I haven’t had the Chinese 810e but I am currently using a Chinese 410he paired with the Chinese 15 And I previously used the American made 810e. They are all the same quality imo.
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China Ampeg
- Thread starter tom dicus
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Yeah it depends on what era we are talking about: The Ampeg Company, Unimusic, Inc, Magnavox, Music Technology, Inc., St. Louis Music, or Loud Technologies?
I guess one would compare Loud and SLM.
IMOP on the cabs only the Chinese cabs are far superior than anything SLM ever produced and I would be the last person in the world to state that about Chinese manufacturing.
I remember when folks got excited when Ampeg gear was made in Vietnam.
The SVT head sounded the same to me and have not heard about any reliability issues.
OTOH, I would be happy ff Ampeg was made anywhere but China.
The unregulated pollution and horribly low wages is something I rather not support (but often do).
I have a friend who reproduces antique car parts.
Some years ago he had to shut down his chrome plating shop as it was too expensive to dispose of the hazardous materials vs. going off shore.
He got burned the first time and then found an agent to middle the deal.
He asked how the Chinese dealt with the spent hazardous fluids (which includes various acids and cyanide).
The agent said they pour it in the gravel parking lot...
The SVT head sounded the same to me and have not heard about any reliability issues.
OTOH, I would be happy ff Ampeg was made anywhere but China.
The unregulated pollution and horribly low wages is something I rather not support (but often do).
I have a friend who reproduces antique car parts.
Some years ago he had to shut down his chrome plating shop as it was too expensive to dispose of the hazardous materials vs. going off shore.
He got burned the first time and then found an agent to middle the deal.
He asked how the Chinese dealt with the spent hazardous fluids (which includes various acids and cyanide).
The agent said they pour it in the gravel parking lot...
For my money, the Heritage 810e is the best that's ever been made under the Ampeg name. The tone of the early flatbacks with 3.5x the power handling.
Hi.. Never owned a Chinese Ampeg 8 x 10 but my friend has used one all over the country. Works fine.. I have had 2 brand new American heritage series and both had to be returned.
The newer cabs are built with 5/8s thick material. I had a gk2001 head on top of the first cab and it bowed the top and the front grill. So that went back. Got the replacement, sounded great. So I put a little power on it and everything rattled. Found out all the bolts were loose on the speakers and one hole had no bolt or T nut. So I tightened the speakers and played it and one popped around the cone. Luckily I was dealing with Sweetwater and they took it back no problem. I never did find out what happened to the cab. So much for American built and the new level of QC. I have played the overseas cabs in a local store and they sounded great..So I would have to think real hard about buying another one but it would probably be the foreign made..
So I guess if I was going to buy another 8x10 Ampeg it would be the 166 pounder and not the new lighter weight cabs... My .25 cents worth!!!
Good luck!
The newer cabs are built with 5/8s thick material. I had a gk2001 head on top of the first cab and it bowed the top and the front grill. So that went back. Got the replacement, sounded great. So I put a little power on it and everything rattled. Found out all the bolts were loose on the speakers and one hole had no bolt or T nut. So I tightened the speakers and played it and one popped around the cone. Luckily I was dealing with Sweetwater and they took it back no problem. I never did find out what happened to the cab. So much for American built and the new level of QC. I have played the overseas cabs in a local store and they sounded great..So I would have to think real hard about buying another one but it would probably be the foreign made..
So I guess if I was going to buy another 8x10 Ampeg it would be the 166 pounder and not the new lighter weight cabs... My .25 cents worth!!!
Good luck!
Huh. In the video, I think the usa78 sounds noticeably better than the others (esp. the viet nam), and also noticeably better in the solo'd. All but the viet nam one sound very similar. Really, they all sound good though. I've never gigged one, but this makes me want to at least once ;-)
It's important to note a couple things:
--- The Vietnam cab has Eminence Legend B810's and not the stock Ampeg Eminence China speakers. Eminence can't use the same design for their own speakers due to the contract with Ampeg, and I don't think they sound nearly as good as the stockers. This test proves it as far as I'm concerned.
---The 70's cab is actually a 74 with stock CTS alnicos, which are the standard by which they are all judged. Those speakers are incredibly good, and until the Heritage 810e, none of the others sounded quite as awesome. I have a 73 with the same speakers, and it's heavenly, but I always bring the Heritage when I bring an SVT because it's easier to move and sounds just as good IMHO.
Thread Hijack...sort of.
After reading these posts and repeatedly listening to the video/sound clips, I wasn’t able to hear a huge difference between the vintage, USA, China, & Vietnam built cabs.
To me, they sound so similar. Though, the vintage one was warm/sweet and the rest seemed clearer?
What I’m trying to say is that I can’t hear differences that can’t be explained by minute variations in microphone placement. Is that possible/realistic?
Probably, I don’t have refined hearing like a true musician should. I wanted to hear the amps run cleaner with finger style picking.
I felt like the newer models were peaking or breaking up in a negative way. Maybe the mic was too hot?
My question: for a garage/small stage level “musician” like myself, are there any longevity/reliability issues with the import cabinets, including different ownership era’s?
I welcome all input. Just information & opinion gathering. Thanks a bunch!
After reading these posts and repeatedly listening to the video/sound clips, I wasn’t able to hear a huge difference between the vintage, USA, China, & Vietnam built cabs.
To me, they sound so similar. Though, the vintage one was warm/sweet and the rest seemed clearer?
What I’m trying to say is that I can’t hear differences that can’t be explained by minute variations in microphone placement. Is that possible/realistic?
Probably, I don’t have refined hearing like a true musician should. I wanted to hear the amps run cleaner with finger style picking.
I felt like the newer models were peaking or breaking up in a negative way. Maybe the mic was too hot?
My question: for a garage/small stage level “musician” like myself, are there any longevity/reliability issues with the import cabinets, including different ownership era’s?
I welcome all input. Just information & opinion gathering. Thanks a bunch!
It is true that slight EQ or mic variations will change the sound of a cabinet and can allow you to compensate for differences.
The problem with any used cab is that you don’t know how hard it was driven or abused. Buying new is the best way to ensure that the speakers are good and have a long life ahead of them with no maintenance.
I like the newer baltic birch cabinets the wood is solid and void free. Some of the USA made ones are made with particle board. That material can shatter or the casters can punch through if the cab is dropped a little too hard. The sound of the speakers is different as well, darker.
As for Korea, Vietnam, or China. There were quality issues with some of the Vietnam made products. If it looks and sounds good, then there shouldn’t be a problem. The issues with cabs were mostly how the vinyl was applied and damage. Vietnam SVT products tend to sell for less because ofthe bad reputation.
I think that ones from China are the best. With a used cab, listen, evaluate the condition and go with what you feel meets your needs the best.
Great info Jimmy!
I think the common wisdom says that Chineesse made amps and cabs are somehow inferior to U.S. produts, which I have found not always to be true. While all my gear is built in U.S., there's absloutely no way that some of
the semiconductors weren't created overseas. I remember listening to a conversation between two "corporate" types congratulating themself's on the "new" market in China where they could get anything built for
whatever "price point" they wanted. So, as Archie the Cockroach once wisely said "we have met the enemy, and he is us. If the Chineese cabinets are speced out for plywood, then they'll be built of plywood. Just my take
of course, others may disagree. I own an U.S. made Lakland 55-94 and a Indonesian Lakland Skyline 55-02. The U.S. made Lakland has Hipshot's the Indonesian Lakland Skyline has "Hipshot Design" tuning gears. OSB
chipboard can be a mess, when it gets wet.
Deleted posts and closing since the last post before this onslaught was 2019. As a gentle reminder, politics is not allowed. If you have opinions or conspiracy theories about a county, feel free to write them down in one of these places... a journal, facebook, twitter, or really anywhere but here.
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