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The Ampeg Squareback Myth.

boroman

boroman

Apr 27, 2009
374
149
boro
www.dustblow.com
#1
I have owned and played almost every single 8x10 cab that Ampeg had made. They all are very different. My favourite was the late 70s model and the MTI with squareback eminence speakers (for me, these cabs were sounding the same). Everyone is raving about the squareback svt's. they are indeed wonderful sounding cabs. Probably the best, But...
1) they are very low in volume. probably low sensivity. even lower than later eminence equipped models
2) they "crunch" a lot. the clean players will probably tell you that they're "farting out". I dont really mind because I play a lot of dirty stuff
3) you cant keep with the loud drummer (!)
4) they are hard to carry around (no towel bar).
So, whats the big deal about them? being only a "collectible" units or for the studio recording? To me, the post '74 cabs (lets say 74-84 including MTI) were a lot better with 280w little extended power, the same sound and not farting on volumes below average. I have owned two of these cabs att the same time and they were the same sounding.
Similar thoughts?..
 
#2
Slight correction first. The squarebacks have CTS alnico speakers. Anyway, let's go back to this sentence:

"Everyone is raving about the squareback svt's. they are indeed wonderful sounding cabs. Probably the best,"

Way to answer your own question! Not everyone is looking to kill babies with an 810. Anyway, the Heritage 810e sounds so much like the old squarebacks that I don't say they're the best anymore. There was a time I did, but that Heritage matches it IMHO.
 
#4
JimmyM said:
Slight correction first. The squarebacks have CTS alnico speakers. Anyway, let's go back to this sentence:

"Everyone is raving about the squareback svt's. they are indeed wonderful sounding cabs. Probably the best,"

Way to answer your own question! Not everyone is looking to kill babies with an 810. Anyway, the Heritage 810e sounds so much like the old squarebacks that I don't say they're the best anymore. There was a time I did, but that Heritage matches it IMHO.
Click to expand...
I agree about the Heritage cabs.
 
#6
What are the differences between Heritage 810 and the 810e? Ive played one and it sounded better than most of the new cabs but it's a lot like the 90s fridges but not really like the old ones. Is The construction the same as current 810e? The speakers? The same power eminence drivers...? please tell me more. Does it have four 2x10 shelves as the old ones?
 
#7
It is called the Heritage SVT-810E. So it is an 810E. Birch 15 mm plywood construction. Black sparkle grille cloth. A soft vinyl covering is the one drawback. Speakers are custom designed Eminence, 800W@ 4Ω, rated 100W each, 32Ω.

It comes down to the speakers.
 
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#8
The old flatbacks unique tone came from playing your bass through what are essentially a whole bunch of guitar speakers and pushing them. The original rigs came with two 810 cabs because the amp could overpower one of them.

I haven't heard a Heritage. If they can get a tone similar to that, yet take more power/have a bit fuller lows....win/win.
 
#9
will33 said:
The old flatbacks unique tone came from playing your bass through what are essentially a whole bunch of guitar speakers and pushing them.
Click to expand...

Those speakers are the exact opposite of what was used in guitar amps at the time. Larger voice coil, shallow cones and super bouncy "action". The CTS with alnico magnets, coupled with the squareback cabinet design, made for a far superior box than the bathtubs loaded with ceramic Eminence 10s that came a few years later. My favorite tone came from driving a squareback with a V4B, which was by no means "pushing" the cab, although it did distort much quicker than the SVT head. Oh yeah - and a Gibson Thunderbird feeding the head.
 
#10
will33 said:
The old flatbacks unique tone came from playing your bass through what are essentially a whole bunch of guitar speakers and pushing them. The original rigs came with two 810 cabs because the amp could overpower one of them.

I haven't heard a Heritage. If they can get a tone similar to that, yet take more power/have a bit fuller lows....win/win.
Click to expand...
You can get fuller lows with the dark sounding 810e cabs of the early 2000's, and I'll pass. I want CTS lows, and that's what you get out of the H810e. But it does handle 800w easily without farting out. The whole idea of the H810e's speakers was to match the tone of the CTS's and make it handle a buttload of power. To me, the only difference is the H810e is a little taller than the flatback so you get a little bit more highs to your ears.
 

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