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Ashdown knockers


daveparker123
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[size=4]Why do there seem to be so many Ashdown haters on here? I own an ABM 500 EVO head and ABM cab and find the tone awesome, so do the rest of my band, audiences and sound engineers at venues I've played. It gives me a great, powerful bottom end, bone crushing tone, blendable overdrive and great flexibility.[/size]

[size=4]If Ashdown gear was 'wooly' 'marmite like' 'average' or 'disappointing' as I've read on here, why would bassists like Nate Mendel, John Entwhistle, Mark King, James Johnston, Adam Clayton, Pino Palladino and Guy Pratt buy it themselves to use on stage? I've read lots of disrespectful comments also in these forums calling the company 'Crashdown' and many other silly names by people who can only base their judgements on using battered MAG series amps rented from rehearsal rooms.[/size]

[size=4]Ashdown are a British company who make great equipment. They also have awesome after sales service. Call or email them and you'll be able to speak to someone who built or designed your amp, if not the owner of the company himself.[/size]

[size=4]That's my two penneth worth about the maker of my gear! Obviously people will disagree but please make sure your criticism is based on worthwhile evidence. I rented an Orange AD 200 B from a rehearsal studio once but had to swap it for a 60 watt combo halfway through the session. sh*t amp? No, just unloved, never serviced or realved and probably battered for thousands of hours every year.[/size]

[size=4]Thanks for reading, Dave.[/size]

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I don't recall seeing much hate for Ashdown here. Ashdown do turn out bunches of cheap amps, they have Ashdown on them, they are just as responsible for them as they are for the expensive endorser models.

Orange are definitely overpriced rubbish aside from the Bass Terror though.

Edited by Mr. Foxen
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[quote name='Mr. Foxen' timestamp='1367945005' post='2071390']
I don't recall seeing much hate for Ashdown here.
[/quote]

Me neither. Well, not recently. A few 'wooly' mentions, perhaps, but that's not really [i]hate [/i]in my book. Ashdown get a pretty fair rap round here and second hand ones usually sell quite quickly if the price is right. So it doesn't warrant too much concern, IMO.

There was a time when the odd Mag used to catch fire and it would get mentioned here, IIRC, and Ashdown themselves have subsequently and publically expressed reservations about one of their amps, can't remember the model, mind you, again IIRC.

None of which stopped me buying a Mag combo off someone here and it served me well while I had it.

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I think it`s cos a fair few people have seen bands where the bass amp was an Ashdown, and the sound was plenty-woolly, so have based their opinion from that. I`ve seen such bands.

I`ve never used an Ashdown amp however, and knowing that JJ Burnell uses them, I cannot for one mini-second imagine JJ going near anything that wasn`t capable of his very cutting tone.

Plus, plenty of other artists use them, as mentioned. Now I know some people will accept any kind of sponsorship/endorsement if the money is there, but I can`t see people who are known for their prowess on the bass linking themselves to something that isn`t up to the job.

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[quote name='daveparker123' timestamp='1367944531' post='2071377']
If Ashdown gear was 'wooly' 'marmite like' 'average' or 'disappointing' as I've read on here, why would bassists like Nate Mendel, John Entwhistle, Mark King, James Johnston, Adam Clayton, Pino Palladino and Guy Pratt buy it themselves to use on stage?
[/quote]

I doubt they buy Ashdown gear, it's likely given to them in order to extend the brand name to prospective customers. In the case of Nate Mendel it's obviously beneficial for them to extend their marketing to the U.S.A too. Players like Pino have also used Epifani, Ampeg and Phil Jones stuff, depending on who he's playing with and what part of the world he is in, he doesn't seem to be all that picky about amplification.

I don't have a problem with Ashdown per se but I wouldn't use their amps, they don't make my bass sound like I'd want it to sound on stage and unfortunately I have found that the 'wooly' sound has been true of much of the Ashdown stuff I've used. I get that other people like it though, it's just not my cup of tea at all. You might not like my amp if you tried it out, so it works both ways.

Edited by risingson
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Can only speak as you find...

I've used the 810 which was wolly but I would be prepared to concede that that may be down to having a
hard life as a rental unit....????

Used their top range...I assume.. amp and I didn't like the EQ on it and it didn't work at all well
with SWR Goliath cabs. Awful, IMO.

Loved a litte 250w 15" combo that I had to hire....so much so, I offered to buy it.
Not surprisingly, the unit earnt the guy money and was always out on hire so he didn't want to sell.

Edited by JTUK
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[quote name='RandomBass' timestamp='1367946946' post='2071437']
Enjoying a new found relationship with my ABM now that I have discovered the sub-octave thingy can actually do somethihg useful...
[/quote]

A bit of sub will vibrate [i]wombs[/i], making you very popular with a certain section of the audience. ;)

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[quote name='RandomBass' timestamp='1367947657' post='2071454']
That's because I was just toying with my sub-octave knob...
[/quote]

[Insert jokes about bottom, fingering, G-string, A-minor, strap-on, standing up, slapping, going deeper, etc. HERE]

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[quote name='discreet' timestamp='1367947788' post='2071460']
[Insert jokes about bottom, fingering, G-string, A-minor, strap-on, standing up, slapping, going deeper, etc. HERE]
[/quote]

You've just stolen my whole plan for the rest of this thread, you scoundrel.

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I've played through 3 Ashdowns in my life - admittedly they were at the bottom of the range, but I wasn't impressed at all with either the sound or the build quality. Like most manufacturers, Ashdown will have their fair share of duffers slipping through the net; just look at Ampeg's nose dive during the past few years.

Doesn't mean that every Ashdown amp bad, just 100% of the ones I've tried. :(

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[quote name='Musicman20' timestamp='1367947787' post='2071459']
I just don't like the EQ design.

Always plenty of Orange bashers, and it doesn't bother me. Again, great service, British company, a lot of the line made here in GB.
[/quote]

The ABM EQ is something I really like and find easy to use. I'd like to try one of their 12 band graphic designs sometime, I'm guessing it will be similar to the classic TE GP12 design if it's a Clive Button design.

Cheers

Geoff

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I loved the sound of them had three in total, a combo, superfly and mag head and cabs and all three let me down badly, I have used the term crashdown before myself, for me it was because they proved to be rather poor, on not one, nor two but three times, I like to try and give things a go but enough was enough.... not a hater, but no way a fan, nor would I recommend them, imho.

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[quote name='Musicman20' timestamp='1367947787' post='2071459']
Always plenty of Orange bashers, and it doesn't bother me.
[/quote]

Fender too. And people weren't all too happy about finding out about the reality behind TC's wattage ratings and bashed them. Hasn't stopped me using either because I just don't care. It's easier not getting offended than getting offended I always think!

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knockers.... ahem

Here's a lovely pair of them

[url=http://www.flickr.com/photos/napes2000/5087329578/][/url]
[url=http://www.flickr.com/photos/napes2000/5087329578/]a pair of knockers.jpg[/url] by [url=http://www.flickr.com/people/napes2000/]napes2000[/url], on Flickr

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[quote name='Grand Wazoo' timestamp='1367949800' post='2071499']
knockers.... ahem

Here's a lovely pair of them

[url="http://www.flickr.com/photos/napes2000/5087329578/"][/url]
[url="http://www.flickr.com/photos/napes2000/5087329578/"]a pair of knockers.jpg[/url] by [url="http://www.flickr.com/people/napes2000/"]napes2000[/url], on Flickr
[/quote]

Good man ;)

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[quote name='RandomBass' timestamp='1367948432' post='2071477']
The ABM EQ is something I really like and find easy to use. I'd like to try one of their 12 band graphic designs sometime, I'm guessing it will be similar to the classic TE GP12 design if it's a Clive Button design.

Cheers

Geoff
[/quote]

Buy a Boss GEB-7 graphic, like I did when I had my ABM, and have the best of both worlds.

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[quote name='gjones' timestamp='1367950247' post='2071506']
Buy a Boss GEB-7 graphic, like I did when I had my ABM, and have the best of both worlds.
[/quote]

Yes that's something I've been considering - or the new 12 band graphics pedal from those Ashdown people.

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