My bassist just got his cherry popped last night, at a "gear provided" situation. He has never before played through an 8x10 Ampeg refrigerator! Even with the less than stellar SVT 450 head, the "in your face" punch, clarity and consistency of notes/tones up & down the neck turned him into an incurable addict within minutes!
Now, even though I only "dabble" with the bass, I'm the guitarist, main singer and gear hound researcher and finder of the band, given that I have no day job! I also realize that it behooves me to help Jimmy get the best sound he can. His current rig is a Carvin R600 head bi-amped into 1- 2x10" and 1- 1x15" Carvin cabs. While fairly adequate, it doesn't even compare well with the tone, color and character of most Ampeg products! He also has an older Ampeg BA115 (knobs on top) with an upgraded speaker and we both prefer the sound and response of it, within its wimpy power limits, of course!
With all that said, I've started the search for upgrading our bass rig. The wide variety of 8x10 and 4x10 products, even from just Ampeg alone can be kinda confusing. Some seem to be ported, some not. Some claim poplar construction in the write-up while showing birch in the specs. I realize that birch can be resonant and not sure if that's a good thing or a bad thing. I've been in bands and even a touring sound engineer for nearly 50 years and I've seen a wide range of 8x10 boxes. Some are actually 4, separate 2x10 boxes built into one cabinet and some appear to be 2- 4x10 boxes in one. I've even seen one that had 8x10 speakers, all on the same baffle, all in one big enclosure. I'm guessing that sound and response can vary wildly! I have boundless questions surrounding which setup will give us the best sound, as well as the pros and cons of each Ampeg box? Given that we're open for used purchases, the selection is rather wide! The most logical (for ease of transport/use) would seem to be 2- 4x10 boxes, or maybe even 4- 2x10?
Bottom line is that we want to get that great punch that comes from the iconic 8x10 refrigerator! We're kinda hoping that 4x10 boxes might be a bit more manageble, without losing any sound and also thinking that even one 4x10 might be a good start, as we don't play very loud. Stage volume gets defined by my 5 to 10 watts of guitar amp and the drummer. It is however, all about the tone! We are also assuming that almost any amp will have improved sound through our planned speaker rig?
FWIW, I just missed (by 15 minutes) what I think was the deal of the century. A brand new condition, SVT-4PRO, for $400.
All Help, Advice, Comments greatly Appreciated!
Gene
Now, even though I only "dabble" with the bass, I'm the guitarist, main singer and gear hound researcher and finder of the band, given that I have no day job! I also realize that it behooves me to help Jimmy get the best sound he can. His current rig is a Carvin R600 head bi-amped into 1- 2x10" and 1- 1x15" Carvin cabs. While fairly adequate, it doesn't even compare well with the tone, color and character of most Ampeg products! He also has an older Ampeg BA115 (knobs on top) with an upgraded speaker and we both prefer the sound and response of it, within its wimpy power limits, of course!
With all that said, I've started the search for upgrading our bass rig. The wide variety of 8x10 and 4x10 products, even from just Ampeg alone can be kinda confusing. Some seem to be ported, some not. Some claim poplar construction in the write-up while showing birch in the specs. I realize that birch can be resonant and not sure if that's a good thing or a bad thing. I've been in bands and even a touring sound engineer for nearly 50 years and I've seen a wide range of 8x10 boxes. Some are actually 4, separate 2x10 boxes built into one cabinet and some appear to be 2- 4x10 boxes in one. I've even seen one that had 8x10 speakers, all on the same baffle, all in one big enclosure. I'm guessing that sound and response can vary wildly! I have boundless questions surrounding which setup will give us the best sound, as well as the pros and cons of each Ampeg box? Given that we're open for used purchases, the selection is rather wide! The most logical (for ease of transport/use) would seem to be 2- 4x10 boxes, or maybe even 4- 2x10?
Bottom line is that we want to get that great punch that comes from the iconic 8x10 refrigerator! We're kinda hoping that 4x10 boxes might be a bit more manageble, without losing any sound and also thinking that even one 4x10 might be a good start, as we don't play very loud. Stage volume gets defined by my 5 to 10 watts of guitar amp and the drummer. It is however, all about the tone! We are also assuming that almost any amp will have improved sound through our planned speaker rig?
FWIW, I just missed (by 15 minutes) what I think was the deal of the century. A brand new condition, SVT-4PRO, for $400.
All Help, Advice, Comments greatly Appreciated!
Gene
. Incidentally I'm at the age where most bassplayers my age at least on here play through single 10" cab with 100,000 watt class D amps. 8 x 10 SVT cabs are not difficult to schlep as long as you have something it fits in easily although I once took the back seat out of a 94 Cutless (which are small) and it fit right in there easily.
