question from a tube initiate, why isnt my little bastard breaking up!

[cycrowave]

I recently bought my first tube amp, the ashdown little bastard. I was finally able to test it on Sunday, when I bought an abm 115 compact cab from the ads here (thanks tom!)

Initial impressions are mostly positive. It had a lovely warm clean tone, and the eq whilst not being very versatile fulfilled my expectations.

The problem was, I just wasn't getting the drive out of it I thought I would. I'v read on these very forums that other users are getting too much tube break up, weras mine produced a clean tone even with the volume on full!

I have already diagnosed a few things it may be. I wasn't using a dedicated speaker cable between the amp and the cab. Could this be it? I now have one on order from gak.

Could it be the cab? I know that the recommended 112 cab has lower wattage than the abm. I really don't know enough about that stuff though...

With my drive pedal engaged it was a different story, I could hear the tubes singing, the decay really blew me away... I was however hoping I could have some of that with the drive pedal off.

Any suggestions?

[Mr. Foxen]

You have a gain control as well as volume on that I think? Crank both, plus how hot is the signal you are hitting it with? Some basses are just quiet.

[Colledge]

+1, an active bass will have a stronger signal so will drive it more, kinda like having the gain at 11.

[sk8]

what bass are you using and are you using the low input?

[cycrowave]

The lb has no gain knob, just high and low inputs. Iv tried both and it still sounds clean, like some frickin cliff Richard bass sound :s

Using the westone thunder 2 which takes 2 batteries so the signal should be hot. I'm hoping its the speaker lead, and not the spirit of an easy listening singer trapped inside the machine....

[sk8]

Check the lead and if not give ashdown technical a ring and ask to speak to dave

[Merton]

The speaker lead will have nothing to do with the amp's ability to drive the valves. (But using an instrument lead is a Bad Idea so good that you're sorting this quickly!) Likewise the 2x 9V batteries has no bearing on the actual output level of the bass. (I know this coz my passive Vester Jazz has a hotter output than my 18V active Status).

Therefore more experimentation needed with the LB methinks! Use the Low input, crank th ebass and the mids. Good luck

[cameltoe]

Yeah, there must be something wrong somewhere.

The LB should break up very, very easily. It should allow slightly more output from the 'high' input, which is for passive basses, but the 'low' input, which I use, breaks up at around 1/3 on the output, using a Precision bass.

Hmmm. I'd try it with a different bass first and foremost, then I'd ring Ashdown.

It hasn't had less gainy preamp tubes installed has it?

[sk8]

High input is for active basses

[Colledge]

but you get more gain when using an active bass in the low input.

[cycrowave]

Ah ok didn't test the low input much as I presumed it meant low gain.

Waiting to hear back from ashdown, ill have another chance to test it thoroughly at the weekend. Working away sucks.....

Thanks for your thoughts, ill report back soon.

[Protium]

[quote name='Colledge' post='935563' date='Aug 25 2010, 12:59 AM']+1, an active bass will have a stronger signal so will drive it more, kinda like having the gain at 11.[/quote]

Wrong, e.g. my passive P-bass kills my active Pedulla in terms of volume

[cameltoe]

[quote name='sk8' post='936123' date='Aug 25 2010, 04:21 PM']High input is for active basses[/quote]

Sorry that's exactly what I meant. Don't know why I put passive.

[umph]

[quote name='cameltoe' post='936101' date='Aug 25 2010, 04:08 PM']Yeah, there must be something wrong somewhere.

The LB should break up very, very easily. It should allow slightly more output from the 'high' input, which is for passive basses, but the 'low' input, which I use, breaks up at around 1/3 on the output, using a Precision bass.

Hmmm. I'd try it with a different bass first and foremost, then I'd ring Ashdown.

It hasn't had less gainy preamp tubes installed has it?[/quote]


thats my initial reaction to, whats the valve line up? If they're all 83's i'd try some new vales since one may be a bit buggered

[cycrowave]

[quote name='umph' post='936252' date='Aug 25 2010, 07:01 PM']thats my initial reaction to, whats the valve line up? If they're all 83's i'd try some new vales since one may be a bit buggered[/quote]

I'm pretty hesitant to open it up. Hopefully a call to ashdown should get to the bottom of this....

[umph]

only need to take the back off it and to have a look its nothing to serious, you could take some pictures while your in there though!

[sk8]

i had a tube blow in mine - ashdown sent out a replacement.

Top tip, if you do have to open it; undue the handle screws too as it catches otherwise

[Tee]

Is it not because there's a [b]12AU7[/b] as a 'driver valve' (and two 12AX7s in the preamp section). You won't get any gain out of the 12AU7. They stay nice and clean.

Edited August 26, 2010 by Tee

[cycrowave]

[quote name='umph' post='937029' date='Aug 26 2010, 12:24 PM']only need to take the back off it and to have a look its nothing to serious, you could take some pictures while your in there though![/quote]

If the problem persists when I'm home at the weekend ill pull down its pants and take some pics.

@ tee really not sure what valves are in there, seems strange to me though that its responding differently to other peoples units.

[voxpop]

My Little bastard distorted with both passive and active basses so I put in two lower gain ECC81 valves. This makes it very had to overdrive the preamp stage. It keeps it clean and warm............

If you cant get the [b]preamp[/b] to overdrive then there might be some problem with.

The preamp section should overdrive with most basses plugged into the high gain socket at all volumes.

Remember the LB has no preamp volume control.....the gain knob ONLY drives the power valves.

[Tee]

[quote name='cycrowave' post='937138' date='Aug 26 2010, 01:46 PM']@ tee really not sure what valves are in there, seems strange to me though that its responding differently to other peoples units.[/quote]

Found this on the Ashdown website. It's from the pdf manual

[i]The Little Bastard is a 30w all valve bass head mainly designed for recording
and playing at home it features a two ECC83 valves in the preamp, an
ECC82 as a driver valve and four El84 in the output.the preamp is similar to
that fitted into the 550 touring and spyder in that it features a totally passive
eq otherwise the pre amplifiers are totally different.[/i]

[voxpop]

The guys at Guitar Works in Reading made a quick vid of my LB.


[url="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vg04AoqeX-4"]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vg04AoqeX-4[/url]


As you can hear it overdrives really easy with the original JJ ECC83 valves.

Hope this helps.

[umph]

[quote name='Tee' post='937108' date='Aug 26 2010, 01:16 PM']Is it not because there's a [b]12AU7[/b] as a 'driver valve' (and two 12AX7s in the preamp section). You won't get any gain out of the 12AU7. They stay nice and clean.[/quote]
they coulda stuck an 82 in the wrong slot which would lower the gain a fair bit and having a 83 in the phase splitter wouldn't be very ideal drive wise either.

[Colledge]

[quote name='voxpop' post='937156' date='Aug 26 2010, 02:04 PM']The guys at Guitar Works in Reading made a quick vid of my LB.


[url="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vg04AoqeX-4"]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vg04AoqeX-4[/url]


As you can hear it overdrives really easy with the original JJ ECC83 valves.

Hope this helps.[/quote]

that sounds very, VERY nice. congrats

[cycrowave]

[quote name='umph' post='937361' date='Aug 26 2010, 05:47 PM']they coulda stuck an 82 in the wrong slot which would lower the gain a fair bit and having a 83 in the phase splitter wouldn't be very ideal drive wise either.[/quote]

If that's the case, its gonna be pretty embarrassing for the guy who personally checked my amp and signed the manual

I'll check that video when I'm back home, its really surprising that ashdown don't have more YouTube videos of their own products....