fatgoogle Posted June 25, 2009 Share Posted June 25, 2009 I play my Fender jazz 24 through a Ashdown Mag 600r evo 2 and its great. It goes through a 1x15 with a fane 15 in it, and i dont have a word against. Im going to add a 4x10 though. The only thing i dont like about ashdown is their cabs, i think there the worst thing about the tone. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bassmansky Posted June 25, 2009 Share Posted June 25, 2009 I agree their cabs are not the best even the abm range which i have,but the abm heads are the dogs b@@@@@@s in my opinion.As i have stated on here before the amps do need tinkering with to get the sound you are after.They are not plug in and play amps.Bet there is several ashdown rigs at glastonbury this weekend,wooly or not loadsa people love them(and a few hate them!) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
phatbass787 Posted June 25, 2009 Share Posted June 25, 2009 [quote name='bassmansky' post='523999' date='Jun 25 2009, 06:46 PM']I agree their cabs are not the best even the abm range which i have,but the abm heads are the dogs b@@@@@@s in my opinion.As i have stated on here before the amps do need tinkering with to get the sound you are after.They are not plug in and play amps.Bet there is several ashdown rigs at glastonbury this weekend,wooly or not loadsa people love them(and a few hate them!) [/quote] +1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kongo Posted June 25, 2009 Share Posted June 25, 2009 [quote name='bassmansky' post='523999' date='Jun 25 2009, 06:46 PM']I agree their cabs are not the best even the abm range which i have,but the abm heads are the dogs b@@@@@@s in my opinion.As i have stated on here before the amps do need tinkering with to get the sound you are after.They are not plug in and play amps.Bet there is several ashdown rigs at glastonbury this weekend,wooly or not loadsa people love them(and a few hate them!) [/quote] Not sure Glastonbury Bassists care about the sound! *Joke in relation to rant about music on the radio that will populate a good 90% of Glastonbury* Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
flatwound Posted June 27, 2009 Share Posted June 27, 2009 This question has been asked before and [i]never[/i] had a satisfactory answer....in fact,...as far as I know, never had an answer,...so can those that describe Ashdown cabs as sounding[i][size=3] wooly[/size][/i]....describe "wooly",....c'mon surely [b]you[/b] know what [b]you [/b]mean, I don't, so enlighten me. (and others) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Machines Posted June 27, 2009 Share Posted June 27, 2009 I think general consensus would be that wooly means lacking in 'sparkle' or top end definition. A bit like when you turn down the treble control on your bass. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
4000 Posted June 27, 2009 Share Posted June 27, 2009 I've been using and Ashdown ABM500 head for rock stuff for several years now, and it took me a long while to get used to it (had an ABM combo before that). With the right cabs it sounds monster. A friend had used Ashdown occasionally at gigs and was really down on it; I kept telling him it was better than he thought and he brought a couple of basses (70s P and Stingray) to one of my rehearsals; I was using my mate's combo. Within seconds of plugging in I had a tone that he was mightily impressed with. I wouldn't use it for everything (my Seis don't like it much) but for some stuff it's great. Kind of depends whether you're after Entwistle circa Live At Leeds or Marcus Miller though.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spartacus Posted June 27, 2009 Share Posted June 27, 2009 [quote name='flatwound' post='525650' date='Jun 27 2009, 01:56 AM']This question has been asked before and [i]never[/i] had a satisfactory answer....in fact,...as far as I know, never had an answer,...so can those that describe Ashdown cabs as sounding[i][size=3] wooly[/size][/i]....describe "wooly",....c'mon surely [b]you[/b] know what [b]you [/b]mean, I don't, so enlighten me. (and others)[/quote] Indistinct midrange and a low end that isnt "tight", tends to distort and compress when not pushed that far and loses any dynamics. Thats my experience of ABM and MAG stuff but my superfly gives a better defined and clearer sound from top to bottom. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bassmansky Posted June 27, 2009 Share Posted June 27, 2009 [quote name='Spartacus' post='525746' date='Jun 27 2009, 10:02 AM']Indistinct midrange and a low end that isnt "tight", tends to distort and compress when not pushed that far and loses any dynamics. Thats my experience of ABM and MAG stuff but my superfly gives a better defined and clearer sound from top to bottom.[/quote] thats not a bad explanation!in my experience with an abm cab it does not seem to cut through the mix as well as it should. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Musicman20 Posted June 27, 2009 Share Posted June 27, 2009 Ive tried countless Ashdown rigs.....ive just never warmed to their sound.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Protium Posted June 27, 2009 Share Posted June 27, 2009 My ABM head + ABM 410 cab was the best sounding rig I've heard - perfect in the bands mix... but then we "split", I decided I needed the extra space, and couldn't fit the cab in the new car Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kongo Posted June 28, 2009 Share Posted June 28, 2009 [quote name='flatwound' post='525650' date='Jun 27 2009, 01:56 AM']This question has been asked before and [i]never[/i] had a satisfactory answer....in fact,...as far as I know, never had an answer,...so can those that describe Ashdown cabs as sounding[i][size=3] wooly[/size][/i]....describe "wooly",....c'mon surely [b]you[/b] know what [b]you [/b]mean, I don't, so enlighten me. (and others)[/quote] Ha whoa, what grabbed your Ashdown nuts today? Anyways, here's wooly in my mind: NO high end zing to start with. Mid range seems dead and unresponsive Low end flabby, farty and not defined / tight EVERYONE knows what wooly means...it's a term called because it sounds like you've put a VERY heavy wooly jumper over it! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bassmansky Posted June 28, 2009 Share Posted June 28, 2009 [quote name='Kongo' post='526710' date='Jun 28 2009, 01:58 PM']Ha whoa, what grabbed your Ashdown nuts today? Anyways, here's wooly in my mind: NO high end zing to start with. Mid range seems dead and unresponsive Low end flabby, farty and not defined / tight EVERYONE knows what wooly means...it's a term called because it sounds like you've put a VERY heavy wooly jumper over it! [/quote] i guess jj burnel of the stranglers does'nt own a wooly jumper then Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
phatbass787 Posted June 29, 2009 Share Posted June 29, 2009 [quote name='bassmansky' post='526927' date='Jun 28 2009, 07:01 PM']i guess jj burnel of the stranglers does'nt own a wooly jumper then [/quote] Lmao Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Deep Thought Posted June 29, 2009 Share Posted June 29, 2009 [quote name='bassmansky' post='526927' date='Jun 28 2009, 07:01 PM']i guess jj burnel of the stranglers does'nt own a wooly jumper then [/quote] It's usually me that comes out with that one-for fear of becoming repetitive I refrained this time round. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bassmansky Posted June 29, 2009 Share Posted June 29, 2009 could not resist,as that is one sound you cannot describe as wooly Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mike257 Posted June 30, 2009 Share Posted June 30, 2009 I've never got a sound I've liked through Ashdown gear - but I've only used when it's been house/shared backline. On the other hand though, I've seen a few people (locally, in small enough venues that you hear the backline!) get an absolutely killer sound out of it, so I can't help but wonder if it's just me, or just not having enough time to experiment. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dave_bass5 Posted June 30, 2009 Share Posted June 30, 2009 [quote name='Machines' post='525695' date='Jun 27 2009, 08:15 AM']I think general consensus would be that wooly means lacking in 'sparkle' or top end definition. A bit like when you turn down the treble control on your bass.[/quote] Personally i found my ABM to sound woolly or muffled in the mids/upper mids. It just seemed "soft" and didnt cut through like i wanted it to. This was compared to my MAG300 and in to my Schroeder 1210R as well as the MAG's speaker (not at the same time ;-) I think Spartacus summed it up well although I do think the MAG cut through more but the ABM had the deeper, fuller tone. I just didn't like it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kongo Posted June 30, 2009 Share Posted June 30, 2009 [quote name='mike257' post='528411' date='Jun 30 2009, 10:31 AM']I've never got a sound I've liked through Ashdown gear - but I've only used when it's been house/shared backline. On the other hand though, I've seen a few people (locally, in small enough venues that you hear the backline!) get an absolutely killer sound out of it, so I can't help but wonder if it's just me, or just not having enough time to experiment.[/quote] Model of bass used + Finger flesh + techneque = part of how the amp sounds puzzle. Luke Williams of The Arusha Accord uses Ashdown from what I saw, with the classic VU meter jobbie (that I DO love!) and he has FANTASTIC slap and finger tone...but he DOES use a USA G&L L-2500 though...That could be doing a lot of the tone. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bassmachine2112 Posted June 30, 2009 Share Posted June 30, 2009 Consistantly Repetitive Abysmal Performance,not my cup of tea Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest gazzatriumph Posted January 19, 2013 Share Posted January 19, 2013 No probs with my ABM 500 evo 3 head, takes time to work out the best settings thats all, not a plug in and play Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stingrayPete1977 Posted January 20, 2013 Share Posted January 20, 2013 It's the cabs a much as the heads, I have run my shuttles through Ashdown cabs and it just removes all the top end. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
markorbit Posted January 20, 2013 Share Posted January 20, 2013 [quote name='bassmansky' timestamp='1246212114' post='526927'] i guess jj burnel of the stranglers does'nt own a wooly jumper then [/quote] JJ tends not to use the ABM style VU Ashdowns that are mainly referred to here - he favours the 12 band graphic models that resemble the Trace Elliots. Basically a black Mark King model with a few tweaks. Sounds very much 'Live at Leeds'. Personally I've also struggled to get my sound out of an ABM-style Ashdown but sometimes I hear someone else playing one and I think it sounds great. I think the last [i]great [/i]British bass amplifier was the Trace GP12SMX. I'm always impressed when I plug that in (pre-shape OFF there too). If only the could make one that weighed 5kg. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VTypeV4 Posted January 20, 2013 Share Posted January 20, 2013 I too don't get on with them. I have tried many times but I simply cannot get them to work for me. I find a lack of lower midrange the problem which seems to accentuate this wooly bottom end thing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BluRay Posted January 20, 2013 Share Posted January 20, 2013 [quote name='gazzatriumph' timestamp='1358638493' post='1942794'] No probs with my ABM 500 evo 3 head, takes time to work out the best settings thats all, not a plug in and play [/quote] +1 No problems at all with clarity or top end. I did find their 15 speakers less distinct than the 10s - but no suprises there. ABMs are also designed/marketed around a fairly strong signature tone, which doesn't suite everyone (just same as more transparent/uncoloured amps don't suit everyone either). If you try and dial it out you'll get frustrated quite quickly. If you work with it the results can be plenty impressive. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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