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Are SLM era cabs really that bad??

#21
a vintage ampeg svt and a flatback 8x10 is the sh!t!
a gk800rb and an early 70s flatback ampeg 8x10 is really sick too. i have an slm cab and a flatback, the flatback doesnt go as low as the slm but the flatback is better balanced. more punch.
slm era cabs are muddy, made of osb, and the drivers arent good.
 
#23
What do You have to loose other than couple of hours of Your time. Go do the plug and play on one, and see how You like it. I am 95.6% sure most of the folks trying to sell'em wouldn't have any probs with You take'n it for a test drive.

Whats the worst that could happen, You hate it and go home empty handed?
 
#25
Well, tru dat! Challenge is time, but I will need to go try it out for a full test. It's a big investment for me, so you're right.

JMac4strngr said:
What do You have to loose other than couple of hours of Your time. Go do the plug and play on one, and see how You like it. I am 95.6% sure most of the folks trying to sell'em wouldn't have any probs with You take'n it for a test drive.

Whats the worst that could happen, You hate it and go home empty handed?
Click to expand...
 
#26
JMac4strngr said:
They aren't that bad.
IMO-They sound way better than some of the low cost alternatives, in the sub-$500 category. You can usually find'em (SLM-era 810E)for $500 or less and comparing them to the GC-Acoustic B810 or GK 810GLX(both around $500-$600 new), the SLM era cabs win by a landslide.
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Agree with this, though they are darker mid-tonewise and made of MDF they are still built well compared to what else is out there. If you search on TB, some have put a pair of the inexspensive Jensen Mod 10/50s at the top bank to brighten these cabs up with good result.

Many of us are lucky to own SVT flatbacks and Bergantinos and the like....so some of the opinions may be a little skewed against these cabs to a degree, you may love the tone of them with your setup.
 
#27
Yep, Buying a cab without a test run is kind of a crap shoot. Give it the try out for sure. If someone isn't willing to let You crank it up and give it a listen, move on.
+1 with what Ampegfuzz says. If Ya hate it, You should be able to sell it if need be and make Your money back.
 
#28
SLM 810e's made before 98 are fantastic. And if I boost the treble on the head, I can make the muddier SLM cabs made after 98 work for my purposes. But I'd still rather have one made in the last few years by LOUD or one made before 98. Muddy isn't the word for them, though...darker is. They're not really muddy. I don't have any mud problems with them. I have lack of treble response problems with them.
 
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#29
i've got an early 80s 810 i think.
plywood and different handles...but it had the speakers replaced with ampeg factory speakers during the the dark speaker era so i've got the darker ones.

i just eq the treble up some and it's fine. really really happy with the sound of everything i have right now.
 
#30
I'm hoping to get to try it out on Friday. For some reason, I'm OK with darker tone speakers---the not being plywood is what's bugging me the most. Maybe its just a mental hurdle. In the last 6 months, all I've found is one cab for sale that is not SLM era.
 
#31
I recently did a pretty thorough review of the SVT-610HLF and SVT-810e: Loud vs. SLM

The difference is far more apparent with the 810.... with the new LOUD 810 being the nicest sounding of all the ones Ive owned / used in the past from the 90's forward. WAY more upper midrange and treble extension.... same low-mid punch, slightly more lo-bass extension....especially when compared to the most recent few years of SLM particleboard or OSB cabs....

The New 610HLF has a bit more midrange than the older version, and seems a much sturdier cabinet.
 
#35
All of the Ampeg cabinets that I own or have owned (SVT-810e, SVT-610HLF and SVT-410HLF) have been SLM cabinets made of OSB. I've never had an issue, but I don't tour with the gear thrown in the band trailer either...

I recovered the 610HLF in Duratex and the construction was solid underneath when I removed the old tolex.

Interesting quote from the reference links above " And wood scientists agree that the structural performance of osb and plywood are equivalent."

I think it gets a bad rap from being confused with particle-board...:atoz:
 
#36
bstringrandy said:
All of the Ampeg cabinets that I own or have owned (SVT-810e, SVT-610HLF and SVT-410HLF) have been SLM cabinets made of OSB. I've never had an issue, but I don't tour with the gear thrown in the band trailer either...
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Good info. Thanks.

bstringrandy said:
I think it gets a bad rap from being confused with particle-board...:atoz:
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And MDF apparently too :hiding: :D:

Having worked with all three materials, I have a lot more confidence in OSB than MDF or particle. Mainly, fasteners tend to pull out of MDF and particle more easily, especially if you move the thing a lot. Also water and impact damage is greater. That said, for all I know, MDF sounds better than OSB.

So can we conclude that Ampeg cabs are either ply or OSB, and were never made from MDF or particle board? (I hope so, I'm confused enough already! :) )
 
#37
All that I've ever seen with my own two eyes, that weren't plywood were OSB(Oriented Strand Board). MDF, is the brown stuff that looks as if it was made from cardboard dust and glue.
OSB, is most commonly used for roof and siding underlayment on houses. It actually has a lower moisture content than plywood (which means nothing in construction for bass guitar cabs), as it's made of glue and strands of wood. However It isn't quite as strong as plywood, and wont take the abuse that good ole plywood will take.
 
#38
To further My rambling post.....
AFAIK-Most of the Low buck cabs (GC- Acoustic, I know for a fact are MDF), are made from MDF or Particle board. Because it's inexpensive and easy to work with. Most cheaper cabs are made to be easy on the wallet for entry level users, and aren't made or designed with durability or top notch sound quality in mind.
 
#39
JMac4strngr said:
To further My rambling post.....
AFAIK-Most of the Low buck cabs (GC- Acoustic, I know for a fact are MDF), are made from MDF or Particle board. Because it's inexpensive and easy to work with. Most cheaper cabs are made to be easy on the wallet for entry level users, and aren't made or designed with durability or top notch sound quality in mind.
Click to expand...

I gotta wonder though if materials like MDF might make for better sounding bass cabs. I would think they'd be highly resistant to resonance, reducing boominess, and the need for bracing. (Totally guessing here, and only marginally related to the topic, so probably a subject for a different thread.)
 

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