bassmansky Posted June 15, 2008 Share Posted June 15, 2008 tryed a abm 4x10 cab with my evo11 head tonight and got complimented on what a great sound i had and that was from a fellow bassist!not a wooly sound whatsoever.just got to play around with the eq a bit,so its bye bye ampeg!also the ashdown cab is louder,result! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DirkThrust Posted June 15, 2008 Share Posted June 15, 2008 Glad to hear it. Ashdown get a lot of bashing which IMO and IME is not really justified. I've used my ABM500 with various cabs since I got it in 2003 and with the right cab pairing it sounds great. At the moment I'm using a Schroeder 1212L and it sounds perfect. The pairing is a great match with a smooth warm sound and not a trace of boom or wool and enough punch to crack walls. I've always found Schroeder and BFM cabs to be a particularly good match for Ashdown heads. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dubs Posted June 15, 2008 Share Posted June 15, 2008 [quote name='AndyMartin' post='219097' date='Jun 15 2008, 09:24 AM']Ashdown get a lot of bashing which IMO and IME is not really justified.[/quote] Both in my experience and opinion the Ashdown sound is quite Woolly and undefined and has lacked any real grunt or punch. It’s all personal opinion and preference though – I love my Ampeg rig and thinks it kicks Ashdown ass, but that’s just my opinion. I’d have a tendency to agree very much with Andy that it tends to be the Ashdown cabs that cause the problems (to my ears and in my opinion) so the Schroeder and BFM cabs would be a great place to start if you were to buy a cab to compliment your Evo II. In all honesty, I’ve never heard an Ashdown rig that I liked the sound of, but then again I’ve not heard a decent Ashdown head through a really nice (non Ashdown) cab (like Andy’s setup) so I’m always open to having my views changed and I’m always happy to eat my words when I’m proven wrong As for “bye bye Ampeg”…don’t be so hasty – I could understand if you were upgrading or changing the Ampeg gear for lighter stuff, but Ashdown instead of Ampeg based on 1 successful gig? What Ampeg gear have you got already that you’re going to change for Ashdown gear? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
johnnylager Posted June 15, 2008 Share Posted June 15, 2008 I've found a chipper sound using a Bass Xciter for the bass & treble EQ and a nice frown on the ABM to boost the mids, leaving the bass & treble on the amp well alone. Add some valve drive and bosh, the jobs a good-un. I'll let e knaa when I'm next down Pompey Ben, come and have a listen... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dubs Posted June 15, 2008 Share Posted June 15, 2008 [quote name='johnnylager' post='219107' date='Jun 15 2008, 09:53 AM']I'll let e knaa when I'm next down Pompey Ben, come and have a listen...[/quote] deffo, i spend more of my time in Derby these days though but gimme a shout if you ever play Derby or Pompey and I'll come down to have an Ashdown enlightenment Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bassmansky Posted June 15, 2008 Author Share Posted June 15, 2008 am changing ampeg svt 4x10 he cab for the ashdown.dont like the ampeg sound,each to their own!why do people knock ashdown so much?is it cos they are british owned,as we tend not to back our own manufactures or what is it.not everyone likes ampeg(me included) thats the way it is just it seems only ashdown gets knocked on here.after all they cant be too bad as a lot of top bands are now using them!so yeah bye bye ampeg! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sibob Posted June 15, 2008 Share Posted June 15, 2008 (edited) I'm a long time advocate of Ashdown, never had a bad tone from mine regardless of what bass I put through it! It does make me wonder what other people are hearing, wouldn't ever call my sound Wooly! I use a 4x8 cab along with a 1x15 sometimes. Although I am kinda on the lookout for a one cab lightweight solution, and the 4ohm Schroeder 410 keeps catching my eye, so it's nice to hear that someone thinks they match the EVO heads well! Si p.s. As it happens my Ashdown rig superseded an Ampeg rig also, consisted of a B2R, a 2x10 HE & a 1x15 H. Smaller, lighter (although not neo), louder to my ears, more pleasing tone etc etc Edited June 15, 2008 by Sibob Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dubs Posted June 15, 2008 Share Posted June 15, 2008 (edited) [quote name='bassmansky' post='219122' date='Jun 15 2008, 10:32 AM']is it cos they are british owned,as we tend not to back our own manufactures or what is it.[/quote] I think a lot of the old Trace Elliot gear is fantastic, and they [i]were[/i] British owned and “Built In England”. My first ‘proper’ amp was a 300W 2x10 Trace combo and I loved it and was really reluctant to move it on despite upgrading to an Ampeg SVT-CL and SVT410-HLF. Sincerely though, good luck with the Ashdown stuff mate, I’m not one that feels an unnecessary or superfluous amount of brand loyalty (except when it comes down to Warwick ), so the fact that I use Ampeg doesn’t really change my views on Ashdown, which by the way I’m always happy to have changed Edited June 15, 2008 by benwhiteuk Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DirkThrust Posted June 15, 2008 Share Posted June 15, 2008 [quote name='Sibob' post='219127' date='Jun 15 2008, 10:48 AM']Although I am kinda on the lookout for a one cab lightweight solution, and the 4ohm Schroeder 410 keeps catching my eye, so it's nice to hear that someone thinks they match the EVO heads well![/quote] I used a 410L with the ABM for a while. The bigger Schroeders don't have the mid hump of the 1212 and 1210 and are more of an even sounding cab but are still a good match with the Ashdown. It's a great single cab setup Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DirkThrust Posted June 15, 2008 Share Posted June 15, 2008 [quote name='benwhiteuk' post='219104' date='Jun 15 2008, 09:48 AM']I’d have a tendency to agree very much with Andy that it tends to be the Ashdown cabs that cause the problems (to my ears and in my opinion) so the Schroeder and BFM cabs would be a great place to start if you were to buy a cab to compliment your Evo II.[/quote] Ha. I'm glad we agree on something Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sibob Posted June 15, 2008 Share Posted June 15, 2008 [quote name='AndyMartin' post='219136' date='Jun 15 2008, 11:01 AM']I used a 410L with the ABM for a while. The bigger Schroeders don't have the mid hump of the 1212 and 1210 and are more of an even sounding cab but are still a good match with the Ashdown. It's a great single cab setup[/quote] Thanks for that mate! Oh and I just wanted to say that I didn't think that the Ampeg I had sounded bad, I liked the tone.......just thought the Ashdown was a step up is all Si Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bassmansky Posted June 15, 2008 Author Share Posted June 15, 2008 good thing we dont all like the same as the world would be a boring place! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dubs Posted June 15, 2008 Share Posted June 15, 2008 [quote name='bassmansky' post='219337' date='Jun 15 2008, 06:24 PM']good thing we dont all like the same as the world would be a boring place![/quote] amen to that! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thinman Posted June 15, 2008 Share Posted June 15, 2008 (edited) [quote name='AndyMartin' post='219147' date='Jun 15 2008, 11:19 AM']Ha. I'm glad we agree on something [/quote] I think a lot of these Ashdown debates don't differentiate between the amps and cabs enough. In my limited experience it's the cabs that may be responsible. I replaced a MAG 300 1x15 combo with a BFM Omni10 and H+K head. But I also cannibalised the MAG and used the head as a back-up. With the BFM the MAG's not wooly at all but maybe that's not surprising given the totally different cab configuration. What was surprising though is how far superior the bottom end on the 2 X 10" Omni 10 is compared with the 15" MAG cab. I run the Omni 10 with totally flat EQ and the depth is better than the MAG combo ever was with the deep boost and a bit of the lowest EQ band added too. It certainly adds weight to the notion that bigger cones are not a must for a deeper response. Edited June 15, 2008 by thinman Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dubs Posted June 15, 2008 Share Posted June 15, 2008 [quote name='thinman' post='219396' date='Jun 15 2008, 07:52 PM']What was surprising though is how far superior the bottom end on the 2 X 10" Omni 10 is compared with the 15" MAG cab. I run the Omni 10 with totally flat EQ and the depth is better than the MAG combo ever was with the deep boost and a bit of the lowest EQ band added too. It certainly adds weight to the notion that bigger cones are a must for a deeper response.[/quote] Yeah there’s always a tendency to believe that larger drivers = lower frequency response…it’s just not the case. Frequency response is so dependant on the enclosure - I started explaining this once in another thread… Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
molan Posted June 15, 2008 Share Posted June 15, 2008 Cue obligatory shot of Ashdown player getting ears in tune ready for the gig: Sorry, couldn't resist! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MB1 Posted June 15, 2008 Share Posted June 15, 2008 (edited) [quote name='molan' post='219487' date='Jun 15 2008, 10:20 PM']Cue obligatory shot of Ashdown player getting ears in tune ready for the gig: Sorry, couldn't resist! [/quote] MB1. The sax player seems a little shy and withdrawn tonight! Sorry, could'nt resist! Edited June 15, 2008 by MB1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
phatbass787 Posted June 15, 2008 Share Posted June 15, 2008 Love my Ashdown rig it beats my old SVT rig in every department, wonderfully full and defined with loads of grunt, it makes me smile every time I plug into it, and there's just something about buying British with huge cooperations and companies swallowing others on a daily basis one that is independently owned that makes great amps, and is based in a farm in good old Essex just makes me think 'Good work Ashdown' Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MB1 Posted June 15, 2008 Share Posted June 15, 2008 [quote name='phatbass787' post='219524' date='Jun 15 2008, 10:59 PM']Love my Ashdown rig it beats my old SVT rig in every department, wonderfully full and defined with loads of grunt, it makes me smile every time I plug into it, and there's just something about buying British with huge cooperations and companies swallowing others on a daily basis one that is independently owned that makes great amps, and is based in a farm in good old Essex just makes me think 'Good work Ashdown'[/quote] MB1. +100 and twelvety.....A British Company! a mere stones throw/phone call away!....been using them since they first started!..... No Wool here Shaun! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lowhand_mike Posted June 16, 2008 Share Posted June 16, 2008 +1 also. never had a woolly sound out of mine. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Muppet Posted June 16, 2008 Share Posted June 16, 2008 I was at the Isle of Wight festival this weekend and saw two Ashdown examples up close. The first was JJ Burnel's rig that was made up of four ABM 4x10s and two what seemed to resemble the Mark King Ashdown Labs heads but in black, not sure what these were. Also, the backline for the unsigned stage was two of the Neo 4x10s coupled with one of the Klystron valve heads. Both these rigs in a band situation sounded superb - crisp, clear and defined and put the masses of Ampeg rigs to shame. And I'm a fully paid up Ampeg Club member. I was very impressed and if I had to choose right now I'm preferring the Ashdown! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bassmansky Posted June 16, 2008 Author Share Posted June 16, 2008 [quote name='phatbass787' post='219524' date='Jun 15 2008, 10:59 PM']Love my Ashdown rig it beats my old SVT rig in every department, wonderfully full and defined with loads of grunt, it makes me smile every time I plug into it, and there's just something about buying British with huge cooperations and companies swallowing others on a daily basis one that is independently owned that makes great amps, and is based in a farm in good old Essex just makes me think 'Good work Ashdown'[/quote] could not put it better myself! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bassmansky Posted June 16, 2008 Author Share Posted June 16, 2008 [quote name='Muppet' post='220046' date='Jun 16 2008, 05:16 PM']I was at the Isle of Wight festival this weekend and saw two Ashdown examples up close. The first was JJ Burnel's rig that was made up of four ABM 4x10s and two what seemed to resemble the Mark King Ashdown Labs heads but in black, not sure what these were. Also, the backline for the unsigned stage was two of the Neo 4x10s coupled with one of the Klystron valve heads. Both these rigs in a band situation sounded superb - crisp, clear and defined and put the masses of Ampeg rigs to shame. And I'm a fully paid up Ampeg Club member. I was very impressed and if I had to choose right now I'm preferring the Ashdown! [/quote] whats going on all these good comments about ashdown! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
steve-soar Posted June 16, 2008 Share Posted June 16, 2008 I had a 1999 ABM EVO C115 Combo 500 and the Mini 4x8" cab, a great sound but in all honesty, a Hartke 4.5 sounded much better and the Ampeg SVT II plus an 8x10" had a good sound for me but the Ashdown gear was much more versatile. If you want a set up that can work well for different styles, then the Ashdown gear is hard to beat and it is British, well, some of it is. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
johnnylager Posted June 16, 2008 Share Posted June 16, 2008 (edited) +loads - woolly schmoolly! [quote name='Muppet' post='220046' date='Jun 16 2008, 05:16 PM']The first was JJ Burnel's rig that was made up of four ABM 4x10s and two what seemed to resemble the Mark King Ashdown Labs heads but in black, not sure what these were.[/quote] They could well have been the Mark King Ashdown Labs heads but in black - see [url="http://www.ashdownmusic.com/press/releases/jj/ASHLABSJJPR.doc"]here[/url]. But what's he using for OD? Edited June 16, 2008 by johnnylager Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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