I imagine this will be a "no big deal" to at least most folks, but I recently learned about some changes Epfiani is making to their product line that I'd like to pass on.
I recently got a brand new S2 UL410 and when unpacking it, I noticed right away it was heavier than my current one... not a lot, but definitely noticeable.
Two things have happened... their supply of the really light wood is gone, and they've had to change their internal dampening material to meet European environmental standards.
What this translated to on the 410 is about 9 pounds, so now this cab will come in around 66 pounds instead of 57. Of course these changes mean even less weight gain in the smaller cabs, but of course more for the 610, but I'm guessing that cab doesn't sell nearly as much as the 410 and below.
An interesting side note is they also changed to a much sturdier grill material... more like what Eden uses. I'm sure this added a little weight too, but probably not much compared to the wood and dampening material.
To my ears, the cab sounds exactly the same despite the material changes (not to suggest it should, just noting it didn't as far as I can tell). That's a good thing, IMHO, since this cab remains my current favorite bass cab.
To put an editorial spin on this (tho hopefully not start an advocacy war)...
Now, as I recall, the UL410 weighs exactly the same as the new Berg AE410, and the UL410 is of course also bigger. Without the lower weight it used to have compared to the AE410, the AE410 now becomes the categorical winner in 410 portability since it's smaller and no longer weighs more. They still sound very different, and tone should always come first when selecting gear, but at this point, Epifani has permanently lost the weight advantage over all other 410 cabs. In short, there's a new king of the hill in 410 portability, and his name is Bergantino.
I recently got a brand new S2 UL410 and when unpacking it, I noticed right away it was heavier than my current one... not a lot, but definitely noticeable.
Two things have happened... their supply of the really light wood is gone, and they've had to change their internal dampening material to meet European environmental standards.
What this translated to on the 410 is about 9 pounds, so now this cab will come in around 66 pounds instead of 57. Of course these changes mean even less weight gain in the smaller cabs, but of course more for the 610, but I'm guessing that cab doesn't sell nearly as much as the 410 and below.
An interesting side note is they also changed to a much sturdier grill material... more like what Eden uses. I'm sure this added a little weight too, but probably not much compared to the wood and dampening material.
To my ears, the cab sounds exactly the same despite the material changes (not to suggest it should, just noting it didn't as far as I can tell). That's a good thing, IMHO, since this cab remains my current favorite bass cab.
To put an editorial spin on this (tho hopefully not start an advocacy war)...
Now, as I recall, the UL410 weighs exactly the same as the new Berg AE410, and the UL410 is of course also bigger. Without the lower weight it used to have compared to the AE410, the AE410 now becomes the categorical winner in 410 portability since it's smaller and no longer weighs more. They still sound very different, and tone should always come first when selecting gear, but at this point, Epifani has permanently lost the weight advantage over all other 410 cabs. In short, there's a new king of the hill in 410 portability, and his name is Bergantino.
I would doubt it.
