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Ashdown fan club


scrumpymike

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For years, I played through an Ashdown ABM300 (Evo II) and found it to be a really nice and versatile amp, however I sold it on when I picked up my Peavey Mark IV as it was more suitable for the band I was playing at the time (heavy, and loud). I'm half tempted to return to the Ashdown fold as there's a good deal on an ABM locally that I quite fancy.

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2 hours ago, la bam said:

I've just ordered an Evo iv 600 as I really liked the Evo ii.

Should arrive next week. It'll be interesting to see how updated it is.

If you liked the Evo ii I reckon you`ll love the Evo iv - it`s more flexible due to the added eq options, and it just seems louder, well I suppose it should seeing as it`s 600 v 500, but there just seems to be "more" sound from it. I`ve had mine now for some 18 months and that`s pretty good going for me, usually I seem to be changing amps like no tomorrow but the Evo iv is the amp for me (and I`ve found for practical purposes that the RM-500 is the backup amp for me).

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Great stuff! I do have a bit of a soft spot for ashdown. I've previously had mag300, superfly, little giant and ABM 500 Evo ii combo.

I was looking for a backup amp for my markbass Evo which I have set up as an svt emulator, which works well in our band.

I know the ABM won't sound anything like an svt, but I do know itll fit in with any mix when required and give years of trouble free service on the road.

 

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Another fan here! Bought the "toneman" 300 combo not really expecting to like it... For perspective I sold a huge trace rig that was too heavy for my second floor flat... But instantly got good solid gigable tone. Added an RM115 cab, very happy. Wanted a bit more grunt, got the Rootmaster 500 head... And another RM115. Excellent versatile gig rig! Now one of those RM115s has been swapped for an RM210 which wasn't my best decision, but it gives me bags of onstage power and a dead simple EQ. I even have a two button footswitch for the overdrive and sub. They're nice effects to have easy access to. 

Haven't used their customer service yet but the fact they're so responsive on here makes me feel safe that in the unlikely event of an issue I'll get a quick and no B.S. response with the problem getting solved.

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Another big fan here, Mark Gooday recently sent me a bag for my new RM500 head purely because I asked him if they were still supplied with the amps - he said “Sadly we no longer supply them with the amp, but send me your address and I’ll sort it”.

I did, and he did!

Wonderful :)

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Actually, I recently sent the amp in to them for a fan modification - it came back in the same bag (and same cardboard box) it went in.  

I’ll get another bag, eventually..probably the Gator version.  Seems to be the right cost/quality balance.  Been using one of their rack bags for ages, much better than others I’ve used before.

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7 hours ago, BassBod said:

I bought one for my Retroglide, but the zipper on the cable pocket broke far too easily and quickly for the fairly light use it’s had.  Not exactly impressed with that.  

Similar story with the one for my RM800 which I’m guessing is the same bag - the main zip started out with two tags, then after a week or so it had one, then soon after it had none and a cable-tie, then the zip came apart and broke completely. And fibres of that random synthetic woolly lining stuff are always all over the mirror front panel. Nice enough amp, don’t get me wrong, but I think I’ll be going after-market replacement for the new bag.

On topic, my ABM1000 is still the most righteously ballsy non-valve amp I’ve got!

Edited by Ed_S
Auto-correct typo
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27 minutes ago, Ed_S said:

Similar story with the one for my RM800 which I’m guessing is the same bag - the main zip started out with two tags, then after a week or so it had one, then soon after it had none and a cable-tie, then the zip came apart and broke completely. And fibres of that random synthetic woolly lining stuff are always all over the mirror front panel. Nice enough amp, don’t get me wrong, but I think I’ll be going after-market replacement for the new bag.

On topic, my ABM1000 is still the most righteously ballsy non-valve amp I’ve got!

I currently have two RM800s and three bags. One of them still has an intact zip. Good amps, though I use them only as power amp with an outboard preamp.

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I bought an EVO11 180 combo for virtually nothing recently - not overly heavy, ideal for the living room, easy to use/set up with your favourite settings and a built in power meter.

I can't understand why, at eBay prices, everybody doesn't have one. You know that if anything goes wrong there's great customer service and most likely a free service or repair.

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The older ABMs and ABM combos are hands down the best value second hand amps and cabs out there. 

Also, no one mentions it, but the fact there are so many available is testament to how well they are made and how long they last.

Edited by la bam
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2 hours ago, la bam said:

The older ABMs and ABM combos are hands down the best value second hand amps and cabs out there. 

Also, no one mentions it, but the fact there are so many available is testament to how well they are made and how long they last.

And I read that all ABM amps have parts that can be fixed at Ashdown, so not part of the throwaway generation, which is also a plus point in my view.

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I’m in the process of going back to using Ashdown gear. The way it goes, you go around the houses, then end up more or less back where you were 15 years ago!

+1 on the added bonus of being able to get the guys at Ashdown to fix and service too.

And the quality of what you can get for the money secondhand is dead right. Picked up (not literally) a physically battered but audibly perfect MAG 8x10 for less than £100 of fleabay and in process of purchasing an older ABM head off here. The whole rig for around £300?!?!? Still gives me enough left over for a more portable cab for gigs, with the 8x10 sitting in the rehearsal space.

Bonkers.

Edited by mr4stringz
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  • 2 weeks later...
  • 3 weeks later...

Bought a used ABM evo III in flightcase for £134......bargain.

I used to own one, about 6 years ago, and really liked the sound but I didn't like the weight. I went class D and the ashdown was sold. But I've moved house and weight is no longer an issue, as I  can now park right outside my front door. So, when I saw this big boy on Ebay, couldn't resist the knock down  price for a really solid, classy amp.

I'm looking forwards to getting some juicy, analogue, bass action again.

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The weekend before last, my CTM100 chalked up a (very unofficial) victory in the (very unofficial) volume war between our guitarist and me - at an open-air gig I actually had to turn down for a change! Admittedly I was driving two 12" speakers to his one, with 100W to his 15W, but we all know the lengths to which we have to go to keep up with most guitarists. At any rate, the tone was to die for.

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On 02/07/2018 at 20:51, la bam said:

The older ABMs and ABM combos are hands down the best value second hand amps and cabs out there. 

Also, no one mentions it, but the fact there are so many available is testament to how well they are made and how long they last.

Agree. Reluctantly just put my 1999 ABM C110 combo and 1x15 cab up for sale. 

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4 minutes ago, gjones said:

My Ashdown ABM 500 was delivered today, it sounds excellent in my living room, paired with a Barefaced Super Compact. I'm looking forward to gigging it..

I gigged my new-to-me ABM 600 paired with a Super Compact last Saturday. Sounded superb!

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