Ashdown Basses?! Woo!

[bloke_zero]

The lowrider looks really good to me - be interesting to see some reviews!

I'm sort of sad to see they've ditched the raked headstock design from the Lodestone - but I know I'm alone on that one!

20 minutes ago, stewblack said:

I have changed my mind! There is something jarring about the gold /tort combination. 

Jarring like a seventies living room?  I don't mind it - it's got some character at least!

[acidbass]

Still can’t look past that terrible string/pole piece alignment on the humbuckers. If 150 quid Squier basses can get this right then why can’t basses at 1k? It’s just careless.

[AndyTravis]

3 minutes ago, acidbass said:

Still can’t look past that terrible string/pole piece alignment on the humbuckers. If 150 quid Squier basses can get this right then why can’t basses at 1k? It’s just careless.

I think solid covers would

a) look better

b) eliminate this issue which sends my OCD wild.

[Jean-Luc Pickguard]

Whether tort looks right or not depends on the tort - it can look like attack ships on fire off the shoulder of Orion, like a dirt protest, or anything between. The one on the gold ashbird appears to be positioned towards the latter end of that spectrum.

Edited April 17, 2020 by Jean-Luc Pickguard

[Skybone]

Anyone managed to get their hands on one yet?

[acidbass]

4 hours ago, AndyTravis said:

I think solid covers would

a) look better

b) eliminate this issue which sends my OCD wild.

Yeah I literally can’t stand this flaw on production basses! Sadowsky always gets it right but conversely so do Squier! It not only annoys me to look at but the difference in magnetism between the strings/pole pieces 100% affects the tone and sustain.

[Woodinblack]

10 hours ago, bloke_zero said:

Jarring like a seventies living room?  

There has never been a bass made with tort that doesn't look like a 70s living room. Apart from the ones that look like a 50s living room.

[Stub Mandrel]

7 minutes ago, Woodinblack said:

There has never been a bass made with tort that doesn't look like a 70s living room. Apart from the ones that look like a 50s living room.

Fitin' talk!

Put up yer dooks!

[AndyTravis]

This angle...rather than a fluid line...just...I’m glad I want the P where they seem to have followed the traditional look.

[AndyTravis]

They look nice - the necks are meant to be lovely too.

i think a P/J, non matching headstock, maple...white blocks/binding. 

[Wolverinebass]

On 17/04/2020 at 23:45, AndyTravis said:

This angle...rather than a fluid line...just...I’m glad I want the P where they seem to have followed the traditional look.

Yeah. I always thought it was the done thing that the top of the pickguard should follow the contour of the upper horn. At least on fender type basses.

[Muzz]

Ooo look! A Jazz copy! 😏

[spectoremg]

On 23/12/2019 at 17:09, itu said:

Why, oh why do we get just another round of fenders. Sorry to say that I expected something more and novel. Great amps should equal great and original design in basses, too.

And people gushing about them?! Get a grip. 

[spectoremg]

Ooh I like that blue one. If they did it in red, with two split P pickups, a tort pickguard, 10-band eq, half fretted, mother of pearl block inlays and an ashtray behind the headstock it'd be great. 

[AndyTravis]

1 minute ago, spectoremg said:

Ooh I like that blue one. If they did it in red, with two split P pickups, a tort pickguard, 10-band eq, half fretted, mother of pearl block inlays and an ashtray behind the headstock it'd be great. 

You not buying one then? 😉

[lemmywinks]

1 hour ago, spectoremg said:

Ooh I like that blue one. If they did it in red, with two split P pickups, a tort pickguard, 10-band eq, half fretted, mother of pearl block inlays and an ashtray behind the headstock it'd be great. 

You haven't spent a night in Langney recently have you?

[ClassicVibes]

I will reserve judgement until I play one. Anyone knocking a product without actually trying it themselves is clearly not worth the time. 

[Stub Mandrel]

1 minute ago, ClassicVibes said:

I will reserve judgement until I play one. Anyone knocking a product without actually trying it themselves is clearly not worth the time. 

While I wouldn't judge sound or playability from a photo, I think it's fair to criticise appearance on the basis of, well, appearance...

[spectoremg]

6 minutes ago, ClassicVibes said:

I will reserve judgement until I play one. Anyone knocking a product without actually trying it themselves is clearly not worth the time. 

So you're judging now then? I think they look crap and to design clones lacks imagination. 

[stewblack]

Even looks don't tell the whole story in a photo. I have bought plenty that continued to look great when pictured but not so good in front of me, and vice versa. 

in any case the looks aren't really worthy of that much debate when they're based on such familiar designs. We all know what a P or J looks like. The devil will be in the detail and the balance and the neck and the sound. 

[uk_lefty]

So the reports from NAMM that some high profile players have placed orders is not a good indication that they will be at least OK? (there's a video somewhere with Mark Gooday talking about these at NAMM and he names them) People who could just phone up most guitar companies and get given stuff for free have chosen these basses... Just saying. 

[Wolverinebass]

2 hours ago, uk_lefty said:

So the reports from NAMM that some high profile players have placed orders is not a good indication that they will be at least OK? (there's a video somewhere with Mark Gooday talking about these at NAMM and he names them) People who could just phone up most guitar companies and get given stuff for free have chosen these basses... Just saying. 

Oh come on. I'm sure there are plenty of people who would say "I don't get free stuff from guitar companies and I wouldn't have one!" Or some other nonsense. Am I not right in that Ashdown don't pay people to endorse their products? You actually have to buy them I believe. Kind of like Wal or Alembic, but noticeably unlike Hartke who would pay anyone to play their stuff.

They're not something I'm bothered about as my needs are more than covered presently, but that's not to say they won't be good basses.

[Waddycall]

I think they’ve missed a trick. They have a core range of quality products that are well respected. They’re trying to play it safe with a guaranteed market. Bit of a shame. When I saw the thread title I was expecting something more interesting.

[Jus Lukin]

-

Edited March 4, 2022 by Jus Lukin

[uk_lefty]

36 minutes ago, Wolverinebass said:

Oh come on. I'm sure there are plenty of people who would say "I don't get free stuff from guitar companies and I wouldn't have one!" Or some other nonsense. Am I not right in that Ashdown don't pay people to endorse their products? You actually have to buy them I believe. Kind of like Wal or Alembic, but noticeably unlike Hartke who would pay anyone to play their stuff.

They're not something I'm bothered about as my needs are more than covered presently, but that's not to say they won't be good basses.

You and I are in agreement here. I maybe didn't phrase my post correctly. I was saying the fact that on release some high profile players, who could if they wanted to get most of their stuff for free, have chosen to place orders for Ashdown basses is surely a confirmation that the basses are good quality regardless of whether they are fender "clones" or not.