Bass Gear Review

Reviewer	Benjamin
Experience	11
Review date	January 31 2003
Manufacturer	Ampeg
Model	SVT610HLF
Price	760.00
Item owned for	Less than 1 month

Dimensions	40x24x16
Weight	115 lbs
Power	600
Speakers	6 30oz 10" drivers with 10 oz 1" horn
Ohms	4
Other	tolex covering with side handles skid rails and kickplate

I was looking to downsize from my Ampeg 8x10 which is voiced perfectly for the bulk of the rock gigs that I play. While on a day off on the road, the band was killing some time at a music retailer where we spotted this cabinet and admired the smaller size and construction of the 610HLF. The skid rails, kickplate and handles are all very good ideas that I wish Ampeg would utilize on the 8x10s (with the exception of the side handles which wouldn't help). In any case, I soon got my hands on one and brought it over to a rehersal. I first a/b'd the two cabinets alone on both passive and active basses, and was dissapointed by the tone of the 6x10. I realize that comparing the 610 to it's "bigger brother" is unfair, but with my amp set flat, the tone of the 610 was had more midrange and less bass than the 810. I found that scooping by the mids and punching the bass and treble, I could emulate the sound of the classic 810, but all of that tweeking doesn't leave room for tone tweeks to match the voice of different rooms. I should mention that I turned the horn off when comparing head-to-head with the 810, but I found that the 610 simply couldn't get the classic deep Ampeg tone that I am after. In my opinion the 610 is a great higher fidelity amp that Ampeg should place in their Pro series for players that are looking for more modern sounds. It just doesn't belong in the classic series. It may be a great cabinet for more modern players looking for the hi fi sound, but it wasn't the "810 in a smaller box" that I was hoping for. I returned the cabinet and decided that the 810 is worth the backache.

Construction	98%
(Great Ampeg construction with some new ideas!)
Clarity	50%
(I'm using this category to judge the TONE)
Volume	75%
(A box this big should handle more headroom.)
Portability	95%
(Innovative kickplate and skid rails!)
Value	75%
(Not worth the extra $$ to go smaller.)
Overall	85%
(Not an 810 in a smaller box.)