Bigwan Posted February 7, 2018 Author Share Posted February 7, 2018 9 hours ago, Ashdown Engineering said: No worries, will see if we have the schematic to hand in the morning Awesome. Just so everyone is clear, I have had zero issues (other than above and a certain other product which split opinion) with Ashdown. I currently own 6 bits of Ashdown gear and have GAS for at least 6 more... 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Huge Hands Posted February 7, 2018 Share Posted February 7, 2018 Bigwan, you're a better man than me. As a service delivery manager in a related technology discipline, I'd have been extremely unhappy if one of my team took the mickey out of and patronised a customer with a genuine concern. But hey, it's banter, right? With this and the response I saw in the B-Social thread, I think that's the last I'll be buying from Ashdown (and I've owned my fair share/defended it enough in the past). All my opinion of course, if you like your companies to treat you like an idiot, then ignore me. *Cue some handbag memes, stinging patronisation and an attempt to cover it off as humour by talking about beer or coffee from Ashdown.... 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ashdown Engineering Posted February 7, 2018 Share Posted February 7, 2018 33 minutes ago, Huge Hands said: Bigwan, you're a better man than me. As a service delivery manager in a related technology discipline, I'd have been extremely unhappy if one of my team took the mickey out of and patronised a customer with a genuine concern. But hey, it's banter, right? With this and the response I saw in the B-Social thread, I think that's the last I'll be buying from Ashdown (and I've owned my fair share/defended it enough in the past). All my opinion of course, if you like your companies to treat you like an idiot, then ignore me. *Cue some handbag memes, stinging patronisation and an attempt to cover it off as humour by talking about beer or coffee from Ashdown.... Hi Huge Hands - not sure how we have treated anyone like 'an idiot' here? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ashdown Engineering Posted February 7, 2018 Share Posted February 7, 2018 1 hour ago, Bigwan said: Awesome. Just so everyone is clear, I have had zero issues (other than above and a certain other product which split opinion) with Ashdown. I currently own 6 bits of Ashdown gear and have GAS for at least 6 more... Morning Bigwan, I have the CTM 15 Schematic for you, if you PM me your email address I will fire it over for you. Cheers. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Huge Hands Posted February 7, 2018 Share Posted February 7, 2018 17 minutes ago, Ashdown Engineering said: Hi Huge Hands - not sure how we have treated anyone like 'an idiot' here? I think starting any reply to any concern, especially one that is as serious as suggesting you may have been liberal with your marketing facts by implying the customer is having "a bad day" smacks of not taking them seriously or treating them like they're stupid. Maybe I'm having a "bad day" when reading it, but to me it comes across as massively unprofessional and conjures up the image of a one man band operation, smoking waccy baccy and telling me to "chill out". Again, all IMHO of course. I'm sure 99% of bass players would find it cool. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chienmortbb Posted February 7, 2018 Share Posted February 7, 2018 (edited) 14 hours ago, Bigwan said: It's not. I'm in entire agreement with you. But what IS wrong is to market it to the unsuspecting as an ALL VALVE amp. I have one and like it, but it pisses me off that a company like Ashdown has to stoop so low. I agree it is poor marketing. It is a hybrid and they should be upfront about it. The one thing i will say about Ashdown is they are first rate when it comes to support. Edited February 7, 2018 by Chienmortbb added comment 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ashdown Engineering Posted February 7, 2018 Share Posted February 7, 2018 2 minutes ago, Huge Hands said: I think starting any reply to any concern, especially one that is as serious as suggesting you may have been liberal with your marketing facts by implying the customer is having "a bad day" smacks of not taking them seriously or treating them like they're stupid. Maybe I'm having a "bad day" when reading it, but to me it comes across as massively unprofessional and conjures up the image of a one man band operation, smoking waccy baccy and telling me to "chill out". Again, all IMHO of course. I'm sure 99% of bass players would find it cool. In all fairness I think the 'massively unprofessional' approach would be to ignore the concerns, not address the misinformation and then not apologise... Which is the antithesis of what we did here... As you say its all a matter of opinion of course and you can't please everyone all the time that's for sure but hey we try... 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EBS_freak Posted February 7, 2018 Share Posted February 7, 2018 (edited) Fair play to coming on and setting the record straight.... ...but wasn't somebody having a little niggle when typing in the words "all valve"...? To let it get this far without somebody else apart from the customer going... "eeer, hang on a minute...?" is a little... err... Edited February 7, 2018 by EBS_freak Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wateroftyne Posted February 7, 2018 Share Posted February 7, 2018 So.. the CTM15 isn't all-valve in the traditional sense? How did that misunderstanding come about, I wonder? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EliasMooseblaster Posted February 7, 2018 Share Posted February 7, 2018 22 hours ago, EBS_freak said: What is the market - seems powerful for a recording amp... seems a bit down on power for a live amp...? Funny you should say that - I still use an original flavour Little Bastard 30 for both. It's great for recording as it still has a nice warm tone even at modest volumes, although you'll need some good soundproofing if you want to push it harder. Similarly, it's done me well for smaller gigs and can be astonishingly loud with the right cab. (Though I do defer to a CTM-100 for larger venues!) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bigwan Posted February 7, 2018 Author Share Posted February 7, 2018 Certainly didn't feel like I was being treated like an idiot! I can handle a bit of banter - round here if a mate doesn't call you the naughty c word you're not a mate! But hey, it's the internet, so if you want to feel put-out on my behalf there's not much I can do to stop you. There aren't too many companies that come on here and take the cr4p Ashdown does and I do respect them for that. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ashdown Engineering Posted February 7, 2018 Share Posted February 7, 2018 1 minute ago, Bigwan said: Certainly didn't feel like I was being treated like an idiot! That's because you weren't ;-) 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
charic Posted February 7, 2018 Share Posted February 7, 2018 Oi @Bigwan you dummy! And now the universe is as it should be Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Huge Hands Posted February 7, 2018 Share Posted February 7, 2018 21 minutes ago, Bigwan said: Certainly didn't feel like I was being treated like an idiot! I can handle a bit of banter - round here if a mate doesn't call you the naughty c word you're not a mate! But hey, it's the internet, so if you want to feel put-out on my behalf there's not much I can do to stop you. There aren't too many companies that come on here and take the cr4p Ashdown does and I do respect them for that. I too respect Ashdown for taking the time to respond to customers on here, it just seems to me that the person doing it is taking the comments a bit to heart and replying in the heat of the moment as themselves, rather than Ashdown as a brand. I'm saying this after seeing a few recent replies - especially the B-Social thread, it wasn't just this one occasion. I would take the c word from a mate too, but not a company I expect customer service from (I realise Ashdown didn't call anyone a c word before you say anything!) However, I totally wouldn't want to see or be the cause of them stop posting to help their users. I can see I'm in the minority in thinking the tone of the replies was a bit off. I'll get off my soapbox. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sibob Posted February 7, 2018 Share Posted February 7, 2018 I've always thought Ashdown have had excellent customer service. Will never forget the time I was invited over to the HQ for my ABM EVOII to be repaired when it died a few days before a tour. Think I left with a carry bag, a pedal, a mug and an amp with a fully replaced preamp section, above and beyond. Personally speaking, I think it's great that manufacturers engage on forums, I certainly try and do that here with my Focusrite/Novation had on (where appropriate). But in any case, I also struggle to see the market here a little....or rather I see the market (recording), but can't imagine it's particularly huge?! 30 tube watts is not enough for me to gig with 80% of the time, and I'd certainly not drop £499 on a practice/rehearsal amp. Interested in it as a recording setup, but again, lots of amazing tube DI's on the market (arguably more expensive), so it's only beneficial if you want to record a tube amp through a cab?! I would need convincing. Now if a company were to fit a 100w all-tube setup into this size amp, we're talking Anyway, not an Ashdown bash, love the company, always have Si 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
andy67 Posted February 7, 2018 Share Posted February 7, 2018 (edited) Have to say, I quite like their quirkiness modern ways of communicating mean different approaches to different mediums. Had lots of communication over the years with Ashdown and always found them to be polite, courteous and respectful. Now Sibob, if you are saying something along the lines of putting a CTM-100 inside one of those new small cases?? I'm well on board PS, you need to talk with the guys at Ruark (if still operational) chilled? These guys are horizontal and ace on the phone Edited February 7, 2018 by andy67 Grammar. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Merton Posted February 7, 2018 Share Posted February 7, 2018 I agree, a CTM100 Stubby gets my order immediately 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
franzbassist Posted February 7, 2018 Share Posted February 7, 2018 39 minutes ago, Merton said: I agree, a CTM100 Stubby gets my order immediately Or even a Stubby 60, stacking two on top of each other... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EBS_freak Posted February 7, 2018 Share Posted February 7, 2018 39 minutes ago, Merton said: I agree, a CTM100 Stubby gets my order immediately Haha - I misread that as "I agree, a CTM100 gets me stubby immediately" oo-er 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EBS_freak Posted February 7, 2018 Share Posted February 7, 2018 2 minutes ago, walbassist said: Or even a Stubby 60, stacking two on top of each other... And now... "whacking two out on top of each other" i need an eye test and to flush my filthy mind. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
franzbassist Posted February 7, 2018 Share Posted February 7, 2018 1 minute ago, EBS_freak said: And now... "whacking two out on top of each other" i need an eye test and to flush my filthy mind. and possibly even .... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bigwan Posted February 7, 2018 Author Share Posted February 7, 2018 I think you're dreaming gentlemen! Have you seen the size of decent 100 watt valve amp transformers? I was surprised Ashdown could fit 30 watt ones in such an amp as Stubby! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
andy67 Posted February 7, 2018 Share Posted February 7, 2018 8 minutes ago, Bigwan said: I think you're dreaming gentlemen! Have you seen the size of decent 100 watt valve amp transformers? I was surprised Ashdown could fit 30 watt ones in such an amp as Stubby! Who knows what engineers can do knowadays?? I mean they put a time machine in an Delorian in 1985 for goodness sake 😱 3 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MoonBassAlpha Posted February 7, 2018 Share Posted February 7, 2018 When I was looking into getting a CTM 15, I seem to remember reading something from Ashdown along the lines of "15 watts of all valve power", which, technically, is correct, as the phase splitter and power stage IS all valve! I've used it for recording bass and guitar, and like the sound it makes, but, since they are using a solid state front end, I'd have preferred a proper 3 band +/- 15dB eq over the old fashioned valve-style interactive eq. And like Bigwan here, am not sure about the tone change as you wind the gain up. I've also gigged it twice using 2 12" cabs and I liked it! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LukeFRC Posted February 7, 2018 Share Posted February 7, 2018 10 hours ago, Bigwan said: Certainly didn't feel like I was being treated like an idiot! I can handle a bit of banter - round here if a mate doesn't call you the naughty c word you're not a mate! But hey, it's the internet, so if you want to feel put-out on my behalf there's not much I can do to stop you. There aren't too many companies that come on here and take the cr4p Ashdown does and I do respect them for that. I don't think a company could win here. Come on to what is essentially a chat forum and be uber corporate about it and it will wind people up, come across like a human speaking for the company and it's wound people up. I think the plus is they come on here, talk like a human, and are friendly ask questions and we start talking about the kinda amps and sounds that we're after - and that helps us both. Both Ashdown make a product we want, and we buy it - and we feel a connection to Ashdown. Aged Horse on Talkbass does a similar thing for Mesa Boogie. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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