8 x 10 opinion

[JimmyM]

Sheesh.....remember with an SVT you have SIX power tubes.....all are going to vary a bit in transconductance & current draw....even if they are very close from the start, they will wear down to differing specs!

Unless you install a bias pot on each tube there is no way you will keep the current draw within 1 or ma of current at idle....nor is there a need to.

My point is there are many varying factors affecting tone and response....this can evolve into "Hi-Fi anxiety tube cork sniffing" if yer not careful!!

Exatly why I'm going to stick with JJ's

 

[beans-on-toast]

Hard to believe this little design deviation will cause an audible difference but, I did AB-ing the "crimped plates" versus the former ones several times and eventually decided to get with the old ones. I did not know anything about the internal design deviations when I did this "blind" A/B-tesing. That's all many years ago when I never had an idea that different 6550 tubes may actually sound different.

I suspect that crimping was a cost cutting measure. I can see that welding vs crimping can affect the plate dissipation. Not sure which would do a better job. I see that the welded one could be stronger and would have less mechanical noise. I'm sure that there are some studies out there. Who knows what else they did with later revisions that you couldn't see. I prefer to buy the welded plate tubes but I don't turn down the crimped ones. They are all pretty good.

 

[DavidEdenAria]

I suspect that crimping was a cost cutting measure. I can see that welding vs crimping can affect the plate dissipation. Not sure which would do a better job. I see that the welded one could be stronger and would have less mechanical noise. I'm sure that there are some studies out there. Who knows what else they did with later revisions that you couldn't see. I prefer to buy the welded plate tubes but I don't turn down the crimped ones. They are all pretty good.

There were always engineer/designers playing around with things...look what the CBS bunch did with Fender!

You have to admit that Sylvania and GE survived the whole tube era longer than any other companies.

Amazing when you compare a tube like the 6550 to a 6V6 where there were HUNDREDS of variations and probably more companies making that tube than any other popular power tube.

Of course the World Wars were the driving factor for tube development.

The remarkable thing is Hi Fi types will tell you the ancient Western Electric 300B is the finest power tube ever conceived.

I had a relative that worked at the Western Electric plant in Lees Summit Mo.

But I digress.

 

[beans-on-toast]

I think that the 300B is one of the finest tubes ever designed. The first time I heard an amp with one I was floored. It was such a simple design with a basic signal path. They are low output and need to be paired with very efficient speakers. They got it so right in the late 30's, about 77 years ago. I've always wondered if the ultimate amp would be a B-15N running 300B power tubes. Some day, I'll try it.

 

[JimmyM]

I think that the 300B is one of the finest tubes ever designed. The first time I heard an amp with one I was floored. It was such a simple design with a basic signal path. They are low output and need to be paired with very efficient speakers. They got it so right in the late 30's, about 77 years ago. I've always wondered if the ultimate amp would be a B-15N running 300B power tubes. Some day, I'll try it.

Found a matched pair of Western Electrics on Ebay for $10,000. Yeah, I'll be trying it, too...just as soon as Donald Trump dies and names me in his will

 

[ThisBass]

Sheesh.....remember with an SVT you have SIX power tubes.....all are going to vary a bit in transconductance & current draw....even if they are very close from the start, they will wear down to differing specs!
!

sure, sure

indeed it's a tricky thing to decide which one of the sextett to place at bank A and which one to place at bank B after around 50-100h of operation at "full speed".
Fortunatelly the svt PI is capable to widely (re-)adjust even Harmonics THD to a minimum number but, the mismatch of tubes then still remains if a matched sextett was not burned in.
At the other hand some folks like to swapp power amp tubes just the moment they are really burned in, sometimes it's really cracy world.

 

[churchman]

Last of the Magnavox era. I'm happy. This thing weighs much more than the mti, maybe it is the speakers. Grill cloth was bug screen, had to laugh! Tolex is thin and like coated with a rubbery substance. Elkhart Ind. So what about these cabs?

 

[Hizzoner]

Just played an outdoor gig with my MTI SVT through a late 70's 810 and I have to say it is the best live bass tone I have ever had....

I primarily gig with a tonehammer and 2 112 cabs and love the tone and portability. The dynamics and way the ampeg filled the stage with easy to hear at fairly low volume clear punchy bass tone coupled with the feel of bass absolutely is not the same with a micro rig....definitely an eye opener for me

 

[ThisBass]

Last of the Magnavox era. I'm happy. This thing weighs much more than the mti, maybe it is the speakers. Grill cloth was bug screen, had to laugh! Tolex is thin and like coated with a rubbery substance. Elkhart Ind. So what about these cabs?

looks like mine, except the serial number reads different.

 

[beans-on-toast]

Found a matched pair of Western Electrics on Ebay for $10,000. Yeah, I'll be trying it, too...just as soon as Donald Trump dies and names me in his will

It is true that they are a rich persons indulgence. There's a store down my street that sells high end tube amps. I walk by and sometimes they have a 300B amp in the window that catches my eye. The place doesn't have price tags. If you have to ask, you can't afford it.

Not too many years ago WE 300B's were around $800 per pair. A JJ 300B sells for around $130 these days. EHX less than that, then there are the Shuguang versions that are around $100. At least there are alternatives.

 

[DavidEdenAria]

sure, sure

indeed it's a tricky thing to decide which one of the sextett to place at bank A and which one to place at bank B after around 50-100h of operation at "full speed".
Fortunatelly the svt PI is capable to widely (re-)adjust even Harmonics THD to a minimum number but, the mismatch of tubes then still remains if a matched sextett was not burned in.
At the other hand some folks like to swapp power amp tubes just the moment they are really burned in, sometimes it's really cracy world.

Well the main thing I am concerned is a tube exceeding 70% dissipation.

I can assure you I would be rechecking the current draw with my Weber Bias Rite...it takes little time and you don't have to stick your hands inside a live amp to alt least check the current draw at idle.

 

[Bass 45]

A bit more info on this speaker: Vintage Ampeg 8x10 cab- Can anyone tell me more about it (speaker back #s included)? | TalkBass.com.

Perhaps @Bass 45 can tell you more. He is in a good position to compare and contrast.

I can't do direct comparisons as the only Ampeg 810 I currently own is the Heritage 810E. I sold my flatback when I purchased the Heritage SVT head a couple years ago - this was just after I found a mint "used" Heritage 810 locally.

I think I paid about $700 for the HSVT810E. They usually have one on Guitar Center.com/used for around the same price.

In the '90's I was in a band that used two 810's - an MTI (owned by the guitar player and - kept in our rehearsal studio and used on some gigs) and a late '70's eminence equipped model (used on most gigs).

They both were solid/reliable and sounded great, but I remember preferring the MTI just a bit more. It seemed a bit punchier and the cab was a bit smaller. I think the MTI ony weighed about 137 pounds - which is the same as the Heritage.

 

[Bass 45]

Last of the Magnavox era. I'm happy. This thing weighs much more than the mti, maybe it is the speakers. Grill cloth was bug screen, had to laugh! Tolex is thin and like coated with a rubbery substance. Elkhart Ind. So what about these cabs?

Looks pretty good.

Fortunately you can replace the grill cloth - also, the logo is from a current Ampeg cab. The original logo may have been plastic with a black background and white lettering. The Ampeg font would have looked like this: ampeg - rather then the '60's style logo font.

 

[churchman]

The original logo may have been plastic with a black background and white lettering.

I was thinking the logo was a reroduction. I remember the first 8x10 I had, 70's era, the logo was steel and had a recessed groove on the bottom that you could put your fingertips in and pull the grill off. It was the best. The plastic doesn't have near the mojo. I have looked around, I really haven't seen a good picture of one. Will look at fliptops.
It weighs about 146 lbs on a bathroom scale. Super job by ampeg for putting out the Heritage 8x10, saw a post of a box of Heritage speakers and people were drooling. It will be a few days before I get it fired up.

 

[churchman]

Well I finally got around to comparison. The 80 had only four screws per speaker so with volume it definitely vibrated, fixed that. The MTI does seem to have atouch more to it. Not sure if it is speaker condition. But they both sound great. Every bass player should haul 2 8x10's out with them. The 80's cab on the right seems to have casters not correct as you have to prop up the front. I measured the exterior of both cabinets so not seeing a big difference. Where is the difference? Inside?

 

[Jeff Scott]

8 x 10 opinion

I prefer Ebony U version 8x10s, personally.