Is an Ampeg 810 Overkill?

[wolfkeller]

Overkill? What's overkill? Yeah , those fEARfull cabs are great. They are also pretty expensive if I recall correctly. I wouldn't mind having one but right now I can't afford one.
You are not in Canada , you are near Lancaster and most clubs there and even some outdoor venues that you might play (firemans carnivals etc.) will not have PA support.
Get the 810. If you don't mind schlepping it around , you will fall in love with it. I have 2 10's , 2 15's , 4 10's and 8 10's. I almost always use the 8 10. It just sounds better than any other cab I have.
Too loud they say? Uhhhh , there is a volume knob on your amp. I guarantee it. Oh , and if you DO mind schlepping it around , I'm 61 years old. What's your excuse?

That's right you tell em!!! All these lame ass excuses from cream puffs!

 

[mpdd]

we've been over and over this again and again, you only use an 810 for playing at a tiny tiny pizza shop in kent, ohio on the floor with vocals through a tiny peavey PA in front of 50 of your friends, otherwise you use two 810s, why do i have to keep rewriting this

 

[Bassoballs]

I don't mind hauling mine around...

 

[Jim Carr]

Congrats on the new cab. Be glad you don't live in a 3rd floor walk-up!

If you want to expand the usefulness of your 410, and become ultra-modular, get a 2 ohm capable head and an 8 ohm eden 210 with the same drivers as your eden 410. You will then be able to decide between 210, 410, 610 (410 + 210), and 810 weaponry. N.B. should the day ever come that your 810 blows a speaker (heaven forfend) or is not going to work for the transport/venue situation (like a gig at the top of 5 flights of stairs that are on the outside of the building which I did with 2x210), you can always bring a 210, 410, or 610.

Banging gavel....

Overkill was praised by Herman Kahn ("On Thermonuclear War," and "Thinking about the Unthinkable") when he pointed out that both deterring and winning a nuclear war (winning was viewed by Kahn as possible) requires one side have a much larger nuclear arsenal than the other. That is why both sides had enough weapons to destroy each other many times over. Such a strategy had the obvious effect of continuously spurring the arms race. As a by-product, this "overkill doctrine" helped spend the USSR into dissolution. No doubt Kahn would have argued, had he lived to see December 25th, 1991, that overkill had saved mankind.

So when you fire-up whatever amp head into that 810 fridge, remember that overkill saved the world from thermonuclear war, and you are preventing a guitarist from starting a war. Thus showing overkill CAN be a good thing.

Are we through here ladies and gentlemen? ...Meeting adjourned.

 

[johnson79]

I love this thing, but I may end up getting another 410 instead. I'll regret it, but I'll regret not putting new tires on my wife's van more... Who knows. I hate having to make adult decisions.

 

[Pokerdweebz]

Haha I saw the Craiglist post and was like nooooooooooo he's selling it!

 

[Arthur U. Poon]

IMO the tone and performance of the Ampeg 810E cannot be beat or 100% duplicated by any other cabinet combination, -that I've personally gigged with -including a pair of 4-10" cabinets. If I had help to move one from my rehearsal room to the gig and back to the rehearsal room, I'd use one for every gig.

And it will give the OP the reason in the future to buy an SVT head to stack on top of the 810E and then all will be Right in the World of Bass!

 

[mpdd]

i ran my new fuzzrocious dark driving pedal into the mesa d180 with the dark and bright switches engaged yesterday and i was kind of surprised by the huge sound i got, maybe not 810 style, but definitely thunderous for a 215

 

[johnson79]

I'll see if I get any takers. I'm not desperate to sell.

I know I'll regret it, but such is life. Who knows. It just sounds so good!

 

[Gaolee]

I love this thing, but I may end up getting another 410 instead. I'll regret it, but I'll regret not putting new tires on my wife's van more... Who knows. I hate having to make adult decisions.

Your back will hate you for buying a 410 instead of keeping the 810. Just saying.

 

[Korladis]

Your back will hate you for buying a 410 instead of keeping the 810. Just saying.

Yep. Deadlifting 410s is not fun.

 

[johnson79]

If I get a 410 I'll get a hand truck too. The 810 is so easy to wheel around!

As for now I'm keeping it. I've got a couple side jobs coming up so I'm not worried about the cash.

 

[Gonzo64]

I love my SVT810E! I run either my PF500 or my SVT3PRO, and it sounds amazing. I also own a SVT410HLF which is great in it's own respect, but it's a different animal altogether. The 410 is MUCH harder to get in and out of my Impala's back seat, and I immediately recognized the benefit of having drivers at ear level. FWIW, I ride my Electra Glide at 55mph, which a 250cc Yamaha could do too, but I'd take the Harley every time......

 

[sharkbait130]

I used to ride my Harley at 70 mph , but it would do 135 when I wanted it to. My Suzuki 250 wouldn't.
To the O.P. If you sell it , you'll be sorry!

 

[johnson79]

Not selling it. It sounds so amazing with my GK head. I freaking love it.

 

[PortlandBass77]

So I have the opportunity to get an Ampeg 810. For no cash out of my pocket. It's through a program at work where we earn points with sales.

I think you answered your own question....

 

[Killer Of Giants]

Obviously this is the only answer! Even if you play at lower volumes like I do, bigger is just plain better for bass. I only use smaller stuff as a concession to middle age and/or impossible schleps, but if I could hack it, I'd use an 810e on every gig I do.

I agree There is nothing like the sound for sure! just can be difficult to move around, one of my wheels broke, so on Thursday I gotta buy a set of new ones lol

 

[Darchyboy]

I agree There is nothing like the sound for sure! just can be difficult to move around, one of my wheels broke, so on Thursday I gotta buy a set of new ones lol

There is a cool tutorial on YouTube in how to install skateboard trucks and wheels on an ampeg cab. I bet it would roll a lot nicer!