Carlsbro BG90 vs Ashdown Evo II EB12 180

[DSGW]

My existing bass is an old Carlsbro BG90 with 15" speaker and 90 watts output. It is pretty old and beaten up and I've had a few issues with loose wiring, but easily rectified with a trip to guitaraid in Fulham.

I was told Ashdown were pretty good for the money and I thought 90 watts vs 180 watts was a no brainer (even though the Carlsbro is bigger and has a 15" speaker)

I've got a Fender Aerodyne Jazz and have just tried it through the two amps one after the other and actually think the Carlsbro has more punch and more in reserve.

Any thoughts from members? The Carlsbro has held its own with the drummer, although I get a few flat spots, but I did expect to be blown away a bit more with a new amp against my 80s beast.

Regards

David

[Machines]

Whilst the Ashdown is 180w - only if you plug in an extension cab (on it's own it'll be around 100w). Does your Carlsbro have the facility to plug in another cab ? If not then it'll be the full 90w into one speaker, making it roughly equal to the Ashdown.

I would make a bigger leap to 300w - it'll be better in the long run .

[Adrenochrome]

It's also quite possible there's a better speaker in your Carlsboro combo. The old speaker may also be more sensitive (ie louder for a given input level).

[alexclaber]

[quote name='DSGW' post='467983' date='Apr 20 2009, 11:55 PM']I was told Ashdown were pretty good for the money and I thought 90 watts vs 180 watts was a no brainer (even though the Carlsbro is bigger and has a 15" speaker)[/quote]

The extra size and larger speaker more than make for the the wattage shortfall! And as other have pointed out you don't get 180W from the Ashdown without an extension cab.

Watts don't matter much, dB SPL is what really matters. Unfortunately it's quite hard to find out how many dB you can get from a rig without trying it as most manufacturers' info is limited or inaccurate...

Alex

[BigBeefChief]

At my rehearsal studios I usually rent a bass amp, and its usually one of 2 trace combos (both with 15" speakers) or a SWR (with a 15") speaker, dunno about the wattage of these (my brain doesn't work like that), although I think they are all over 150w.

When I do bring my own amp, I tend to use my 130watt 15" Carlsbro combo, which is pretty much universally laughed at! Without doubt, the Carlsbro is louder, punchier and sounds better than the Trace and SWR. Usually, I'm not a tone freak, but even my band comment how good I sound when going through the Carlsbro. Its got a great vintage thud which really suits our music.

I don't know the science behind it, but I know what I like.

Just shows you that brand isn't everything.

[DSGW]

Thanks to everyone who replied. I tried it out with the band the other night. Although I can get a good level of volume and keep up with the drummer, I do get a bit nervous that I'm not going to be able to get a bit more out of it. I was considering getting a 15" cab as well, but I think I should just trade it for a bigger job like the MAG300.

[alexclaber]

Don't forget that however many watts you have you're dependant on the speakers to turn them into sound. On the whole more/better speakers will make more sound from fewer watts. 300W should do you nicely as long as you have the speakerage to make good use of it. 100W into a good 15" will cope in many bands - but 300W into a good 10" will really struggle. Whilst 300W into even a low budget 4x10" will often be enough if you're sensible.

Alex

[DSGW]

I'm starting to wish I'd held on to get an Ashdown Evo 180 with the 15" speaker!