Maude

It's great that Ashdown post on here. I'd like hear their comments on the hit and miss QC concerning the B Social, as outlined in the linked thread. https://www.basschat.co.uk/topic/316070-ashdown-b-social-75w-version-new-b-stock-in-italy-£200/ Don't want to have a dig as I really like Ashdown stuff, but this is genuine feedback on what I found when I opened my amp up.

It's loads better now everything has been tightened up and properly damped/sealed. Still not capable of handling thundering bottom end but I never expected it to, it's not meant for that, although I'd like to hear it with a couple of PJB Piranhas in it. The music player side of things has what Ashdown have called 'cabinet compensation' applied to it which, I think, in laymens terms means a high pass filter to remove all the bottom end. You really need the bass control max'd to get a nice sound, although that's down to personal preference, masses of treble and mids on tap but very little bass. I'm guessing the poor little thing wouldn't handle it well if a modern track with all that sub bass going on was put through it at volume, hence a HPF or the like knocking out all the bottom end. Plenty of bass on the instrument side though so when playing along to a track a nice mix is easily achieved, but it would be nice to have the choice to add more bottom end when using as a music player. I know all this sounds very negative but I really like Ashdown normally , maybe this should be rebranded as 'Letdown'. Now it's all sorted I do like it and for my use, music player and mini amp in my garden room, it will be perfect, I'm looking forward to sitting in the garden with my bass and phone, all wireless, playing along on the B Social, when this bloody rain stops :D.

Mine arrived today as well. First impressions, hmm, if I'd paid £600 I'd be seriously pee'd off. Little bit buzzy on low notes but that seems to be cabinet rather than speaker. The front panel was offset to one side by 2-3mm and the VU meter was rotated from upright. These sort of things really bug me as there is no need for it, especially on a £600 unit. I removed the front and realigned it and reseated the meter in the correct position, at least now it looks right. Time to sort the buzzing cabinet, and this where Ashdown's QC has really let them down, and I am an Ashdown fan having owned a lot of their gear. Problems so far which could all add to the cabinet noise. The front panel rests against the rim of the speakers which appear to be plastic, no anti vibration gasket, the plastic lens of the VU meter is just held in place by the front panel pushing against it, so lots of plastic vibrating against the MDF front panel. Let's take the back off then to see what's going on inside. Oh dear Ashdown, really not good at all. The speakers have earth wires screwed to the speaker chassis, one of which has been sheared of so is just hanging loose, the large transformer is held to the back panel with a 10mm nut, which is loose enough that the transformer clunks around inside the cabinet, lots of wires are just laying across the back of one of the speakers, the damping material is not held in place by the double sided tape used and is just floating around inside and just generally a very untidy looking interior. With some proper damping around the speakers and VU meter behind the front panel and a lot of tidying up and proper tightening of internal components it should be a lot better, but this really shouldn't need doing on a unit of this price, Phil Jones Bass this certainly is not. Now I don't mind tinkering with this at the price I paid but how the release of this unit was pushed back and back and when finally released it was this shoddy mess I don't know. At first look I thought I had bought a counterfeit the build was so bad, but after checking all the usual things, this unit is genuine. Once sorted this will be a very handy little amp but I've no idea what Ashdown are thinking pricing this at £600, I can only see it damaging their reputation. If the chap on here from Ashdown reads this I'd love to know his thoughts on the terrible QC on the B Social. I realise mine was B stock but the seller assured me it was bankruptcy stock, but if it was a return, how can it have this many faults? One other thing that seems so obvious as soon as you use it I can't believe nobody at Ashdown thought to add it, is that the wireless dongle that plugs in your bass needs charging via a USB lead, why didn't you add a standard USB port so the dongle can charged from the B Social rather that having to plug in a separate charger?

I have Fender 9120 nylon tapewound on both my 'home' acoustic basses and really like them. They are quite bright sound sounding for tapewound, not at all like flats. Too low tension for my gigging basses but I like a high tension string. Could be worth a go?

Majorettes! I don't know, or care, what instruments are involved but that whole clanging, tinging, stomping noise that foreshadows the appearance of the 'orrible little batton twirlers. Terrifying.

The thing is, what does he do? Cut his short and knock the makeup on the head? Then folks would slate him for giving up and becoming old, although that was his look in the early days, so now my post is meaningless

Oh I don't know, I liked it, not a lot, but I liked it

Looks like you get the live album 'Entreat' with that, I used to love that album when it came out and recently repurchased it on CD. The live version of Fascination Street on that one has so much energy, they really are a great live band.

I saw them on the 'Wish' tour at Cornwall Coliseum, absolutely amazing, they just played and played, did an encore, and then came back for a second encore which was another five or six songs.

Depending on format, this album changes name, either 'Standing on a beach' or 'Staring at the sea'. If you can find it on cassette then you will get most of the B sides to the singles on, well, side B. And some/most of their B sides could easily have been singles. Last time I looked they were all on YouTube, look up 'A man inside my mouth', 'The exploding boy', 'Throw your foot' or a very early one 'I'm cold'. All amazing songs to resign to B sides.

He used to use a Fender Bass VI, then switched to the Schecter.

Oh not sure then, I'm using my phone and if I click on 'home' it's at the top of the page. Just use the code PNY2018 and it should work. You can put the items in your basket and click 'checkout', on the next page you can add the discount code and update to make sure it works before clicking 'confirm and pay'.

No, its on the homepage.

A couple of hours after ordering mine this morning, ebay send a message saying 20% off everything today between midday and six this evening. Bum!

My seller has another one for sale so I messaged him about buying the other one, with discount, and cancelling the current one but it has already been collected by the courier. Don't you just hate efficiency

Already been dispatched from Italy.

The annoying part about my purchase is that I'd um'd and ah'd about buying it for over a week, I messaged the seller with a question this morning and upon his reply, bought the item. If he wasn't so bloody efficient and hadn't messaged me 'til now I could've saved forty quid :D.

It has to be bought through PayPal, I guess ebay and PayPal soak up the loss.

It's on the ebay homepage, shame it wasn't there four hours ago.

Pants! I've just spend £200 this morning.

Yep, I've had one delivered in a black bin bag, nothing else. It was only a cheapy Aria Jazz but even so. It did make undamaged though.

Don't forget your hat! Oh come on, someone had to

I don't think that matters Blue. If you are able to, in whatever capacity, and want to, then do it. There is no too old for anything, if fit and willing.

Just bought a wood fronted one from him, less than £200 all in. I messaged him and it has no faults at all, just displayed in a shop window which closed down. I know someone said get a double four but at nearly £500 plus the gear to make it Bluetooth and wireless instrument compatible I think we're getting way out of the the £200 market. At this price I could bang it out second hand and not lose. Building a garden room in the spring and this will be perfect for in there as a wireless stereo/amp. Thanks for the heads up.

Exactly this. I really don't like the cliché, 'Age is just a number', but it is true. I'll do whatever I feel like doing for as long as I feel like it. Life's too short to be constrained by some bizarre time counting system someone felt the need to dream up centuries ago.