Question for Ashdown CTM100 owners

[BassAdder60]

Question for past and present owners of the Ashdown CTM100 head

 

I have discovered for some reason this amp really excels and sounds best when you play with a pick 

 

Finger tone is great of course but the EQ and natural sound of this amp just comes alive when pick playing 

 

Anyone else found this the case ?? 
 

My ABM600 head is equally matched fingers or pick but the all valve CTM100 just sounds gorgeous with a pick especially as a rock amp 

Edited February 14, 2023 by BassAdder60

[SamPlaysBass]

I found the CTM 100 to ‘default’ to a rock amp. It had some beautiful overtones and broke up without being crazy loud. Not loads of bottom end and the EQ was very narrow, but plenty of grit and mids/highs. The first gig I did a few years back with my (now sold) CTM 100 I used my old Stingray which sounded great. Switched to a Squier Precision with roundwounds to try out my then new acquisition and it came ALIVE. Think John Entwistle Live at Leeds tone. No pedals, just P bass, rounds and gain and volume. 
 

A couple of regulars commented on the sound of the P bass and usually they’re too taken with the keys player’s hand acrobatics to comment on the bass. Loved it, did the rock thing very well. 
 

I ended up selling it a year or so later after using it at an originals funk / soul gig with a 5 string Fender Professional Jazz and an Ampeg HE410 cab. It just wasn’t deep or clean enough, and wanted to break up at too low a volume to be useful. Great amp, wrong application. 
 

P bass, Pick, rounds, CTM 100 = 🤘🏻 

[BassAdder60]

3 minutes ago, SamPlaysBass said:

I found the CTM 100 to ‘default’ to a rock amp. It had some beautiful overtones and broke up without being crazy loud. Not loads of bottom end and the EQ was very narrow, but plenty of grit and mids/highs. The first gig I did a few years back with my (now sold) CTM 100 I used my old Stingray which sounded great. Switched to a Squier Precision with roundwounds to try out my then new acquisition and it came ALIVE. Think John Entwistle Live at Leeds tone. No pedals, just P bass, rounds and gain and volume. 
 

A couple of regulars commented on the sound of the P bass and usually they’re too taken with the keys player’s hand acrobatics to comment on the bass. Loved it, did the rock thing very well. 
 

I ended up selling it a year or so later after using it at an originals funk / soul gig with a 5 string Fender Professional Jazz and an Ampeg HE410 cab. It just wasn’t deep or clean enough, and wanted to break up at too low a volume to be useful. Great amp, wrong application. 
 

P bass, Pick, rounds, CTM 100 = 🤘🏻 

Exactly my findings.. it’s an all out rock beast !! 

[Downunderwonder]

I expect your ABM gets it done by virtue of a shed load of power to do whatever whereas the CTM benefits from the extra attack from the pick stuffing any excess into healthy MOAR.

[BassAdder60]

This week I put my CTM100 up for sale, it was a very regrettable decision 

 

Over the weekend I’ve made the decision to keep it as it really is one of the best amps I’ve ever owned and for rock you just cannot improve on it 

 

I also purchased the ABM750 EVO V which is very nice, yet it still sounds mostly like the ABM600 to me maybe a tiny improvement but hard to tell.

 

Ideally I would keep them all !! But that would be two amps sitting around not being played 

 

So CTM100 you are going nowhere