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

[Russ]

On 18/12/2025 at 16:00, jezzaboy said:

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.

The best Ashdown cab I ever had was the BP1510, with 2 10"s and a 15" in a tall-ish enclosure. They haven't made it in quite some time now though. 

I've been running mine into a Barefaced BT2 and I have no complaints. I did get to try Ashdown's Rootmaster 2x12" cab from a few years back, and it sounded good, but couldn't handle all that much power on its own. I'd quite like to try a pair of them and see what that sounds like. 

 

I've just got hold of a RM800 Evo III, and, sadly, it's the first piece of Ashdown gear I've had a problem with - something's up with the input gain (not sure if it's the knob or something else), so that's going to have to go back. I've had the original and Evo II versions (the Evo II is my workhorse) and never had any issues, so it's a bit disappointing. Their stuff is usually absolutely bulletproof in my experience. Should have held out for the new UK-produced version, really.  

[BassAdder60]

5 minutes ago, Russ said:

The best Ashdown cab I ever had was the BP1510, with 2 10"s and a 15" in a tall-ish enclosure. They haven't made it in quite some time now though. 

I've been running mine into a Barefaced BT2 and I have no complaints. I did get to try Ashdown's Rootmaster 2x12" cab from a few years back, and it sounded good, but couldn't handle all that much power on its own. I'd quite like to try a pair of them and see what that sounds like. 

 

I've just got hold of a RM800 Evo III, and, sadly, it's the first piece of Ashdown gear I've had a problem with - something's up with the input gain (not sure if it's the knob or something else), so that's going to have to go back. I've had the original and Evo II versions (the Evo II is my workhorse) and never had any issues, so it's a bit disappointing. Their stuff is usually absolutely bulletproof in my experience. Should have held out for the new UK-produced version, really.  

The look of “ surprise “ 😳😂

[mazdah]

I've been an Ashdown fan for many years. I love their customer relations, I love the visual side of their amps, I love the philosophy of their creations - although their ideas are not always intuitive. 

I had one of first hundred of Little Bastard 30, although I've decided to mod it and later let it go to get my first real vintage bass I missed being part of the family. I briefly had ABM300, which I stupidly sold.

Recently I got myself a little present  ABM 400 NEO was briefly made around 2014, I guess in quite limited quantity by Ashdown UK Custom Shop. It is equipped with EVO III Preamp and class-D power amp combined in full size rack mountable case with around 8,5 kg of weight. 

[scrumpymike]

26 minutes ago, mazdah said:

I've been an Ashdown fan for many years. I love their customer relations, I love the visual side of their amps, I love the philosophy of their creations - although their ideas are not always intuitive. 

That's exactly how I feel about Ashdown. I'd always played Trace Elliot then went to Ashdown as soon as the company started. I've bought a few pre-owned heads over the years but that complexity you refer to has always driven me away. Now I'm tempted to buy a new UK ABM600 and find the time and patience to make it work for me.

[mazdah]

18 minutes ago, scrumpymike said:

That's exactly how I feel about Ashdown. I'd always played Trace Elliot then went to Ashdown as soon as the company started. I've bought a few pre-owned heads over the years but that complexity you refer to has always driven me away. Now I'm tempted to buy a new UK ABM600 and find the time and patience to make it work for me.

In ABM the main thing you have to remember is that the Shape filter switch has to be pushed IN to turn the filter OFF. Start from that. 

 

The amps do have HUGE amount of low end - and I found it hard to tame in their tube range (CTM,Little Bastard, 330 and 550 Spyder)

The Subharmonic Generator is a fantastic "sound magnifier" rather than typical octave effect. I love it, but it won't make my OC-2 and EBS Octabass go away. On the other hand - neither Boss OC-2 or EBS Octabass are capable of producing range of tones available Ashdown ABM Subharmonic. 

EQ - i really like the way EQ is presented. As Mark said - use three knobs if you want to find basic tone, then fine-tune with sliders if needed. Taming low end by slightly backing off the knob helps a lot. 

 

I own wide range of amps and preamps SWR, Ampeg, Fender, Markbass... but the ABM with it's aesthetics and sound is my favorite toy for now  

 

[Lozz196]

In general I use the Shape function, then back off on the lowest frequencies to suit the venue. I know a lot of people aren’t keen on the Shape but it suits me nicely.

[scrumpymike]

Thanks mazdah and Lozz196.  I tried two ABM600s and a RM800 at different times and each time I quit because I couldn't quickly and easily find the tone I was looking for. I just took the easy way and switched back to my Eden, Ampeg and Mesa amps that seemed to have tone-shaping centred around the tones in my head.

 

This time I'm determined to find the right sounds that I'm sure are in the ABM600 somewhere. I'm doing this because a) I believe Ashdown have earned my money and b) with them I won't have the complicated and expensive experience I had recently getting a faulty American-branded head repaired.

[2elliot]

On 27/01/2026 at 19:32, Russ said:

The best Ashdown cab I ever had was the BP1510, with 2 10"s and a 15" in a tall-ish enclosure. They haven't made it in quite some time now though. 

I've been running mine into a Barefaced BT2 and I have no complaints. I did get to try Ashdown's Rootmaster 2x12" cab from a few years back, and it sounded good, but couldn't handle all that much power on its own. I'd quite like to try a pair of them and see what that sounds like. 

 

I've just got hold of a RM800 Evo III, and, sadly, it's the first piece of Ashdown gear I've had a problem with - something's up with the input gain (not sure if it's the knob or something else), so that's going to have to go back. I've had the original and Evo II versions (the Evo II is my workhorse) and never had any issues, so it's a bit disappointing. Their stuff is usually absolutely bulletproof in my experience. Should have held out for the new UK-produced version, really.  

The Papa Lazarou... you're my bass now Dave. 

[BassAdder60]

6 hours ago, Lozz196 said:

In general I use the Shape function, then back off on the lowest frequencies to suit the venue. I know a lot of people aren’t keen on the Shape but it suits me nicely.

I agree the shape is a perfect match for pick playing. Fingerstyle less so as it pulls the mids out. Im convinced many new users play with the scoop shape ON not realising it’s actually on and claim it’s woolly and too deep. Perfect though for a pick player 

Edited 23 hours ago by BassAdder60

[Musicman20]

Do the modern Ashdown amps have plenty of treble bite and high end sizzle?

Edited 20 hours ago by Musicman20

[Chienmortbb]

9 minutes ago, Musicman20 said:

Do the modern Ashdown amps have plenty of treble bite and high end sizzle?

Ashdown amps are usually flat with the controls at 12 o'clock.

[Bagman]

5 hours ago, Musicman20 said:

Do the modern Ashdown amps have plenty of treble bite and high end sizzle?

if I wanted high end sizzle Ashdown is not he go IMO 

 

I totally don't which is why I have used Ashdown since 1998

[JPJ]

I used to detest Ashdown amps until someone on here explained how the preshape function works (on when its off). Once I got to grips with that, my love affair began.

 

I currently own two Ashdown’s, an ABM400 1x15 Neo combo that I have in a live-in flight case, and the absolutely fantastic Geezer Butler Head of Doom (that I pair with a Vanderkley 2x12). 

To be honest, the 1x15 combo covers most gigs as in my main band I also provide the PA (2x15” powered tops with 2x18” bass bins) with everything mic’d or D.I.’d so the backline is only really centre-fill for the front few feet of ‘audience’. The HoD comes out for bigger gigs or rare Sabbath tribute shows. Now my last SWR head has left the fold, I ‘might’ add a newer ABM EVO IV head, or even the newly announced PBM 200 as a gig-bag back up. 

[Russ]

15 hours ago, Musicman20 said:

Do the modern Ashdown amps have plenty of treble bite and high end sizzle?

The last Ashdown head that was designed with this sort of sound in mind was the 12-band head from a few years back, which, in turn, was based on the Ashdown Labs head they made for Mark King. 

 

Most other Ashdown heads can do it, but it’s not their “default” tone. Preshape on, treble up a bit. Use a cab with a tweeter. 

[Wolverinebass]

In truth, Ashdown are very hit and miss. I never liked the ABM range at all due to the mix of sliders and knobs. Ironically, I found the MAG series amps more intuitive. The Rootmaster heads are brilliant. 

 

The cabs are awful. Just terrible. The treble end voicing is just so off and the low end is hyped to my ears.

 

In 2005 when I was shopping about for cabs as my band was going on tour, I thought about getting an Ashdown ABM 4x10 until I discovered it was 37kg. Er... no. It didn't sound very good either. Fast forward to last year and they're trying to sell the same cab, same weight (20 years later!!!!) For £1400. Read that again. Mental isn't it? They're not lightweight, nor have they changed much in almost 30 years. It's not a Barefaced, Bergantino or anything that's boutique. You'll be giving it away in a year as nobody will buy it for more than 200 quid.

 

The Geezer cabs are more than 2 grand each. For some purple tolex and stencil grill?!! Really?!! Who is going to buy them?

 

As for the pedals. If you exclude the LoMenzo Hyperdrive, (which is absolutely amazing), a lot of the rest are awful. The MegaDrive is so bad nobody is going to get to review it again after that abomination that was the PMT demo. I joked a while back that it was a review that sounded so bad it bankrupted the company.

 

I have no axe to grind here, but in many ways I don't get the fandom. Has anyone in recorded history ever used the sub harmonic generator? The pre shape being on by default except when the button is depressed is an automatic fail to me.

 

Before anyone asks, I use a GK Fusion 1200s and Vanderkley 2x12s. I own and have used a Lomenzo Hyperdrive a lot. I'm probably biased in that I want clarity, precision and what goes in, comes out. Ashdown for the most part, don't do that due to their cabs being so coloured.

Edited 4 hours ago by Wolverinebass

[Lozz196]

I used the sub generator very sparingly when doing In The City by The Jam, given much of the song is high frets having it just about on adds in some low end presence. Other than that I’ve never really been able to put it to regular use.

[BassAdder60]

I think I read that Adam Clayton used the Sub feature ON very lightly as part of his normal tone ? 
 

Regarding the cabs I agree that mostly they are heavy and woolly sounding which masks your tone slightly and they are not very efficient either. 
 

They are robust but not high end quality 

[Chienmortbb]

I think many manufacturers are let down by their cabs. 

[Lozz196]

Proving beyond reasonable doubt that I’m just not normal, I really like the Ashdown cabs, the ABMs especially so. I have had a fair few and do think that since the EVO-4 range they’ve really improved. They are a fair bit bassier than what comes out of the DI which in the past suited me as my sound had a fair bit of twang/gain/aggression to FOH so having a warmer presence on stage worked nicely, with FOH not having too many uncontrollable lows sent to them.