Are 8x10s still in use?

[DWBass]

I see them every now and then as backline. Played through one early this year at an awards show. I don't know anyone who owns one though.

 

[pbass2]

Used them for years. Still see them out and about but I’ve switched to a 212 personally

I rarely have any need to move anything bigger than a 2x12--I think it's a real sweet spot. Even when I use my 2x12 + 1x12 stack it's almost always overkill, stage volumes being so low these days.
But if there's a fridge in the backline, that's fine, no complaints!

 

[Wavy]

Of all the amps and cabs I've owned over 49 years, the only one I regret selling was my Traynor 8-10. Only partial regret, however. Glad I no longer have to store the thing.

Allegedly made by Pete Traynor for Jimi Hendrix when The Experience came to play in Toronto in the 1960s.

Because the speakers are arrayed in two rows of three and one row of two, Traynor 810s sound superior to the two rows of four found in Ampegs, which tend to sound muddy by comparison.

The plastic Traynor patch was long gone. When I was playing in the USA, sound men from other bands would come up and ask what cabinet I was using. Commonly said things like, "I've walked all around this room. I hear highs and lows evenly in every spot. What make of cabinet is that?"

Me: "Traynor."

Soundman: "Never heard of it."

 

[ole Jason]

I get them occasionally as backline for festivals and whatnot. Not a fan. Would rather have two Mesa 15's 100% of the time.

 

[DavidEdenAria]

I never had the need for one of these, but I stack a pair of 2x10s on end to get the benefit of being able to hear myself when standing in front of it.

That makes a ton of sense. .without weighing a ton ha ha!

 

[DavidEdenAria]

The SVT head and cab was my favorite rig back in the 80's. My first head was a blackline (early 70's), and my first cab was the original "coffin" style with dolly. Because I didn't know better, I "upgraded" to a newer head (rocker switches, not toggles) and "fridge" style cab. My band back then got somewhat popular and we toured a bit, with road crew. Big backline was in (along with big hair) so I acquired a second SVT cab to flank the drummer on each side (with Marshall stacks on far left and far right). The second cab was just for show.

The big backline days ended so I scaled down to smaller/lighter gear. However in the early 2000's I got a Bergantino NV610. Like the SVT cab it's sealed with ceramic drivers, but only 100 pounds instead of 160 or whatever.

The Berg NV610 replaced the Ampeg 8x10 as my favorite cab of all time. However it's too much for the bar gigs I'm currently playing, so as much as it breaks my heart I'll probably let it go. It'll be a tough sell because big heavy cabs are essentially passé.

Wow a Bergantino 6x10 a tough sell what's the world coming to?

 

[DavidEdenAria]

The Italians are working on it for you:

Markbass ~ 89lbs
GR bass ~ 50lbs (no towel rack or wheels I guess)

Other 8x10s available, in pounds:
Ampeg ~ 165
Aguilar ~ 184
Ashdown ~ 138
Laney ~ 135
Fender ~ 120
Orange ~170

Wow GR bass has an 8x10 at 50 lbs no joke?

 

[Super Bass]

I use my 810 every day, I have had it for 15 years... I also have 2 1X15 cabs, a 1X12 and a 4X10 and they get used quite a bit as well.

 

[agedhorse]

Because the speakers are arrayed in two rows of three and one row of two, Traynor 810s sound superior to the two rows of four found in Ampegs, which tend to sound muddy by comparison.

Or not… Ampeg became the gold standard for multiple decades and the Traynor TC-810 shares the same format. The old YC-810 format that you had did not survive the culling of the herd.

 

[Wasnex]

Because the speakers are arrayed in two rows of three and one row of two, Traynor 810s sound superior to the two rows of four found in Ampegs, which tend to sound muddy by comparison.

The old YC-810 format that you had did not survive the culling of the herd.

I still had my brother's YC-810 when I bought my MTI era SVT and and 810 in the early 80s. I actually preferred the sound of the Traynor, but I am confident it was not because of the 3x2x3 array VS Ampeg's 4x4 array.

From what I remember, the Ampeg was deeper, more even, and darker. The Traynor was leaner and had more mids and more highs. The mids seemed a bit uneven, like there was some sort of resonance. Luckily it was at a frequency that I found pleasing.

Neither cab really sounded good to my ears, but the Traynor cut through better and had a little bit off air up top. It also had sort of a sweetness to the tone. In comparison, the Ampeg sounded muffled and incoherent.

If you love either cab, please don't take offense. I am not saying they suck, I am saying they are not my sound. I am into more of a transparent/HiFi sound.

 

[jimmydean]

The "BEAST" will never go away.......after hauling one up a couple floors in a club in Cleveland many years ago , I ditched mine and over the years have kept putting together smaller and smaller rigs . Started using two Orange 1x12 cabs last week .

 

[DavidEdenAria]

I still had my brother's YC-810 when I bought my MTI era SVT and and 810 in the early 80s. I actually preferred the sound of the Traynor, but I am confident it was not because of the 3x2x3 array VS Ampeg's 4x4 array.

From what I remember, the Ampeg was deeper, more even, and darker. The Traynor was leaner and had more mids and more highs. The mids seemed a bit uneven, like there was some sort of resonance. Luckily it was at a frequency that I found pleasing.

Neither cab really sounded good to my ears, but the Traynor cut through better and had a little bit off air up top. It also had sort of a sweetness to the tone. In comparison, the Ampeg sounded muffled and incoherent.

If you love either cab, please don't take offense. I am not saying they suck, I am saying they are not my sound. I am into more of a transparent/HiFi sound.

Well my GK 800RB has a lot of clarity thru my Acoustic 8x10 that I braced internally...for a reference I use BW speakers in my hi fi so I'm used to what I consider decent mid fi with BW...I've never heard an Ampeg 8x10 with anything other than SVT.

 

[Mtheory]

This probably doesn't count, but I bought some Markbass stuff and stopped packing my 8x8 around.

 

[lug]

Only play them if in a backline when personal amp setups are discouraged.

 

[crazycloud]

just curious how many use an 8x10 at home, studio, rehearsal etc?

Never owned one, but tried many, especially when I did a lot of PA/FOH work. Never heard one hat didn't sound like ass.

 

[Old Fart]

The Ampeg SVT/810 rig is still the gold standard. I have one, but it rarely goes to indoor gigs.

 

[agedhorse]

Never owned one, but tried many, especially when I did a lot of PA/FOH work. Never heard one hat didn't sound like ass.

Maybe it wasn’t the cabinet?

 

[HardNHeavy]

I used two of them flatbacks with the SVT head back in the 70s.
Used two roadies to move them, the wheels and the dolly made them hard to roll on uneven ground but once you plugged in and flipped the switch it was good (very good).

riightt....that's what i used early 85, the flatback cab and traynor head, and eventually bought them from the rehearsal bldg manager. When ppl didn't pay their rent, he kept "stuff" as collateral, i got lucky .That cab was already old when i used it, im guessing late 60's mid 70's.

 

[Wasnex]

Well my GK 800RB has a lot of clarity thru my Acoustic 8x10 that I braced internally...for a reference I use BW speakers in my hi fi so I'm used to what I consider decent mid fi with BW...I've never heard an Ampeg 8x10 with anything other than SVT.

AFAIK it's fairly common to pair an Ampeg 810E with a variety of amps, including the 800RB.

My perception is the 810E is not very transparent. By this I mean it tends to make everything you play through it sound fairly similar, rather than reproducing all of the fine details and nuances that distinguish various amps and basses from each other.

Also IMHO, about 80-90% of the sound most people associate with an SVT should actually be attributed to the 810E.

 

[JimiLL]

I play working man’s 810 for nearly every gig