You still have a mis-matched cab and got screwed. That amp should have either (1) 4 or (2) 8 ohm cabs (8 ohms for two cabs in parallel) They probably ran out of the correct impedance cabs and stuck you with that, although I can't imagine GC doing that, can anyone?
Get your money back before it's too late and get something that's established. You'll have to be hard-nosed with them though, they'll do just about anything to avoid giving you your money back. Don't join the amp of the month club (sorry if I insulted anyone) it's a road littered with forgotten amps. If you want a good SS amp, get a Gallien-Krugar, they sound good and have a proven track record, and at least you know they're probably still going to be in business in 5 years.
I still say get an old SVT, it will probably be the last amp you ever buy. I bought my first in 1975 and haven't looked back or around. An 8 x 10 cab will spread the sound around much better than smaller cabs and will fill a room easily. An old SVT with one or two cabs is a combo that is hard to beat in both sound and volume.
Amps!
Moderators: rickenbrother, ajish4
I have similar sentiments, to Bob's, regarding the "amp of the month club", and also don't wish to offend anyone...
We've seen many amps go from being "THE $HIT!” only to become 2nd rate (or worse) a short time later... amps like Trace Elliot, that were all the rage for a few years, now command very little money on the used market. Eden and Ashdown also come to mind... and I played Ashdown myself. I used Ashdown for a couple of years, and though it was a good amp, but now think it pales when compared to my Hiwatt. Upon selling my Ashdown head, I recouped pennies on the dollar. Something to remember when buying from "the new kid on the block." In comparison, most all-tube heads have appreciated in value!
In all fairness, I would like to point out a simple fact. When playing alone, the relationship we have with our amplification can be of real significance. The tone and sensitivity that we obtain, can aid in the creation process. The subtle nuances of different amps are pretty discernable...
HOWEVER, we generally buy amplification to allow the audience, and bandmates, to hear us! In typical live environments, your audience has no clue as to what amp you're using... given similar EQing, of course. This is especially true as the volume increases.
Same goes for speaker sizes, power, tube vs. SS, etc... ad nauseam!
Look at ALL your favorite players, and the gear that they choose. It's all over the place! This guy likes 18s... this guy like tubes... that guy only uses 10s... blah, blah, blah.
John Entwistle, over the course of his career, used it all. No matter what he did choose, at any given time, he always sounded like ... HIMSELF!
My two cents would be this... If you're choosing an amp for home use, and for recording purposes, choose wisely! It will make a difference.
If you're buying an amp to gig with, it will matter much less. Provided you have the power required for the job, and the speakers to match, you'll be fine with almost anything of quality.
We've seen many amps go from being "THE $HIT!” only to become 2nd rate (or worse) a short time later... amps like Trace Elliot, that were all the rage for a few years, now command very little money on the used market. Eden and Ashdown also come to mind... and I played Ashdown myself. I used Ashdown for a couple of years, and though it was a good amp, but now think it pales when compared to my Hiwatt. Upon selling my Ashdown head, I recouped pennies on the dollar. Something to remember when buying from "the new kid on the block." In comparison, most all-tube heads have appreciated in value!
In all fairness, I would like to point out a simple fact. When playing alone, the relationship we have with our amplification can be of real significance. The tone and sensitivity that we obtain, can aid in the creation process. The subtle nuances of different amps are pretty discernable...
HOWEVER, we generally buy amplification to allow the audience, and bandmates, to hear us! In typical live environments, your audience has no clue as to what amp you're using... given similar EQing, of course. This is especially true as the volume increases.
Same goes for speaker sizes, power, tube vs. SS, etc... ad nauseam!
Look at ALL your favorite players, and the gear that they choose. It's all over the place! This guy likes 18s... this guy like tubes... that guy only uses 10s... blah, blah, blah.
John Entwistle, over the course of his career, used it all. No matter what he did choose, at any given time, he always sounded like ... HIMSELF!
My two cents would be this... If you're choosing an amp for home use, and for recording purposes, choose wisely! It will make a difference.
If you're buying an amp to gig with, it will matter much less. Provided you have the power required for the job, and the speakers to match, you'll be fine with almost anything of quality.
Rickenbacker '64 & '68 4001 basses ♦ Fender Pre-CBS J & P Basses and 1968 Telecaster Bass ♦ Moog Taurus III Bass Pedals ♦ Hiwatt (Hylight) Amplification
"A good bassist determines the direction of any band."- Ron Carter
"A good bassist determines the direction of any band."- Ron Carter
-
gray
Well, all in all, I think it's a great setup, it's just that there's a lot they never explained to me, and they were very sneaky at slipping that extra warranty/insurance thing in there.
Also, I contacted the Markbass company who were very prompt in responding to me, and they told me that this setup is one of their most popular setups, and I'll be the first to admit that it does sound very good. Also, please note that the only Markbass equipment they had recieved at all o date was a 210 combo, a 115 combo, and the 610 stack I purchased.
Bob- you're right, they did sell me a mismatched setup, but from what the company says, this is a popular mismatch, so they're trying to see what the US will be like so they can start to mass-distribute this stuff; that's the impression I get.
Anyway, I'm taking it to band practice tomorrow and I'll give it the ol' trial-by-fire. If it fails, back it goes. If it passes, it stays. This rig will be both a practice and gigging rig. My home rig is an Ampeg B100R, which I absolutely adore.
Frankly, the Markbass stuff that looks REALLY nice is their 300 watt tube head and 810 cab.
We'll see, thank you all for your continued support. I could still wind up with an SVT, who knows.
Also, I contacted the Markbass company who were very prompt in responding to me, and they told me that this setup is one of their most popular setups, and I'll be the first to admit that it does sound very good. Also, please note that the only Markbass equipment they had recieved at all o date was a 210 combo, a 115 combo, and the 610 stack I purchased.
Bob- you're right, they did sell me a mismatched setup, but from what the company says, this is a popular mismatch, so they're trying to see what the US will be like so they can start to mass-distribute this stuff; that's the impression I get.
Anyway, I'm taking it to band practice tomorrow and I'll give it the ol' trial-by-fire. If it fails, back it goes. If it passes, it stays. This rig will be both a practice and gigging rig. My home rig is an Ampeg B100R, which I absolutely adore.
Frankly, the Markbass stuff that looks REALLY nice is their 300 watt tube head and 810 cab.
We'll see, thank you all for your continued support. I could still wind up with an SVT, who knows.
-
rickaddict
- Senior Member
- Posts: 6163
- Joined: Mon Mar 29, 2004 7:46 am
Hey Robert-
Chicago guy here. Alpine Valley? That's quite a gig! I love Alpine Valley. Who is your band? Maybe I'll try to get up there.
I've tried the Markbass stuff at my local GC. I too wish that they had a better selection. I'd like to try the tube head and some of the other speaker cabs. I did get to try the 6x10, 4X10 and 2x10. The 6X10 and 4X10 were the front-ported version, IIRC. FWIW I noticed quite a difference between the 6X10 and the others. I liked the 6X10 more by a longshot. It had a nice beefy grunt to it. I didn't get to play through the 8X10 though.
And I'm not always a more speakers = better tone kind of guy either!
Chicago guy here. Alpine Valley? That's quite a gig! I love Alpine Valley. Who is your band? Maybe I'll try to get up there.
I've tried the Markbass stuff at my local GC. I too wish that they had a better selection. I'd like to try the tube head and some of the other speaker cabs. I did get to try the 6x10, 4X10 and 2x10. The 6X10 and 4X10 were the front-ported version, IIRC. FWIW I noticed quite a difference between the 6X10 and the others. I liked the 6X10 more by a longshot. It had a nice beefy grunt to it. I didn't get to play through the 8X10 though.
And I'm not always a more speakers = better tone kind of guy either!
Play what you love, love what you play!
-
soundmasterg
- RRF Consultant
- Posts: 1923
- Joined: Tue Oct 01, 2002 1:06 pm
I'm another to tout the vintage SVT 8x10 setup. It is an amp that has stood the test of time and keeps increasing in value. They also sound great and are reliable. You may find that you just have to have one like Bob did and like I did, and if so, welcome to the club. In the meantime, it sounds like the rig you got will work well for you.
"Anyway, I'm taking it to band practice tomorrow and I'll give it the ol' trial-by-fire. If it fails, back it goes. If it passes, it stays."
Way to go, Robert.
One other consideration... you will be locked into using the 6x10 alone, and will not be able to add another cab. That may or may not matter to you...
Let us know what you think, after you've used it with your band!
Way to go, Robert.
One other consideration... you will be locked into using the 6x10 alone, and will not be able to add another cab. That may or may not matter to you...
Let us know what you think, after you've used it with your band!
Rickenbacker '64 & '68 4001 basses ♦ Fender Pre-CBS J & P Basses and 1968 Telecaster Bass ♦ Moog Taurus III Bass Pedals ♦ Hiwatt (Hylight) Amplification
"A good bassist determines the direction of any band."- Ron Carter
"A good bassist determines the direction of any band."- Ron Carter
Robert,
You did not get screwed by GC regarding the warranty. The warranty is included but because of some wierd GC thing it has to be listed separately on the invoice since the warranty, as I have read, is an exchange deal. You can get your money back on it but that would be foolish.
Regarding the 610 having a 6 Ohm rating; so what, does it give you the tone and volume you need? Many times we all look at the numbers, spec, etc. instead of trusting our ears and instincts. The way I see it you are probably getting about 400 watts from the amp @ 6 Ohms. But that doesn't really matter if it gets louder than you will realistically ever use.
Give the Markbass stuff a chance, I don't see this gear being part of the "Amp Of The Month" club, it is far too good for that. I have e-mailed MB directly on occasion with questions and I have always gotten a response pretty quick from them in Italy.
You did not get screwed by GC regarding the warranty. The warranty is included but because of some wierd GC thing it has to be listed separately on the invoice since the warranty, as I have read, is an exchange deal. You can get your money back on it but that would be foolish.
Regarding the 610 having a 6 Ohm rating; so what, does it give you the tone and volume you need? Many times we all look at the numbers, spec, etc. instead of trusting our ears and instincts. The way I see it you are probably getting about 400 watts from the amp @ 6 Ohms. But that doesn't really matter if it gets louder than you will realistically ever use.
Give the Markbass stuff a chance, I don't see this gear being part of the "Amp Of The Month" club, it is far too good for that. I have e-mailed MB directly on occasion with questions and I have always gotten a response pretty quick from them in Italy.
-
gray
Jeff Thomas- My band is local to the area, and we're called Damn Nation (I know, there are other bands called that, but oh well). We're playing there with 11 other bands on 2 stages (we're on the main stage, at the very end 
)on Sept. 22 as part of a local music festival (http://www.fallmusic.org/). We played there last year as part of a private party, and the organizers are trying to establish it as a yearly festival. It should be fun, but I'm nervous about sounding my best for this show! Thank you for your interest!
Greg- I've always wanted an SVT Classic with an 810, even before I started playing Ricks, so I'm sure that at some point I'll wind up with one, or something close to it. I'd like a US made, but I think those are going to get more and more expensive, so much like the situation with Vox right now, I might just get a new one anyway. But we'll see. It has such a big, warm sound, it's undeniably cool. We'll see what happens!
Sean- Yeah, I'm okay with the 610 alone. Part of the amp's charm is its lightness and compact size, and I think it gets the best response this way.
Jeffery Scott- Calming words of wisdom! And yes, the person who repsonded to me from Markbass said that it puts out 400W @ 6ohms. You're right, because the thing that drew me to it in the first place was certainly not numbers. It's too easy to get caught up in that, I think.
Anyway, to all once again, thank you for constantly listening to me and helping me out with this stuff. Where else would I get this kind of patient help? You guys are the best, thanks again!
)on Sept. 22 as part of a local music festival (http://www.fallmusic.org/). We played there last year as part of a private party, and the organizers are trying to establish it as a yearly festival. It should be fun, but I'm nervous about sounding my best for this show! Thank you for your interest! Greg- I've always wanted an SVT Classic with an 810, even before I started playing Ricks, so I'm sure that at some point I'll wind up with one, or something close to it. I'd like a US made, but I think those are going to get more and more expensive, so much like the situation with Vox right now, I might just get a new one anyway. But we'll see. It has such a big, warm sound, it's undeniably cool. We'll see what happens!
Sean- Yeah, I'm okay with the 610 alone. Part of the amp's charm is its lightness and compact size, and I think it gets the best response this way.
Jeffery Scott- Calming words of wisdom! And yes, the person who repsonded to me from Markbass said that it puts out 400W @ 6ohms. You're right, because the thing that drew me to it in the first place was certainly not numbers. It's too easy to get caught up in that, I think.
Anyway, to all once again, thank you for constantly listening to me and helping me out with this stuff. Where else would I get this kind of patient help? You guys are the best, thanks again!
FWIW, the Ampeg SVT610HLF is a 4 ohm cabinet because of the drivers and how they wire it. It as a 4 x 10 wired configuration (8 ohm) and a 2 x 10 wired configuration (8 ohm) and they are internally paralleled to give the 4 ohm for the cab. Reports when Ampeg had a forum was when pushed, the 2 x 10 pair would grunt and complain.
-
gray