Ashdown. Crap?

[phatbass787]

[quote name='Protium' post='580128' date='Aug 25 2009, 12:51 PM']Umm, can't the 900 run 2 Vintages? [/quote]

Indeed

[Merton]

[quote name='Protium' post='580128' date='Aug 25 2009, 12:51 PM']Umm, can't the 900 run 2 Vintages? [/quote]
Even better

[EssentialTension]

[quote name='lateralus462' post='580139' date='Aug 25 2009, 01:01 PM']Yup - the 900 is basically the ABM pre with 2 500 watt power amps.[/quote]
Yep, I've run a pair of Ampeg 8x10s off an ABM900 - it was loud.

It was not wooly.

Edited August 25, 2009 by EssentialTension

[Veils]

I reckon Ashdown's are alright. I do understand what people say about the wooly tone, but yes that can be EQ'd out.

Want amps that blow up? Try Warwick. No exaggeration here - I went into Sound Control Salford a while back and asked to be plugged in to one of the tubepath amps. Turned it on, played for 10 seconds, then nothing. After much lead and cab changing, we came to the conclusion the amp was buggered. He then went and fetched another one of the same head. This one popped instantly. The third one did better. About 30 seconds better to be exact. At this point I decided I wasn't interested in this particular amp.

[4000]

[quote name='chris_b' post='580078' date='Aug 25 2009, 12:23 PM']No. The point of an EQ is that you can use it if you need to. If you don't need to then you don't use it![/quote]

I've never met that amp in 29 years of playing...

My only experiences of amps not working have been Trace (2, both dropped in transit to me so not their fault), an Ampeg, and also a Warwick which blew up the first time I used it (went straight back to Sound Control).

FWIW, I used to have one of the first ABM 1x15 combos, a 200 watter. A friend owns/uses it now. The sound he gets is [i]not[/i] woolly. I used it relatively recently at rehearsal with my mate's Stingray and 70s P Bass. The Stingray sounded like, well, a good Stingray. The P Bass sounded like John Entwistle on Live at Leeds. Exactly like that in fact. I wouldn't class that as muddy either personally, although I guess the Marcus fans might.

Edited August 25, 2009 by 4000

[spacebeer]

I think the ABM range ams sound fantastic...

[Rich]

[quote name='henry norton' post='579286' date='Aug 24 2009, 05:31 PM']I thought the whole point of having an eq was to use it....[/quote][quote name='chris_b' post='580078' date='Aug 25 2009, 12:23 PM']No. The point of an EQ is that you can use it if you need to. If you don't need to then you don't use it![/quote]
Thank you. Yes.
A good amp should give you a useable basic tone without having to crank the sh!t out of all the EQ knobs, sliders, buttons, whatever. Especially when you don't have the brain power to figure out a mix of sliders and rotary controls, apparently.

[bassmansky]

The ashdown fan club is growing : Will say that the abm cabs i have had are ok for an old school sound.If you dont want that then you obviously buy something else not say that they are wooly muddy etc and buy one!would like to try my abm head with another cab but just aint got round to it.Allthough it would probably be one of their neo cabs.

Edited August 25, 2009 by bassmansky

[lateralus462]

[quote name='Rich' post='580392' date='Aug 25 2009, 04:30 PM']Thank you. Yes.
A good amp should give you a useable basic tone without having to crank the sh!t out of all the EQ knobs, sliders, buttons, whatever. Especially when you don't have the brain power to figure out a mix of sliders and rotary controls, apparently.[/quote]

What a load of bullshit


If you can get a good sound out of an amp, whether you need EQ to get there or not is highly irrelevant.

[RhysP]

[quote name='Rich' post='580392' date='Aug 25 2009, 04:30 PM']A good amp should give you a useable basic tone without having to crank the sh!t out of all the EQ knobs, sliders, buttons, whatever.[/quote]
I'd agree with that. I never even use the EQ circuit on my ABM & all I've ever had are very positive comments about my bass sound when I've gigged with it.

Never had a single problem with it either, unlike my Trace Elliot (one of the very old ones with the black painted wooden case) which was a total nightmare.

[4000]

I think whether or not you need to crank the eq depends very much on the sound you're after (obviously) and how you play. Some may need to crank more than others even when trying for a similar tone. I always need to crank the eq on pretty much everything.

[Protium]

[quote name='Rich' post='580392' date='Aug 25 2009, 04:30 PM']Thank you. Yes.
A good amp should give you a useable basic tone without having to crank the sh!t out of all the EQ knobs, sliders, buttons, whatever. Especially when you don't have the brain power to figure out a mix of sliders and rotary controls, apparently.[/quote]

Joke. Chill out.

[Bernmeister]

I must confess, i was septical !! about the woolly ashdown sound,
until about 2yrs ago, when i was in bristol demoing an Swr goliath jr 2x10 cab
& the guy brings out his ashdown evo 500 amp.

It was set flat & to be honest it sounded meaty, just enough of mids for me & a very clear top end too,
which was a total surprise to me.

Anyway to cut a long story short, i brought his cab off him & i now also own an evo 500rc head
too !!.

Sounds fantastic running 2 x Swr goliath jr cabs too !!!.

Edited August 25, 2009 by Bernmeister

[fatgoogle]

I don't think ashdown are woolly, just very compressed, my MAG is anyway from what i hear and i have to fight a bit for high end, but Ive found if you roll of 1.6khz knob it starts to ring out a lot more. I don't like their cabs either, for a bit more you can get a peavey tvx 4x10 compared to the Mag 4x10, and the peavey is a better cab IMO. But i think theyve just been given a bad name.

[bassmansky]

[quote name='fatgoogle' post='580603' date='Aug 25 2009, 07:23 PM']But i think theyve just been given a bad name.[/quote]
mainly by people on this site

[Musicman20]

[quote name='bassmansky' post='580629' date='Aug 25 2009, 07:54 PM']mainly by people on this site [/quote]

That seems to happen with everything. Like Ampeg on TBass.

[iamapirate]

A bit of an old quote, but...
[quote name='waynepunkdude' post='578266' date='Aug 23 2009, 02:43 PM']Used an Ashdown for the first time in ages and ages at a gig yesterday and remembered why I don't use them, next gig back to the Ampeg.[/quote]

Is that because you use ampeg maybe? They're very expensive for a very good reason

[longtimefred]

that big dirty valve head looks like its worth a go!!!

I for one have never gotten my kind of sound out of a crashdown, im just too set in valve heads. hence why i want a go of that one thats been posted.

I have heard plenty of bands using all ranges of the things and the only time i have really heard them sounding toss is when the bassist cant afford to put a decent bass into it. sh1t in - sh1t out in my opinion, no matter what fancy amplifier you may use. hope that makes sense

[casapete]

Had an early Ashdown ABM500 - very reliable and okay sounding amp,though not over loud for its 500 watt rating maybe.

Matching 4x10 cab was n't so good for me-heavy and a bit dull,also a sod to lift as the handles were not placed in the correct position,causing the cab to not balance properly when being lifted. A pal's combo had the speaker replaced twice - think the early models suffered from this a bit, though I believe this was later addressed.

Always thought Ashdown stuff was generally okay,especially the MAG range-great value for money gear.

[NancyJohnson]

Now let's see. I had a MAG 2x10 combo and still retain a MAG 1x15, a 4x10 and a 2x10.

For the money, they're very good value and at this stage see no reason why I ought to trade up. They weight a ton and suit me. Granted I use a different head now, but the cabinets are fine.
P

[Rich]

[quote name='lateralus462' post='580503' date='Aug 25 2009, 06:07 PM']What a load of bullshit[/quote]
Ooh, very grown up.

[EBS_freak]

[quote name='Merton' post='580125' date='Aug 25 2009, 12:49 PM']Indeedy. I bet an ABM900 through the Vintage would destroy my home and sound delicious.[/quote]

Why? Would it catch fire...?

Edited August 27, 2009 by EBS_freak

[Protium]

[quote name='EBS_freak' post='582434' date='Aug 27 2009, 01:48 PM']Why? Would it catch fire...?[/quote]

No, because it would be louder than Thor, you clod

Edited August 27, 2009 by Protium

[OutToPlayJazz]

I've had two Ashdown setups. The EB180 combo did it's job just fine & the MAG 300 Evo II 1x15 and 2x10 cab I had more recently sounded great. Only reason I sold it was that I didn't need it anymore. Stupidly heavy, though.

I never had any problems with my Ashdown stuff, but a friend had the MAG 250 combo which was always going wrong. Another friend went through three amps under warranty until he found one that worked properly. Perhaps Ashdowns are a bit like Fender basses. You have to dig through a pile of crap before you find a gem.

Now I use my MarkBass rig exclusively for bigger jobs, but most of the time I use my Roland Bass Cube 100. It's usually more than ample.

Rich.

[EssentialTension]

[quote name='OutToPlayJazz' post='582494' date='Aug 27 2009, 02:43 PM']I've had two Ashdown setups. The EB180 combo did it's job just fine & the MAG 300 Evo II 1x15 and 2x10 cab I had more recently sounded great. Only reason I sold it was that I didn't need it anymore. Stupidly heavy, though.

I never had any problems with my Ashdown stuff, [b]but a friend had the MAG 250 combo which was always going wrong[/b]. Another friend went through three amps under warranty until he found one that worked properly. Perhaps Ashdowns are a bit like Fender basses. You have to dig through a pile of crap before you find a gem.

Now I use my MarkBass rig exclusively for bigger jobs, but most of the time I use my Roland Bass Cube 100. It's usually more than ample.

Rich.[/quote]
Strange isn't it. I have a MAG250 combo that has never gone wrong.