A flat back SVT 810 with a "300 watts" label: EIA coded to '74

[Chris 'Wighat' Jordan]

1974 Ampeg SVT 8x10 speaker cab - all original! | Reverb

Check it out @JimmyM , @beans-on-toast , and @Bill Hughes :

We have seen both flat back and tilt back cabs that date to '74, right? I have a theory. 1974 is the year Magnavox shut down production at the Linden, NJ plant although it still functioned for service and R&D. Maybe the last of the flat backs came out of Linden as the tilt backs were beginning to be made in Jefferson City, TN.

Of no small curiosity to me is that this cab has a "300 watts" label instead of "240 wattts". You can't read the first digit but the owner says it could be a two or three, so three it is. I guess that label could be intended for the amp; it gives volts and hertz.

 

[JimmyM]

I'm on a phone with limited data, but I see the speaker is an Eminence.

 

[beans-on-toast]

I didn't see 300W on the label. Those cabinet labels say .00 watts. Amps have a wattage rating listed. Attached is a V4B repro label for that era of cabs and amps. Looks close when shrunk to size.

Very nice cabinet. Speaker dates mid 1974.

 

[Chris 'Wighat' Jordan]

I'm on a phone with limited data, but I see the speaker is an Eminence.

Did, I miss something? I didn't see 300W on the label. Those cabinet labels always say .00 watts. Amps have a wattage rating listed.

Very nice cabinet.

Ah, ha! See? That right there is exactly why I tagged you guys!

So the speakers being Eminence means they're 50 watts each vs. the CTS ones at 30 watts and thus brings this cab's power handling 400 watts?

 

[beans-on-toast]

The codes are hard to read. Here is an enhanced image showing the speaker codes. It appears to be a CTS speaker (137 code) 7427, the 27th week of 1974. 32 ohms.

 

[JimmyM]

Not sure. Thought they were closer in power handling. Btw, I could be wrong about the eminence but it sure looks like one on this phone. I'll be home around 11:30 and can tell you more then. But if anyone can see the codes, you can tell because eminence speakers start with a 67 and Cts starts with a 137.

David beat me to it. Whoops!

 

[Chris 'Wighat' Jordan]

This is either a very late all-original flat back cab or it's an earlier cab with later speakers but either way, it's proof that the original CTS drivers were being produced at least through the first half of '74.

 

[coreyfyfe]

Those are CTS speakers, they're just a little later design than the black magnet ones. I have a B40 cab from 75 that came with CTS speakers like this, and a 72 flatback 8X10 with the older style CTS. I put the 72 CTS in the B40 and eminence B810s in the 8x10. Can't comment on the power handling.

 

[Chris 'Wighat' Jordan]

Those are CTS speakers, they're just a little later design than the black magnet ones. I have a B40 cab from 75 that came with CTS speakers like this, and a 72 flatback 8X10 with the older style CTS. I put the 72 CTS in the B40 and eminence B810s in the 8x10. Can't comment on the power handling.

Interesting. I had always assumed there was only one version of the CTS speaker. I know the Eminence's have changed several times.

 

[coreyfyfe]

Interesting. I had always assumed there was only one version of the CTS speaker. I know the Eminence's have changed several times.

Here's the original 72 that was in my flatback 8x10.

The B40 cab had two different driver types in there, two that code to mid 74 that look like the 72 drivers

and two that code to early 75 that look like the ones in question here

The 75 drivers also have a different cone/dust cover material, the cone is more tan and the dust cover is mesh. It's very possible they were reconed, but they could also be original. It's also just as possible they weren't original to the cab. Really hard to say. I had a B40 a few years ago that had the later eminence style drivers, much smaller magnets but still square, date code on that one was for 77 I believe.

Either way, you can see the same part numbers on both drivers, 5810144 580155-1, harder to read on the silver drivers with the blue/green ink but it's there.

 

[Bill Whitehurst]

Looks like a 137 code to me.

Someone was being very optomistic with those strap handles.

 

[beans-on-toast]

Here's the original 72 that was in my flatback 8x10.

The B40 cab had two different driver types in there, two that code to mid 74 that look like the 72 drivers

and two that code to early 75 that look like the ones in question here

The 75 drivers also have a different cone/dust cover material, the cone is more tan and the dust cover is mesh. It's very possible they were reconed, but they could also be original. It's also just as possible they weren't original to the cab. Really hard to say. I had a B40 a few years ago that had the later eminence style drivers, much smaller magnets but still square, date code on that one was for 77 I believe.

Either way, you can see the same part numbers on both drivers, 5810144 580155-1, harder to read on the silver drivers with the blue/green ink but it's there.

Alnico magnets offer a smooth tone.

 

[sok monkee]

Looks like a 137 code to me.

Someone was being very optomistic with those strap handles.

Yeah those strap handles were an absolute joke. I liked the one in the middle as if some one was going to pick that badboy up up like a suitcase and load in!
Straps on the tops were the same. Hand crushers! but they sure did sound amazing

 

[Chris 'Wighat' Jordan]

Here's the original 72 that was in my flatback 8x10.

The B40 cab had two different driver types in there, two that code to mid 74 that look like the 72 drivers

and two that code to early 75 that look like the ones in question here

The 75 drivers also have a different cone/dust cover material, the cone is more tan and the dust cover is mesh. It's very possible they were reconed, but they could also be original. It's also just as possible they weren't original to the cab. Really hard to say. I had a B40 a few years ago that had the later eminence style drivers, much smaller magnets but still square, date code on that one was for 77 I believe.

Either way, you can see the same part numbers on both drivers, 5810144 580155-1, harder to read on the silver drivers with the blue/green ink but it's there.

Thanks for posting. Great stuff for the archives. I can't pick-out any differences between those speakers as far as magnet and basket go but that don't mean much.

 

[carsbybigd]

I had 1 of those , added a set of casters to roll that heavy beast around .

 

[yaryaryaryar]

Hi all,

I'm the owner of the cab in question. Wighat contacted me through Reverb.com and asked a few questions, then gave me a heads up about this thread (thank you!). I'm a long time reader of the talkbass forums, but never had an account until now. So it's nice to meet everyone.

What you see in the ad is most of what I know about the cab. I haven't had it long - I recently bought an old Ampeg V2 from someone, and his one "condition" for buying the V2 was that I also had to buy this heavy bastard of a cab and take it off his hands. It sounds absolutely incredible. But I have neither the car space, nor usually the stage space for such a beast on a regular basis. But again, the sound is just pure awesomeness. I'm sure I'm going to regret selling it.

Since I haven't had it that long, and I've never really been in the market for one of these, I'm honestly not too sure what a fair price for this is. If anybody can correct me there, let me know. But I'm thinking that forum rules may preclude me from asking about that, though, so if that's the case...... nevermind.

If anyone wants any more info about the cab, or wants some other close up pictures of any specific part of it, I'll be happy to provide whatever I can. Contact me through here or through the Reverb ad. Thanks for all the info so far... both regarding this cab, and also all the other stuff I've learned from you guys over the years!

 

[coreyfyfe]

Since I haven't had it that long, and I've never really been in the market for one of these, I'm honestly not too sure what a fair price for this is. If anybody can correct me there, let me know. But I'm thinking that forum rules may preclude me from asking about that, though, so if that's the case...... nevermind.

Pricing can be hard for things like this. FWIW I paid a little more than half that for my 72 in better condition, but since they don't come up on the market often and the lower power handling limits their appeal to a small percentage of people it can be hard to price.