Ashdown Mag C115 + Epiphone Thunderbird

[danielgeorge]

Hi all,

I recently joined a band after a few years out of playing music, and bought the above amp and bass guitar combo. I'm well chuffed with the setup seeming as i'm only really starting out with bass, but don't think i'm making the most with the sound.

I have the Thunderbird plugged into the high input because its a passive guitar as i understand it, and have the EQ pretty standard with a bit of boost to the low and high-mid frequencies. The problem is i can't seem to a get a consistant sound i'm happy with. I'm into QOTSA, Foo Fighters and Interpol. Any ideas for setup or how i can get the best sound possible would be much appreciated!!!

Cheers,

Dan

[PVTele]

Sounds like an excellent setup for the kind of sound you're looking for... The Epi Tbirds are really good value for money, and MAGs are about as solid a sound as you could want. This may move this thread to another forum but you might need to review your right hand technique... Michael Shuman in particular is extraordinarily consistent, as is Nate Mendel (an Ashdown man!). IMHO far more of our sound resides in our right hands than we ever realise, and we can spend so much time tweaking our rigs, when all we have to do is tweak our fingers! They guys you admire seem on the whole to be pick players. Now, in my experience, finding the right pick is half the battle. Dunno what these people use, but the only pick I'm comfortable with is a heavy-gauge Dunlop (.88 or even 1mm) nylon. Practice getting the picking point steady, at just the right distance from the bridge, and keeping the treble well rolled off. Fiddle around with the point at which you pick the strings, and when it sounds right, remember it, and keep it there, no matter how carried away you get. Watch some YouTubes of JJ Burnel to see what I mean!

[Musky]

Your problem seems to be getting a consistent sound rather than getting a decent sound in some circumstances. That's pretty normal as room acoustics, the positioning of the amp in the room and what your amp is set on will all affect your sound. There have been a few threads on the subject, but the long and short of it is that EQing isn't a set and forget process - you'll need to make adjustments for each environment you find yourself in.

What are the circumstances when you're not getting the sound you want, and when is it sounding good to your ears?

[callingltu]

I'd buy another cab 2x10 or 4x10

[phatbass787]

Im pretty sure you want to be in the low input for a passive bass?

[xgsjx]

I'd agree that it should be low input for a passive bass & hi input for an active bass.
Put your combo in a corner if you can & as close to the Walls as possible, this will help increase your perceived volume & lower frequencies should seem louder too.

If you plan on adding a 2nd cab then I'd get a matching 15" & not mix up speaker sizes, thus reducing the chance of frequencies cancelling one another out.