Wow, you gave a great answer to the modeling guy, then you turn around and drop this dud of an answer here. Don't know what planet's 1960's transistor radio the Ampeg sounds like, but even the new ones sound better than that.
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Mesa 8x10 vs. Ampeg 8x10 (for Rock)
- Thread starter bchamorro
- Start date
Well, that wasn't supposed to be an insult, but I can see how it was taken that way. That's just the tone that they're meant to produce, to my ears. I actually think the old ones sound better than the new ones. I've never heard a sealed cab that has any true low end response. There's a lot of "audible" low end response, sure, but that's all 100hz+, right?
They actually go down to 55 hz. But I'll tell you, it certainly doesn't sound that way to me. Never had a problem getting a big bottom end when needed, never had a problem playing a 5. But that's my impression. For some people it's not enough and that's cool.
I gigged an Ampeg fridge with an SVT2 nonpro head for many years. Sold it as age started to kick in. Then spent several years trying to get a manageable version of the same sound. Ended up with a Mesa 400+ (about half the weight of the SVT2) and a Berg NV610(this cabinet just beats the fridge hands down on all counts, not least portability). Now I have also discovered Markbass and the Markbass 450 into my old Goliath cabinet is first call for practices, surprisingly the MB can actually get a decent vintage sounding tone out of the Goliath.
Note to JimmyM - you really need to try a Berg NV610, I would be most interested to read your impressions of it.
Note to JimmyM - you really need to try a Berg NV610, I would be most interested to read your impressions of it.
MESA:
You can always dirty up your sound in the preamp stage or with a "SansampP type pedal, but you cannot clean up a dirty sounding cabinet...
You can always dirty up your sound in the preamp stage or with a "SansampP type pedal, but you cannot clean up a dirty sounding cabinet...
Totally agree with the above post.
The Berg 6x10 will sound better than both in a smaller, more portable package. What a hell, the NV610 sounds bigger than 2 of these Ampegs. I'm serious...
Congrats! I will let you know when I get mine so you'll know how long it takes. It has been 2 or 3 weeks so far... it sucks to wait but it is totally worth it!
Discussion seems over, but for my two cents, its the horn that makes the diference.
Highs are so much clearer if you are not asking a speaker to produce lows and mids AND highs.
Good luck
Highs are so much clearer if you are not asking a speaker to produce lows and mids AND highs.
Good luck
You would definitely know better than I. I've never gigged an SVT 8x10, my experience is only in-store. I'm sure they sound different opened up in a live situation, especially when standing at crowd distance instead of player distance.
For the OP, I guess the key difference (to me) is the sealed vs. ported sound. The Mesa will have more low-lows (and high-highs because of the horn), and will be punchy, but in a different way. The Ampeg will be vintagey punchy, older school thump, to my ears. I also feel like the Ampeg sounds best with a treble boost, because the last of a horn gives it a compressed sound that turns into a an added bit of aggressiveness instead of clicky, glassiness in a higher fidelity cabinet. On the other hand, the same effect exists on the low end. You end up with a midder (and thus muddier) low end tone if you focus your EQ on lows, that is very old shcool tasty, though not good for modern rock or jazz.
Maybe that's a better description of what I was trying to describe. Though, Jimmy is far more experienced with Ampeg than I, so I would favor his opinion.
I owned the ampeg 810 and liked it a lot more than the svt350 I was playing through it. It's a good cab, especially with a big tube head. I just think it's easier to make other 810s sound like the ampeg (roll off the tweeter and the ultra lows) than it is to make the Ampeg open up like some other cabs.
That being said, if Ampeg decided to endorse me and give me a nice big 810av and svt-av, I would definitely not say no. But since I'm footing the bill, I'm going with mesa for now.
That being said, if Ampeg decided to endorse me and give me a nice big 810av and svt-av, I would definitely not say no. But since I'm footing the bill, I'm going with mesa for now.
i'm not familiar with either of those cabs personally (i have a 76 ampeg, worlds apart) but things to look at if you can't play them:
1. Good amp manufacturers usually voice their amps to work with their cabs to make a good sound. USUALLY!
2. Sensitivity. Try to find that value- it's usually marked something like 96db. The higher the number the more efficient the cab, so the more sound you'll get from the same number of watts. 3dB difference is percieved as twice as loud.
3. Weight. Even the best sounding cabs get old to move if you play out a lot or deal with a lot of stairs. Since you can't move it yourself, bandmates will get tired of helping you carry a heavier cab. note i said heavier. they WILL get tired of helping you move either of these!!!
4. Durability. The ampeg's grill cloth will get holes no matter how careful you are. I have metal like the stuff on the Mesa cab on all my cabs. It'll stop anything. Also tolex will be more durable than a painted finish. The ampegs metal corners will stand up to more abuse than the mesa's plastic ones.
That being said, if your budget is small, buy used. Just be careful to test it thoroughly, stick your ear next to each speaker while playing to make sure it's working.
1. Good amp manufacturers usually voice their amps to work with their cabs to make a good sound. USUALLY!
2. Sensitivity. Try to find that value- it's usually marked something like 96db. The higher the number the more efficient the cab, so the more sound you'll get from the same number of watts. 3dB difference is percieved as twice as loud.
3. Weight. Even the best sounding cabs get old to move if you play out a lot or deal with a lot of stairs. Since you can't move it yourself, bandmates will get tired of helping you carry a heavier cab. note i said heavier. they WILL get tired of helping you move either of these!!!
4. Durability. The ampeg's grill cloth will get holes no matter how careful you are. I have metal like the stuff on the Mesa cab on all my cabs. It'll stop anything. Also tolex will be more durable than a painted finish. The ampegs metal corners will stand up to more abuse than the mesa's plastic ones.
That being said, if your budget is small, buy used. Just be careful to test it thoroughly, stick your ear next to each speaker while playing to make sure it's working.
Haha. Well, if you actually read the posts, you would see the disclaimer that I hadn't played it live. I guess reading everything before responding is a good lesson for new posters. In fact, a good life lesson is to pay attention to what you're responding to. Welcome to talkbass, indeed. Please read before typing.
If I had to chose between them 2 cabs it would be the Mesa.
Fortunately though I don't have to make that choice as I've already settled on my killer 810XLT.
Fortunately though I don't have to make that choice as I've already settled on my killer 810XLT.
