Ashdown ABM owners club

[asingardenof]

10 hours ago, SteveXFR said:

Thanks for all the advice everyone. I should have an ABM 600 IV tomorrow which I'm picking up from another member of this forum.

Can't wait to get to rehearsal and turn it up loud

 

Enjoy!

[SteveXFR]

9 hours ago, asingardenof said:

 

Enjoy!

 

I'm not sure my neighbours will

[ern500evo]

20 hours ago, SteveXFR said:

Thanks for all the advice everyone. I should have an ABM 600 IV tomorrow which I'm picking up from another member of this forum.

Can't wait to get to rehearsal and turn it up loud

I gave it a run out at rehearsal last night, just for peace of mind as it hasn’t been used for a couple of months. It sounded great, to the point I was questioning my decision to sell it! However, it’s far too nice an amp to be sat in my house as a spare,  so I’ll see you later! 

[SteveXFR]

I got my ABM 600 IV from @ern500evo last night. Got home and plugged it in. Once I'd realised that the mute button was on and and got some noise out of it, I'm well impressed.  It sounds awesome and I've just got the eq set with everything at 12. It's a huge improvement over the Orange Terror I was using, much bigger sound, clearer, nicer valve drive sound. I think I might actually be able to stop using my preamp pedal that I needed to make the Orange sound acceptable. 

Can't wait to get to band practice now and crank it up loud.

[ern500evo]

3 minutes ago, SteveXFR said:

I got my ABM 600 IV from @ern500evo last night. Got home and plugged it in. Once I'd realised that the mute button was on and and got some noise out of it, I'm well impressed.  It sounds awesome and I've just got the eq set with everything at 12. It's a huge improvement over the Orange Terror I was using, much bigger sound, clearer, nicer valve drive sound. I think I might actually be able to stop using my preamp pedal that I needed to make the Orange sound acceptable. 

Can't wait to get to band practice now and crank it up loud.

Glad you like it! It’s a great amp, I’ll probably end up with another one some day 

[DaleASmith]

That’s great. I use the EQ completely flat on my ABM evo2. It sounds great. Everything at 12 o’clock including the valve grind. ✌️

[asingardenof]

1 hour ago, SteveXFR said:

I got my ABM 600 IV from @ern500evo last night. Got home and plugged it in. Once I'd realised that the mute button was on and and got some noise out of it, I'm well impressed.  It sounds awesome and I've just got the eq set with everything at 12. It's a huge improvement over the Orange Terror I was using, much bigger sound, clearer, nicer valve drive sound. I think I might actually be able to stop using my preamp pedal that I needed to make the Orange sound acceptable. 

Can't wait to get to band practice now and crank it up loud.

 

Yeah, I have mine set more or less flat as well, and without the shape button engaged it sounds awesome. Glad you like it!

[SteveXFR]

I'm hoping you people can give me some advice. I read that the input should be set so that the vu dial is averaging around zero. With my active five string, the gauge is showing an enormous difference between the G and B string levels although the volume sounds about equal. My bands sludgy doomy sound means probably 75% of what I play is on the E & B strings so should I set it to average zero while playing on those? What happens if I'm getting off the top of the gauge a lot? Is it a problem? Am I thinking about this to much? Should I be more concerned about the futility of it all as the sun will eventually swell up to swallow the earth?

 

 

Edit - It's an ABM 600 IV

Edited November 26, 2023 by SteveXFR

[BassAdder60]

I asked Dave Green about input levels once and he said as long as it’s not hard over into the red all the time and it sounds good then no damage would be done 

 

What I found was EQ, drive etc all played a part towards input gain and of course input gain level itself 

[Woodinblack]

I just look at the VU meter to make sure it is moving, that is about it.

[Lozz196]

Yep I had mine set so that the loudest notes - usually the low G - pushed the needle into the red.

[Bass Fumbler]

I’m also having issues with the eq on my ABM600 in that the VU meter is permanently in the red when I’m playing live. 
I’ve put an Ampeg compressor in front which has tamed the signal. My only problem is that I don’t like the compressed sound. 
is there anything else I can use to tame the signal other than using a compressor?

[asingardenof]

2 minutes ago, Bass Fumbler said:

I’m also having issues with the eq on my ABM600 in that the VU meter is permanently in the red when I’m playing live. 
I’ve put an Ampeg compressor in front which has tamed the signal. My only problem is that I don’t like the compressed sound. 
is there anything else I can use to tame the signal other than using a compressor?

I'm assuming that turning down the volume on the bass isn't an option?

[SteveXFR]

2 minutes ago, Bass Fumbler said:

I’m also having issues with the eq on my ABM600 in that the VU meter is permanently in the red when I’m playing live. 
I’ve put an Ampeg compressor in front which has tamed the signal. My only problem is that I don’t like the compressed sound. 
is there anything else I can use to tame the signal other than using a compressor?

 

Turn down the input volume and possibly switch on the active input pad?

[Jono Bolton]

Does anyone know where I can get a replacement blanking cap? My combo was missing one when I bought it and Ashdown don't stock replacements for this model (ABM EVO II). 

 

[DaleASmith]

21 minutes ago, Bass Fumbler said:

I’m also having issues with the eq on my ABM600 in that the VU meter is permanently in the red when I’m playing live. 
I’ve put an Ampeg compressor in front which has tamed the signal. My only problem is that I don’t like the compressed sound. 
is there anything else I can use to tame the signal other than using a compressor?

You don’t have to like the compressed sound. The pedal has an output level so just set the compression so you’re just seeing the green activation light when you play the hardest and reduce the pedal output until your amp is happy. 👍

[Bass Fumbler]

I’ve got it set at virtually nothing but it still sounds squashy

[BassAdder60]

I use the Ampeg compressor pedal and it works really well with most amps. Turn down the compressor knob and you should minimise the squashy affect ! 

[SteveXFR]

Here's my current setup. The ABM 600 seem to fit in with it perfectly. It sounds huge.

 

 

 

[Pow_22]

So last night i took my ABM 400 to rehearsal where i used the inhouse (and knackered) ampeg fridge.  Got a lovely even and thumpy sound with my flats loaded P bass but the only slight problem (and this may be the cab rather than the head) is that the G and D strings seem to get slightly lost and not have as much umph as the lower two.  I spent hours at home previoulsy getting the pup heights right and will tinker again tonight but can any other ABM owners see any obvious issues with my settings here?  Last time out i engaged the shape option but last night i had this off (i.e button IN).

Edited December 1, 2023 by Pow_22

[Lozz196]

I reckon you’re on the right track with pickup heights, there’s nothing in your eq that would make me think lower volume on thinner strings.
 

To counter this I for one raise pickup heights but also use gauges such as 50-105  rather than the regular 45-105 to get thicker strings over the - bizarrely imo - nearer the bridge pickup.

[BassAdder60]

I agree with Lozz the EQ looks fine

 

perhaps boost the 1.2khz more ( if fingerstyle player ) as that adds brightness to the tone.

 

I never found a PBass to lack a balanced sound over all strings .. my Stingray G string well that’s another story !! 
 

Funny thing on my Vintera II PBass the pickups are set with a very steep angle in the middle but they sound awesome too. 
 

They were very well set up at the factory I feel 

[alexa3020]

How cool do these new rootmaster and original heads look

10/10 from me on cosmetics. The RM has cab Sims too. I think they should have done the ABM Evo 5 in the same style. 

That said, here's an ABM with a blue/gray facia. Looking cool. Prefer it to all black

[MichaelDean]

Ooooh, and if you scan the QR code, you get the product page for the new Rootmaster head, even though they've hidden the link on the website. Can't find the one for the OriginAL though.

https://ashdownmusic.com/pages/rootmaster-evo-iii

[JPJ]

I do like the new blue on the EVO V