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Ashdown - sell for nothing???


TheGreek

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On 15/09/2019 at 13:53, la bam said:

There was an Ashdown evo 4 600w on ebay in great condition yesterday.

Didnt even sell for £200.

It's crazy.

Meanwhile bedroom amps and some class d average at best amps go for £350+

I bought an ABM Evo III, for £134 recently, from Ebay. I sold my old one, a few years ago, because I lived in a 3rd floor flat, with no parking. Humping my gear from the car (parked a long way away) up those stairs was a pain.

So I bought a tiny GKMB 500, class D head, to replace the Ashdown.

Class D are great but comparing the amps side by side, through the same cab, I prefer the ABM.

I think it may be the mythical.........HEFT.........I'm hearing.

Edited by gjones
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27 minutes ago, Lozz196 said:

I’m not sure it’s mythical at all, the ABMs are chock-full of heft.

I left my ABM on an angle in the back of the car once. Took a whole day to clean up the heft that had leaked out through the effects send, you can still see the stain and when it's warm the fillings in my back teeth hurt. 

Mythical? Hardly. 

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I think it's a great shame good quality kit generally sells for silly prices at times, whilst much more mediocre (I'm talking instruments) stuff sells for over the odds.

I went from a MAG 300 to an ABM 500 (plus 1 X 15 and 2 X 10). I now use the ABM at home - it reminds me of an updated version of my old Acoustic 370 from the 70s but cleaner sounding.

I now use a Mark Bass LM3 with a 1 X 10 cabinet - plenty of heft, especially with an 18 volt preamp, neo pick up loaded Stingray - even for dub reggae. Add the second 2 X 10 and it's a killer rig for medium to large sized places. 

Seriously, the Mark Bass set up is light as a feather in comparison and has a sound with more presence for me (borne out by some ambiently recorded gigs). 

The Ashdown sound can be more vintage sounding (I read very vintage as indistinct - like some (but not all) rock bass sounds from the 60s/70s using guitars beginning with the letter F and valve amps). They have more clarity than that but maybe not as precise as some class D. 

All IMHO of course.

All that said, my son borrowed my Ashdown set up for a gig with a decent funk covers band and using his trusty Stingray 3 band got one of the best and most authentic bass sounds I've heard. 

I won't be selling my ABM - lovely amp and I keep meaning to use it for a gig again - probably needs servicing for front line service though!! 

Edited by drTStingray
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On 02/09/2019 at 12:44, Muppet said:

I never really liked the MAG cabs, they did sound a bit 'woolly' compared to the ABMs a few years ago, but I've got a EVO IV 600 now and the sound through Barefaced cabs is awesome. I'd thoroughly recommend the amps. 

I use a RM800 and Barefaced Super Twin, really can't go wrong. Fabulous sound. Horribly loud!!

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On 24 September 2019 at 23:42, drTStingray said:

.........my son borrowed my Ashdown set up for a gig with a decent funk covers band and using his trusty Stingray 3 band got one of the best and most authentic bass sounds I've heard. 

+1 to that - after years of using hybrid Mesa and Eden gear in rock bands, I fancied trying something a bit more "modern" and transparent for the current funk / disco band project.       As I'd already got a pair of 4x8 and 1x15 Ashdown mini-cabs as my "compact rig" (UK made, stupidly cheap on BC, and upgraded to 400W RMS each) I recently got an Ashdown MK500 (Mark King signature) head - mint and a mere £200 on eBay.    Really fantastic amp, with the only useful built in effect I've ever found; the "harmonic emphasis" control.   

Another Ashdown convert here! :i-m_so_happy:

image.jpeg

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Got a MAG250 210 combo for £120 recently - it went straight into the rehearsal space and stays there. For rehearsals I just go straight in (P, no pedal board) and it sounds very good indeed. Obviously lacks the lower body mass due to its 2 x 10s - a 115 ext would probably round things off very well. 

I reckon the Ashdown gear is an absolute bargain - almost picked up a clean 210 cab for £40 recently, and the EVO heads look really good at the going prices. I believe Adam Clayton is an endorsee - it's really good gear, maybe just out of fashion?

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15 minutes ago, bartelby said:

I have the evil twin of your set up. Yellow piping was for when I had a Mark Bass amp. Need to find som black piping now...

2280040C-9524-4F96-AB88-F472CC58F775.thumb.jpeg.0f216748babf0fe57751b93ad9f77ddc.jpeg

Ah, the JJB500!   Very tasty, and a rare beastie.     I'd keep the yellow piping 

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5 hours ago, ChrisJaxon said:

I use a RM800 and Barefaced Super Twin, really can't go wrong. Fabulous sound. Horribly loud!!

I usually use my ABM 600 with my Super Twin, and the Rm 800 with the Super Compact, large fairly light rig, and small lighter rig.

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51 minutes ago, Shaggy said:

Ah, the JJB500!   Very tasty, and a rare beastie.     I'd keep the yellow piping 

Apparently this is a pre-production model too. One of about 10-15 according to info Ashdown gave me a few years back.

I do have a 4x10 and an 8x10 that I run the amp through too.

 

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On 2 September 2019 at 12:44, Muppet said:

I never really liked the MAG cabs, they did sound a bit 'woolly' compared to the ABMs a few years ago....

I have a DVD somewhere of Jamiroquy and Nick Fyffe not only gets a phenomenal sound, anything but woolly, and guess what, he's using MAG cabinets. 

I don't know where this idea of woolyness comes from - they certainly aren't but you can get them to sound reasonably 'vintage' if you want to. 

Good as Barefaced cabinets are, the Ashdown ones to me are fine. 

Now there are amps I've used that sound obviously scooped no matter what you do with the controls - very irritatingly. They are not Ashdown or Markbass!!

I think the only downside to the older Ashdown stuff is its heft (weight) - not impossible but not comfortable for me these days!! 

Their servicing operation at Maldon is great also. 

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