Ashdown ABM owners club

[Chaddy]

16 hours ago, chyc said:

I love the idea of an Ashdown and in particular the ABM tone, but at the same time I look at the stuff ABMs are not so strong on (no headphone out, fan noise, size, weight) and I wonder if I would be better served with an Ashdown pre into a small Class D or headphones.

 

I can see on PMT the Origin Pre DI on sale for £276. I can also see the Origin-AL Pre on sale at Ashdown for a comparatively astronomical £625. Other than name they look identical to me but if anyone knows the difference I'd be very interested to know.

 

The main question I have is has anyone experience of using these and could they get ABM tone using it and say a PA speaker? I'm mostly interested in headphone practice but with the option to take that sound and send it somewhere loud if I need to! I tried the Ashdown Tone Pocket and was not impressed by the level of  unwanted noise it generated through the headphones while at the same time, it didn't offer me any benefit as a bump between the bass and my amp.

 

 

I use a Tech 21 VT500 as a back up with headphone out if when ever that is required. But I would put it through my DAW and then hear it that way so I can play back to drums etc and record it etc as a quick turn around
The primary thing for that is, I can use the amp fine with NO SPEAKER attached.  Might be food for thought if you are wanting something that can do both as a flexibility. - Then I'll be asking what headphones are you using and so forth.... 
 

The ABM I am fully aware of the size, noise and all that.  It's function is to push some air with a nice tone .  Have a look at the Ampeg Rocket line up! they go from £139 for a 30 watt upwards LINK


 

[FinnDave]

2 minutes ago, chyc said:

If Ashdown has a distinctive sound that people like, surely you can see a desire for someone to have it through a pair of headphones when practising at home?

No, to be honest, I can't see that. When I practise at home I use a small headphone amp that has inputs for bass and aux (I use my computer) so I can play along to songs I am learning. The tone of the bass isn't an issue for me when I am simply learning stuff.

Do you play in an Oxford based band? We may well have met if you do.

[MichaelDean]

I'm still always surprised/annoyed that there isn't any modelled versions of Ashdown amps in anything. I know they're not massive in the states, but some pretty well known bands' bassists are endorsees of Ashdown. But everyone seems to be always chasing that Ampeg tone in software. Or there will be a token Trace Elliot model. 

[Chaddy]

12 hours ago, MichaelDean said:

I'm still always surprised/annoyed that there isn't any modelled versions of Ashdown amps in anything. I know they're not massive in the states, but some pretty well known bands' bassists are endorsees of Ashdown. But everyone seems to be always chasing that Ampeg tone in software. Or there will be a token Trace Elliot model. 

https://ashdownmusic.com/products/aaa-ampkit

[MichaelDean]

7 hours ago, Chaddy said:

https://ashdownmusic.com/products/aaa-ampkit

I am proven wrong! Although it doesn't look like you can easily integrate that with a DAW. And I've got an Android phone, so can't use it on the go. 

[owenojo]

Had this for ages - always does the job! 

[Jonse]

53 minutes ago, owenojo said:

Had this for ages - always does the job! 

 

The dog's danglies! Any idea what year? 

[owenojo]

36 minutes ago, Jonse said:

 

The dog's danglies! Any idea what year? 

I bought the head new in 07, but its an 05 EVO II 300. Cab is the LB212.....I think its from 2011?

[Reggaebass]

1 hour ago, owenojo said:

Had this for ages - always does the job! 

Very nice, the classic red grill cloth always looked the best to me 

[Chaddy]

Used the amp in a loud setting last night and the thing is buzzy like mad in the hard case as the metal rattles. So placed on top of another amp to stop it. 

sigh  

[BassAdder60]

6 minutes ago, Chaddy said:

Used the amp in a loud setting last night and the thing is buzzy like mad in the hard case as the metal rattles. So placed on top of another amp to stop it. 

sigh  

Which model amp was this ? 
 

ABM heads don’t rattle generally 

[Chaddy]

12 minutes ago, BassAdder27 said:

Which model amp was this ? 
 

ABM heads don’t rattle generally 

IV4 600 in the standard hard shell.  I think the front plate or the underneath is the cause.  as you can hear movement when its moved about. Rest of its fine, it just needs some TLC. 

2nd hand for you - not sure how I never noticed till now! 

[FinnDave]

One of my ABM 500 combos had a bit of a rattle when I first had it - tightened up the four fasteners holding the amp into the case and the rattle disappeared.

[Merton]

My Little Bastard’s front panel rattles like a very tartly thing thesedays. Really must take a look and sort it out because it’s mighty annoying at home 😅

[Triumph_Rock]

On 05/05/2022 at 20:59, MichaelDean said:

I'm still always surprised/annoyed that there isn't any modelled versions of Ashdown amps in anything. I know they're not massive in the states, but some pretty well known bands' bassists are endorsees of Ashdown. But everyone seems to be always chasing that Ampeg tone in software. Or there will be a token Trace Elliot model. 

 

Positive Grid model Ashdown Ampheads in there Bias Amp 2 software.

 

There is even a Ashdown cab sim software which you can purchase from a company called Two Notes.

Edited May 9, 2022 by Triumph_Rock

[Triumph_Rock]

Well here's a picture of my stack. Ashdown CTM 100 with Ashdown ABM115 Compact. 

[ern500evo]

17 minutes ago, Triumph_Rock said:

Well here's a picture of my stack. Ashdown CTM 100 with Ashdown ABM115 Compact. 

Very nice! Is that a DiMarzio Relentless pickup? 

[Triumph_Rock]

No its EMG P pickup.

Edited May 9, 2022 by Triumph_Rock

[Clarky]

Hi Ashdown peeps, any views on the LB550? Doesn't seem to have been massively popular (still selling them at reduced £550 sale price on Ashdown website), yet an LB30 valve front end coupled to a 550W digital amp sounds like a recipe for a serious Orange Terror Bass competitor?

[BassAdder60]

1 hour ago, Clarky said:

Hi Ashdown peeps, any views on the LB550? Doesn't seem to have been massively popular (still selling them at reduced £550 sale price on Ashdown website), yet an LB30 valve front end coupled to a 550W digital amp sounds like a recipe for a serious Orange Terror Bass competitor?

I was tempted but decided it didn’t give me anything above my ABM600 

 

My gas is with the CTM100 at present !! 

[Pow_22]

I found the LB550 VERY clean, no grit at all even with a hot active bass.  Also, as with a lot of Class D, it was absolutely loud enough but at the loud volume it lacked 'booty'.  I much preferred the Spyder series when looking at Ashdowns hybrids

[Woodinblack]

50 minutes ago, BassAdder27 said:

I was tempted but decided it didn’t give me anything above my ABM600 

 

My gas is with the CTM100 at present !! 

I went the other way from the CTM to the ABM!

[BassAdder60]

24 minutes ago, Woodinblack said:

I went the other way from the CTM to the ABM!

That’s interesting! Can I ask why ?

 

I do love my ABM and it excels when used live so probably hard to beat 

[Woodinblack]

1 hour ago, BassAdder27 said:

That’s interesting! Can I ask why ?

 

I do love my ABM and it excels when used live so probably hard to beat 

 

It was heavy, harder to move and 'only' 100 watts, and I know is heresy around these parts to try and infer that a valve watt isn't worth at least 50 transistor watts, but if you want loud, the CTM does it. If you want clean and loud, the ABM does it better, and if you want any kind of control over your tone from the amplifier, the ABM does it a hell of a lot better - the CTM tone control is more like a set of hints to the amplifier than control as such. In fact, the knobs really don't do much, the buttons are the real tone control.

Oh and if you play in cramped venues with a single coil pickup, don't stand close to a CTM - it has a lot of transformers

 

[ern500evo]

I should stop visiting this thread, every time I come here I end up looking for ABM600’s for sale! 😂