My Ampeg SVT810E was picked up used and abused, I had a handful of shows on it in the six or so months I've owned it. One night during a rehearsal one of the 10" drivers blew out separating the cone from the from the cage. I paid a speaker repair shop in Hollywood to fix it and all was well. At the next show I played a different 10" blew out in the same fashion.
I figured it was time to put my SVT810 on the back burner and keep my eyes open for a replacement cab. Being in Los Angeles there is a plethora of music equipment circulating the craigslist ads daily. So every morning I would check for updates. One day I saw an ad for a Fender 810 Pro, The asking price was so cheap it was almost unbelievable and the pics showed a clean almost new condition cab. I did some online research regarding the cab and figured it was worth an investigation.
I go out to the guys residence, he opens the garage to unveil and a brand new Fender 810 V2 cab with not a mark on it, still has the guitar store smell. Best part is, he's asking less than a 1/3 of the price these things MAP/sell in the stores.
I take it, not even plugging it in or hearing it before. I figured the worst case scenario I could flip it for a couple more bucks if necessary.
I take it to my work (A Hot Rod/Classic car shop in Long Beach, since I don't have the space or means at home to let her rip) plug it in to my head (Ampeg SVTII-P, BBE Sonic Maximizer, Crest VS1500) and start cranking while playing my EMG active Fender Jazz.
So here I am, on my lunch break playing my bass through my new cab crooning to a '34 Ford sedan.
The first reaction is a good one, the mids & highs sound much cleaner compared to the SVT, the lows are not as 'thud' as the previous cab but it seems the tone from the tubes in the Pre are more evident. I could simply just be making a ported vs sealed cab observation, but all in all I am really pleased with it and excited to start playing shows with it. It also feels I don't need to drive my power amp as hard to reach decent volume levels as previously and to me the aesthetics of the cab are more appealing that than the SVT, with it's steel mesh grill and bluish/grey speaker cones visible. Even the Fender logo has an industrial and polished 'hard' look that matches the Hot Rods in the shop that it happens to be currently sitting next to.
In my past, Fender bass amps/cabs have had a flimsy, cheap, shallow toned and being undesirable associated with them. I am glad to of been proven different.
Would have I of paid the $1300 price tag for the cab in stores. The thought never would have crossed my mind, even knowing what I know now. Perhaps the pricing is designed to keep the usage of these cabs rare, and as to not see them in every club with every band?
Cheers ~Mykk
