Tell me about ashdowns

[Woodinblack]

I went into PMT today to see if I liked the Ibanez SRF705* and see if I wanted to get one.
Plugged into some ashdown amp and played away, mentioned I didn't see much difference between pickups, so he plugged it into this second hand JJB-500 that was there. I loved the sound of it. We got talking about that, and sounds, and he demonstrated the other ashdowns, the CT100 / CT 300.
As nice as those sounded, I still preferred the sound of the JJB.

This one was second hand and way above my current budget for amps (which until today stood at £0, as I was pretty happy with my TC RG450), and I see they don't make them any more. The valve ones are just way too expensive for me, and too heavy to consider, esp the 300 (do they come with hoists?), even if they sounded nice.

Are there any of the others that sound like the JJBs? They don't seem to make them any more, or have them anywhere, other than that one, or have anything that similar.
There are a lot of EVO heads around pretty cheap, but they don't have the graphic, or have 7 bands. I didn't try any of those there as I didn't really get that interested in the idea until I had already left the shop and I had already spent quite a lot of time in there, didn't want to waste the guys time if I wasn't going to get something (or bore my wife more).

At the moment I am sort of considering another amp, initially as a backup. I liked the look and youtubes of the handbox amps but there is nowhere to try that, so am keeping an ear out for other stuff.


* I did quite like it but was not totally blown away by it. I liked the other new fretless ibanez, but its a bit ugly and currently only a 4 string

[40hz]

For what it's worth the JJB head is just a rebranded Mark King signature head. So one of those is the same thing.

[barkin]

[quote name='Woodinblack' timestamp='1486866851' post='3235175']

There are a lot of EVO heads around pretty cheap, but they don't have the graphic, or have 7 bands.
[/quote]

Don't the ABM's all have 7 band eq ?

[Kevin Dean]

[quote name='40hz' timestamp='1486870084' post='3235180']
For what it's worth the JJB head is just a rebranded Mark King signature head. So one of those is the same thing.
[/quote]They are not actually , They have different voicing ..I have the early JJB & borrowed the MK version & they sound different when a/b next to each other although you can make them sound similar to each other with use of the graphic . & I can not get the JJB to sound like the ABM with it's shape on , I just can't seem to get the Low end thud that ABM can get ..The Retro glide is similar to the JJB but the JJB has more head room .

[Woodinblack]

[quote name='barkin' timestamp='1486889018' post='3235208']
Don't the ABM's all have 7 band eq ?
[/quote]

Yes I phrased that wrong, I meant "unlike the jjb they have either no or only 7 band eq"!

[Woodinblack]

The mk one is also pretty unavailable anywhere too. I guess I will just have to wait until one crops up

[2elliot]

The ABM EVO IV 600 has a 9 band eq... 3 knobs plus 6 sliders. I'm quite impressed by the one I've recently bought.

[Lozz196]

[quote name='2elliot' timestamp='1486900451' post='3235329']
The ABM EVO IV 600 has a 9 band eq... 3 knobs plus 6 sliders. I'm quite impressed by the one I've recently bought.
[/quote]

Me too. Although I get all my eq from my Sansamp I`ve had a tinker around on the eq on the ABM and theres a great deal that can be done with this amp.

[Woodinblack]

I am pretty happy with the ashdown I got as a cheapy of ebay. I got an Evo 500 that was a bit tatty, but I contacted ashdown who have been more than helpful getting me new knobs and slider covers.
The amp seems ok, the company seems very good.

[BrunoBass]

I have a MAG300 EVOII which is my main gigging amp now. I really like it, bloody heavy though!

[Pow_22]

I loved my old Spyder 330 head, cracking amp. I like their amps but never got on with their cabs. Most recently tried a CL cab which is supposedly their top line - very underwhelmed

[mike257]

I think the ABM range sound great. Borrowed an ABM900 EVO3 with the 8x10 once when my rig was inaccessible, and it's probably the happiest I've been about my bass sound ever. Plugged in and just grinned like a loon.