Opinions on Ashdown Little Giant 350, please!

[geoffbyrne]

I'm looking for a really small, lightweight head for practice & small gigs - not terribly loud. I'd be playing it through a smallish cab with a full-range Eminence 3015 (8 Ohm) full range. For my full rig I couple the aforesaid cab with a physically larger 250W 15" Celestion cab (8 Ohm), and my UK built MAG400 - more than adequate for what we do.

I'd have in the region of £200 to spend, providing I sell my Crate Powerblock & the John East U-Retro I have in the drawer. My Ampeg Walkabout with a 12" Beyma 250W may also be added to this.

Looking around, I find the amp in my price range which fits this bill is the Ashdown Little Giant 350.

Using the Search Facility(!) I've seen that there are varying opinions of this, especially at lowish volumes.

So, what are your experiences, if you've used it and, can anyone suggest an alternative at the same price point?

I'm looking for lighter gear as I'm 63, with 5 stents in my heart & diabetes! Big stuff is no longer an option.

Geoff

Edited February 10, 2010 by geoffbyrne

[geoffbyrne]

I can't believe there's no-one on this forum who can't give me an opinion on this amp!!!

Come on guys, I know there's some out there!!

G.

[Moos3h]

I can't speak for the 350, apart from to say I don't think it has much guts. I have a LG 1000 and it's not bad for the cash at all!

[obbm]

I had an LG1000 for a while. It sounded OK but I didn't like the fiddly slider EQ controls.

A couple of months ago I bought a Phil Jones D200 instead for £249 from The Bass Centre (delivered next day). It has active and passive inputs, a 5-band EQ on proper knobs a limiter and a decent headphone output. Sounds really nice and clean. Output is rated at 150-watts. Small and light and comes with its own gigbag.

To date I've only used it for practice with headphones. I take the FX send into a mixer, add the PC output and then back in through the FX return. When the weather warms up or the house is empty I'll try it through some of my cabs.

Well worth considering. I think there was a review in BGM a few issues ago.

[url="http://www.basscentre.com/bass-cabs/phil-jones-bass-d200-head.html"]http://www.basscentre.com/bass-cabs/phil-j...-d200-head.html[/url]

[bigsmokebass]

can't say ive tried it, is it worth it?
i know of the american, Genz Benz, make good but fairly expensive portable amps, cabs and combo's.
should check 'em out.

[yorick]

Just seen this...
I've had my LG350 for eight months now. Usually used it for small gigs/emergency back up. It's not the most hifi sounding amp in the world, but the eq is extensive and the features very usable. Not sure the power rating is what it says, but i have used it at an outdoor festival against two guitarists and the Tigertailz drummer.

[OutToPlayJazz]

I'm picking up a Little Giant 1000 next week. I played through one the other day and I was mightily impressed by the sound of it & the prices they're on offer for at the moment are just silly.

[pal1972]

I got one a while ago but took it straight back as it wasn as loud as my then Mag300!!! bought the LG1000 and it was much better, although is till found myself having to drive it hard to compete live! reverted back to a 'big' head (Mag600) now and have to say its much better!! I'd still like to get a superfly1000 though as a backup and also to try out and theyre silly money at the minute too!!!

[Tactician]

[quote name='geoffbyrne' post='682129' date='Dec 12 2009, 01:13 PM']I'm looking for a really small, lightweight head for practice & small gigs - not terribly loud. I'd be playing it through a smallish cab with a full-range Eminence 3015 (8 Ohm) full range. For my full rig I couple the aforesaid cab with a larger 250W 15" Celestion (8 Ohm), and my UK built MAG400 - more than adequate for what we do.

I'd have in the region of £200 to spend, providing I sell my Crate Powerblock & the John East U-Retro I have in the drawer. My Ampeg Walkabout with a 12" Beyma 250W may also be added to this.

Looking around, I find the amp in my price range which fits this bill is the Ashdown Little Giant 350.

Using the Search Facility(!) I've seen that there are varying opinions of this, especially at lowish volumes.

So, what are your experiences, if you've used it and, can anyone suggest an alternative at the same price point?

I'm looking for lighter gear as I'm 63, with 5 stents in my heart & diabetes! Big stuff is no longer an option.

Geoff[/quote]
Well if you already have a 3015 how bloody loud do you want to play. A single 3015 will handle 300 watts - which most players haven't ever heard through a speaker like a 3015 which won't distort at all. Why don't you just get a Roland bass Cube for practice - the 3015 seems a bit big - albeit light? Can't believe the Celestion can out perform the 3015 or add much either. Wattage means nothing for bass, its Xmax and sensitivity that counts. Wattage just emasures the point where the coil burns out. My Sica's in the Ashdown 4x10"s can't hande much more than 40 watts before they exceed Xmax and they are 91.5 sensitivity.

[Tactician]

[quote name='geoffbyrne' post='682129' date='Dec 12 2009, 01:13 PM']I'm looking for a really small, lightweight head for practice & small gigs - not terribly loud. I'd be playing it through a smallish cab with a full-range Eminence 3015 (8 Ohm) full range. For my full rig I couple the aforesaid cab with a larger 250W 15" Celestion (8 Ohm), and my UK built MAG400 - more than adequate for what we do.

I'd have in the region of £200 to spend, providing I sell my Crate Powerblock & the John East U-Retro I have in the drawer. My Ampeg Walkabout with a 12" Beyma 250W may also be added to this.

Looking around, I find the amp in my price range which fits this bill is the Ashdown Little Giant 350.

Using the Search Facility(!) I've seen that there are varying opinions of this, especially at lowish volumes.

So, what are your experiences, if you've used it and, can anyone suggest an alternative at the same price point?

I'm looking for lighter gear as I'm 63, with 5 stents in my heart & diabetes! Big stuff is no longer an option.

Geoff[/quote]
Well if you already have a 3015 how bloody loud do you want to play. A single 3015 will handle 300 watts - which most players haven't ever heard through a speaker like a 3015 which won't distort at all. Why don't you just get a Roland bass Cube for practice - the 3015 seems a bit big - albeit light? Can't believe the Celestion can out perform the 3015 or add much either. Wattage means nothing for bass, its Xmax and sensitivity that counts. Wattage just emasures the point where the coil burns out. My Sica's in the Ashdown 4x10"s can't hande much more than 40 watts before they exceed Xmax and they are 91.5 sensitivity.

[geoffbyrne]

[quote name='Tactician' post='740418' date='Feb 9 2010, 10:04 PM']Well if you already have a 3015 how bloody loud do you want to play. A single 3015 will handle 300 watts - which most players haven't ever heard through a speaker like a 3015 which won't distort at all. Why don't you just get a Roland bass Cube for practice - the 3015 seems a bit big - albeit light? Can't believe the Celestion can out perform the 3015 or add much either. Wattage means nothing for bass, its Xmax and sensitivity that counts. Wattage just emasures the point where the coil burns out. My Sica's in the Ashdown 4x10"s can't hande much more than 40 watts before they exceed Xmax and they are 91.5 sensitivity.[/quote]


So good you said it twice, Eh?

FYI my 3015 is rated at 450W RMS and it goes VERY loud indeed when powered by my Ashdown MAG400 (485W@4Ohms). Even louder when I attach my Celestion cab.

The Celestion adds a lot of bottom end as it's in a large ported cab & the 3015 is in a smallish cab. It takes both to get the full EQ range.


Why are you asking how loud I want to play?

Volume is not an issue here. I have much more volume than I would ever need on tap if I take my full set of gear. Please note that in my OP I say that these gigs are not very loud.

A Roland Bass Cube (I'm assuming you are suggesting the 100W) is, indeed, quite a nice practice amp, but I wouldn't gig with it as it doesn't have enough headroom to please me.

Where's the arguement as to a Celestion outperforming the Eminence? Have you read my post correctly?

The point here is that I already have a 3015 in a small & lightweight cab - not unlike a Bareface Compact, in fact & I'm looking for a tiny yet powerful head.

Perhaps when you are 63, with 5 stents in your heart, arthritis and diabetes, you'll appreciate the value of lightweight gear.

I see you're new here. Draw in your horns & read accurately. And maybe it would be nice if you introduced yourself in the 'Introductions' thread on the main page.

And we usually don't swear at each other till we've been members for at least 24 hours.



Further research has indicated I should perhaps be looking at the GB Shuttle 3 or 6.

Word has it the LG350 needs a pre-amp for the preamp to drive the power stage adequately, and I've read some serious queries as to the robustness of the unit.



G.

Edited February 10, 2010 by geoffbyrne

[lemmywinks]

Soundslive have an ex-demo LG1000 on their site at £219 Geoff:

[url="http://www.soundsliveshop.com/p/Ashdown_Little_Giant_1000,_Ex-Display/ASH-EX-LTG1000"]http://www.soundsliveshop.com/p/Ashdown_Li.../ASH-EX-LTG1000[/url]

It's been on there a while though so may have gone. Express have one for a tenner more with free delivery:

[url="http://www.expressmusicstore.co.uk/products.asp?code=80910"]http://www.expressmusicstore.co.uk/products.asp?code=80910[/url]


They look scarily similar to my Superfly (it's had the extra casing removed), same box and apart from the eq section they have the same front and back. I hope they don't have the same reliability issues!

[geoffbyrne]

Looks like things will have to wait, Lemmy as my band has just become defunct due to the guitarist/vox taking a sabatical due to overwork/stress.

No gigs, no pocketmoney

I have some stuff I can sell, but since we've recently moved house, everythings a jumble.

I'll postpone it maybe a couple of months.

The LG1000 might or might not be an answer. From what I've read, it seems to suffer many of the criticisms aimed at the 350, and 500W@4Ohms 'per side' is a bit fiddly for me.

But thanks for the tip, it's appreciated.

G.



[quote name='lemmywinks' post='740516' date='Feb 10 2010, 12:13 AM']Soundslive have an ex-demo LG1000 on their site at £219 Geoff:

[url="http://www.soundsliveshop.com/p/Ashdown_Little_Giant_1000,_Ex-Display/ASH-EX-LTG1000"]http://www.soundsliveshop.com/p/Ashdown_Li.../ASH-EX-LTG1000[/url]

It's been on there a while though so may have gone. Express have one for a tenner more with free delivery:

[url="http://www.expressmusicstore.co.uk/products.asp?code=80910"]http://www.expressmusicstore.co.uk/products.asp?code=80910[/url]


They look scarily similar to my Superfly (it's had the extra casing removed), same box and apart from the eq section they have the same front and back. I hope they don't have the same reliability issues![/quote]

Edited February 10, 2010 by geoffbyrne

[stevie]

Geoff, coming at this issue from a different angle, you might like to play around with eq on your Eminence cab because I think it's highly likely you could get the sound you are currently getting from your 2 x 15 simply by eq'ing the bottom end of your smaller cab and using it on its own. If it's the Kappalite 3015 (not LF) you've got, it won't take a huge amount of bass boost, but you say you don't play that loud anyway.

If it works for you, it could save you having to hump two cabs to your gigs. Just a thought.

[geoffbyrne]

[quote name='stevie' post='741431' date='Feb 10 2010, 08:37 PM']Geoff, coming at this issue from a different angle, you might like to play around with eq on your Eminence cab because I think it's highly likely you could get the sound you are currently getting from your 2 x 15 simply by eq'ing the bottom end of your smaller cab and using it on its own. If it's the Kappalite 3015 (not LF) you've got, it won't take a huge amount of bass boost, but you say you don't play that loud anyway.

If it works for you, it could save you having to hump two cabs to your gigs. Just a thought.[/quote]


Thanks Stevie. I pretty much do that.

The issue here is neither related to cabs nor tone. It's getting a small class D amp which, combined with my Eminence cab will give me an alternative, lightweight rig.

I don't play big venues, just pubs & 300W through that cab would cover it. It would also be light to lug around for practice.

It would be a lot easier to put my bass into my MXR-80+ then into a Shuttle (or similar) than lugging around my rackbag with the MAG400 & the 5 Band parametric in it.

G.