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Old AMPEG 810 vs new

M

mattmanbass

Feb 19, 2007
224
24
kansas city missouri
www.myspace.com
#1
I all, long time lurker, first time poster, ok so i have a choice to make, a buddy of mine is selling me a 810 and he has 2 of em, 1 is a late 70's or early 80's 810 with just the single input on the back (used to belong to fleetwood macs bassist) and the other one is a newer 810e (bout 2 years old). i recently bought a svt 2 non pro for my head, so in short which should i choose!!! there both great cabs 1 with the vintage mojo and one with more features, and i just dont know which one to choose and i want to make the right choice.

thanks in advance guys

btw guys there both the same price so thats not a factor
 
#2
Suggestion: Check out the speakers in both. In multiple speaker cabinets It's possible to have 1 or 2 that are blown and you would often not notice without checking them individually. Unless you're a collector, I'd be hesitant to buy a gigging cab with 30+ year old speakers. Just my 2 cents. Good luck!
 
#3
Shindig said:
Suggestion: Check out the speakers in both. In multiple speaker cabinets It's possible to have 1 or 2 that are blown and you would often not notice without checking them individually. Unless you're a collector, I'd be hesitant to buy a gigging cab with 30+ year old speakers. Just my 2 cents. Good luck!
Click to expand...

Good advice. You def want to check out all the speakers...I would say go with the newer one unless you the older one is electronically in excellent condition and you dig the old look.

BTW on the SVT II (NON-PRO) purchase, congrats on getting a great head! Got mine around April of 2006-Mine is approx around 15-18 years old! The beast cuts through 2 metal guitars in a good way also it's is built like a tank-literally. It's a heavy 85 pounds but well worth it!
 
#4
Risen Ashes said:
Good advice. You def want to check out all the speakers...I would say go with the newer one unless you the older one is electronically in excellent condition and you dig the old look.

BTW on the SVT II (NON-PRO) purchase, congrats on getting a great head! Got mine around April of 2006-Mine is approx around 15-18 years old! The beast cuts through 2 metal guitars in a good way also it's is built like a tank-literally. It's a heavy 85 pounds but well worth it!
Click to expand...

Yeah the svt 2 is fantastic, i have checked the speakers and there both ok, but i believe i am going to go with the newer one, i do plan on touring with it and you guys are right it just makes more sense thanks alot
 
#5
Word of advice!!! Unscrew one of the recessed cups on the top of the newer cab to look at the wood to determine if it plywood or partical board. The latest 810's are made of baltic birch but there was a fair number of years that these cabs were made out of partical board which will not hold up at all on the road. Theat era of 810's are not thought to sound as good as the older ones either.

I would take a solid look at both and attempt to listen to each cab side by side if AT ALL POSSIBLE. You may like the older one, you never know.
 
#6
Crabby said:
Word of advice!!! Unscrew one of the recessed cups on the top of the newer cab to look at the wood to determine if it plywood or partical board. The latest 810's are made of baltic birch but there was a fair number of years that these cabs were made out of partical board which will not hold up at all on the road. Theat era of 810's are not thought to sound as good as the older ones either.
Click to expand...

I just want to point out that Ampeg did not use particle board for cabs. The cabs were made with OSB & the baffles were plywood. Sure I agree that baltic birch is a much better wood to use for cabs, but its a pretty broad statement to say that the OSB cabs "will not hold up at all on the road". And also FYI, the "fair number of years" Ampeg used OSB for their cabs was pretty much from the mid 80's 'till about a year ago.

The speakers used in the early SVT 810's are different than what is currently being used. That is where you would hear the biggest difference. I personally have an early 70's "square back" 810. I replaced the original speakers with the current model that Ampeg uses. They definitely sound different, but for the type of music I play, I prefer the new speakers.

I dont know what speakers are in that "late 70's or early 80's" cab your friend has, but when production moved to Japan the speakers were changed. So it would be a good idea for you to find out exactly what year that cab was made and if the speakers are original. If the other 810 is 2 years old, its built out of OSB... as are countless thousands of 810E cabs that are still on the road.
 
#11
I would definitely listen to both before deciding...if John McVie used it it would seem to me that it HAD to sound pretty good! He could have sourced anything he wanted from anywhere in the world so you may have the find of a lifetime there. The age of something a lot of times is indicative of a lot of things. In my opinion the saying they don't make em like they used to is usually VERY true! :D Good Luck in deciding but choose the one that SOUNDS the best!

Peace,

T
 
#12
8mmOD said:
Quite. Here ya go, I googled it 4 u

Invalid Link Removed
Click to expand...

Wow, thanks, I had no idea there was any difference. I still think I would be nervous about banging around a cab made of OSB as it would be hard to repair. I have never been too hard on any of my cabs in the past so who knows, it may not be much of an issue.

It just seems like a turn off to think of a speaker cab being made of fiber board of OSB as opposed to plywood.
 
#13
When I was a carpenter, we always used OSB for the flooring underlayment of houses. Plywood is expensive and OSB is cheaper (in the Chicago area OSB is $6.75 a 4' x 8' sheet, Plywood is around $9 a sheet 4' x 8' - both of these prices are for the 1/2" size).

Honestly, OSB is NOT INFERIOR to Plywood. OSB is strong stuff - underneath most of our floors are many pieces of OSB and this consistently holds refrigerators, people, TV's, couches, tables and so on. The Residential Industry would not allow the use of OSB for floor underlayment if it could not take a beating. I have dropped 80lb bags on roof sheathing (OSB) and the OSB was just fine. I have kicked, dropped, and have thrown OSB - believe me; it' strong!

Of course, Plywood is stronger, not sure how much, but Carpenters generally do not pay the extra $2.75 per board more for Plywood when OSB does the job just fine.
 
#14
I've had a pair of 1970 straight back cabs for a long time and recently sold one and replaced it with a svt 410 hlf, which I believe is pretty close in tone to the newer 810s. The difference in tone sounds like that being described on another thread as the difference between a 60's b15n and a b15r (haven't heard the r). If I had the opportunity, I would AB them and go with the one that sounded best to your ears. I would expect the older cab to sound more old school rock, and the newer one boomier with more harmonic overtones. Both have their utility. Heck, buy 'em both. This sickness runs deep.
 

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