danhkr

[url="http://www.fender.com/en-GB/products/modernplayer/models.php?prodNo=0241702"]http://www.fender.co...?prodNo=0241702[/url]

Lovely bass, and not a fortune either.

[quote name='Slipperydick' timestamp='1322766474' post='1455686']
[color=#0000cd][i][b]"I've never seen a set of strings that come individually wrapped in those plastic wrappers that are any good. I'm sure [u]they all come from the same factory and they've all been equally bad[/u]". [/b][/i][/color]

Aaww C'mon.

I'm not the kind to take the moral highground. I just didnt like the way you appeared to rubbish what I said about these strings without actually trying them.
[/quote]

No offence intended and I wasn't trying to rubbish what you said about these strings, I was just been honest; I really have never seen a decent set at that price (Alice included) and they all tend to be packaged like that. That puts me off; 'once bitten...' and all that. It was more a comment on dirt cheap strings in general rather than this particular set.

I'll be honest, I probably won't try them. For the reason above and also because I know that for that much again I could get some Picatos or Fenders which I know are great. If you say these are different and they work for you at a fiver, you've unearthed a bargain. I'd never criticise you for using them or anyone else for trying them, it's just in my experience there's usually a reason that very cheap strings are very cheap.

[quote name='Slipperydick' timestamp='1322345835' post='1449850']
Seem to be a lot of people on here with a bit of a blinkered view. I dont like all cheap strings, but I like the ones in my first post, and one or two other cheap brands are Ok as well. Its down to personal taste I know, but comments like 'Strings in plastic wrappers are usually no good'..... aww c'mon.

I can remember when there wasnt so much choice, so I used Rotos or Fenders for years, even Picato were good at one time then Elites or Warwicks, I dont like Hartkes, or Slinkys. and Rotos dont seem so good anymore to me for some reason.

Not ALL cheap strings are crap, Same as not ALL expensive ones are great. But in the spirit of the forum, if I, or anyone else finds something thats good AND cheap, then I reckon Its kind of a duty to passs the info on.
[/quote]

I must have tried half a dozen different 'brands' of dirt cheap strings in the past and they've all been rough and clanky before going dead pretty quickly. The fact that nearly all of them have been packaged internally like the ones you've shown is purely an observation. In the spirit of the forum, Im simply offering an opinion based on my experience. I never said 'all' cheap strings are crap, in fact I suggested some great strings that aren't exactly a fortune.

I have no issue with anyone recommending anything, but please don't ask a question and take the moral high ground when you get an answer.

I've never seen a set of strings that come individually wrapped in those plastic wrappers that are any good. I'm sure they all come from the same factory and they've all been equally bad.

You can get some great strings for not a fortune (the new Fenders for example at around £13 a set are excellent) but I like Elixir, they easily last me a year of gigging and rehearsing in two bands. Although expensive the outlay is less often, as is the ball-ache of changing strings.

Was sceptical about yet another series of odd instruments from Fender (I wholeheartedly agree they make far too much now) but picked up the Jaguar bass from this series yesterday and it's really, really good.

As others have said they're Chinese and bare more than a passing resemblance to the excellent Squier Classic Vibe series. Similar (maybe even a slightly better) standard of finishing, same gloss neck tint and the fairly chunky bridge they use on the CVs.

The neck profile is great and the P/J pickups are more than adequate. The Jazz and Tele basses are a bit more expensive, but this was around the same price as the Squier CV's with the added kudos of the Fender brand and offering the P/J pickup option. Also at half the price of the MIJ Jag and with very little in it between the two, a really superb guitar for the money.

....yes it was

Ady sold me an Ashdown ABM head at a great price and although wanted collection, agreed to pack and ship it which was really good of him. Top Basschatter! Thanks again!

[quote name='dave_bass5' timestamp='1319283330' post='1412198']
I'd like to know how involved the BM are in this, especially as the original order was place with them.
In my experience that's the first, and should be the only point of contact,
[/quote]

Absolutely, a customer should not have to go to the wholesaler, they should simply register their complaint with the dealer and the dealer should sort the issue out with the wholesaler.

Seems absolutely bizarre that the only 'party' working to sort this out is actually the customer. MM20, it's not your responsibility to chase S&T up, it should be BM because that is who you have bought the item from.

I suspect if anyone finds a good EBMM unusable, it says more about them than it does the guitar. In all fairness though, it's a good thing when companies come along and try to be innovative - certainly beats the crap out of wading through hundreds of fender clones - but the vast majority of great bass players and bass lines were around long before the 'fanned fret' system. To me it's an interesting alternative rather than an improvement.

As for the OP, really disappointing to hear EBMM have let a duffer slip through the net. Always a risk buying unseen, but you expect top notch build quality to be a given with them. Hope you get sorted out and they make some sort of an effort to make up for it.

I use Elixir 50-105, but that is as heavy as they go and most shops don't stock them. I wouldn't recommend using any other 'coated' string as (IME) Elixirs are the only ones that really 'work' well enough to be worth the extra expenditure, but there's plenty of other good uncoated strings that go heavier. EB Power Slinkys lasted me quite a while and they are 55-110, and I think DR do some drop tuning sets which may be worth you looking into.

Also it's well worth improving the life of your strings by getting into the habit of cleaning them after use (takes less than a minute to give them a rub down with fast fret).

I thought my relatively new EBMM Sterling was a fantastic bass until I bought a 1994 model! At the time I also had a Big Al SSS and a roadworn Precision and after a few gigs with the '94 Sterling I flogged the rest.

Better weight, resonance, playability and neck finish & profile than either of the modern EBMM's I had, and whilst the P offered something very different, it didn't get a look in. Birdseye maple and the big bridge are nice 'extras' as well.

You can never say never, but it'd take something really really special to make me want to part with the '94 Sterling, and it's the first time since I was a kid that I've been perfectly content with owning just one bass.

I think the bigger MB series stuff sounds great for the money but I'm not sure about build quality and reliability. Mixed reports.

Yes, I don't think this new one, the dual tube range or the all-valve stuff looks as smart as the ABM and BTA stuff. That old 'script' font that everyone was using in the early 90's is pretty naff. Firm believer though that it aint what an amp looks like, it's how it performs and despite what people say, Ashdown's MAG and ABM stuff is pretty-much the industry standard at those price points.

[quote name='Rumble' timestamp='1317731739' post='1393772']
I can dial out the boom by trimming back the bass, but that seems to negate the point of getting the ABM in the first place.
[/quote]

I don't see why, eq controls are there to be cut as well as boosted and there's plenty of scope either way on an ABM.

It's a new amp, start with a flat eq and spend a bit of time with it, and again, don't be afraid to cut!

[quote name='phatbass787' timestamp='1318372770' post='1401447']
If I was going to go valve amp I would have to try one of these bad boys for sure...

[url="http://www.ashdownmusic.com/bass/detail.asp?section=valve&ID=231"]http://www.ashdownmu...on=valve&ID=231[/url]
[/quote]

Hell of a lot more expensive though, and (as you've probably guessed from the LB550 thread) I'd certainly want to take a peek inside and see if the build quality is actually any better than the ampeg.

I've said it lots of times but the majority of valve gear really is the 'emperors new clothes'; it looks and often sounds the part but I'm far from convinced it's made to the standards it should be to justify the outlay.

[quote name='stevie' timestamp='1318347090' post='1400943']

Of course they would have cost more. But I didn't say anything about building to a price (and yes, I know what that means, thank you) but building down to a price. I don't have the MAG cabs, I have the ABM ones - the top of the range. So they should be up there with top end cabs but they're not because Ashdown skimped on the bits you can't see. I've no reason to believe the latest ABM range is any different. You're a MAG cab user, eh? Miles better than Behringer - well that's great. You must be very happy.

What exactly is Ashdown's market share, by the way?
[/quote]

ABM cabs aren't top of the range, but my main cab is an ABM 610 and it's really good. Perhaps theres something better out there for the same money, I don't know, but I tried mine and the 4x10 up against Ampeg, SWR and Hartke equivalents (all more expensive barring the Hartke) and it was superior to my ears. My MAG cabs are spares and rehearsal cabs and they're great, really nice and punchy, although not as good as the ABM. The comparison to Behringer was because of the similarity in price ie. [i]for not a lot more than a Behringer you can get a really good usable cab.[/i]

[quote name='Musicman20' timestamp='1318345084' post='1400897']

Virtually all modern all tube amps are PCB. I know purists prefer the 'real thing', but the tone difference is ...what...nothing?

The Ampeg CL is horrendously expensive, and yet its built overseas, with the same technology as the AD200b. Difference is, the AD200b is noticably more 'distinct' in its drive, and certainly better for my tone goals.

No offence to Marshall, but I wouldn't touch a Marshall for bass, ever. Don't really like Marshall guitar amps if im honest.

Watts and volume are not a concern for me with a full tube amp...especially anything over 100W.

Yes, Matamp can build great PTP high quality tube amps, but is the tone exactly what Im looking for? Not sure, but I'd only look at Orange and Matamp from now on.

The Orange cabs are big heavy tone monsters. They are built like a tank, heavy, but excellent tone. Very well finished and constructed. The attention to detail is excellent.

I bought my Orange gear 2 years or more ago before they became very popular again, and I didnt have to pay £1300-1400 for the amp. I would still think £1300 for the AD200b is reasonable, especially compared to the Ampeg CL.

The customer service is another major point. Orange (particularly Neil) have an excellent reputation in this country.
[/quote]

I agree most modern amps are PCB made, but the better ones don't mount poweramp valves straight on the board. It's a real cheap quick fix and is notoriously bad for faults and expensive repairs. If a company does it, it should be reflected in the price regardless of tone. This goes for Ampeg too ([i]and[/i] Ashdown if their valve gear is the same - I've never seen theirs).

Shame on Orange because they could mount the valves on proper bases and still be predominantly PCB based, yet increase the durability and QC tenfold. Knowing what I know they'd still make a fortune selling it for £1400, but like many companies these days, it's all about marketing and making money rather than truly supplying a quality made product. It's just sad that the price suggests it is something that its not, especially when Matamp would probably hand build you a similar amp properly for similar money.

I'm not a marshall fan either, but the VBA is a monster. I'd recommend anyone at least give it a go, and like I say it [i]is[/i] built to higher standards but for less money. Personally I resent Orange, Ampeg etc for that.

[quote name='wateroftyne' timestamp='1318339044' post='1400784']
I have a feeling their market share is shrinking, though. People just don't talk about them like they used to.

As for a huge roster of pro players... so they offer a lot of endorsements. Who doesn't want free gear?
[/quote]

Apparently they give nothing away free, and that came from a couple of endorsees I've met, one particularly high profile.

[quote name='Musicman20' timestamp='1318340280' post='1400803']
I would 100% disagree with any comments regarding Orange and 'cheap build'. The British made equipment not only sounds stunning, (and quite 'original' as in has a tone Orange are becoming quite famous for)but the aesthestics and quality are hands down brilliant, even for the price point.

I would always, on another point, pick Hartke over Ashdown. Great price, great tone.
[/quote]

So because they sound good and are aesthetically pleasing, that makes the build quality good? What odd logic. The AD200B is just a printed circuit board based amp, differing little inside from a mass-produced far-eastern made example yet it's astronomically priced at around £1400. At least something like the Marshall VBA 400 which is also PCB based, gives you twice the output, proper wired output valve bases away from the PCB and is around £200 less.

I'd happily consider the view that if the tone is right, perhaps the above doesn't matter too much particularly if you look after your gear, but the price should reflect this and the volume of returns and faulty orange valve gear I've experienced in retail and in bands suggests otherwise. Sadly Orange are very expensive cheap amplifiers.

[quote name='stevie' timestamp='1318266983' post='1399895']
I agree with you. I have a couple of Ashdown cabs, which had potential but were clearly built down to a price and could have been so much better.
[/quote]

And if they had been 'so much better' I'm pretty certain they would've cost more. That's what building to a price means. I have a couple of MAG cabs and for the price I think they're superb. Slightly more expensive than the likes of Behringer, but miles better. Despite this at under £300 they're not going to be up there with top end cabs are they?

[quote name='stevie' timestamp='1318266983' post='1399895']
Whatever you think of their products, Ashdown have a real brand image problem now. You just can't go on serving up shoddy, unreliable and unfixable products for years without paying the price. And their marketing efforts are laughable, too. Just look at this: [url="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wSxbFwmXAi0."]http://www.youtube.c...?v=wSxbFwmXAi0.[/url] That's the head of marketing and artist relations. Soooo embarrassing and just not how you build a brand.
[/quote]

A real brand image problem?! They're the biggest selling bass brand in the UK with a huge roster of pro players - they must be doing something right. People are perfectly entitled to dislike them but how conceited is it to believe they have an image problem just because [i]you[/i] don't like them!?

I find people's heavy criticism of Ashdown bizarre at times. In my experience in retail, selling 3 or 4 times more Ashdown gear than any other bass brand you'd expect to see more back with faults but we had no more returns than any other equivalent brand and price point. Compared to Orange which were a total nightmare, cheap build and inflated prices - it was like two ends of the spectrum, yet Orange seemingly can do no wrong on this forum.

Tone-wise amongst buyers ABM was nearly always favoured over solid state/hybrid equivalents such as Ampeg, SWR and the MAG stuff over Hartke and Marshall.

End of the day it's horses for courses; I know players who swear by Ashdown and those who aren't keen on it. Personally, I'm not overly taken by this new amp, I think their 550 head represents better VFM, but it's amazing how some people have a bad experience, think they make too much product or take a dislike to the VU meter or a youtube vid and all of a sudden the gospel according to whoever thinks the majority of what they do is poor quality and they have an image problem. Which in reality, judging by how successful the company is, couldn't be further from the truth could it?

At below £400, I can't see them being Mexican. The blacktop stuff is cheap, this is even cheaper and bordering on Squier VM/CV series prices. They're also bringing back the 'original' japanese made jaguar bass (around £800), so it'd be interesting to see how this one compares to that at half the price...

[quote name='Ashdown Engineering' timestamp='1317141831' post='1387304']
Happily build you a totally made in England MiBass but doubt on the whole people would want to pay the price difference, sadly that's what we are up against these days and to be honest after working with our china factory for 10 years now the quality of our Chinese made products is so good would you want to pay a large premium simply to have made in England on it? If you do want to buy British we still make plenty of high end totally made in Essex products and offer a total custom shop service too...
[/quote]

Sorry to go o/t but the last few brand new ABM Evo III's I've seen in stores have said 'manufactured in England'. I was quite surprised at this as I thought it was now common knowledge that ABM production had been shifted to the far east. Has there been a rethink regarding ABM?

[quote name='KiOgon' post='1369988' date='Sep 11 2011, 11:10 PM']What would I do? What I have just done - buy from a USA retailer who ships to UK, at a bargain price & save a tidy packet The Fender UK dealers 'fixed prices' are just crazy.

Cheerz, John[/quote]

Blame Fender UK/Europe for the prices. Dealers would be literally paying the customer to take fender product away if they were doing it any cheaper.

[quote name='Musicman20' post='1368487' date='Sep 10 2011, 12:40 PM']If I was to buy an Ampeg now, Id ignore the lot apart from the SVT Pro 7. Nice price, fairly light, powerful, and powerful.[/quote]

Tried one. It was good, but preferred the tone of my Ashdown ABM. Considering the valve route really, just don't want to spend loads on an amp that's going to be a liability.

I take on board what you say about Orange and I'd certainly consider them, but having worked at a shop that does repairs I've been put off by the surprising amount of their valve gear that came through the door needing work.

[quote name='JTUK' post='1368414' date='Sep 10 2011, 11:34 AM']Not had a detailed look inside many Ampegs, but an amp tech I know hates working on the things.
He says cheap components and awful lay-out...plus they are such a handful on the bench as well.
Whether that would be any different if they were made in the U.S I am not sure, but then at least you could more justify the price premium on the basis of western build costs etc etc .

I'd agree with Gareth... most companies would trumpet U.S made.. if that was the case.[/quote]

Thanks for the input guys!

Problem is, in my experience a lot of people in this industry have one bad experience of something and spend the rest of their lives telling everyone how poor that company/product is when it could quite easily be a one-off or not even the case any more. I'm not saying this is the case with the tech you know, but my point is; is he referring to all Ampegs, or just a couple he's happened to have worked on which to be fair could've been made in one of three different countries? I've heard a lot of criticisms of the pro (rackmount) series, and others have said the more traditional heads are a lot more sensible. It really is a minefield.

As you say though, USA made might just mean the same components put together in a different country (maybe even not to as high standards if labour costs mean production needs to be quicker), but there is something quite off-putting to be spending a grand plus on an amp that's made in Korea or Vietnam. I guess you just have to look past that and try and establish which is the best to go for with regards to build quality. It appears that is not an easy task!

[quote name='Musicman20' post='1367775' date='Sep 9 2011, 03:51 PM']I dont think any of the Ampeg products are USA made apart from the Heritage. Granted, it seems Ampeg have sorted themselves out, but Im still wary of their customer service.[/quote]

Cheers MM! When you say 'sorted themselves out', how do you mean? Were their QC issues, and if so, which period/models should be avoided?