures and comments on these cabs.

In short, Bergantino makes a wide variety of designs, types, weight, etc.... from the oldest of old school to the most modern voicing.

yes sir.

IMO their more modern sounding buisiness is what theyre "best" at. or is that just because thats what i'd buy if i went for bergs?

their 12" cabs have a great reputation, regardless.

[KJung]

Originally Posted by MooseKnuckle

I was just looking for a quick answer as to why alot of bassists own'em, and why they were so popular.

I understand. It is hard to dig through a lot of stuff.

They are expensive, but very good. However, each model type sounds VERY different, so the idea of 'liking or not liking' Bergantino's is a bit of a meaningless question. Great service and support, and expert design (Jim is actually an audio engineer by background.

The current line:

AE..... 112, 210, 410... moderate weight neo cabs... bright, upper mid present, nice lows, a bit 'rough and grindy' sounding, which I like. If you like a grindy, single coil, stainless steel roundwound tone, and are more interested in 'punch and articulation' than huge, deep low end, these are amazing cabs. Downside.. the spray on coating, while beautiful, is a bit fragile... these cabs demand the use of the padded cover to keep them looking nice. The 410 is a nice, small size, and is my personal favorite cab of all time... period!

HS.... 210 and 410 these cabs are the 'updates' of the discontinued SA cabs, and were originally designed for use with a Tube amp (warm, tight down low, lots of low mid presence). The HS cabs update the very mid present SA cabs by a driver redesign to extend the low end a touch more, making them great for players, using an oversimplification, who are more into the 'classic rock' sort of thing... warm, punchy, low mid present, smooth up top. Non neo speakers, small cabs, but relatively heavy. The 410 is nice and small relatively to most others.

HT.... only the 112 left in this line. I haven't played the current ER version, but this is Jim's more 'smooth, creamy, studio monitor like' line of cabs... modern... deep lows, nice airy top end, even mids... less aggressive and voiced versus the other lines. Relatively small but heavy 112. The IP line (IP310 and 112) is basically self powered HT's with some additional circuitry to add compression and 'pre EQ' prior to your preamp of choice.

NV.... 412 and 610 sealed one way cabs with no tweeter... New Vintage says it all... for the heavy rockers among us... mid present, warm, grindy... great with old school tube amps or distortion... with the 610 being a smaller, lighter Ampeg Fridge type thing. I have not played the 412, but that is a classic 'aggressive rock' configuration for big bottom and low mid force. Relatively heavy.

IMO and lots of IME!

[rockstarbassist]

The NV's are about the best cabs ever, IME.

My other fave's are the Accu Whappo Jr and Mesa PH412.

But yes, they "hype" is real, and legitimate, and deserved.

[MooseKnuckle]

Cool Deal. Thanks for all the help. I was curious cause I'm starting with a new group that is acoustic/light rock(think Dave Matthews), and was looking for an audiophile-like rig without going to the typical SWR, G-K, etc. I was looking for something easy on the back, but able to handle the low B with clarity and power. I continued to see all these rigs with Berg cabs, and it sparked an interest.

[jibreel]

Originally Posted by KJung

I understand. It is hard to dig through a lot of stuff.

They are expensive, but very good. However, each model type sounds VERY different, so the idea of 'liking or not liking' Bergantino's is a bit of a meaningless question. Great service and support, and expert design (Jim is actually an audio engineer by background.

The current line:

AE..... 112, 210, 410... moderate weight neo cabs... bright, upper mid present, nice lows, a bit 'rough and grindy' sounding, which I like. If you like a grindy, single coil, stainless steel roundwound tone, and are more interested in 'punch and articulation' than huge, deep low end, these are amazing cabs. Downside.. the spray on coating, while beautiful, is a bit fragile... these cabs demand the use of the padded cover to keep them looking nice. The 410 is a nice, small size, and is my personal favorite cab of all time... period!

HS.... 210 and 410 these cabs are the 'updates' of the discontinued SA cabs, and were originally designed for use with a Tube amp (warm, tight down low, lots of low mid presence). The HS cabs update the very mid present SA cabs by a driver redesign to extend the low end a touch more, making them great for players, using an oversimplification, who are more into the 'classic rock' sort of thing... warm, punchy, low mid present, smooth up top. Non neo speakers, small cabs, but relatively heavy. The 410 is nice and small relatively to most others.

HT.... only the 112 left in this line. I haven't played the current ER version, but this is Jim's more 'smooth, creamy, studio monitor like' line of cabs... modern... deep lows, nice airy top end, even mids... less aggressive and voiced versus the other lines. Relatively small but heavy 112. The IP line (IP310 and 112) is basically self powered HT's with some additional circuitry to add compression and 'pre EQ' prior to your preamp of choice.

NV.... 412 and 610 sealed one way cabs with no tweeter... New Vintage says it all... for the heavy rockers among us... mid present, warm, grindy... great with old school tube amps or distortion... with the 610 being a smaller, lighter Ampeg Fridge type thing. I have not played the 412, but that is a classic 'aggressive rock' configuration for big bottom and low mid force. Relatively heavy.

IMO and lots of IME!

Wow !! Big props to you for all the time you spend sharing your experience and knowledge. Very Helpful !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Lowest End]

Originally Posted by KJung

I understand. It is hard to dig through a lot of stuff.

They are expensive, but very good. However, each model type sounds VERY different, so the idea of 'liking or not liking' Bergantino's is a bit of a meaningless question. Great service and support, and expert design (Jim is actually an audio engineer by background.

The current line:

AE..... 112, 210, 410... moderate weight neo cabs... bright, upper mid present, nice lows, a bit 'rough and grindy' sounding, which I like. If you like a grindy, single coil, stainless steel roundwound tone, and are more interested in 'punch and articulation' than huge, deep low end, these are amazing cabs. Downside.. the spray on coating, while beautiful, is a bit fragile... these cabs demand the use of the padded cover to keep them looking nice. The 410 is a nice, small size, and is my personal favorite cab of all time... period!

HS.... 210 and 410 these cabs are the 'updates' of the discontinued SA cabs, and were originally designed for use with a Tube amp (warm, tight down low, lots of low mid presence). The HS cabs update the very mid present SA cabs by a driver redesign to extend the low end a touch more, making them great for players, using an oversimplification, who are more into the 'classic rock' sort of thing... warm, punchy, low mid present, smooth up top. Non neo speakers, small cabs, but relatively heavy. The 410 is nice and small relatively to most others.

HT.... only the 112 left in this line. I haven't played the current ER version, but this is Jim's more 'smooth, creamy, studio monitor like' line of cabs... modern... deep lows, nice airy top end, even mids... less aggressive and voiced versus the other lines. Relatively small but heavy 112. The IP line (IP310 and 112) is basically self powered HT's with some additional circuitry to add compression and 'pre EQ' prior to your preamp of choice.

NV.... 412 and 610 sealed one way cabs with no tweeter... New Vintage says it all... for the heavy rockers among us... mid present, warm, grindy... great with old school tube amps or distortion... with the 610 being a smaller, lighter Ampeg Fridge type thing. I have not played the 412, but that is a classic 'aggressive rock' configuration for big bottom and low mid force. Relatively heavy.

IMO and lots of IME!

Great post, very informative. Thank you. I've had the same questions as the OP for some time and even though I've read through much of the various Berg' threads, your post gave more info than everything I've read combined.

Thanks again!

[KJung]

Originally Posted by Lowest End

Great post, very informative. Thank you. I've had the same questions as the OP for some time and even though I've read through much of the various Berg' threads, your post gave more info than everything I've read combined.

Thanks again!

No problem guys! I like this company a lot, and even the products that don't speak to me personally are still among 'the best in class' IMO.

Just to point out again that my 'music types' that I associate with each cab line are gross oversimplifications (any piece of gear will work with any type of music, of course), but I thought that would help communicate the general 'tone vibe' of the various lines, which all sound quite different.

I have clips of my AE410 with various basses and heads on my youtube page, which might be of some interest (at least in hearing what the AE410 sounds like)!

[MooseKnuckle]

Yeah. KJung hooked it up. Thanks for the research man.

[KJung]

Originally Posted by MooseKnuckle

Yeah. KJung hooked it up. Thanks for the research man.

There are pictures and size/weight specs of all the cabs above on the Bergantino Website.

[T. Alan Smith]

Originally Posted by MooseKnuckle

Cool Deal. Thanks for all the help. I was curious cause I'm starting with a new group that is acoustic/light rock(think Dave Matthews), and was looking for an audiophile-like rig without going to the typical SWR, G-K, etc. I was looking for something easy on the back, but able to handle the low B with clarity and power. I continued to see all these rigs with Berg cabs, and it sparked an interest.

Before my current rig, I ran an SWR Professional Series rig(and started out with a GK head, for that matter). I've always felt Berg is what SWR wishes their cabs were. I'm a big DMB fan too, FWIW.
Check out the AE410. It was lean and mean with my MarkBass LittleMark II, but using an Aguilar AG500 with it got much closer to the kind of tone I'd want in your playing situation.

[ac3320]

They are probably the best cabs you can buy, but they are quite expensive. That said, they hold their value for when GAS strikes. I have had/tried the SA cabs, the HS cabs, and the AE cabs. I sold them all to fund my modular TC electronics setup, which sounds good for how cheap it is. The HS is probably the best sounding cab i've used, with the AE just a bit more agressive in the upper mids. I usually cut those a bit anyways. Very, VERY, great sounding cabs.

[megadan]

Funny that you said 'inexpensive' - someone at a show used my rig and was very surprised at how good "that Behringer cab sounded!" Haha. I had to correct him.
It made me a little upset that someone saw the B and assumed Behringer. But I don't think there's a single other Bergantino cab within a thousand miles of me so I guess I can't blame them.

[BurningSkies]

Yep, Bergantino...

...Just another cheap cab.

[Fuzzbass]

They are my cabs of choice. I've owned a whole bunch of them, and every time I've tried something else I came running back to Bergantino. Right now I own a pair of HS210 cabs (for modularity), and my number one gig cab is the NV610. Yes, the NV stands for New Vintage (because it's sealed and tweeterless like the old Ampeg 8x10), but I use it for any kind of music ranging from classic rock/R&B/blues to funk and even modern rock: Nickelback, Godsmack, Chili Peppers, whatever. Of course I use my HS210 cabs for any kind of music also.

Yes, you pay more but it's well worth it. And nobody provides better customer support than Jim Bergantino.

P.S. At 100 pounds, the NV610 weighs less than most other non-neo 6x10 cabs. As I recall, my old SWR Goliath Sr. 6x10 was 120 pounds.