Ashdown

[Machines]

If I ever need another cab it'll probably be another MAG210, it hasn't given me any cause to want anything else.

[EBS_freak]

[quote name='tonyf' post='249937' date='Jul 28 2008, 08:52 PM']Instant love! So much so that I'm now looking at possibly shifting the EBS stuff, something I would have never believed I'd be considering a short while ago.[/quote]

Don't do it.

[Machines]

You won't get very far EBS_freak, I am too much of a negative influence on him .

[dave_bass5]

[quote name='bass_ferret' post='249332' date='Jul 28 2008, 08:34 AM']I was asking because I have a theory that Ashdowns rep for wooliness is due to their 1x15 cabs.[/quote]

You could be no to something about the cabs but im one of those ABM owners that found the sound woolly and that was just the head in to either my MAG 1x15 or my Schroeder 1212R and that certainly isnt woolly.
I did think it was only the mids that lacked the sparkle though, not the overall tone and i would certainly be happy to use one again if i had to.

IME of course though and i do agree most people think and hear different things so it could just be me and my ears not getting on with it.

Edited July 30, 2008 by dave_bass5

[bass_ferret]

[quote name='tonyf' post='249937' date='Jul 28 2008, 08:52 PM']Instant love! So much so that I'm now looking at possibly shifting the EBS stuff, something I would have never believed I'd be considering a short while ago.[/quote]
I cant help thinking that going to Ashdown from EBS would be a backward step. Although I am not convinced your cab combination is right and I would not be surprised if the cabs sound better on their own. The HD350 is super clean and I would expect a Fafner to be more like the Ashdown.

[Machines]

Speaking for tonyf here - but he's currently intending to keep the HD350 and use an ABM810 to colour the tone a bit.

[bass_ferret]

Then maybe he should try another proline 4x10 to create an 8x10 by installments.

[TG Flatline]

My MAG 4x10 combo sounds ace, I'm sure there's probably better out there but I've not used another bassists amp and thought that I needed to chop in. Except for an ABM of course

I dont use my 1x15 cab with my rig any more, I've never got on with it as it sounds like a really wet fart. Our drummer thinks it sounds great and thinks I'm crazy because I'm going to sell it and get a 4x10 MAG cab instead.

Looks like it's unanimous on the Ashdown 15's then!!

[EBS_freak]

[quote name='Machines' post='251213' date='Jul 30 2008, 12:18 PM']Speaking for tonyf here - but he's currently intending to keep the HD350 and use an ABM810 to colour the tone a bit.[/quote]

If he's got the newer HD350, he won't be getting the best out of the amp unless you load it to 2 ohms... Shifting that much air out of a 810 should ofset the difference however. If he's going for a more rock sound, the Fafner is probably a more sensible change.

[tonyf]

[quote name='EBS_freak' post='251436' date='Jul 30 2008, 03:57 PM']If he's got the newer HD350, he won't be getting the best out of the amp unless you load it to 2 ohms... Shifting that much air out of a 810 should ofset the difference however. If he's going for a more rock sound, the Fafner is probably a more sensible change.[/quote]

Stop talking about me!! My ears are burning although that could be the tinnitus

To be honest, before the ProLine cabs came along, I used my HD350 for a fair while with the 4 ohm Ampeg 810E or the 410HLF cabs I had at the time. Never had an issue with the lack of power to be fair, I know technically you're getting the full 350w into 2 ohm and a bit less at 4 ohm but we both know that it's a somewhat conservative power rating and the HD350 has always "sounded" louder than the spec sheet suggests. Hence me looking at the 4 ohm Ashdown.

Dunno, it's not that I'm unhappy with my EBS gear though, quite the opposite. Fabulous amp and cabs they are. Muchly nicely loudness! Maybe to get a little valve like grit back, probably makes more sense going down the EBS MultiDrive pedal route which will help me introduce a little more warmth/breakup but still let me keep the wonderfully articulated EBS punch.

EBS_Freak, you've tried the MultiDrive and have also heard my rig live, I'd appreciate your opinion as an objective observer.

T

Edited July 30, 2008 by tonyf

[wulf]

I'm interested at the "bad vibes" for Ashdown 1x15 cabs. I've got an Ashdown ABM Mini 1x15 which works very well. In the past, I've compared it with a range of other cabs and it stood up very well with a much tighter sound than myself and others expected from a 15" cab. Larger Ashdown 15's may be woolly but I wouldn't apply that description to my one.

Wulf

[bassmansky]

thought we'd all been here before on the ashdown wooliness!agree about the 15's but not the 10's,are not the majority of large 1x15 cabs a bit wooly?i know peaveys were.

[Welshbassist]

God I want to give some EBS heads a direct comparison to my ABM. Who stocks EBS in the UK?

[bass_ferret]

You will have to give the [url="http://www.gbguitars.co.uk/"]distributors [/url]a ring - I know Sound Control had EBS in a number of their stores.

[Welshbassist]

Brighton!?!? Typical, I live in the most northwestern part of Wales!

[bass_ferret]

[quote name='Welshbassist' post='251736' date='Jul 30 2008, 11:20 PM']Brighton!?!? Typical, I live in the most northwestern part of Wales![/quote]
He is the distributor - not the retailer.

[MythSte]

I put my markbass Through an ABM810 supporting sonic boom six the other day. Sounded cracking actually!

[EBS_freak]

[quote name='tonyf' post='251467' date='Jul 30 2008, 04:49 PM']Stop talking about me!! My ears are burning although that could be the tinnitus

To be honest, before the ProLine cabs came along, I used my HD350 for a fair while with the 4 ohm Ampeg 810E or the 410HLF cabs I had at the time. Never had an issue with the lack of power to be fair, I know technically you're getting the full 350w into 2 ohm and a bit less at 4 ohm but we both know that it's a somewhat conservative power rating and the HD350 has always "sounded" louder than the spec sheet suggests. Hence me looking at the 4 ohm Ashdown.

Dunno, it's not that I'm unhappy with my EBS gear though, quite the opposite. Fabulous amp and cabs they are. Muchly nicely loudness! Maybe to get a little valve like grit back, probably makes more sense going down the EBS MultiDrive pedal route which will help me introduce a little more warmth/breakup but still let me keep the wonderfully articulated EBS punch.

EBS_Freak, you've tried the MultiDrive and have also heard my rig live, I'd appreciate your opinion as an objective observer.

T[/quote]

Hey Tony, as you say, the HD350 sounds massive so as you say, you'll probably be alright - especially if you have experienced the amp running at 4Ohm - you know what to expect - but of course, when you are running an 810, anything is going to sound loud just because of the amount of air you are moving!

The EBS cabs are really great as you know and not knowing a great deal about what is in Asdown cabs, it would be unfair for me to try and draw any comparisons. I would guess the only fair comparison would be to put the two side by side and A/B them. What I will tell you however, is that a mate's Ashdown 1x10 combo (with 15 ext cab) , he had it's speaker changed out for an Eminence Gamma and it made a significant difference in tone and volume. OK, the tone is subjective but the volume difference was staggering.

If you are looking for a bit of valve action, the valve drive would probably be a better solution than the multidrive although I do appreciate the additional cost. Certainly dialing in a bit of grunt on the multidrive will probably help matters. What you got to remember is that you have got a pretty hifi amp there with some pretty crystal clear cabs. Saying that, it gives you a fabulous canvas to layer stuff on top of. You can always dirty up a clean amp but never the other way round.

To be honest, your rig sounded great when I last saw you play... I am a fan of the big round, defined bass sound so the fact that you cut through and all the notes were standing out, I thought that it sounded spot on.

[Tee]

I used a MAG 300 4x10 combo in a rehearsal today and i have to say, i was quite impressed by it. Bags of volume and headroom with my US Precision and it sounded pretty nice. Well worth the money i'd say.

[MB1]

[quote name='Machines' post='249383' date='Jul 28 2008, 09:39 AM']Personally i'd avoid the 1x15 cabs. I think the 10" variants are much better at what they do..[/quote]

MB1.
+1........" I'll Second that Emotion"

[MB1]

[quote name='acidbass' post='250131' date='Jul 29 2008, 04:57 AM']Too true. My ABM 2x10 combo doesn't suffer from this at all thankfully![/quote]

MB1.
Neither does mine!

[Tee]

Has anyone played a MAG 600 EVO II head? I'm considering getting a cheaper head for gigging, but i've read reviews that they don't sound like their full wattage potential. It could just be user error i guess. The 300 is pretty popular on HC reviews and as i said above i liked the 4x10 combo (MAG 300) version i tried. I'd like the 600 as i'll be using an 8ohm 210 cab. The 300 might not cut it.

Edited August 7, 2008 by Tee

[beastie]

hi i have an original abm 500 1 x 15 combo which i use with an abm 1x15 extension cab with my muicman hh bass i recently took the amp back to ashdown for a service and was told the following from the ashdown enginer the origanal abm 500 has a differant sound to there two later models the abm 11 and abm 111 the abm 11 being a little plastic in its sound the abm 111 is a cross between the original abm and the abm 11
the origanial abm was made in the uk the other two made abroad the original abm was very close to sounding like the best years of the trace elliot range of amps made in romford in essex back in the late 70s and early eighties which if you did not know where made by mark who went on to form the ashdown range
my sound is full of depth and character and i can dial in any sound i need from the chills to the funk brothers to slap there are some people out there useing the wrong amp and cabs in the ashdown range you should not be useing a mag amp with abm speakers and vice a versa they will give you a poor sound
the klystron is made in the uk to order and is very close to the original abm models which are the best of the amps to date and are quite rare so if you have got one dont sell it that was the advice i was given by the enginers at ashdown
the only other amp/ cab i would swap over to is the mesa bogie big block with the ampeg 6x10 hlf cab the sound from this with my musicman was increadable i tried it out at pmt at southend along side the klystron 1000 into the 8x10 neo cab and there was certain notes around the 9/10/ fret on the e string this cab did not like we canged the cabs over to 2 4 x 10 and sounded the same plugged back into the messa/ampeg rig and on quarter volume when playing slap the punch /air movement iwas incredable price wise the mesa is about £350 more then the klystron but if you are looking for a great all round sound i will argue with any one that with the musicman you will struggle to get a better sound
the ebs equipment are great amps i have used them as i was introduced to them from bernie at gb guitars who distributes them for ebs i have a gb bass and they sound great with the ebs amps but there are sounds that you can not get from the ashdown rig that you can from the ebs set up useing the gb bass but then there are sounds that you can get from the ashdown rig that you can only get with the musicman bass
so golden rules
what sound do you want
take you bass and try them out you will be amased at the differance in sounds
use your own ears to make up your mind not the commision selling shop worker
if you are not happy with the sound it will effect your playing as you will never be comfortable and fully enjoy your playing
as for the wooly sounding abms you have just got to adjust your amp settings and use an active bass and you here the differance yes i know 1x15 cabs are slower in responce but in my opnion the 10 inch speakers still lack depth apart from the that ampeg cab

[Machines]

Whoa, try a little punctuation there beastie ! Your post is quite hard to read but I got the gist of it .

[quote name='beastie' post='257742' date='Aug 8 2008, 02:04 AM']you should not be useing a mag amp with abm speakers and vice a versa they will give you a poor sound[/quote]
I can only disagree and ridicule that comment.

[DirkThrust]

[quote name='beastie' post='257742' date='Aug 8 2008, 02:04 AM']the origanial abm was made in the uk the other two made abroad the original abm was very close to sounding like the best years of the trace elliot range of amps made in romford in essex back in the late 70s and early eighties which if you did not know where made by mark who went on to form the ashdown range
the klystron is made in the uk to order and is very close to the original abm models which are the best of the amps to date and are quite rare so if you have got one dont sell it that was the advice i was given by the enginers at ashdown[/quote]

Here we go again. If it's older it must be better. That old chestnut again. Makes you wonder why any manufacturer bothers spending money on R & D.

I'm not sure who you were speaking to at Ashdown, but I've got an EVO II which is quite clearly marked Made in England.