Please tell me why I should avoid Ashdown amps? (aka why Ashdown are just great!)

[jezzaboy]

To be honest I love ABM and MAG heads but their cabs leave a lot to be desired. I have had several different types, ABM, RM, MAG over the years and for me a Rumble 500 blows them out the water.

[Bagman]

I have my Ashdown CTM-300 absolutely purring today

My favourite amplifier of all time 

[ASW]

I've got an RM800 evo III on its way to me, so look forward to trying it. I've never owned an Ashdown amp (I had a 6x10 cab once though). I have used them before though and have a question.

 

Does anyone actually use the drive, compressor and sub controls or are they just gimmicks best left turned off? I seem to recall that the ABMs I've used previously were much better with the compressor and sub completely off. 

[NHM]

The drive is good, but the compressor and sub are not to my taste.

[Lozz196]

On the RM I leave compressor and sub off, drive on about a quarter to just blur the edges on the sound, on the ABM I used to have drive about halfway. Wasn’t so much for noticeable drive but for the added thickness and harmonics.

[spyder]

Sub and compressor off for me. 

The drive is very good at adding some hair to your bass sound.

[mep]

I've used all 3. Compressor is on half. Drive to be used with caution, only a fraction but does the job. Sub is your typical Ashdown and is OK in small measures.

[Bagman]

I've not had an Ashdown amp with a built in compressor

 

The Sub is ok IMO but an OC-2 is better

 

The Drive is ok as well but again there's a plethora of Bass OD pedals available now 

 

In the late 90's I would sometimes boost the drive ( and mid eq) if I was jamming using a plectrum 

[ASW]

The RM800 unexpectedly arrived early today, so I've tried it out at very low home levels. I'm liking what I'm hearing so far through a Barefaced One10. The Compressor and drive are OK actually, but on low settings. Not sure about the sub yet!

 

I'm looking forward to trying it out through my LFSys Monaco in the new year. 

[Matt_gtr76]

I’ve always been a fan of Ashdown. I had a Mag 300 410 combo that i paired with a Mag 410 cab and it sounded massive. Put a boss sd1 into a odb3 in a loop on a ls2 for drives. Input gain all the way up, all eq’s at midday apart from the hi mid which was back at about 10o’clock, squier pbass bass special with the bottom 4 of a rotosound 5 string set (we were playing in drop c#, so low e a 135 🤘🏻) and a stainless steel tipped Dava pick. It’s still wht i base all my bass sounds on to this day. I’ll build the rig back up again at some point. But damn, it was a good rig for what it cost me back then (being an Ashdown dealer helped 😁)