SVT Serial Question

JosephFourier · #1 12-16-2011, 11:18 AM

Hi,
I am considering buying a 810E on craigslist with a serial number BQWDP50149. According to this, that means it was made in 2002, right? However, I can't find any information on what the model "BQW" means. In my (very limited) research, I haven't found another 810E with that model number. Can anyone please shed some light on this?

Is there anything else I should know about this model/year/anything?

Thanks as always for your help TB

-Duncan

JosephFourier · #2 12-16-2011, 02:28 PM

Does anyone know the answer to this?

lfbassguy · #3 12-16-2011, 03:21 PM

looks like a 03' model to me. i don't know what the first letters are for. i'm sure jimmym will chime in and let you know..

what i can tell you, it's made out of osb (not plywood as current and pre 98' models are) and has the dark speakers in it. some love'em, some hate'em.

you may want to talk to him about the price a little bit. not sure i can talk too much about price with you since your not a supporting member. (don't want to get us in trouble).

JimmyM · #4 12-16-2011, 10:29 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by lfbassguy

looks like a 03' model to me. i don't know what the first letters are for. i'm sure jimmym will chime in and let you know..

It was their internal product model code. And it's a May 03.

Quote:

what i can tell you, it's made out of osb (not plywood as current and pre 98' models are) and has the dark speakers in it. some love'em, some hate'em.

you may want to talk to him about the price a little bit. not sure i can talk too much about price with you since your not a supporting member. (don't want to get us in trouble).

Put me down as a non-fan of that era 810e.

BTW, someone was showing me pics of a Jan 97 810e last night, and I swear it looked like it was plywood sides with OSB back. I've yet to hear of this happening, and I always thought 98 was the year they went to OSB. Anyone know anything about it? Is that possible they made a hybrid like that?

JosephFourier · #5 12-17-2011, 10:25 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by lfbassguy

not sure i can talk too much about price with you since your not a supporting member. (don't want to get us in trouble).

Oops sorry! I took out the bit about price. I didn't know that rule. I was going to wait until Jan to support but I guess now that I might as well now.

Quote:

Originally Posted by JimmyM

Put me down as a non-fan of that era 810e.

Thanks. Just curious, how serious is the popular aversion to that era? Do people think they sound like garbage, or still pretty good because it is a svt cab after all? What I need to do is go play it myself, but I am just curious about what the internet thinks.

How about the amps from that time? This same guy is selling a SVT CL of a similar age (serial BJNDP10012). Is that something people stay away from as well?

Thanks again!

lfbassguy · #6 12-17-2011, 12:10 PM

What I found about the "dark era" cabs, is that you have to work the e.q. more. I have a '06 8x10. Made of plywood but has the dark speakers in it. I have to boost some high end but it works. With the newer ones you can pretty much leave your amp flat. I also think mine has a bit more low end than the newer ones.

There is a mod you can do to the "dark" cabs to make them a bit brighter. Replace the top two speakers with jensen mods I believe.

Not sure much about that era of heads. I think they had some issues in that time period. Could be wrong.

JimmyM · #7 12-17-2011, 05:29 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by lfbassguy

What I found about the "dark era" cabs, is that you have to work the e.q. more. I have a '06 8x10. Made of plywood but has the dark speakers in it. I have to boost some high end but it works. With the newer ones you can pretty much leave your amp flat. I also think mine has a bit more low end than the newer ones.

It does. I think what happened is they sacrificed the brighter top end for beefier power handling in the lows. Not that the new cabs aren't beefy in the lows, but they're definitely tuned a little higher. Fine by me.

BTW, I agree with your assessment. Not bad sounding cabs...just dark, but workable with EQ.

Quote:

There is a mod you can do to the "dark" cabs to make them a bit brighter. Replace the top two speakers with jensen mods I believe.

Yep, a few folks on here have done it and love the result. The only problem is it reduces your overall power handling to about 250w because the Mods can only take about 35-40w before farting out.

Quote:

Not sure much about that era of heads. I think they had some issues in that time period. Could be wrong.

There is no such thing as a bad era for SVT heads. Even the worst era for heads, which was 2007-2008 when LOUD first bought Ampeg and they had a total idiot in charge, produced some great sounding heads when they worked. I have a 1969 SVT, one of the very first ones ever made. If I were to do a blindfold test, I seriously doubt that I could tell the difference between it and a brand new SVT-VR.

**B-string** · #8 12-17-2011, 05:40 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JimmyM

There is no such thing as a bad era for SVT heads. Even the worst era for heads, which was 2007-2008 when LOUD first bought Ampeg and they had a total idiot in charge, produced some great sounding heads when they worked. I have a 1969 SVT, one of the very first ones ever made. If I were to do a blindfold test, I seriously doubt that I could tell the difference between it and a brand new SVT-VR.

Ah.........yeah let it go, just let it go

JimmyM · #9 12-17-2011, 07:17 PM

Oh no you don't, Jon! That was over 3 years ago they fired that idiot, and things are much better now. And like I said, the ones that worked were just as good as any of them.

Why you...

**B-string** · #10 12-17-2011, 07:23 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JimmyM

Oh no you don't, Jon! That was over 3 years ago they fired that idiot, and things are much better now. And like I said, the ones that worked were just as good as any of them.

Why you...