Ashdown ABM EVO IV

[James901]

Hey,

 

I've noticed a lot of love for these amps in the chat. I've not had the chance to try one but did have some experience with the old MAG series around 10 years or so ago. Do they live up to the hype? I always remember my old Ashdown amp sounding kinda wooly with little definition. Have things moved on? I'm currently using an Orange Terror 500 but would love to try one of these sometime.

 

Thanks,

James

[fretmeister]

All your answers are here

 

 

[Lozz196]

Best amp I’ve ever had, had my first one for 3 years (which is pretty much unknown for me), sold it as was no longer gigging then realised my mistake (even tho I still wasn’t gigging) so bought another.

[Sparky Mark]

1 hour ago, James901 said:

Hey,

 

I've noticed a lot of love for these amps in the chat. I've not had the chance to try one but did have some experience with the old MAG series around 10 years or so ago. Do they live up to the hype? I always remember my old Ashdown amp sounding kinda wooly with little definition. Have things moved on? I'm currently using an Orange Terror 500 but would love to try one of these sometime.

 

Thanks,

James

Believe the hype. The ABM600 Evo IV is my favourite ever ABM. However, I haven't tried the latest UK built Evo V which I'm sure will be just as good, maybe better.

[la bam]

They are great. But..... they do the job they were built for, and by that I mean playing in a band. They dont dazzle you when playing alone, or sound sonically fantastic isolated at low level. Yet, in a band situation when everyones in and the inputs and outputs are driven as they should be, they do the job perfectly. That's where they shine.

[uk_lefty]

So good I bought one new.... I'm a tight Yorkshireman and I'd usually buy expensive things secondhand unless it's something special that I want to keep.

[Clarky]

Out of interest, what is the difference between the ABM 600 and the previous ABM 500 (which I have recently acquired and actually puts out 575W)? Is it just the extra 2 bands of EQ sliders, as surely 25W is neither here nor there in terms of output?

[Sparky Mark]

22 minutes ago, Clarky said:

Out of interest, what is the difference between the ABM 600 and the previous ABM 500 (which I have recently acquired and actually puts out 575W)? Is it just the extra 2 bands of EQ sliders, as surely 25W is neither here nor there in terms of output?

Somehow the Evo IV just sounds more dynamic/faster responding without having to make significant EQ adjustments. The new power amp may be partly responsible plus the below from Ashdown website:-

[Clarky]

Thanks @Sparky Mark. I am about to road test my ABM 500 on Saturday but am already thinking ahead about possibly upgrading if I like what I hear. My ABM 500 is an older UK made model which I picked up at a very good price on the forum (£210) and I - rightly or wrongly - think an older amp is more likely to run into issues than a new(er) one. I was also looking at the Geezer Head of Doom but am assuming the Doom control is just clever re-branding for a regular Ashdown gain control as the amp shares the same tube as the ABM 600 (its also missing the Compressor of teh ABM 600, which I know not everyone likes but what harm I say).

[pbasspecial]

2 hours ago, Clarky said:

Thanks @Sparky Mark. I am about to road test my ABM 500 on Saturday but am already thinking ahead about possibly upgrading if I like what I hear. My ABM 500 is an older UK made model which I picked up at a very good price on the forum (£210) and I - rightly or wrongly - think an older amp is more likely to run into issues than a new(er) one. I was also looking at the Geezer Head of Doom but am assuming the Doom control is just clever re-branding for a regular Ashdown gain control as the amp shares the same tube as the ABM 600 (its also missing the Compressor of teh ABM 600, which I know not everyone likes but what harm I say).

I believe Ashdown now have a flat £20 fee for servicing amps, etc 

Worth a trip up there for some piece of mind. 

[Lozz196]

I’ve found the EVO IV to be “sharper” in sound/attack, plus the added eq helps shape it further. I think the Geezer HOD is pretty much the same as the ABM600, I had a go on one at Ashdown HQ and it was very familiar in sound and the feel to the sound.

[uk_lefty]

59 minutes ago, pbasspecial said:

I believe Ashdown now have a flat £20 fee for servicing amps, etc 

Worth a trip up there for some piece of mind. 

Bargain.

[Lozz196]

I’m gonna be using mine this eve at rehearsal. I usually use the studios Ampeg SVT 350H out of sheer laziness, but the realisation hit me today, I spend so much time saying on here how much I love this amp maybe I should use it a bit more, so from now on it’s ABM600 all the way. 

[Lozz196]

And an update to the above, I’m so glad I did, the difference was pretty amazing, a real solid foundation building sound for the keys & guitars to work their magic on. Kept out of the sonic space that they occupy nicely, locking in with the drums in the best way. Coupled with our guitarists new Tremonti amp the band has never sounded as good.

[jezzaboy]

On 08/07/2022 at 00:21, Lozz196 said:

And an update to the above, I’m so glad I did, the difference was pretty amazing, a real solid foundation building sound for the keys & guitars to work their magic on. Kept out of the sonic space that they occupy nicely, locking in with the drums in the best way. Coupled with our guitarists new Tremonti amp the band has never sounded as good.

We tend to do the same thing, taking our own amps down to the studio. No point in having them sitting there doing nowt and using the, sometimes crap, studio gear.

[Lozz196]

Yeah I was just being too lazy, I could never get the sound I wanted from their Ampeg, and realisation slowly hit, why have a great amp and then not use it in favour of one you don’t like. The Ashdown just has so much more of everything, I could set it to that felt as well as heard setting, which was very nice, and it didn’t turn to boomy sludge when doing this.

[Clarky]

Hey Lozz, I would be interested to see your amp settings. I am road testing my ABM 500 tonight at a gig and I am finding it easier to get a good sound with my single coil Rick than my humbucking P-pickup Serek (the latter is a bit dull and woolly sounding, despite my playing around with input, OD, output, EQ etc). As you play P basses, would be great if you could post a pic - or describe? Muchos gracias

Edited July 9, 2022 by Clarky

[Lozz196]

No worries Clarky, as requested. Only thing you can’t really see from the pic is the Shape function - I have this in the out/selected position. This is with it connected up to an Ampeg 810 so lows might need increasing with less cabbage.

 

Edit - please ignore the gratuitous toe shot, thru just get in everywhere!!

 

 

Edited July 9, 2022 by Lozz196

[Clarky]

Fantastic, much more treble than I had been dialling in - many thanks @Lozz196

Edited July 9, 2022 by Clarky

[Sparky Mark]

1 hour ago, Clarky said:

Fantastic, much more treble than I had been dialling in - many thanks @Lozz196

And significant low cut too.

[Muppet]

28 minutes ago, Sparky Mark said:

And significant low cut too.

I found with the shape activated you have to cut back on the bass. Interesting that the shape cuts the mids and Lozz cuts them even more. That's got to be quite a zingy tone there.

[Lozz196]

I think a lot of it is the combination of an 810 in a rehearsal room, and my suspicions that said 810 is pretty ruined. As said tho, the Shape does add in a lot of extra lows so I just remove them, but it also does something with the mids that I can’t do without it engaged.