Please tell me why I should avoid Ashdown amps? (aka why Ashdown are just great!)

[Lozz196]

I`m currently selling what seems like a spare-rooms worth of Ashdown, keeping what I need but anyone wanting to pick up a goodie, scan that For Sale section now!

[Bobthedog]

If it is not good enough for pillows and duvets,  it cannot be any good for amps. I would also not buy a duckdown or goosedown amp. 

[Ashdown Engineering]

On 31/10/2017 at 13:37, BigRedX said:

I liked my Ashdown amp until it stopped working reliably and their customer support didn't want to know.

That is enough for me never to want to have anything to do with their products ever again.

Hey Big Red,

 

Sorry to hear this, do you have the details of when emails were sent etc so we can investigate. We normally work very hard to answer any customer issues as quickly as possible so I would like to look into what happened here. Thanks in advance

[Ashdown Engineering]

2 hours ago, Bobthedog said:

If it is not good enough for pillows and duvets,  it cannot be any good for amps. I would also not buy a duckdown or goosedown amp. 

You’ll perhaps need to explain that one a little more... 

[Ashdown Engineering]

On 02/11/2017 at 13:32, dave74200 said:

Ashdown make outstanding amps, heralded the world over. Whoever told you to avoid them probably has no idea, or is going on the advice of someone else who has no idea. I find there’s an awful lot of gullibility in the bass world. An example would be; the ABM 500 is sh*t according to Brian, who plays in a god awful blues jam band, has poor technique, doesn’t know what tone will cut through a mix, uses the eq to set a bedroom sound that won’t cut it in a live situation etc.. the same amp is used by Nate Mendel in the biggest band in the world. Many people unfortunately listen to Brian.

Brian can sometimes be hard work that’s for sure. But we love him anyway as he’s a bass player and he’ll come round in the end. 

Ps So we make your cheque out to Dave? ?

[Ashdown Engineering]

On 31/10/2017 at 13:10, alexclaber said:

I appreciate you're trying to gather information to help you choose the best possible rig but what really matters is the combination of:

1. You
2a. Your bass
(2b. Your FX)
3. The amp
4. The cab
5. Your bands, their rehearsals, studio sessions and gigs
6. You

You might notice that 'you' is in there twice. That's because it's twice as important! It's about how you approach your playing and how you execute it AND about what you want to hear.

Sometimes Ashdown heads are about as good as it gets. Sometimes they're almost the worst possible. I could be talking about the exact same head in both cases, it's just the player, the scenario and the other gear is different.

Amen 

[Al Krow]

17 hours ago, Ashdown Engineering said:

You’ll perhaps need to explain that one a little more... 

I think he was just being (very) funny! He certainly made me lol!

17 hours ago, Ashdown Engineering said:

Amen 

Seriously guys (@Alex and @Ashdown) if your point here is that gear makes no difference and that an Ashdown head (or a Barefaced cab) is only as good as the person using it, then let's all get something a bit cheaper and spend our money on bass lessons, instead?

[EssentialTension]

14 minutes ago, Al Krow said:

... get something a bit cheaper and spend ... money on bass lessons, instead?

Good idea.

[doomed]

I've never had an Ashdown before (other than a little 15w practice combo) but whenever I've heard an ABM head in a live situation they've always impressed me, the ones I've heard have always sounded 'right' no matter what genre they were being used in. I have pre-ordered a Head of Doom on the strength of that anyway, I wouldn't let someone else's opinion stop me buying an amp of any brand, what suits you may not suit someone else (obviously) and vice versa, sometimes you just have to give it a go and see for yourself.

[scrumpymike]

3 hours ago, doomed said:

... sometimes you just have to give it a go and see for yourself.

That certainly is the best way to do it - bet you can't wait to get the new 'black beastie'.

[eddiehoffmann]

On 30/10/2017 at 14:24, discreet said:

[/quote]

Absolutely. I think the old 'woolly sound' reputation comes from the fact that the 'shape' (i.e. scooped sound) control is activated by default and you have to be sure that it's OFF. Then the amp will be beautifully clear, articulate and powerful, with loads of (whisper it) HEFT!

 

This ⤴️ 

 

I went from a Spyder 550 to an ABM once and the first time I used the ABM I just couldn’t believe how bad it sounded. Then I realised the shape thing, just pushed the button in and... Magic! No woolines. Just pure clean muscle. I just don’t undnerstand why Ashdown has this control set in such a counter intuitive way and why they even have it all when it makes the amp sound so bad. I’m sure this feature has done a lot of damage to their reputation over the years with people just don’t realising the shape is always on unless you press the button to switch it off. 

 

By the way... My main amp nowadays is an ABM 500 and I couldn’t be happier. Great amps and, like other people mentioned, definitely benefit massively from good high end cabs. 
 

 

[Al Krow]

One of my favourite bands of 2017 (whom I ''discovered' thanks to another BC thread), featuring the enormously talented Bridget Kearney, bassist, backing vocals and songsmith has been using an Ashdown rig for some while (not sure exactly which model amp?):

 

[EssentialTension]

Bridget Kearney previously played with Joy Kills Sorrow ....

 

[FinnDave]

On 16/11/2017 at 18:57, Bobthedog said:

If it is not good enough for pillows and duvets,  it cannot be any good for amps. I would also not buy a duckdown or goosedown amp. 

Any amp that has Duck in its name has got to be good. Until I find one, I'll carry on with my Ashdowns.

[Kevin Dean]

On ‎17‎/‎11‎/‎2017 at 21:34, eddiehoffmann said:

 

I think it's down to what bass you use with two of my Shuker passive basses I have the pre shape on , & my two active Shukers I have the pre shape off .

[Sean]

If you fancy a really good British bass amp with heritage try a Laney. I've tried loads of Ashdown amps and the best was a "meh" at best but saying that I've never tried the 427 big block or the CTM100 or CTM300 just the solid state stuff and I really don't like it, it's just not my thing.

I have a Laney Tube 400 and that's a fabulous piece of kit. I had a solid state Laney years ago and that was very good for what I paid (peanuts probably).

[Al Krow]

5 minutes ago, Sean said:

If you fancy a really good British bass amp with heritage try a Laney. I've tried loads of Ashdown amps and the best was a "meh" at best but saying that I've never tried the 427 big block or the CTM100 or CTM300 just the solid state stuff and I really don't like it, it's just not my thing.

I have a Laney Tube 400 and that's a fabulous piece of kit. I had a solid state Laney years ago and that was very good for what I paid (peanuts probably).

I agree Laney do seem underrated / unloved. I'd like to get my hands on a Nexus at some point to try it out. It seems like a LOT of bang for your money.

In terms of the Tube 400, exactly what weight training had you been on prior to getting this?

[Sean]

Just now, Al Krow said:

I agree Laney do seem underrated / unloved. I'd like to get my hands on a Nexus at some point to try it out. It seems like a LOT of bang for your money.

In terms of the Tube 400, exactly what weight training had you been on prior to getting this?

The benefits of squats and deadlifts mean that you can have a proper bass sound! Having big valvies motivates me to look after myself. It's about 38kg, much heavier than my Mesa 400+ and also heavier than my MJW 200 watt (Orange/Matamp-alike). The Laney has MAHOOSIVE transformers and big response, it's a bit more of an instant attack than the 400+ and a very different beast to the 200. Get one, they're amazing bang for buck. Mine is quite beaten up and had seen a lot of pro tour work by an endorsee before I got it but it's still bomb-proof.

[Al Krow]

38kg = 84lbs !!!

I guess with the money you're saving on one of these compared to an Aggie 751 you could probably get several years' hire of a roadie? 

Edited December 4, 2017 by Al Krow

[Lozz196]

Think the amp Bridet Kearney is using in Lake Street Dive is the ABM900 - that`s a rather nice but heavy amp.

[Guest gazzatriumph]

I had an Ashdown ABM 500 evo111 and ABM 610 cab, never had any problems with it but to me wasn't that loud for the size of it, I've now got TC electronic RH 750 with RS210 cab and the volume is only set at half way at gigs whereas the Ashdown was always set on three quarter volume ( yes I did try different settings), the TC rig is louder and easier to transport and I like the tone.  Ashdown customer service is excellent though.  I wouldn't judge Ashdowns on rehearsal studios as they get a lot of hammer, in fact I would see it as an endorsement in the fact so many studios use them.

[Lozz196]

The ABM600 puts the "quieter" aspect in a small locked cupboard. I know exactly what you mean, having had ABM500s and MAG600s, I could get the volume I wanted from them, but for 500 watt rated amps the volume was being pushed. Whereas the ABM600, well that`s a different beastie, as are the Rootmasters. Stacks of volume that, from my experience in rehearsal rooms, can really drown out anything - found that out by twiddling the wrong controls when just bought the amps.Significantly LOUD!

[BigRedX]

On 11/16/2017 at 21:48, Ashdown Engineering said:

Hey Big Red,

 

Sorry to hear this, do you have the details of when emails were sent etc so we can investigate. We normally work very hard to answer any customer issues as quickly as possible so I would like to look into what happened here. Thanks in advance

@Ashdown Engineering Unfortunately the emails like the amp itself were consigned to the bin long ago. 

If you do want to have a look at your end it would most likely have been some time in either 2009 or 2010 (it's such a long time ago now I really can't remember). The amp in question was a Superfly which had developed the standard high-pitched whine on the output plus an unreliability when it came to powering up. Both faults had been well-documented on the internet, and considering that the high-pitched whine was generally accepted to be a design fault of the power-amp part, I had expected a more sympathetic response from Ashdown when I reported the faults and enquired what I should do to get them remedied.

I notice that you recently repaired another Basschat member's faulty Superfly FoC. It would have been nice to have received to same excellent level of customer service myself...

[PaulWarning]

at the end of the day the only way to decide on an amp is to try it out, and I don't mean in a shop but in a band situation which means buying one and living with it for a while (or finding a rehearsal studio with one, that's how got on the Trace Elliot amps), this thread just proves it's all a matter of opinion we all have different needs from equipment depending on a host of different factors otherwise we'd all be using the same bass through the same amp and speakers 

[bassbiscuits]

I bought an Ashdown Mag300 head about 10 years ago as a spare to cover a load of gigs when my old Peavey began packing up.

The Mag was incredible and became my main amp straightaway. Very loud for its rating, lots of bass and quite valvey-sounding even tho a transistor amp. I thrashed it and it always sounded cool.

It led me to explore the rest of the higher spec ABM range at the time, tho none of which I got on with as well as the Mag, strangely.

Good amps tho. I moved to a Markbass head in the end cos it was smaller and louder than the Mag, and I still use it.