Ampeg SVT-410HLF 500 Watt Bass Cabinet (4x10" HLF) Reviews

3.8/5.0 based on 2 customer reviews

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Customer Reviews

Steve Taylor
from Central Florida
December 14, 2010Music Background:
Musician

Can't Go Wrong

I've owned and used a number of ampeg products. I originally used an 8x10 and loved it. However, not having roadies and/or a semi truck to lug it around in was quite unfortunate. I then had the 6x10 HLF and it sounded great, but it was still a tight squeeze to fit in my car. The 4x10 sounds just as good and fits in my car nicely. Also, its heavy, but its not so heavy that you can lift it into your vehicle by yourself. The sound is superb quiet or pushed to the limit.
Two complaints - first off, the previous reviewer is right on about the cover peeling off. Honestly, mine started to peel not long after I purchased it, but hasn't really peeled past where it started since, and its been about 2 years now... It doesn't really bother me though.
Second, and this does bother me, is rolling it around on the casters is a real pain. Unless you are a midget, the handle is way to short to comfortably roll it around, kicked back on the casters. But, what I have learned is a cheap-o guitar stand makes a great handle extension if you put it in between the rail and cabinet correctly.
All in all, the sound this cab produces is sweet buttery ampeg goodness. I've had nothing but praise on my tone running an SVT-4 into my 410HLF. I don't care if the tolex peels completely off and its down to the bare wood, it still has tone in spades and that more than makes up for it.

greg
from Los Angeles, CA
October 15, 2010Music Background:
Pro Musician

Beware: Made in China

Having always been a huge supporter of Ampeg, I have owned a number of their products over the years and was always very pleased with their gear.

This cabinet has given me second thoughts however. I have the 500w 4x10 SVT-HE (US made) that I bought 3 or 4 years ago and needed to add something that would cover a lower freq rang which the 410HLF does. I recently purchased the SVT-410HLF and the first thing I noticed when I got it home was the construction - the thickness of the plywood is 1/2" - not 5/8" like the US made 410HE. This got me wondering what the inside was like so I pulled the back panel off and sure enough, the speakers are Chinese as well - they are not the US made Eminence speakers that the older US made 410HE or the older 410HLF have. You can flex the front edges of this cabinet easily with one hand due to the thin plywood.

The plywood is NOT Baltic Birch Plywood as stated in the details of the product - It appears to be some sort of plywood with a mahogany venier or something similar. It looks nothing like my older cabinets that are made of birch plywood. Birch is heavy and this cabinet is very light for it's size - if it were made of birch it would be much heavier. My US made 410HE which is a smaller cabinet is about 20 - 25% heavier and it is made with birch plywood and has US Eminence speakers. The tolex covering on my 410HE is thicker and will never separate from the wood it covers. The covering on the 410HLF is slightly thinner but the real problem is the fact that all of the seems are spearating and coming unglued. It will only be a matter of time before the covering will be history and I have only had this cabinet about 4 months. I have Tuki covers for my cabinets so the cabinet is covered at all times except when playing and is stored in a climate controlled environment - it is not abused yet the tolex is coming off due to the cheaper manufacturing processes and products used by the Chinese manufacturer.

I paid much less than the current price for my 410HLF brand new so I feel that the price matches the quality but I would be very disappointed if I had paid the current going price. The full retail price is robbery and Ampeg should be ashamed to suggest that as a retail price. Ampeg was purchased by someone (I'm not sure who) and the decision to move most of the manufacturing to China was made by the new owners.

My reccommendation to anyone considering this cabinet is to hold off, save another $100 and buy the Heritage or Pro Neo version of this cabinet, they are both still made in the US and should have the build quality we are used to seeing from Ampeg. At least you will get the US made speakers and the Tolex covering will not peel off after a few months.

Aside from the build quality, the sound of the cabinet is OK but the Chinese speakers do not sound anywhere near as good as the US speakers in my 410HE US made cabinet. If I had known what I know now I might not have bought this cabinet except that the price was right.

The build quality will prevent this cabinet from lasting as long as the US made cabinets - another reason to purchase US made products. We can only hope that the new owners of Ampeg don't send more of the product line off to China for manufacturing. I would stay away from any musical products made in China if you can avoid it. That is the only way that we can send the message that we want quality for the money we spend - this cabinet is over priced for the quality and will not last as long as its US made counter parts.