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Double Bass Ampeg 210AV

#2
I have a 210AV and I really like it! Surprising for DB.

I use an AI Focus SA to power it.....had the head but it seemed to have too much color and I traded for a mic. I love the flat sound of the focus powering the cabinet. I do have an EA NL 210 which I prefer, but the Ampeg is so light and compact witha handle right on top. It's hard not to bring it since it's so easy.

My advice: try a few heads through the cabinet before you make your final decision.....I'm glad I did. I almost sold the whole package and I don't know where I'd be without it.
 
#3
Thanks Neddyrow, she will be delivered today. I have an EA doubler and AI Focus. I absolutely love my VL208 and really like my NL210 for DB but like you with all good intentions my decision for gigs and rehearsals is generally a matter of convenience. What ends up in the car is my Polytone and the Fdeck HPF it sounds ok.

My main intention is to use this cab with a V4b as my at home electric bass practice amp. I chose it over others hoping it may work well for DB, glad to know someone else has decent results.
 
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#4
Great cabinet, very even sounding. It doesn't go low, but that is a good thing in certain situations, and it speaks quickly. I used mine with a '50's Altec 35 watt tube PA amp. LOUD!. With your V4B I think you will be surprised, and with two of these cabs, it would be a pretty serious gigging rig.
 
#5
Where have you guys been hiding? I did my best to search for some reviews of the 210AV on the DB side and all I came up with was a thread started by Ned a few years back that nobody responded too. The cab is apparently sitting on my front porch, we will meet later.

Among all the gear I've owned and the list is long, I had an old metal GK MB combo I got in high school it died years ago and was replaced with a former teachers Polytone, neither sounds particularly great but they've got all the miles on them. Why did I use them so much? The real answer is simple they have a handle on top and are narrow enough front to back to not whack you in the back of the knee.

Also spent the winter finishing off a fancy practice space in my basement and wanted a cab that matched my V4b and was small and queit enough to convince me that I actually made the room soundproof.

I recently saw an interview with guitar player Wayne Krantz on youtube, he was asked about his not so fancy guitar and his response was something like: I like how it sounds, I suppose if I A/B'd it with some really good instruments I may not like it as much so I haven't.
 
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#7
image.jpg
Now that it's quiet time I can only take pictures.
 
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#9
This little combo is great, sealed cab with no tweeter seems to be perfect doesn't get super woofy so use of HPF will likely only be in really bad rooms. Not including the VL208 I seem to always be fighting against the tweeter, to my ears the highs sound very natural. This cab is going to get a lot of use electric and DB.
 
#10
Well the problem is they all sound pretty good.

image.jpg


The focus with the ampeg is a pretty nice combo and is certainly the most portable.

All the combos as pictured sound great too.
v4b 210av
Doubler nl210
Focus 1 vl208

Focus VL is the fullest deepest, doubler nl210 is probably the most accurate sound of my bass, ampeg combo sits somewhere in the middle. Focus ampeg deepens the sound a bit as does the focus nl combo.

While I'm at it the v4b with two Nl210s is a killer electric combo.

I can say my polytone has one foot out the door. Was hoping it would be clear that a couple of these pieces could be sold but I'm not quite ready yet.
 
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#12
i love mine so far for upright but havent yet played a gig with it, but i do like how portable and light it is. in the house im getting really loud with the ashdown little bastard 30 watt through it. much louder than ill ever need. i'll be bringing that to my first gig with it and the walter woods just as a back up in case...
 
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#13
Spent a good amount of time over the 4 day weekend with this little cab and the first thing I can say is the 3 combos pictured above, all are more than sufficient in getting a really good sound. With my bass and pickup the Acoustic Image head sounds the best with any of the cabinets. The VL is the darkest, the NL is bright and the Ampeg is right in the middle.

Looks like I'm gonna consolidate amps down a bit and get a 2 channel AI and get rid of the other two heads (Doubler and single channel focus) assuming the clarus 4 sounds as good as my Focus 1. I don't need both but like the mic functionality of the EA, HPF and tone of the AI, guess I never should have gotten rid of my Focus IIrIII.

I certainly don't need all these cabs, the 210AV sounds so good and is so portable that some of this stuff is going to be leaving just not sure what yet.
 
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#14
peterpalmieri said:
Spent a good amount of time over the 4 day weekend with this little cab and the first thing I can say is the 3 combos pictured above, all are more than sufficient in getting a really good sound. With my bass and pickup the Acoustic Image head sounds the best with any of the cabinets. The VL is the darkest, the NL is bright and the Ampeg is right in the middle.

Looks like I'm gonna consolidate amps down a bit and get a 2 channel AI and get rid of the other two heads (Doubler and single channel focus) assuming the clarus 4 sounds as good as my Focus 1. I don't need both but like the mic functionality of the EA, HPF and tone of the AI, guess I never should have gotten rid of my Focus IIrIII.

I certainly don't need all these cabs, the 210AV sounds so good and is so portable that some of this stuff is going to be leaving just not sure what yet.
Click to expand...

+1

I have a VL208, VL 110, and a pair of VL 108's and a LDS 2x8 three way. They all were great cabinets when I bought em' but speaker technology changes quickly. It's time to thin the herd. The 208's are quite dark. Love that Kolstine Travel Bass, Peter, how does it sound, compared to
a bigger instrument. Since I'm always running into an amp anyway, it would be nice to have a smaller DB. I hate taking my good bass out in the depths of winter, or the dregs of summer.

Ric
 
#15
Ric,

Absolutely love the kolstein bass. It is top notch. Through an amp it sounds as good if not better than a really good DB.

And acoustically it's a wonderful bass. Can't say enough good things about it. Only way i would own a full size bass again is if I was doing orchestral playing.
 
#19
A bit of an update...

Traded my EA Doubler for a 2 channel Clarus plus, which is docking station compatible and put my single channel focus up for sale. Never should have sold my Focus 2RIII..

Also retiring the old polytone, one of my NL210s and my VL208, just put up for sale threads.

Hanging onto one NL210, which is a fabulous electric bass and doubling cabinet. And also my V4b and the 210AV.

This seems to give me some good options:

Clarus / 210AV - really nice compact set up that works for light duty electric too.
Clarus / NL210 - which works really well for doubling when electric sets get loud.

I'm leaving myself a little light if I need to do a really loud electric gig, but it's not really my thing anymore. Also considering picking up a contra cabinet without the head to pair up with the clarus. I've got a couple of small gatherings; duo and trio scheduled this week which allow me to get a better sense of how the Clarus/210av set up works out.
 
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