Smaller substitute for my Bergantino NV610

[Dallyd31]

I have a Berg NV 610 that I absolutely love. I run a Trace V4 all tube head through it and it sounds fantastic.
I am looking for a smaller,lighter cab to use as a substitute that is easier to move around when we play out of town gigs or smaller shows. Probably looking at a 410. If I like it enough, maybe I would use it full time...who knows.
I adore the NV610 paired with my tube head, but it is a beast to move around...especially when loading a small van with a full 5 piece band worth of gear. I had a Berg HS410 and foolishly traded it in on the NV610....although the NV sounds much better with my all tube head.

what would work well with my tube head, and be smaller and lighter to move around...still with lots of ummph as we are a loud-ish band...and reasonably priced (although this will be a second cab initially..it may end up being #1 if I like it enough) Avatar, Orange, Ashdown, Mesa, Yorkville, Ampeg ?
We play straight ahead rock...classic and blues rock.
Suggestions ?

[burl0029]

I have a GK MB212 combo and I love how it sounds. GK also makes the 212 as a standalone cab in several versions. The 212MBE is 34 lbs and handles 600 watts. The speakers are more vertically aligned than diagonal. The Neo 212-II is 50 lbs, 600 watts, and is a more square cab with a diagonal speaker alignment.

I know you're interested in 410s, but I thought I'd throw these out there as it fits what you're looking for: smaller, lighter and plenty loud.

[rodl2005]

An HS410

The New Berg HD410 or find an older SA410(Berg made, Sadowsky badged). I had one of these & found it LOVELY with my SVT.
BUT NV cabs are in a separate class...(a sealed class perhaps ) so I ended up with another NV... a 412. I dig that too.

[pbassnut]

I would recommend going old school, with no tweeter for your Trace V4. Unfortunately, your options are somewhat limited when it comes to the new, modern bass cabs. I had a Mesa Boogie 1x15 with my Trace V4 and they sounded wonderful together. A pair of Bag End S15-Ds 1x15s might do the trick if size and ease of schlepping is important to you.

[deepbluesuk]

SVT 410HE

[Sufenta]

Not sure a 4x10 is going to solve your weight/mobility needs. My smaller "backup" cabs to my NV610 are an HT/EX 1x12 stack. For nearly all smaller venues these have more than enough projection and they sound fantastic with zero loading issues. Gotta stay in Jim's fold.

[Slowgypsy]

You should take a look at the GK Neo series... not the MBE series. Either the 410 or the 212. Relatively inexpensive, but first rate quality.

[nutdog]

Couple of SVT-210AVs.

[Dallyd31]

I have had a few 410's ( last one was a Berg HS410...stupid for selling it) and liked them, although certainly not as much as my NV610. I don't mind the size of a 410 at all.
The 610 just takes up too much space when we go on the road and only have 1 small van for 5 guys and 5 guys gear.

I'd like to keep it to one cab...preferably a 410...or maybe even a 2x12 ( but not sure if a 2x12 will move as much air as a 410)

[mophead]

Having owned an NV610, NV215, and AE410 I would highly recommend the AE212. Light, easy to move and it fits the sound I like very well.

Did extensive bass/amp/cab testing in my own practice space (where I can turn to any volume level I please without the cops showing up). First between the 610 and the 215. Kept the 215.

Then many hours between the 215 and 212. For what I do the 212 just won out. Swapped the 215 for the AE410 for a different try and did several runs between the AE410 and AE212 and just kept going back to the 212 so just sold the AE410.

Now have two AE212's. One for most of what we do. Stack them if I need more, which will be very seldom.

Most of what we do is classic rock with some blues and country thrown in occasionally. One song where slap and pop is used. The rest is just finger style.

Several threads on here about AE212 vs AE410 with people falling into one camp or the other.

Never thought I would move away from a sealed cab but that AE212 box just continues to amaze me. Sat many nights switching between the NV215 and the AE212 and thought the eyes say one thing but the ears say another. I just preferred the AE212 in the end. The size and weight are just a bonus feature.

Your comparison may be completely different but there is plenty of reading material here to assist you.

[bucephylus]

This is probably a question that a bunch of players have wondered about. I use an NV610 and love its tone. But, I agree that moving it night after night can be a bit of a deterrent after a while; although I don't find it that hard to move. Anyhow, I picked up an AE212, and am equally fond of that cab, but for very different reasons. Not the same tonal thing going on at all. IMO, there is no small cab solution that produces the same textured output that the NV610 provides.

So, you really have to go back to the drawing board to figure out what small cabs will work for you. The AE212 is great, but can be hard to locate. Also, might not provide enough whump for SOME players. You can push them though, and they do respond.

IMO, the small cabs I would look really hard at right now would be the Berg HD112 and the Baer ML112. Two of either of those should be pretty useful.

I will just add that I also have 2 Schroeder 15+L cabs; and running the two with a ShuttleMAX 12 produces an amazing low end; much more than a single 15+L would have suggested.

But, no, not aware of any NV610 type of voicing in small cab format.

[bucephylus]

Originally Posted by nutdog

Couple of SVT-210AVs.

That might be right. I've never tried those, but there is a thread here that goes through that approach.
Ampeg SVT210AV Micro Classic Bass Cabinet

[Slowgypsy]

At the end of the day, surface area is an important factor.
410 cabs = about 314 sq. inches of surface.
212 cabs = about 226 sq. inches of surface.

Quality, construction, speaker types all play a role, but I think if you're used to a 610 cab, you might be okay with a 410 but probably not with a 212. That said, two 210 cabs would probably give you more output than a single 410, and 2 smaller cabs might be easier to fit and load into a van than 1 larger cab. Just a thought....

[Slowgypsy]

Originally Posted by bucephylus

That might be right. I've never tried those, but there is a thread here that goes through that approach.
Ampeg SVT210AV Micro Classic Bass Cabinet

I have one of those cabs. They're nice, sound great, but they're small to medium duty. Two of them are not going to sound nearly as big as the Berg 610 cab.

[T. Alan Smith]

With the OP coming from a sealed cab design, I'm surprised no one's mentioned the SWR Golight Marcus Miller model.

[mgbass]

I moved from an Accugrove El Wappo to a DNA 4-10 and have never looked back.
Check out a DNA!
MG

[GregC]

Originally Posted by nutdog

Couple of SVT-210AVs.

Originally Posted by bucephylus

That might be right. I've never tried those, but there is a thread here that goes through that approach.
Ampeg SVT210AV Micro Classic Bass Cabinet

I have both an NV610 and a pair of those Ampeg 210s. I would say they're in the same ballpark tonally. However, I must attach a couple of caveats. A pair of those 210s will get respectably loud, but not as loud as the NV610 for sure. Also, it's necessary to dial in a significant amount of additional low end at the amp, IME, to get the 210s to sound close to the Berg. Finally, I'm not sure how those light-duty 210s would stand up to, say, steady touring. Ultimately, though, they do sound good if you dig the sealed-cab thing, and they're quite light and easy to carry.

[nutdog]

Originally Posted by Slowgypsy

I have one of those cabs. They're nice, sound great, but they're small to medium duty. Two of them are not going to sound nearly as big as the Berg 610 cab.

If he wants something that sounds as big as an NV610, then he needs an NV610. If he's going to go smaller, nothing will match it. 2 SVTs make a 400watt 410 that are easy to carry and don't take much space. I had one, and it was pretty nice for what it was.

Stacked vertically, they have an advantage over other 410s. And they are sealed like the NV. But the V4 couldn't go on top.

They may not work for the OP, but it's something to consider.

I had an NV215. Nothing like it, but I didn't really need that much. I now use an AE210. It sounds great, but won't match the NV. I wouldn't expect it to. Two AE210s? Hmmm...

[kringle77]

for the money I'd have LDS make me a sealed 4x10 using eminence b810 drivers or do what Im doing to get a sound like my nv610 and have him build you a sealed cab using an eminence delata 15lfa with a jensen 8" mid. Run the 15 full range for growl and use an attenuator on the 8" to add in the right amount of top end. It will be about 17"wide, 26' tall and 15" deep. Roughly 35-40lbs with a handle on the side to carry it like a briefcase. I should have mine in a month.

[Dallyd31]

Originally Posted by Slowgypsy

At the end of the day, surface area is an important factor.
410 cabs = about 314 sq. inches of surface.
212 cabs = about 226 sq. inches of surface.

Quality, construction, speaker types all play a role, but I think if you're used to a 610 cab, you might be okay with a 410 but probably not with a 212. That said, two 210 cabs would probably give you more output than a single 410, and 2 smaller cabs might be easier to fit and load into a van than 1 larger cab. Just a thought....

Thanks. Like I mentioned, I have owned several 410's and been happy with them and is probably what I will go back to. Just looking for some input on the best options for reasonable weight and a tone that I will be pleased with coming from a NV610. ( even though it will be a second cab,or "backup" cab if you will)

A 115 or 112 is certainly not in the cards.