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All things being equal...

slap5string

slap5string

Jul 19, 2010
373
3
Cleveland, Ohio
#1
All things being equal - I am going to by an Ampeg 810
today and am really torn as to which one I should pair with my vintage SVT. The 810e, Heritage 810, or 810AV - Considering tone, looks, resale value, construction, country of origin, etc. If money and weight is no obstacle - which would you buy and why?

Thanks for any and all input!

(...and please don't recommend GK Neo412, Bergantino 610, Mesa PH810, etc...just Ampeg 810's :))
 
#3
810av would best match a vintage SVT. Soundwise (and though it wouldn't be an identical match, lookswise too), Heritage 810e. The 810e and 810av are identical other than cosmetics. And they both sound excellent, just like an 810 Ampeg cab should. But while I haven't played the Heritage, everyone I know who has played both tells me the Heritage sounds better.

But all of them are great cabs IMHO...until you consider country of origin. Almost all USA Ampeg cabs made by SLM were made with OSB and not plywood, and starting in 2000, something bad happened to the speakers where they lost all their high end. The OSB thing was finally rectified in 2005 or 2006, but the speaker thing wasn't rectified until LOUD bought Ampeg in 2006 and moved production to Vietnam in 2007 (and S. Korea a year later) and started using Eminence China 10"s instead of the darker American Eminence USA speakers. But apparently the USA speakers finally got fixed for the Heritage. So this is how I would rank them:

1. Heritage 810e
2. Imported 810e or 810av
3. SLM 810e or 810av made before 2000 (they're made of OSB but they do sound great)
4. SLM 810e or 810av made after 2000
 
#4
JimmyM said:
810av would best match a vintage SVT. Soundwise (and though it wouldn't be an identical match, lookswise too), Heritage 810e. The 810e and 810av are identical other than cosmetics. And they both sound excellent, just like an 810 Ampeg cab should. But while I haven't played the Heritage, everyone I know who has played both tells me the Heritage sounds better.

But all of them are great cabs IMHO...until you consider country of origin. Almost all USA Ampeg cabs made by SLM were made with OSB and not plywood, and starting in 2000, something bad happened to the speakers where they lost all their high end. The OSB thing was finally rectified in 2005 or 2006, but the speaker thing wasn't rectified until LOUD bought Ampeg in 2006 and moved production to Vietnam in 2007 (and S. Korea a year later) and started using Eminence China 10"s instead of the darker American Eminence USA speakers. But apparently the USA speakers finally got fixed for the Heritage. So this is how I would rank them:

1. Heritage 810e
2. Imported 810e or 810av
3. SLM 810e or 810av made before 2000 (they're made of OSB but they do sound great)
4. SLM 810e or 810av made after 2000
Click to expand...

Thanks Jimmy! I was leaning toward the Heritage 810e but the softer tolex scares me a bit (...but only a little).
Looks and country of origin matter to me, but not as much as the sound.
 
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#10
coreyfyfe said:
They also have tweeters and weigh over 200 lbs. I'd take an OSB SLM cab over that.
Click to expand...

I agree the weight is a bit of a challenge. But if you disconnect the tweeters (which I do on all of my cabs) it really is a beautiful sounding cab. Im pretty sure you could just throw some casters and a trailer hitch on it and drag it down the freeway, its so durable.
 
#11
PR810h is one I haven't tried before, too. I know Billy Sheehan used to like them a lot. He would get new Ampeg cabs made with the Eden speakers that used to come in the PR810h. I know this because they once sent one of his cabs to a TBer by mistake ;)
 

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