stingrayfan Posted October 14, 2007 Share Posted October 14, 2007 Played through a brand new borrowed Ashdown stack at a gig the other night and it was woolier than a sheep in a jumper shop. And we're not talking the cheap range either - this was an Evo head and top of the range cabs. It was awful. What's all the fuss about? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jakenewmanbass Posted October 15, 2007 Share Posted October 15, 2007 (edited) i totally agree I have a 5 string Alembic signature series and playing through several ashdowns I struggled to make it sound anywhere near as good as it can (its an awesome instrument) I think they are totally overated Jake Edited October 15, 2007 by jakesbass Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bassicinstinct Posted October 15, 2007 Share Posted October 15, 2007 Pilot error. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jakenewmanbass Posted October 15, 2007 Share Posted October 15, 2007 [quote name='bassicinstinct' post='74433' date='Oct 15 2007, 09:01 AM']Pliot error. [/quote] I must admit to being pretty short fuse on getting a good sound but the amps I have used SWR, Eden, Polytone and Alembic (pre amp) made life very quick to dial up exactly what i wanted. I did fiddle, honest guv... Jake Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Merton Posted October 15, 2007 Share Posted October 15, 2007 [quote name='stingrayfan' post='74346' date='Oct 14 2007, 11:49 PM']Played through a brand new borrowed Ashdown stack at a gig the other night and it was woolier than a sheep in a jumper shop. And we're not talking the cheap range either - this was an Evo head and top of the range cabs. It was awful. What's all the fuss about?[/quote] +1. I've only ever played through one Ashdown I liked, and that was my MAG 4x10 cab, one of the really early ones with black Celestion speakers and the "thin" design (rather than the later "Deep" cabs). To be fair though, I was always driving that with a Trace head which I love!! I did a gig earlier this year with an ABM 8x10 being driven by a Hartke 3500. I like the Hartke heads but it lost all its punch and clarity going through the 8x10, I was really disappointed. As for their heads, I hate 'em! But, each to their own and all, I can see why (a lot of) people would hate my sound and rig... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ahpook Posted October 15, 2007 Share Posted October 15, 2007 ashdowns wooly ? i totally agree - i've tried their heads on a number of occasions and think they sound very dull. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lukeward2004 Posted October 15, 2007 Share Posted October 15, 2007 +1000000 Ive played through a couple of thier combos and a few "shared" rigs (ABMs and MAG stacks) and really disliked the sounds I was getting. No punch, no clarity, muddy in places and very "dry" (if that makes sense). Ive never liked the sound of the ashdown rigs, and im yet to hear one i like - plus I heard a lot of bad things about thier reliability in the past and I can honestly say that has put me off ever owning any ashdown gear. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Old Horse Murphy Posted October 15, 2007 Share Posted October 15, 2007 Owned and played Ashdown happily for a number of years. Never had any reliability issues and really like the sound too. All subjective I guess, but if it was as bad as everyone says it is, I'd argue that you wouldn't see it on as many concert stages around the world as you do. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Machines Posted October 15, 2007 Share Posted October 15, 2007 [quote name='Old Horse Murphy' post='74568' date='Oct 15 2007, 01:14 PM']Owned and played Ashdown happily for a number of years. Never had any reliability issues and really like the sound too. All subjective I guess, but if it was as bad as everyone says it is, I'd argue that you wouldn't see it on as many concert stages around the world as you do.[/quote] That pretty much sums it up I think. Perhaps a marmite brand ? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bassicinstinct Posted October 15, 2007 Share Posted October 15, 2007 [quote name='jakesbass' post='74443' date='Oct 15 2007, 09:48 AM']I must admit to being pretty short fuse on getting a good sound but the amps I have used SWR, Eden, Polytone and Alembic (pre amp) made life very quick to dial up exactly what i wanted. I did fiddle, honest guv... Jake[/quote] I'll let you off then. Each to his own, naturally, but I've [b]never [/b]had an issue either with clarity/punch OR reliability. Perhaps my standards are not very high? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Merton Posted October 15, 2007 Share Posted October 15, 2007 [quote name='Machines' post='74570' date='Oct 15 2007, 01:19 PM']That pretty much sums it up I think. Perhaps a marmite brand ?[/quote] [quote name='bassicinstinct' post='74572' date='Oct 15 2007, 01:21 PM']Each to his own, naturally, but I've [b]never [/b]had an issue either with clarity/punch OR reliability.[/quote] Yep. I think it's great everyone has different tastes too, or the world would be boring. But you must remember, my tastes are correct, yours aren't Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
matt_citizenbass Posted October 15, 2007 Share Posted October 15, 2007 a " ya mum" joke would be highly appropriate now ... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stingrayfan Posted October 15, 2007 Author Share Posted October 15, 2007 [quote name='Old Horse Murphy' post='74568' date='Oct 15 2007, 01:14 PM']All subjective I guess, but if it was as bad as everyone says it is, I'd argue that you wouldn't see it on as many concert stages around the world as you do.[/quote] True enough. Must have been operator error! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LukeFRC Posted October 15, 2007 Share Posted October 15, 2007 they sound nice if you turn the pre-shape off. we have a EVO at church which sounded alright but always wooly mush. if i turned the pre shape off i would loose the punch. yesterday i wacked the gain up and used 80% the tube preamp and turned it off and suddenly this amazing P-bass sound popped out the amp... lovely. having said that i wouldn't buy one myself. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lowhand_mike Posted October 15, 2007 Share Posted October 15, 2007 i've found other brands woolier than ashdown, though to be fair i haven't tried the ABM's and their tone is supposedly less bright than the MAG's. i love mine and yeah i can get muddy if i want but i can also get harsh too (and the tone i like which is in between). can't be that bad cos everytime (well nearly) i see a band on TV they are using ashdowns. good job i like marmite Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
G-bitch Posted October 15, 2007 Share Posted October 15, 2007 Definitely a Marmite brand. One person will love the 'warm vintage sound' whereas the next punter hates the 'woolly, lacking clarity, no punch' I'm in the latter here - woolly is the defacto sound and you have to work very hard to get a punchy low end without it muddying the mids. This is with very 'sterile' cabs (SWR) too; I really wanted to love it but the RPM-1 went back for a refund. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
G-bitch Posted October 15, 2007 Share Posted October 15, 2007 [quote name='lowhand_mike' post='74591' date='Oct 15 2007, 02:16 PM']can't be that bad cos everytime (well nearly) i see a band on TV they are using ashdowns. good job i like marmite[/quote] Reeeally bad argument to use - especially when the current musical outings on TV are largely dull 'indie' style stuff where a woolly bass tone is essential Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lowhand_mike Posted October 15, 2007 Share Posted October 15, 2007 guess i like marmite and wool then Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
G-bitch Posted October 15, 2007 Share Posted October 15, 2007 Safe as! I do think that market saturation has something to do with their almost omnipresence - I was amazed at how quickly 'this new company with the trace elliot guys' got their products dominating bass departments in the big shops. They knew who to talk to I suppose! That or it just goes to demonstrate the gap that TE left in the UK bass amp market that could only be filled by a british company. They'd have been screwed without the MAG range though; the ABM made in GB simply wouldn't have survived the last ten years of deflation of all goods electrical and otherwise. We all want something for nothing, so it has to be from China. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
outsider70 Posted October 15, 2007 Share Posted October 15, 2007 [quote name='Old Horse Murphy' post='74568' date='Oct 15 2007, 01:14 PM']Owned and played Ashdown happily for a number of years. Never had any reliability issues and really like the sound too. All subjective I guess, but if it was as bad as everyone says it is, I'd argue that you wouldn't see it on as many concert stages around the world as you do.[/quote] Phew!! Glad to hear that Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Old Horse Murphy Posted October 15, 2007 Share Posted October 15, 2007 [quote name='outsider70' post='74653' date='Oct 15 2007, 04:30 PM']Phew!! Glad to hear that [/quote] Tony For your own health, I'd avoid reading ANYTHING on this Forum that has Ashdown in the Title!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lowhand_mike Posted October 15, 2007 Share Posted October 15, 2007 [quote name='Old Horse Murphy' post='74655' date='Oct 15 2007, 04:32 PM']Tony For your own health, I'd avoid reading ANYTHING on this Forum that has Ashdown in the Title!! [/quote] i'll second that, seems every time it mentioned the baseball bats come out. love mine though and no trouble Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
butlerk02 Posted October 15, 2007 Share Posted October 15, 2007 I have an Ashdown EVO II 300 combo and i really like the sound i get out of it. So there. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Machines Posted October 15, 2007 Share Posted October 15, 2007 My Electric Blue hasn't let me down yet, i'm only selling it to get an ABM. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rumple Posted October 15, 2007 Share Posted October 15, 2007 Recently got hold of an EVO 500 and I'm liking what I hear so far, I like Marmite to! I wonder if it's down to musical style whether folk like them or not? R. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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