essexbasscat

Funny you should be thinking about this right now ........

OK, firstly, a huge THANK YOU to everyone here that's been kind enough to join me on the good ship Desperate Weighing the whole thing up, I guess I was pushing the head quite hard last night and it barely kept up. Today's discussions have made me realise I'm not really comfortable with doing that TBH, the amp must be quite well engineered to have put up with what it did already. The way forward at the moment seems to be a service of the pots, sliders and valve and see where that goes for now. It also wouldn't do any harm to beef up the pickups on my passive basses. It also wouldn't hurt to have a peek at the cab market and see what's around at 4ohms that isn't the size of a large dog kennel and is light enough to leave my shoulders joints intact. I I'll report back once there's progress. Again, thank you to everyone that's been here today, it's really appreciated. Hopefully I'll get the chance to thank a few of you personally at a bass bash

RB- thanks for the answer about the meter and voltage/ frequency related issues. I'll stick with the Db meter and ears for balancing strings ! BTBL - appreciate the sentiments, it's there to be used. I'm just a bit cautious I guess, as I've ran amps hard in the past to keep up with drummers etc, only to find that they break down sooner rather than later. These days I much prefer to have extra power on tap above the demands of the situation, more flexibilty and greater reliability etc. Pete - thanks for taking the time to dig up those links, I'll report back. gjones- thanks for the EQ tip.

[quote name='stingrayPete1977' timestamp='1340544526' post='1705855'] Oh and BTW you might not even need a valve, trust me I have done this on my old evo many times even though I looked after it, It always improved things [/quote] Is there a valve you'd recommend ?

[quote name='KiOgon' timestamp='1340538217' post='1705713'] No problem here, keeping my head down & my nose clean I hope Oh! & trying not to get involved in matters that don't concern me It's good to know someone out there cares Cheerz, John [/quote] +1

[quote name='RandomBass' timestamp='1340541174' post='1705769'] Just concentrating on the original 'quiet' issue, with the needle moving up near, or into, the red zone - are you getting a lot more volume output through your cab? If you are, then it sounds like we are on the right track here. In my experience, Ashdown build a lot of headroom into their preamp stages (except the MiBass which needs some redesign in my view), meaning it takes a lot to get into the red. You will find that boosting EQ will help with the input a lot, notably the Bass knob and the first 2 sliders. If you don't want to do this, and stay flat, then by all means use as much of the gain as you need. Yes, it does feel a little odd that having to use 95% of the input to get a strong output - but that's their design. And yes, the E and A strings will push the needle much more than the D and G. There's more energy there and its just physics, or something mystical like that. So, are you now getting a decent output with the needle moving much more? Geoff [/quote] Thanks for all your thoughts here Geoff, hope to return the favour one day. This needle activity topic does make me wonder if it can be used to balance string output across the bass. I'll report back about the output volume when I get a chance. Cheers T

[quote name='stingrayPete1977' timestamp='1340540299' post='1705752'] I had one for years and like the others say you need that needle jumping! I changed the input valve a few times over the years on mine when this problem happened, also just a good dust out and clean with servisol appears to give loads more volume? no idea why but trust me pop a new valve in and clean all the muck out by spraying it right into the pots while turning them and it will give much more sound and be like a church mouse even with the gain up when your not playing [/quote] Thanks Pete, good to hear from you. I havn't tried this one yet, maybe this is what it needs ? Havn't done my own amp servicing up to now, so this could be a another new experience

[quote name='walbassist' timestamp='1340540312' post='1705754'] And is this a giggable volume? [/quote] Good question, which I don't know the answer to at this point, as I checked the needle activity with the output gain down. Can't do any more at this point, due to neighbourly considerations.

[quote name='RandomBass' timestamp='1340538631' post='1705721'] Thanks for this. One thing - it says 300w into 8 ohms and 600w into 4 ohms on the back? Does it possibly say 300W RMS, 600W Peak? I'm not doubting you, but based on my experience of owning several Ashdown amps this is what they normally have printed near the speaker outputs. If it is 300W RMS and 600W peak, then into an 8 Ohm cab you are probably getting just less than 200W max. These things don't actually halve their output into 8 Ohms, but that's a design thing. I consider it to be a flaw: if it's designed properly, it should double the output power as the load impedance halves, but limits on current supply and the associated PSU design affect this. Sorry, that's off topic and no help whatsoever. My ABM500 says 500W RMS, 1000W Peak on the back. Even though Ashdown state it has a 575W output stage - they've always been a bit random with their specs in my view. My MAG600 said 600W RMS, 1200W peak, even though it had the same 575W output stage. Have I confused things? Probably. Sorry. Just curious about the power ratings you mentioned. Cheers Geoff [/quote] Good points and well taken RB. Just checked the back of the amp to be certain and it is in fact 300W RMS and 600W peak, not 300W at 8ohms as I stated earlier - banana skin there. Near the two outputs it does say Min. load = 4ohms. Testing done. With the roadworn precision, the input gain has to be approx. 95% up to get the meter needle bouncing into the red with the low E + A. The D + G won't send it into the red. The roadworn Jazz takes around 90% to get the low E + a pushing the needle into red. Surely it's not healthy for the amp to drive the input stage so hard ? An active Warwick Rockbass Corvette sends the needle into the red zone at around 50% of input gain through the high input. Switching to low input socket and a bit more on the gain makes the needle react a bit slower without excessive peaking. Surely Ashdown (or any other manufacturer come to that) wouldn't make an amp that would only work well with high output pickups ?

Thanks for all the constructive and thoughtful replies all. I've said it before, but it's worth repeating that BC is such a valuable resource. Without it, I would struggle to get the experience offered here. To work; - it's reassuring to hear support for the opinion that these amps are loud. It's good to know I was on the right track when I bought this amp in the first place, as I'd heard previous good things about it 'round 'ere. - I did consider the high / low input issue on first discovery of the poor volume delivery. I did try both and the low input definately produced a quieter output than the high input. On this basis, I've used the high input ever since, which is the one to the furthest left of the amp face. - I run the amp with the EQ flat. Loading up the lower end tended to make it too boomy for the kind of music my band plays. As it is, there's a nice solid platform for the band's overall sound to sit on, which suits the vocals and overall mix nicely. I know the nature of this thread has been a bit on the negative side about this amp, but the quality of sound it delivers is a pleasant change to the Peavey MK IV. - I've checked the back of the amp to confirm the details. This amp spec is 300w at 8 ohms and 600w at 4ohms. My GS112 is an 8ohms cab, so it's 300 watts max. Anyone know of a 4ohms single 12" cab that goes significantly above 300 watts ? - I've no reason to suspect the integrity of the output from the bass, or the lead. They've performed faithfully in a consistent manner for several years. Given the comments about the meter, I'm going to connect up the rig at home (with the output turned down) to witness the behaviour of the meter needle under a range of conditions. I'll also test with an active bass or two. Once this is done, I'll report back. Thanks again all

[quote name='Ed_S' timestamp='1340530748' post='1705577'] I had an ABM500 that I thought was very quiet. I was running it with matching ABM cabs and everybody tells me that unless it was broken or I just didn't know how to use it (neither of which I'm buying) it should have been knocking down walls. It really wasn't, even going full tilt. I've generally found that the cheaper MAGs seem more 'lively' for less wattage.. so maybe it's an EQ thing? [/quote] This is confusing, yet representative of other things I've heard around here. Are Ashdown heads known to be inconsistent with power delivery ?

Thanks for the replies guys Alternative cabs - I do have a recently acquired Berg AE112 which I haven't tried yet. This could be an interesting experiment. The vicar said he had more than enough power, but he was running it through a Peavey 2 x 15 cab at 4 ohms, so he got the max from the amp at that load. The input needle isn't moving very much at all, so I'm wondering if this is part of the problem ? I'm told there is one valve on the input side, so I'm wondering if this may need attention ? Walbassist - thanks for the post, it's good to hear that someone has found these amps to be loud enough, it's reassuring to know there is a potential way forward here. What cab(s) were you using ? Input switch ? lost me there. I've checked the amp and can't find anything like a switch. I do use the high input though, not the low. Thanks again all

watch the amp jump off the top like a grasshopper

HI all Picked up an Ashdown EVO II ABM300 head from a local bod a while ago. His whole rig had been well looked after and from the amp's appearance, it's no exception. The guy said he hadn't pushed the rig and after meeting him (he's a vicar and a sincere person), I believe him. Thing is, when paired with one GS112 cab, I struggle to get sufficient volume. It's got to the point that I use an EBS Microbass in line with the bass itself to raise the input gain in an effort to bump up the volume. My 50's / 60's / 70's band isn't that loud, as our key feature is the vocals. It can drive for sure, but I wouldn't describe us as loud compared to other bands that acknowledge themselves as being loud. There are several factors at play here. The GS112 isn't the loudest of cabs out there, but it certainly delivers when it's paired with my Peavey MK IV head (300W), with tons of power to spare (it's usually not turned up more than 3 and has never been beyond 4). My Roadworn Precision has a rather weak pickup. That said, I'm sure the microbass will compensate well until I can replace the pickup. When using the Peavey head, I don't use the microbass at all, as there's easily more than enough volume. Question is, is the ABM300 II a quiet head ? I'm considering taking it to an engineer to get it checked out, but I'd appreciate your collective opinions, as I've no prior experience of this amp. Thanks for reading, all help's appreciated

What an evening. I'd forgotten how powerful Bowie's presence was back then. His songwriting was inspirational, so not the run of the mill of the time. Brilliantly different. To write Alladin Sane while on a really hectic tour was just incredible. One thing that came home to me last night was the influence of Mick Ronson on Bowie's songwriting and performance. I've always wondered why Bowie's songwriting took such a dramatic change after the Ziggy era. Maybe it has more to do with Mick Ronson than I first realised. The programme presents his stage show as one of the first of it's kind, blending ideas from the world of art and mime, going through different costumes and makeup in one show. I'm not aware of anyone doing anything like that beforehand - anyone here know any different ? I wouldn't be at all surprised to find myself in a Ziiggy / early Bowie tribute band at some time in the near future

Phone off the hook, front door bolted. This was Bowie at his best IMO

Just looking at the opening statement "General ignorance of what musicians do". Q. Is it realistic to expect that the general public will understand in depth and detail a wide range of jobs or hobbies out there ? including musician ? Substitute job/hobby title to taste...

I've spoken with one or two recommended amp repair specialists local to London (Surrey and NE London). Around £50.00 seems to be the going rate for assessment. If they repair the amp, the £50 assessment free is taken off the total cost. Good luck whatever you do

That really is a superb looking instrument Barrie. You have one of the most desirable collections around here IMO

Cheers Alan, thanks for the light cab, my back and shoulders will be eternally grateful. Drop in for a cuppa if you're over this way, you're always welcome Thanks again Alan Tom

Picked up a Berg AE112 from Alan. He was kind enough to let me play some of his bass collection to help me test the cab - some damn fine basses you have there sir Great to have a chat as well Alan, hope the day went well. As others have said here, i'd have no hesitation recommending Alan - good communications and easy to deal with Cheers Tom

[quote name='urb' timestamp='1339767742' post='1694031'] OK here's the thing - the best way to build stamina is actually to play some long sustained notes on the bass - and rather than just banging away through fast, relentless songs, why not just play some simple scales or melodic patterns, slowly, in time and a few minutes at a time? This way you'll be not only building the muscles in your hands/arms you'll also be improving your coordination, timing and by holding the notes longer your tone as well. It's also worth looking at your bass's set up and making sure you're not fighting the instrument - if the action is too high, strings too heavy etc - you could be wearing yourself out just be fighting the physicality of the bass - get some medium weight strings and your bass set up properly - by a pro if possible - and playing should be a lot easier. Stamina/endurance also comes from playing a lot but can be helped hugely by working on your basic technique - it'll also help avoid any serious injuries bad posture and or hand position may inflict over time. Hope that helps M [/quote] Good post