Berg 610 vs Ampeg vs whatever else

[HoosierBassist]

So,

I know, I need to just sit down and play these cabs myself...

I'm a student, I work a minimum wage job of 7.25 an hour. I don't know my budget for my quest for a nice tube bass rig.

I want something like an Ampeg SVT. At first, I was just gunning for a new 810. then, I heard about the Bergantino NV610. I've got a Volvo S70. its a 4 door sedan, and I can fold the back seats down a bit for more space, so i should be able to transport a big heavy cab. However, I still want to take weight into consideration. A good friend of mine has a pickup he said I cold use if I need to transport my gear. I've got a Fender Rumble 75 (meh) combo and I'm looking to upgrade. I want tubes, not solid state.

I play in a band with 1 guitarist, myself on bass, and a drummer. Guitarist plays a tube Blues Jr amp. You might say that the 810 or a 6x10 is too much power, for my current situation, but I want to have that extra power, just in case we have to play larger venues. I like what I hear out of the Berg NV610. USA made too.

I want good build quality, amazing sound, probably casters on the thing so its easier to move around, maybe handles. The 810E weighs 140lbs. The Berg 610 weighs 100lbs. I have heard mixed things about the Ampeg 610HLF. I am thinking, a Berg 6x10 or an Ampeg 810.

Or, markbass, or SWR or Acoustic (how is the Acoustic 810? its only about half the price of the ampeg) Marshall 8x10? Orange? Aguilar? I don't know what to choose...


So far though, between the NV610 (Bergantino) and the ampeg 810.

As far as heads go, I was thinking Ampeg SVT CL or VR... What about heads? Best tube head for the money? I don't wanna spend a ton on the head too. Try to keep the head under 2,000$. Maybe a SVT CL? I play lots of music, from punk to blues to classic rock, blues-rock, alternative, grunge, etc.

please help me. please.

Austin

 

[JimmyM]

I slightly prefer the SVT-VR but an SVT-CL can sound surprisingly like an SVT-VR if you crank the master past 3:00 and control your volume with the gain. Therefore the next SVT I get is likely going to be a CL.

The 810e is the standard, and the Berg is like a boutique version of it that's smaller and lighter. It's also not quite as loud and not quite as badass looking The 610hlf is tuned lower than either one of them but also sounds good in its own right, as do all those cabs, although I was not real impressed with the Acoustic. It's OK but quite cheaply made, and when you compare the sound of an Acoustic 810 to an Ampeg 810e, you see why the Ampeg's a lot more. I've also played the Markbass CL108, which is a more polite, upper mid forward version of the 810e, but a little too polite for me. And the Goliath 810 which is pretty sweet but more bright and tight. Orange and Aggie I haven't played but people tell me they're quite good. But the 810e is my thang.

 

[Son of Bovril]

if you're spending 2000$ on a ampeg tube head and looking at an ampeg 810 as well you are certainly not on a tight budget, nor are you scared of lifting heavy things.

More importantly though, what sound are you looking for (what bands sound are you after/like) and why do you want a tube head specifically?

 

[Envincibal]

I'm not an Ampeg guy, so my opinion is going to be biased, but I love my Berg NV610! I play mostly metal and the Berg has never failed me (I drive it with a Carvin BX500 micro head) - one of the best musical purchases I've made.
The Berg replaced my EV stack (4x10 + 1x15), and I've never looked back.

 

[Aussie Mark]

Some other excellent 6x10 options to consider are the Epifani UL610 or the new Fender Neo Pro 610. Both weigh less than 80lbs, have built in castors, multiple handles etc. The Fender is more roadworthy, with a Mesa style "bronco" vinyl finish instead of rat fur.

 

[CL400Peavey]

I used to hate Ampeg's. Turns out I love them, but I dont care for a sealed cab. If I was going to get a 'Peg cab it would be the 610 HLF. Deeper than the 810, not as deep or as scooped as the 410 HLF that I played. I recommend you go play through as many different cabs as you can regardless of the brand or size. You may find your sound in a pair of 15's or love the sound of a 212 and decide to stack two of those cabs.

 

[gobearbass]

I just got rid of my ampeg rig. Svt and the 810. Best decision I ever made. I now have an Ebs reidmar which is a totally different class of amp and a Berg 212. I swear it moves more air and is louder than my old rig.

 

[maggbass]

I had an 8x10 and a svt 2pro in the 90s, sounded awsome but got tired of the weight so now I have 610hlf and svp pro preamp and poweramp, not quite the same but really close and much lighter. I prefer the sound of the sealed 8x10 but like the size and weight of the 6x10. Haven´t tried the berg but a lot of people like it. I advise you to get something that you can fit in your car because your friend with the pickup truck might not always be around to haul your stuff.

 

[jastacey]

I had a Ampeg 810 and a SVT II Pro for a while, I had one of the darker sounding cabinets, and I swapped out the upper 4 speakers for MODS ..... in the end I got rid of the 810 .... the reason, size/weight at the end of the night ..... I got a NV610 ..... much easier to handle and it is a great sounding cab with most amps ...... I currently use a ThunderFunk 550B, it gets me were I want to be tonally ..... and all in all, I just don't miss the weight of a SVT head ..... as a side note, if you want something smaller, but in the same sound/tone range, consider the Berg HS-410, when you turn the tweeter down/off, it has a sound that is somewhat similar to the NV610 ... all in all, both cabs are back seat friendly for load in's & the load's out at the end of the night ... best advice I can give, is use your ears when looking for your sound

 

[dukeisdog]

I'm not an Ampeg guy, so my opinion is going to be biased, but I love my Berg NV610! I play mostly metal and the Berg has never failed me (I drive it with a Carvin BX500 micro head) - one of the best musical purchases I've made.
The Berg replaced my EV stack (4x10 + 1x15), and I've never looked back.

I agree 100%. I started my quest on big cabs with an Ampeg 810e, it was a 2001 cab and had some of the 'darker' drivers in it. I found that the cab could get loud, but couldn't take much if any bass boost on my EQ before the cab farted out.

I've now moved onto playing Mesa Boogie gear and couldn't be any happier. I bought a PH412 and PH610, these cabs are AWESOME! Not too hard to move, and built like a tank, seriously. The Mesa cabs come with slip covers, and the tolex is held on very well. I can only recall ever seeing 1 Mesa Boogie cab with bad road rash, these things are built to handle life on the road IMO.

They're gonna be a totally different option then Ampeg, but I'm very happy with my choice on cabs.

 

[twhitedc]

I don't know what kind of music you're playing but you may not want to rule out the ampeg svt410hlf. It can handle 500W, has speakon connectors, individual tweeter control, and goes LOW. it also has the same features that make the classic 810's somewhat portable towel bar, and kick back wheels. They're fairly plentiful on the used market I think I just saw one on the classifieds and I'm sure you can find one at GC somewhere near you used probably in the $400-$450 range. In my personal experience I've been through 2x15's 810's and the 410 + 115 set up. Right now I'm using the 410hlf and it's louder than anything I've owned thus far and it goes lower than the ampeg 610 from what I understand. I don't think this is the last cab I will ever own, but I can not find a reason to sell it (until I buy something new and likely orange)

If you're really set on an 810 seriously consider the logistics of moving it. How often do you gig? Will your friend's truck be available? Do you load up & down stairs regularly? Tight turns? Are you going to want to bring friends to your shows or is it ok to travel alone with your cal full of gear? Just some things to consider.

 

[CL400Peavey]

I don't know what kind of music you're playing but you may not want to rule out the ampeg svt410hlf. It can handle 500W, has speakon connectors, individual tweeter control, and goes LOW. it also has the same features that make the classic 810's somewhat portable towel bar, and kick back wheels. They're fairly plentiful on the used market I think I just saw one on the classifieds and I'm sure you can find one at GC somewhere near you used probably in the $400-$450 range. In my personal experience I've been through 2x15's 810's and the 410 + 115 set up. Right now I'm using the 410hlf and it's louder than anything I've owned thus far and it goes lower than the ampeg 610 from what I understand. I don't think this is the last cab I will ever own, but I can not find a reason to sell it (until I buy something new and likely orange)

If you're really set on an 810 seriously consider the logistics of moving it. How often do you gig? Will your friend's truck be available? Do you load up & down stairs regularly? Tight turns? Are you going to want to bring friends to your shows or is it ok to travel alone with your cal full of gear? Just some things to consider.

See the 410 HLF is one of the last Ampeg cabs I would ever recommend. The older one that I play was crazy heavy, terribly mid scooped, and at 4 Ohms doesnt allow for expansion with a lot of heads.

I am told the newer ones are less scooped which is good, and the neos are ligher, but I think there are better options out there from Ampeg.

 

[Tom Howland]

Berg 610, best 10" cab I've ever played.

The 610, and a Ampeg VR is a tone factory.

 

[chaosMK]

If you want a fridge, I'd just go with an Ampeg. You could find one used for $500-ish if you are patient and could probably resell for the same if you don't like it.

I use an SWR Megoliath right now. It's epic in proportion. With a big tube head pushing it, it can get louder than I could imagine ever needing for any application.

With that said, I love Mesa cabs and they are definitely worth a look especially if rock genres are more your thing.

 

[HoosierBassist]

what about the markbass 810? Its only 89 pounds according to the manufacturer specs.

I gathered a list of several 810s and 610s.. weight wise..

Ampeg 810-140lbs
GK Neo 810-111lbs
Acoustic B810-143lbs
Orange 810-150lbs
Marshall 8x10-154lbs
Ashdown ABM 810-154lbs
Fender Pro V2 810-157lbs
Aguilar 810-184lbs
Fender Bassman Pro Neo 810-97lbs
Markbass 810-89lbs
Mesa Boogie Powerhouse 810-173lbs
Hartke Hydrive 810-118lbs

I know all of this is subjective. I'm not set on an 810 configuration. I just wouldn't mind having the extra power if I need it. Feel free to tell me about some of the models I listed. Anybody tried the Hartke or the Fender Bassman Pro Neo yet?

Berg 610-I'm really interested in one of those. Where the heck can I demo one? Is there any place in Indiana that sells them?

 

[Buster Brown]

I had an 8x10 and a svt 2pro in the 90s, sounded awsome but got tired of the weight so now I have 610hlf and svp pro preamp and poweramp, not quite the same but really close and much lighter. I prefer the sound of the sealed 8x10 but like the size and weight of the 6x10. Haven´t tried the berg but a lot of people like it. I advise you to get something that you can fit in your car because your friend with the pickup truck might not always be around to haul your stuff.

As a guy who owns BOTH the 610 and the 810 - other than the slight difference in the size of the 610 - what did you actually save in weight? 10-20- pounds?

Don't get me wrong, I really like my 610 (powered by a 4pro) but honestly, other than the little difference in size, I don't see much difference in either weight or displacement.

At one time, I could fit either in a PT Cruiser (no problem) along with the 4Pro - in a road case, a couple of basses, my 2 Mics and stands.

 

[Alex1984]

I'm not an Ampeg guy, so my opinion is going to be biased, but I love my Berg NV610! I play mostly metal and the Berg has never failed me (I drive it with a Carvin BX500 micro head) - one of the best musical purchases I've made.
The Berg replaced my EV stack (4x10 + 1x15), and I've never looked back.

Interesting. I love my EV B-410s and my B-115. I wouldn't consider replacing them ever, those drivers are excellent!

 

[Tim1]

I play my VR into a Berg NV610. Love it, but got to say that Jimmy nailed it when he said the 'peg 810 is slightly louder and certainly looks cooler. That said, it is much easier to hoist an SVT on top of a 610 rather than an 810 and the 610 fits into most vehicles which can't be said for an 810. Love the Berg, wouldn't change it, but miss the 810.

 

[georgestrings]

Mesa Boogie Powerhouse 810-173lbs

Yup - been gigging one nearly every weekend for the last 19 months... As far as 810s go, there aren't any that will go deeper, louder, or have clearer highs than the Mesa - it's the King of the 810s, IME/IMO... It's also quite heavy at 173lbs - but so well laid out that it's much more manageable than one would expect at that weight - tilt and roll or slide, glide rails on the back, handles on the top rear, sides, and spring loaded handles on the bottom... If I had to deal with alot of stairs, I *might* think differently, but so far I've really enjoyed gigging with it...

 

[tombowlus]

As a guy who owns BOTH the 610 and the 810 - other than the slight difference in the size of the 610 - what did you actually save in weight? 10-20- pounds?

Don't get me wrong, I really like my 610 (powered by a 4pro) but honestly, other than the little difference in size, I don't see much difference in either weight or displacement.

At one time, I could fit either in a PT Cruiser (no problem) along with the 4Pro - in a road case, a couple of basses, my 2 Mics and stands.

If you are rolling in and rolling out, then it's probably not a big deal. But I have to traverse steps every time I take equipment to a gig (either up from my basement, or down from my 2nd floor office), and the Berg NV-series cabs are a lot easier to get up and down steps than a full-sized 8x10.

Of course, this is all IME/IMHO, and YMMV, so take that for what it's worth.