Ashdown Superfly died on me last night (UPDATE!!)

[Davy]

My Ashdown Superfly died on me last night just before my first set.

I tried replacing the fuse where the power cord comes into the amp (which was the reason why it died the first time) but when I switched it back on with the new fuse it came on briefly and then went off again.

I'm really sad that it's broken as it's a great (if a little unpowered) sounding amp. Any ideas??????

Once it's fixed it'll probably have to go as I've never had amps die on me in 20 years of playing but i'll be sad to say goodbye.

On the plus side, the sound engineer put me through a DI box and back through the monitors and the band sounded great (at least on stage - can't speak for out front). Next time I play that venue I'm only going to take my headless bass in it's gig bag with a guitar lead. Hell, I might even get the bus and have a drink for a change!!

Edited May 4, 2010 by Davy

[escholl]

Sorry to hear that, at least it turned out ok. Get in touch with Ashdown though, they're usually pretty good about that stuff.

[Beedster]

I don't think you're the first to experience this

[Bassassin]

I came really close to buying a Superfly a few months back. So glad I didn't.

Jon.

[Davy]

I can't complain too much as I've had it for nearly a year (better check the receipt before the warranty runs out!) and it only cost me £150 new.

At that price I could just write it off and move onto something else. I had a MAG300 previously and the Superfly sounds 10 times as good so I might be disappointed when I change back unless I spend a lot more money.

I'm actually thinking about buying a wedge style combo and going through the bands PA for more power but that's a discsussion for another thread...........

[lemmywinks]

Aye they're regarded as quite unreliable amps and the quality control was all over the shop, especially the £199 ones that were sold when it was discontinued


If you do get it fixed then take it out of the extra casing (if you haven't already), just unscrew the front part and it should slide out. They have overheating issues which this pretty much fixes, mine has been fine since

You can fit 4 rubber feet to existing screw holes and grind down the corners

[MB1]

MB1.
..Gone all Jeff Goldblum eh?...Another Victim of the Dying Fly Syndrome!

[Davy]

All fixed now!

I tried replacing the fuse at the venue but it went straight back off but I had hunch that it might have been the electrics at the venue. Bought some new fuses from Maplins today, tried it tonight and has been working fine!!

If anyone is having problems with their Superfly please check out the fuse before you send it off, it might just be that! It could even be the venue's electrics setting it off, as in my case.

Don't be so negative about the amp, it's the best sounding amp I've owned and for £150 new its still a bargain, even if the fuses do go from time to time!

PS. I removed the outer casing tonight as suggested by some other members and I'm really happy with the look and the huge reduction in weight. I'm told this will help prevent overheating but I've never had a problem with that!

Will report back if I have any more problems.

Fingers crossed........

BUMP

[dan670844]

Hi,

Someone told me that with digital amps (albeit not bass amps) that they can greatly affected by dirty mains power. You wouldn't believe what goes down mains these days even the internet! and combined with power spikes and dips this can cause problems apparently.
I guess with high end digi stuff they have good power conditioning whatnots but the cheaper stuff possibily does not.

As a previous poster suggested Superflys overheat so if you take it out of the case then it should be fine.

I have started using a little giant LG1000 for most gigs ( I live in London and they are cheep) and use a Lindy mains conditioner mains channel strip (£34.99 Maplin) and have had touch wood, no probs, even after a load of gigs> I think the Power conditioner is giving the amp what it likes smooth clean volts. Although I always carry a spare Amp!

I agree Superflys, Little Giants sound sweet but yes they aint loud. I don't know what they peak at power wise but the LG1000 I am using is supposed to be 500RMS my old Trace Elliot 130SM from 1980's is just as loud! But well you can just use it as a DI box!

Dan

[Moos3h]

This is the second very similar post we've had about these in the last couple of days.

If it's under warranty, for gods sake send it back - ignore the helpful suggestions that it might be dirty mains power, dodgy mains lead etc. as even if that is the case, a well designed amplifier should cope with these things. There's a good reason why these have a very bad reputation - whilst you still have the chance to get it sort free of charge do it.

It's only my opinion, but these amps seem to fundamentally flawed in their design - when I returned mine the shop said 'Another one for the pile' - apparently they weren't bothering to return them for repair as the returns rate was so high, just offering credits against something else.

[dan670844]

[quote name='Moos3h' post='834090' date='May 11 2010, 11:58 AM']This is the second very similar post we've had about these in the last couple of days.

If it's under warranty, for gods sake send it back - ignore the helpful suggestions that it might be dirty mains power, dodgy mains lead etc. as even if that is the case, a well designed amplifier should cope with these things. There's a good reason why these have a very bad reputation - whilst you still have the chance to get it sort free of charge do it.

It's only my opinion, but these amps seem to fundamentally flawed in their design - when I returned mine the shop said 'Another one for the pile' - apparently they weren't bothering to return them for repair as the returns rate was so high, just offering credits against something else.[/quote]

I agree totally, at end of the day in some cases, things have got just too cheap to be reliable, The Little Git (Giant) even though it seems to be more reliable than the Superfly has some major design flaws . Both Amps are great if you get lucky and get a good one, but why should you put up with the stress?. I don't have a high opinion of the Blue Meanie these days, my early UK made ABM was great, never had any problems, but I have heard of many issues with the new ones, great design just assembled poorly. Always an issue with having stuff made in China, having good inspection of your stuff, with someone you trust is the most important thing. Having a container load of stuff delivered, which you have already paid for, the temptation to let it go out is all to great. I see they making the valve series valve / ss in the UK, so hopefully this will be ok. If they started making ABM's in the UK I would be first in the cue!



I am just off to try a new AH600-12, same price as an ABM (albeit a different sound) USA made, 5 year no quibble warranty can't be bad

[dan670844]

[quote name='dan670844' post='834172' date='May 11 2010, 01:09 PM']I agree totally, at end of the day in some cases, things have got just too cheap to be reliable, The Little Git (Giant) even though it seems to be more reliable than the Superfly has some major design flaws . Both Amps are great if you get lucky and get a good one, but why should you put up with the stress?. I don't have a high opinion of the Blue Meanie these days, my early UK made ABM was great, never had any problems, but I have heard of many issues with the new ones, great design just assembled poorly. Always an issue with having stuff made in China, having good inspection of your stuff, with someone you trust is the most important thing. Having a container load of stuff delivered, which you have already paid for, the temptation to let it go out is all to great. I see they making the valve series valve / ss in the UK, so hopefully this will be ok. If they started making ABM's in the UK I would be first in the cue!



I am just off to try a new AH600-12, same price as an ABM (albeit a different sound) USA made, 5 year no quibble warranty can't be bad[/quote]


Sorry I meant -7 ..............

[BigRedX]

I would suspect that the problems with the Ashdown Superfly are more than just an inability to deal with a less than perfect mains supply. Mine has persistent start-up problems (4 out 0f 5 times it won't) despite the fact that I run it via a mains filter and surge protector designed to protect digital equipment from mains-borne gremlins.

Unfortunately I'm stuck with mine since it developed it's various "issues" - failure to switch on and high-pitched noises after the guarantee had run out and the shop I bought it from had gone out of business, and there is no way that I could consider selling it on with a clear conscience.

I've learnt my lesson, and won't be buying any more Ashdown products again no matter how cheap they are.

[crez5150]

I gave up trying to use my superfly in a live situation at all..... Although now it does a grand job as the preamp for recording in the studio.... ideal infact

[The_D]

[quote name='crez5150' post='834280' date='May 11 2010, 02:55 PM']I gave up trying to use my superfly in a live situation at all..... Although now it does a grand job as the preamp for recording in the studio.... ideal infact[/quote]

Yeah, I stuck up for them quite a lot while mines was reliable. Gigged it fairly solid for 3 years until it started cutting out at gigs and is now relegated to a practice amp in my living room. Its way over powered for that use but I can get a great variety of tones from it and am quite happy with what its doing now.

You simply cant trust it in a live situation because its too temperamental.

[richrips]

Points to ashdown for a great innovative product though!! From working in soundcontrol (RIP) i saw a fair few 'flys returned. the preamp seemed to pack in quite easily and half the power stage occasionally. Havn't heard of any such probs with the little giants, which have a solid state, not a class-d pre-amp.

rich

[dan670844]

[quote name='crez5150' post='834280' date='May 11 2010, 02:55 PM']I gave up trying to use my superfly in a live situation at all..... Although now it does a grand job as the preamp for recording in the studio.... ideal infact[/quote]

Like I said they both make decent di boxes, forget the poweramp bit, over the years I have made many mistakes............. I am still learning......... Most of them in recent years thanks to the Blue meanie...... pull your socks up Ashdown.

1. Chinese Made ABM Rack mount
2. Superfly
3. Little Git

Three Strikes!!!

Everytime I have been saved by an old '80s Series 6

Very annoying as they sound good, I wonder where Guy Pratts amp was made, I bet It wasn't China!. I would gladly pay for the privilage of UK, quality controlled stuff. Sadly I think they are rapidly undoing all the good work / reputation they had in the first 10 years.

[waynepunkdude]

I had a gig on the third floor once and I couldn't be bothered to lift the Ampeg all the way up so I whipped out the SF I sold it the next day for £40.

[lemmywinks]

I'll actually stick up for mine now as since i took it out of the casing it's had loads of use and zero problems. I'm not gigging it but for a cheap practice head it does the job, it was £199 years ago so it's earnt it's keep

I wouldn't use it as backup or take it to any situation where i would be depending on it working without error though, it used to be a horrible amp to use. Mine cut out regularly and went back a few times because of a dodgy channel - it arrived with only one side working!

Like i said it's been absolutely fine since i took the casing off so i put the problems down to overheating issues, for now at least

[Ian Savage]

I'm starting to suspect some link between the SuperFly and the Crate Powerblock; I've had one of the latter but sadly didn't take it apart before I sold it (it sat as an unused backup amp in the band van for six months, and I needed the money) but they seem to experience remarkably similar failures and were discontinued around the same time (give or take six months).

From what I can glean, the Crate was discontinued because the digital power section wasn't well-honed enough, and the company making the power module stopped making it pending further development - perhaps the quest for loads of power in a tiny, lightweight enclosure just went too fast?

[Krysbass]

I keep my Superfly as a backup amp these days, but I gigged it for about 2 years before putting it into semi-retirement earlier this year. During that time I had several positive comments at gigs about my tone - I used it with a couple of Yamaha 2x10 cabs, stacked vertically.

I had a few initial problems with fuses blowing, but Ashdown's tech support steered me through that and the amp's been fine ever since.

I use a Little Giant 1000 now with the same cabs - no problems so far.

[The_D]

[quote name='Krysbass' post='835504' date='May 12 2010, 05:54 PM']I keep my Superfly as a backup amp these days, but I gigged it for about 2 years before putting it into semi-retirement earlier this year. During that time I had several positive comments at gigs about my tone - I used it with a couple of Yamaha 2x10 cabs, stacked vertically.

I had a few initial problems with fuses blowing, but Ashdown's tech support steered me through that and the amp's been fine ever since.

I use a Little Giant 1000 now with the same cabs - no problems so far. [/quote]

I do have to backup Ashdowns tech support here. While I was having trouble with mine, Guy from tech support sent me the schematic and everything to try and fix it. We had gone through all the first checks i.e. fuse, power supply etc.

I was genuinely surprised at the fact they sent me the diagrams to fault find the problem so as much as we criticize the amps, their tech support is great.

[deksawyer]

I've never, ever had a single problem with mine and it's coming up for 4 years old.

It does sound good as well, esp with those Yamaha cabs mentioned before.

I'm selling this rig as it is shadowed by my TecAmp rig, but anyone reading this probably wouldn't be interested...... no reason why though.

D.