[quote name='Ballie' post='421406' date='Feb 27 2009, 11:14 PM']Having been the proud owner of both brands, I currently use Markbass! The Ashdown sounded great, I'm not saying it wasn't a brilliant amp, but the Markbass has some serious punch and cuts through the mix great. I have the 2x10 wedge combo that kicks back at a 45 degree angle so you can hear it better onstage - it works an absolute treat! And nobody else on stage complains that you're too loud either, it just projects the sound in the right direction. You have the option of not leaning it back also, just helps for preference!
I had an Ashdown MAG 210 combo before, and it weighed a noticeable amount more than the Markbass. If you suffer from back problems, I would advise against it, maybe go for a separate head and cab of whichever amp you decide on.
I was a little iffy about spending £700 on a 2x10, but after trying it out, I had to have it!
Both amps had exactly the same speaker layout, 2x10 and a tweeter. Both were also 300 watts. While the ashdown had a very wooly sound, the Markbass's two filters make it possible to get from the most oldskool bass tone, right up to the deep and mid-scooped Ampeg SVT type sound. The Markbass has a LOT of cojones for such a small and light amp, yes I'm preaching about it because it's served me well! After lugging around a Trace Elliot stack for two years, it made me appreciate the noise to weight ratio!
A great all-round tone is to have the VPF (Variable Preshape Filter - midscoop) on nearly full, then dial in some VLE (Vintage Loudspeaker Emulator - almost like a passive tone roll off) until it softens the sound a little. I haven't struggled to get any kind of tone out of the Markbass, it's incredibly versatile.
All in all, the Markbass delivered more volume, punch, tonal diversity and a damn cool colour scheme!
That's from my experiences anyway, hope it can be of some use![/quote]
You could have had 200 extra watts and £50 change buying the ABM210 combo