I honestly believe that. I've played a lot of different cabs and rigs, and to this day, I'd rather play through a fridge.
Enjoy the benefits of a premium membership!
Upgrade Account
-
TalkBass has been independent since 1998. Add your voice.
Create a free account to reply to discussions, view embedded media, and browse with fewer display ads.
Join free Log in
Want zero display ads or expanded classifieds tools? Compare plans.
Cutting through live in a metal band
- Thread starter jacksonguy95
- Start date
That's a matter of taste though. There are cabs which, performance and weight wise, are obectively better, but you know that already.
What the 810 is good at is creating a upper mid / lower treble peak without being shrill / shiney / airy. A low pass filter like an alembic sf2 can do a great job of that as well.
SF2 can turn any amp into a cutting monster.
SF2 can turn any amp into a cutting monster.
Low mids are what make me cut through. But it's cause I don't have guitar players in my bands occupying that space. If I did, like a lot of metal bands, it would be a different section of mids that I would need to try and occupy.
But that said, I agree that is was probably the sound guy, but what bass are you playing? I always think that Ibanez does NOT cut through like most people think in metal bands, and I love the way Spectors and Warwicks usually cut through. Someone said Justin Chancellor, I am taking a gamble that you don't have a Wal and aren't getting one.
But that said, I agree that is was probably the sound guy, but what bass are you playing? I always think that Ibanez does NOT cut through like most people think in metal bands, and I love the way Spectors and Warwicks usually cut through. Someone said Justin Chancellor, I am taking a gamble that you don't have a Wal and aren't getting one.
Weight wise, yes, there are a lot of cabs better at being lighter than the fridge. Performance, though, is a matter of opinion.
As far as pure "how loud will it get with amp x" I'm quite sure it's not.
Tone is subjective but it's still an equally good reason to prefer an amp.
How loud a rig gets is pretty much the last thing on my mind, considering my 810 will get loud enough to make me nauseous.
Congratulations. I wouldn't cut lows or highs, rather boost lows and mids on your EQ. Some metal bassists have that scooped sound but I think it works against them.
It's still objective, and that's why anti-810ers keep hammering about it being an outdated design.
I'm not questioning tone or personal preference. When I think "performance" I think of it as loudness per amp watt and loudness/weight and how low does it go. These are all hard and measurable parameters, so from an engineering point of view ported designs are indeed better.
From a musician's point of view, they might or might not.
An 810 might be more than enough for you and maybe for me, but there are people out there using two 810's so maybe it's not enough for them.
On a side note, you will think I need to shut up because of this, but unfortunately I haven't (yet) had the pleasure to try an SVT+fridge.
I mean, I'd rather play through that setup too instead of my current and my soon-to-be next SS+ported rig, because, back problems aside, I too value tone over the rest. But it's still a personal preference. In terms of ease of transport, performance/price and reliability (if we bring ss/valve into the discussion), however, it's hardly a subjective matter.
Last edited:
I've played plenty of ported designs that suck, too.It's still objective, and that's why anti-810ers keep hammering about it being an outdated design.
I'm not questioning tone or personal preference. When I think "performance" I think of it as loudness per amp watt and loudness/weight and how low does it go. These are all hard and measurable parameters, so from an engineering point of view ported designs are indeed better.
From a musician's point of view, they might or might not.
And there are people who use two or more Fearfuls. Not sure what the point is there.
Since when do you have to try something to be able to talk intelligently about it?
Won't goof on you too bad because at least you admitted it, but while I would never tell anyone to shut up with their opinions, it does make them way more valid if you've at least had one experience.
Ease of transport and performance/price are VERY subjective. For example, you might see an 810 and 410 and assume that transporting the 410 is much easier. And in some situations it is. But on the vast majority of my gigs, I can use leverage to move the fridge while the 410 requires a series of deadlifts. Also, some might see the VT pedal, for example, as "close enough to the SVT/fridge" while others might see it as "you get what you pay for."
As for reliability, yes, I will admit that now and then you have to replace a tube or two. But other than that, I've had as many reliability problems with the SS amps I've bought as I've had with tube amps, and there is no evidence that tube amps are inherently less reliable than SS amps. There is evidence that tubes these days aren't made as well as old tubes, but I can replace tubes myself whereas a problem with an SS amp always means a trip to the shop.
The fridge does what it does incredibly well. It does not get anywhere near the sound that I prefer, but with a p bass I think it's the perfect match.
Well there's always some jokers who have to start up with those of us who like Ampeg fridges, like we're cavemen banging two rocks together and they're great thinkers because they use something else.
If that's the attitude you want to have about this, fine. I see no point in talking further. You win the argument. Good day, sir.
Historically, humans survived much longer banging rocks together than our current way of life. That being said, I prefer newer ways, but so what? Bang your rocks together! If you like it, who cares!
Come back when you play one on a gig. I'll accept your apology no problem
That was a joke, BTW.
You know, it's not a zero sum game. The SVT 810 can sound good, and other designs can sound good too. They *all* can sound good and cut through, without diminishing any of them.
That said, I had one of the original SVT rigs early on, early 70's, the one with the 2 cabinets. I really liked it, but sold it for some reason. Likely because we got sick of moving it. I was never able to find another cabinet that sounded as good, and cut through as well. Until I picked up a used SVT810e from Craig's list a few months ago for $375.00.
I have no experience playing one of the fear-type cabs, so I can't speak to that. What I can say, is for $375.00, I don't think I'll find anything that comes close to the 8x10. For the classic rock I play, it works perfectly, always cuts through the mix, and I never want for more volume, or better tone.
That said, I had one of the original SVT rigs early on, early 70's, the one with the 2 cabinets. I really liked it, but sold it for some reason. Likely because we got sick of moving it. I was never able to find another cabinet that sounded as good, and cut through as well. Until I picked up a used SVT810e from Craig's list a few months ago for $375.00.
I have no experience playing one of the fear-type cabs, so I can't speak to that. What I can say, is for $375.00, I don't think I'll find anything that comes close to the 8x10. For the classic rock I play, it works perfectly, always cuts through the mix, and I never want for more volume, or better tone.
Simple. Club your guitarist(s) into submission. You'll cut through the resulting mix just peachy. Problem solved.
MM
Right. And that reason is because the SVT has been around for something like 45 years, it was the first widely-available, mass-produced, high-volume rig of its kind...and especially because people are such creatures of habit that it never occurs to most of them that the state of the art in bass amplification might have progressed somewhat since the time when it was introduced to market.
MM
