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Ampeg 410HE really that bad? Say it ain't so TB

K

kangarupe

Dec 21, 2008
54
52
#1
I have spent the better part of this morning searching and reading the TB forums. May I point out once again that it is an excellent source of information. However, I gotta tell ya...I'm a little disappointed with the flak the Ampeg 410HE has been getting. I believed for a while there that an svt 410he paired with an svt 115 would be just the best little combination I could do. Simple theory...410's for the mids the 15 for the lows...and the LMII to bring it home. I was sure I didn't need to go with the HLF for those ported lows because I would get that 15 down the road....so there my decision was set and that's what I was going to work towards

Yet here I am, questioning my decision....for I have read nothing but people blasting the HE, saying it is vastly inferior to the HLF. I even saw one post that said "It's very rare to find good reviews on the HE". Now here is my issue, are people just being nitpicky here...I mean, can this thing kick ass or can it not? I want the best sound I can get here for the money. Not to mention my decision has been harder after reading so many things about all the other companies. I was sure (being a naive bass player) that ampeg was the end all be all of cabs. After all I did see all my favorite bass players using them. Boy was I wrong, But that's another story.

I need some testimonials here. Who has used the HE/still uses it, or who has had it and given it the boot. Is it not loud enough? does it not have enough variety? is it really that bad? Has anyone played the exact combination I speak of?..*sigh*... thanks guys. :)
 
#2
I don't have one but I use them a lot on my road gigs. I would much rather have an HE than an HLF. This is a major problem when people judge cabs on specs alone...they tend to say things about them without really knowing what they sound like.

OTOH, who cares what people on here think? Play what you want and don't worry about the busybodies.
 
#6
different strokes for different folks, i just switched from the HLF to 215s, while a friend switched from a 1x15 to the HE.

i wont gig the HLF anymore because i cant get a sound i want from it. i always dumped the lows and jacked the mids around 2K to get that zingy sound. i frequently got lost in the mix and rarely heard myself where i enjoyed it without being "too loud".

the friend likes his HE better than his 1x15 because it rounds out his tone. he says it has more punch and better cut. i personally liked him on his 1x15 a little more because i think he sounded more rounded and cut better, but thats me. he still sounds awesome on the HE.

wish i could add more to your though process, but i guess im just not a 10" guy... especially the ampeg versions.
 
#8
I bought the 410HE when I got my SVT-3 Pro head. It sounded ok on it's own but when I took it to band practice it just didn't sound good with the drummer and guitarist. I gigged it twice in two weeks and just wasn't for me. So I sold it and bought a used HLF instead and I'm much happier with the HLF. Sounds a lot tighter. That's just my experience.
 
#9
I got the HLF because it pumps out more lows and I have traditionally had more mid-rangey basses (i.e. the Geddy I have now and the Rick I hope to have in the next couple of weeks) so it balanced it out. If I had a rounder toned bass I could see where the HLF could be too much bottom but for me, I love it. And, I did try the HE and come close to buying that at one point. I thought it sounded good as well. It is really all up to your ears and taste.
 
#12
A friend of mine has a 410HE and LMII. It sounds great with his band, all kinds of bottom and mids but doesn't drown out the other players. His bass is a Japanese P with an EMG. He has been playing for years and says he has never heard himself better. It doesn't seem that heavy to me either but then I am used to moving my TVX 410 which is almost 100lbs.
 
#13
your speaker cabs are tools with which you accomplish your musical message. i think ampeg makes fine tools (haven't tried the newer asian ones, but i imagine i could make it work ;) ).

have a friend who uses the HE with an SVT-2 and a peavey cirrus 5 string. the tone is great. low and high volumes. the low B is all there.

one maxim to remember which will help the performance of any cab: a little EQ goes a long way...
 
#14
The 410he is a great cab, It has really good mids and remains a very tight cab at high volumes. I have been gigging and hauling mine around for over a year now and the only problem I have with it is the heavy weight and crappy tolex. Also have the svt115e to help out when I start hitting on the B string.

I find it much more enjoyable then the 410hlf after trying it a few times, it was much less muddy.
 
#15
My HE is 15 years old. I really like it. It has served me well. The only thing I would change is it's power handling (it's a 200 watt model), but it sounds really good. The HE I use at rehearsal is a newer 500 watt version. It sounds good too. They are a bit heavy... People shouldn't turn their nose up. The HE is a really great cab. If you need to fill the stage with low end, though, find a different cabinet.

It's funny, the same people complaining about the HE would probably drool all over a fridge cabinet.
 
#18
I used to own the 4x10HE and it works good for rock. I had a friend whose dad bought the HLF shortly afterwards. Well the HLF was a much better stand alone cabinet by far. I later added a 15 and it helped the bottom quite a bit. Later on I wanted a more Hi Fi sound and Ampeg stuff just didn't do it justice at least for me. It depends on what tone your looking for really.
 

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