Ashdown ABM owners club

[DaleASmith]

First time back after more than 10 years.. Love that Ashdown sound..

 

[Bagman]

[Bagman]

A touch of compression with the Solidgoldfx Beta really works with the old Klystron 

[Ander87]

I am loosely considering pairing my upcoming ABM with a Barefaced Six10... Knowing I had probs plenty with a Super Twin or similar... Overkill for a punk rock trio?  

[Lozz196]

27 minutes ago, Ander87 said:

I am loosely considering pairing my upcoming ABM with a Barefaced Six10... Knowing I had probs plenty with a Super Twin or similar... Overkill for a punk rock trio?  

Not at all, for a while I had the BF 410 & 210 as a modular stack in a punk trio.

[Ander87]

2 minutes ago, Lozz196 said:

Not at all, for a while I had the BF 410 & 210 as a modular stack in a punk trio.

This is the kind of motivation I do (not?) need. 
 

I do have to say that having missed a guitarist (we were a quartet initially) has opened a lot of opportunities for me - doing backing vocals and pretty much whatever I want with my bass 🤣🤣

[alexa3020]

The barefaced 10s didn't work for me with my abm, nice and warm sounding, but lacking a bit of clarity to my ears - I felt like I was struggling to cut through the mix. Mind you they have a new version available with a tweeter which could be just what I would have wanted.

[Muppet]

9 hours ago, Ander87 said:

I am loosely considering pairing my upcoming ABM with a Barefaced Six10... Knowing I had probs plenty with a Super Twin or similar... Overkill for a punk rock trio?  

It is not overkill. Definitely not. Not in any way. 

[Ander87]

10 minutes ago, Muppet said:

It is not overkill. Definitely not. Not in any way. 

Damn that is one fine rig! I see a lot of Fender Ps + ABMs + Barefaceds!

Im just not sure how will I feel lugging a Six10 up and down stage on and off car etc… the band does help and I am going to the gym (I’ve lost 14kg by the way…!) but am I just making excuses? I hear some of you say ‘shut up and buy it’…!

 

1 hour ago, alexa3020 said:

lacking a bit of clarity to my ears - I felt like I was struggling to cut through the mix. Mind you they have a new version available with a tweeter which could be just what I would have wanted.

yep this is one of my queries, I’m wandering about it specially coming from a tweetered BB2 - tweeter on all the way more just cause I’m used to it rather than preference tbh, I should try turning it off and seeing how that feels once the ABM is here… which should be tomorrow afternoon!

 

Ander. 

[ern500evo]

As far as I’m aware, the Barefaced 10’s have a more vintage/warmer voicing, and the 12’s more of a modern hifi voicing. I also considered changing my BT2 for two 210’s at one point, just so I could use one for smaller gigs and rehearsals. Ultimately I decided that the BT2 is easy enough to move and the footprint would be no smaller, plus, I’ve never used the BT2 with any amp and it not sound fantastic. The six10 is a great cab. Personally I prefer the black metal grille and old logo, so the BT2 is perfect for me 

[Muppet]

24 minutes ago, Ander87 said:

Damn that is one fine rig! I see a lot of Fender Ps + ABMs + Barefaceds!

Im just not sure how will I feel lugging a Six10 up and down stage on and off car etc… the band does help and I am going to the gym (I’ve lost 14kg by the way…!) but am I just making excuses? I hear some of you say ‘shut up and buy it’…!

. 

The 610 is light. Handles on both sides and I can pick it up and pop it in the car. And a handle on top and wheels. It’s not like the 610 cabs of old. And yes, BF with a Precision and an ABM just works!

[Ander87]

2 minutes ago, ern500evo said:

As far as I’m aware, the Barefaced 10’s have a more vintage/warmer voicing, and the 12’s more of a modern hifi voicing. I also considered changing my BT2 for two 210’s at one point, just so I could use one for smaller gigs and rehearsals. Ultimately I decided that the BT2 is easy enough to move and the footprint would be no smaller, plus, I’ve never used the BT2 with any amp and it not sound fantastic. The six10 is a great cab. Personally I prefer the black metal grille and old logo, so the BT2 is perfect for me 

ah I’m torn! I feel like now that I drive etc etc I could enjoy a bigger cab compared to my BB2. Definitely want a 4 Ohm cab. 
 

Super Twin, BB2, Six10… it all depends of how much treble/definition can I pull with the ABM and the AO Photon. I have a feeling I won’t have trouble getting sharpness and treble with the Darkglass though…

 

and my line ups where there’s only one guitarist does also help in having more space for bass…! 

[ern500evo]

I lugged an Ashdown 8x10 around for about 2 years, humping it in and out of my hatchback car on my own. A Barefaced six10 would be a breeze in comparison! I think you’d find a little less sparkle than you have with the BB2, but the ABM has suck a great eq that it would be easy to find what you’re after. Even more so when you add the Photon in. I have a X Ultra, and I’m sure I could wind the crossover on the BT2 right back and still get enough sizzle easily enough. Bass wise, I’m using a Sire V7 active jazz, a Warwick Streamer Stage 1, and a Yamaha Attitude ltd 2. What I’m finding at the moment is that I love the sound of this amp with no pedals engaged. Doesn’t work for every song, but it’s still very satisfying to know that bass into amp sounds so nice 

[ern500evo]

10 minutes ago, Muppet said:

The 610 is light. Handles on both sides and I can pick it up and pop it in the car. And a handle on top and wheels. It’s not like the 610 cabs of old. And yes, BF with a Precision and an ABM just works!

The old days of humping 6x10 and 8x10 cabs around. My back hurts just thinking about it! 

[Ander87]

3 minutes ago, ern500evo said:

I lugged an Ashdown 8x10 around for about 2 years, humping it in and out of my hatchback car on my own. A Barefaced six10 would be a breeze in comparison! I think you’d find a little less sparkle than you have with the BB2, but the ABM has suck a great eq that it would be easy to find what you’re after. Even more so when you add the Photon in. I have a X Ultra, and I’m sure I could wind the crossover on the BT2 right back and still get enough sizzle easily enough. Bass wise, I’m using a Sire V7 active jazz, a Warwick Streamer Stage 1, and a Yamaha Attitude ltd 2. What I’m finding at the moment is that I love the sound of this amp with no pedals engaged. Doesn’t work for every song, but it’s still very satisfying to know that bass into amp sounds so nice 

this is very valuable! The photon has noisegates and compression etc etc I believe I could wing it aye…?

 

29kg is criminal but my first cab was a 25kg 2x12 that I’d bring around with a cart whilst living in London if the gig was big enough to warrant it. What crazy times lol!

 

things have changed and I workout now more etc so I reckon I could pull it out from car to venue and back and my band mates are a sweetheart that always help anyway 😁 

 

and yes, I totally get what you’re coming from re: straight to amp! My plan is playing direct clean, and then via the AOP pushed clean / distortion / megafuzz for a couple parts…

[ern500evo]

2 minutes ago, Ander87 said:

this is very valuable! The photon has noisegates and compression etc etc I believe I could wing it aye…?

 

29kg is criminal but my first cab was a 25kg 2x12 that I’d bring around with a cart whilst living in London if the gig was big enough to warrant it. What crazy times lol!

 

things have changed and I workout now more etc so I reckon I could pull it out from car to venue and back and my band mates are a sweetheart that always help anyway 😁 

 

and yes, I totally get what you’re coming from re: straight to amp! My plan is playing direct clean, and then via the AOP pushed clean / distortion / megafuzz for a couple parts…

Even my old 8x10 wasn’t as difficult to move as people might think. Stairs were obviously the last thing you wanted to see, but just loading it into the car, and out at the venue and wheeling it in, was pretty easy. Would I want to go back to it now? Probably not, but only because I’ve been spoilt by the BT2. I think you’d be surprised at how easy you’d find it to move that Six10 around. It’s featherweight compared to old big cabs. 

[ern500evo]

A lot of folks may disagree, but I actually think a 4x10 is worse to move around than a 6x10 or 8x10. For two reasons, 1) most of them don’t have wheels so have to be carried or you need to take a trolley, amd 2) the handles are on the side, which makes it a ball ache to get through a single width doorway with scraping your knuckles on the frame. One of the key factors in getting my BT2 was me being sick to death of scraping my knuckles on my front door frame at 3am every Sunday morning 

[Ander87]

1 minute ago, ern500evo said:

I think you’d be surprised at how easy you’d find it to move that Six10 around. It’s featherweight compared to old big cabs

the thing is I’ve been spoiled picky with weights lol. Heaviest cab was the above mentioned Trickfish 2x12, and always been picky with bass weights (4kg max) and similar…

 

… until you realise the problem is not so the weight but me being 20kg overweight lol! Now that I’m fixing that, 3hrs with my 4.2kg basses are a breeze… Same would translate to everything else! Checking measures etc the Six10 is closer to a BT2 XL than our traditional 8x10. 

 

A bit more back to topic I do feel that the ABM just warrants a big cab and looks so bloody fine haha! And being in a punk rock trio is the perfect excuse to thicken up my bass tone and move more air. The other project that may kick off again is neosoul with my wife (been on and off) and then again warm tubey does just fit right…!

2 minutes ago, ern500evo said:

A lot of folks may disagree, but I actually think a 4x10 is worse to move around than a 6x10 or 8x10

I have heard this plenty…! And it does make sense, the side handles on a super square shape can’t help too good. 

[ern500evo]

6 minutes ago, Ander87 said:

the thing is I’ve been spoiled picky with weights lol. Heaviest cab was the above mentioned Trickfish 2x12, and always been picky with bass weights (4kg max) and similar…

 

… until you realise the problem is not so the weight but me being 20kg overweight lol! Now that I’m fixing that, 3hrs with my 4.2kg basses are a breeze… Same would translate to everything else! Checking measures etc the Six10 is closer to a BT2 XL than our traditional 8x10. 

 

A bit more back to topic I do feel that the ABM just warrants a big cab and looks so bloody fine haha! And being in a punk rock trio is the perfect excuse to thicken up my bass tone and move more air. The other project that may kick off again is neosoul with my wife (been on and off) and then again warm tubey does just fit right…!

I have heard this plenty…! And it does make sense, the side handles on a super square shape can’t help too good. 

They do look great on a big cab, and if you’re looking for a compromise betwen can size and weight, I can’t imagine anything would tick more boxes than a Six10 

[Ander87]

13 hours ago, ern500evo said:

They do look great on a big cab, and if you’re looking for a compromise betwen can size and weight, I can’t imagine anything would tick more boxes than a Six10 

Seeing as you’ve matched the Six10 and the BT2 with the ABM’s (correct me if I’m wrong) what made you switch over to the BT2?

[ern500evo]

4 hours ago, Ander87 said:

Seeing as you’ve matched the Six10 and the BT2 with the ABM’s (correct me if I’m wrong) what made you switch over to the BT2?

I’ve never owned a Six10, have played through one a couple of times, with an ampeg and a gk. I went from Ashdown 8x10, to Warwick 1x15 with either a 4x10 or 2x10, to the BT2. 

[King Tut]

First time out gigging this head and first time for both BB2s although I’ve gigged a single one lots. It was only for show really and was probably overkill. The recent addition of a Schroeder 1212L to the arsenal means one of these cabs might pop up in the for sale section soon!! Anyway, it looked real cool!

 

[Reggaebass]

25 minutes ago, King Tut said:

first time for both BB2s

That’s a great setup I imagine that sounded good , not an ABM but a friend of mine uses the ninja 1000 with 2 BB2s for reggae, serious bass 

[Ander87]

11 hours ago, ern500evo said:

I’ve never owned a Six10, have played through one a couple of times, with an ampeg and a gk. I went from Ashdown 8x10, to Warwick 1x15 with either a 4x10 or 2x10, to the BT2. 

 

Oh gotcha! All clear now I assumed so as it showed what you were talking about re: size and all...

[Ander87]

So... I got home from picking up my new amp... It is shocking amazing!!! 

Very surprised, absolutely loving it - clear and punchy, super warm - only had it plugged straight from the bass as I'm kinda busy but will report with more thoughts...!

 

ABM 600 Evo IV 20th Anniversary - hand made and hand wired in UK... (for a steal, could not pass!)

 

PS: You'll agree with me that now my BB2 looks silly small and warrants a big cab aye!? It does sound loud and fantastic, surprised how loud it gets on an 8 Ohm cab, god knows how it'd be on a ST/BT/Six10....!!