Ashdown JJ-500 JJ Burnel Signature Head

[Algae]

View the spec on the Ashdown website here [url="http://www.ashdownmusic.com/bass/detail.asp?section=ss&ID=238"]Ashdown JJ500[/url]

This is a fairly new product , not many people have them yet and there are not many reviews out there on the internet at the moment. So I thought I would change that and put one up here. I have had this head for a couple of weeks now and it has been well put through it's paces having been gigged , rehearsed with and also a lot of home use so it has been used both quietely and loudly , on it's own and with a full band.

Mine is one of the first batch of ten JJ-500 heads to be made and so has a plain front panel. The later ones come with a JJ Burnel signature logo and a rat logo on the front. First impressions are that it looks very similar to Ashdown's Mark King signature head except being black (of course!). It has the exact same controls and inputs/outputs as the MK500 and since my head didn't come with an instruction manual I downloaded the Mark King manual from the Ashdown website and it has everything on it. However the difference is that that the tone of this amp has been voiced to JJ Burnel's preference. This is not the distorted sound that you would immediately associate with him , JJB was keen to have an amp that produces the purest cleanest sound possible to exactly reproduce the tone coming from his bass. The main part of "that sound" is due to a precision played hard with a pick near the bridge and this amp was designed to reproduce that faithfully without additional colouration.

With the graphic eq switched off the flat level response of the amp gives a very pleasing warm sound similar to other Ashdown amps I have used (ABM , MAG). This amp would work quite happily in various situations not just for people doing JJ Burnel impressions. Switching in the graphic gives you lots of flexibility with your sound and adjusting the sliders into various shapes will sculpt your tone however you want it. I like to have the sliders set in a seagul shape with a boost in the lower mids and upper mids keeping the lowest , highest and middle sliders around neutral. This setup with my Fender P gives it an incredible tone - very full , rich and if I play hard very aggresive and punchy. The first time I tried it with my band everyone immediately commented on how good it sounded and not just once but almost after every song throughout the whole rehearsal! The sound is really full and even when the guitarist switches from chords to doing single note instrumental parts the overall band sound did not drop at all and kept it's momentum with the full fat sound of this amp. I wouldn't expect anything else really as a Fender P played hard is exactly what this amp was designed for.

I also play in a blues band so need a quite different sound there , no aggresion but plenty of clarity for bass solos and stuff. The head's first gig outing was with this band so I was dying to hear what it sounded like live. I use a five string Musicman Stingray and the amp was plugged into and Ashdown ABM 410 cab. It really brought the character of the stingray out and the sound was very very good even down to low B. A very versatile head and certainly no "one trick poney" as I read someone say on a forum somewhere. The stingray sounded warm and rich with that lovely characteristic nasal quack that they do but with very full solid lows. Nice.

There is a control on the front panel labelled "harmonic emphasis" which Ashdown says synthesises harmonics in a way that sounds similar to using a new set of strings. I found this worked really well with my Fender P in the rock band giving just that little bit extra growl and presence. I leave it on all the time with this band. However , it does not sound so good with the stingray so I prefer to leave it off in the blues band.

Overall then I have found this a really good amp. It can do anything an ABM can do but with the graphic equaliser there is more scope for sculpting your tone. It sounds good at home at low volume and amazing at a gig when cranked up. The tone I get from my Fender P through it is undoubtedly the best tone I have ever had! I am in love ! It is also versatile enough that I can use it with my blues band and I expect any other projects that come my way too so my old gear will be appearing on Ebay soon Anyone out there looking for a head for a rock band or punk band would be well advised to try one of these. It seriously kicks ass ! Ampeg Shmampeg !

[StevieD_FenderP2009]

GIMME GIMME GIMME!

Awesome review dude, you've made me want one! haha

[Lozz196]

Great review, and no doubt many will start coveting these - as I am.

Very impressed with the pricing of these too. Nice of Ashdown & JJ to put out something that is within a regular affordable price range, unlike Gibsons Slash/Marc Bolan Les Pauls etc, which are £5000+.

[Algae]

Yeah they are very reasonably priced - mine was only £529 from Guitar Guitar which is £70 less than most other places. It came in two days so I would recommend them.

I was lucky enough to support the Stranglers last year and got to scrutinise JJB's gear backstage. He was using four JJ-500 heads though two of them were switched off (for backup presumeably) and the two that were on were going into four Ashdown ABM 410 cabs. It sounded mega (of course!).

[halfmanhalfdrum]

Just purchased one of these today on the strength of your review. Same model as yours - one of the first ten without the signature and UK built to boot. What an amp, absolutely awesome! The range of tones available is outstanding. My P bass and Musicman SUB have never sounded so good. I can't wait to gig it. These should fly off the shelves. Absolute bargain. Cheers for the great review.

[ahpook]

they look [i]very[/i] tasty...

[Lozz196]

[quote name='Algae' post='1146846' date='Mar 2 2011, 10:29 AM']Yeah they are very reasonably priced - mine was only £529 from Guitar Guitar which is £70 less than most other places. It came in two days so I would recommend them.

I was lucky enough to support the Stranglers last year and got to scrutinise JJB's gear backstage. He was using four JJ-500 heads though two of them were switched off (for backup presumeably) and the two that were on were going into four Ashdown ABM 410 cabs. It sounded mega (of course!).[/quote]

Very interesting, JJ only - he says "only" - using 410s.

Going to see The Stranglers next wk, in Oxford. can`t wait to hear those JJ tones live again.

[Algae]

[quote name='Lozz196' post='1153483' date='Mar 8 2011, 10:18 AM']Very interesting, JJ only - he says "only" - using 410s.

Going to see The Stranglers next wk, in Oxford. can`t wait to hear those JJ tones live again.[/quote]

Just saw the Stranglers in Newcastle on Friday. JJ was using two 410s and two 115s. He was probably using them last year too and I have got it wrong , sorry about that.

[Algae]

[quote name='halfmanhalfdrum' post='1153008' date='Mar 7 2011, 09:03 PM']Just purchased one of these today on the strength of your review. Same model as yours - one of the first ten without the signature and UK built to boot. What an amp, absolutely awesome! The range of tones available is outstanding. My P bass and Musicman SUB have never sounded so good. I can't wait to gig it. These should fly off the shelves. Absolute bargain. Cheers for the great review.[/quote]
Hey great ! Your welcome mate. Maybe we should start a Basschat owners club

[Lozz196]

I heard JJ using his last night, at The O2 Academy, in Oxford. Great sound, and amazing presence in the mix - though obviously it was going through FOH.

It only made me want one of these even more. Darn!

Edited March 16, 2011 by Lozz196

[halfmanhalfdrum]

[quote name='Lozz196' post='1164030' date='Mar 16 2011, 08:01 AM']I heard JJ using his last night, at The O2 Academy, in Oxford. Great sound, and amazing presence in the mix - though obviously it was going through FOH.

It only made me want one of these even more. Darn![/quote]

Go for it! I love mine. It's the best bit of kit I've ever bought. Period!

[hookys6stringbass]

I'm thinking of getting the JJ 500.... How are you guys getting on with it.... still in love??

[Ashdown Engineering]

Thanks guys, really nicely written review, thanks.

[i play in N #]

it actually is the mark king model, no difference , as mark king had moved onto tc electronics, they painted it black and stuck another signature on it

[BluRay]

[quote name='i play in N #' timestamp='1334692480' post='1619946']
it actually is the mark king model, no difference , as mark king had moved onto tc electronics, they painted it black and stuck another signature on it
[/quote]
Better colour. Better signature. I'm shallow but it gets my vote

[Richbass74]

Hi, What does everybody think of these, I'm tempted to get one but not 100% I've got a Marshall VBA 400 at the moment, It's incredibly loud but a bloody monster to lug around, I'm after that growly aggressive tone, Any opinions would be great.

[The Dark Lord]

[quote name='Richbass74' timestamp='1349439570' post='1826323']
Hi, What does everybody think of these, I'm tempted to get one but not 100% I've got a Marshall VBA 400 at the moment, It's incredibly loud but a bloody monster to lug around, I'm after that growly aggressive tone, Any opinions would be great.
[/quote]

As a monster Stranglers fan, I was (and probably remain) half tempted ...... but the size and weight of it would be an issue to me. I play TC Electronics now and they are brilliant to carry about.

Also, Ashdown amps seem to clip a lot to me. Never liked that.

[bartelby]

I've had one, one of the plain black, no logo'd ones, for a few months now and I love it. I got the JJ when I had to send the second AMpeg PF-500 back. I was done with light weight amps as I didn't like the sound. The JJ is about 12KGs and, according to Ashdown, designed to give you a loud clean tone. It doesn't really do growly without external help.

[Kevin Dean]

Having worked on a Stranglers gig , The JJ head powers a 4 x 10 & ABMs power a 15" &the Di to the PA goes through a Korg Pandora for overdrive . I have the JJ500 & a ABM1000..When I gig with a Roland GR55 I use the JJ head & just use the graphic for the rooms acoustics , The JJ head has a bit more flexibility in tone with the Graphic , But I find I can stand there buggering around with the graphic for ages , The ABM naturally gets a warmer sound If I'm gigging with just a bass & no Roland Synth that's the one I use as It has everything I need , Both are great amps .

[Kevin Dean]

I've been gigging for over a year now using this Amp & my Shuker , It's just a great reliable workhorse of a rig .If you are in a Pub band & don't go through the PA the Graphic is very handy for dealing with the acoustics in the room .