warwickhunt Posted February 17, 2010 Share Posted February 17, 2010 The following statement is taken directly from an eBay Music Shops listing. [i]Ltd Edition US Built Amp Ashdown Klystron 500 Bass Head "Proudly built in the the Ashdown factory in Kentucky, USA, the Classic Series is Ashdown’s flagship bass amp range. Comprising of Klystron heads, a selection of cabinets and a range of 500-Watt combos, the Classics are about doing everything better – more volume, more dynamics, an extended frequency range and greater versatility. These are Limited Edition USA built Klysrton amps, normally built in the UK Ashdown have brought in a few specially built US built amp and cab models to satisfy customer requests. They are 230 volt models suitable for use in Europe and the UK. The 575-Watt Klystron 500 head features Valve Drive this routes the signal either through a clean Solid State amplification section (control on zero) or through a Dual Triode Tube amplification/overdrive section in order to add either tonal character and this is where the US feel and tone will kick in giving the US model a bit more North American umph. US Ltd Edition Ashdown Classic range Klystron 500 Head - 575 watt RMS Bass Amp"[/i] I might have the wrong end of the stick here but it seems very odd for Ashdown to manufacture an amp in the USA and then ship it back to the UK for retail; especially as I'm sure this 'Classic; amp is already manufactured and retailed in the UK... to the exact same specs and livery. This retailer certainly seem to be clearly indicating that this is manufactured in the USA (even stating Kentucky to be precise) and is 'different' from the UK model. Any Ashdown experts that can confirm/deny this eBay stores claim? [url="http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Ltd-Edition-US-Built-Amp-Ashdown-Klystron-500-Bass-Head_W0QQitemZ300397913144QQcmdZViewItemQQptZUK_MusicalInstr_Amplifiers_RL?hash=item45f11c6438"]http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Ltd-Edition-US-Built...=item45f11c6438[/url] Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
niceguyhomer Posted February 17, 2010 Share Posted February 17, 2010 Weird John. It's probably code for (made by) [b]US[/b] at [b]A[/b]shdown next door to the Kentucky Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
crez5150 Posted February 17, 2010 Share Posted February 17, 2010 Here you go - New distributor deal follows successful launch of Kentucky operation Ashdown Engineering has established a cabinet manufacturing and component assembly operation in Kentucky in order to take advantage of favourable trading conditions in the US, as well as the predilection the US market has for home-made products. The factory will assemble high end Ashdown and Hayden amplifiers and cabs, with the notable difference of utilising Eminence speakers. The switch is due to the Eminence factory being close by and, following extensive development of exactly the right ‘Ashdown’ sound from the speaker maker, making strong economic sense. “Ashdown has been doing about $1 million in the USA and that is simply not good enough for brand such as ours,” commented Mark Gooday, Ashdown’s founder and owner. “With US made products, whole new areas open up for us in terms of marketing and media coverage, as well as the sell through. We are now on the radar here.” Added to this, Ashdown has – from June 1st – switched its US distribution to EMD, a company with which Ashdown has been working in Europe for over ten years. The previous distributor, Power Music, will continue to supply Ashdown to Canada. “We have been building territories with EMD for 11 years now,” said Gooday, “and while it might seem as though we are putting a lot of eggs in one basket, this is a company we trust implicitly. EMD sells, and it sells very well. It’s what the business is built around. Added to that the company’s experience in China, this means we have a distributor in the US that knows how to plan well, put the plan in place, and then work it.” Gooday went on to say how a meeting in Frankfurt with EMD’s newest directorial recruit in the US, Dan Barker, who joined the company from Sabian earlier this year, was the clincher for the deal. “Within ten minutes of talking to Dan I knew this was the right thing to do,” added Gooday. “On top of that, EMD has ten full time reps in the USA and 13 freelance agents – we know the product is spot on, we know the price is spot on, the set up to sell through is just perfect. To have done the whole thing ourselves here would have been too expensive and very stressful. Now we can really light a fire in the US.” Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
warwickhunt Posted February 17, 2010 Author Share Posted February 17, 2010 [quote name='crez5150' post='748052' date='Feb 17 2010, 09:29 AM']Here you go - New distributor deal follows successful launch of Kentucky operation Ashdown Engineering has established a cabinet manufacturing and component assembly operation in Kentucky in order to take advantage of favourable trading conditions in the US, as well as the predilection the US market has for home-made products. The factory will assemble high end Ashdown and Hayden amplifiers and cabs, with the notable difference of utilising Eminence speakers. The switch is due to the Eminence factory being close by and, following extensive development of exactly the right ‘Ashdown’ sound from the speaker maker, making strong economic sense. “Ashdown has been doing about $1 million in the USA and that is simply not good enough for brand such as ours,” commented Mark Gooday, Ashdown’s founder and owner. “With US made products, whole new areas open up for us in terms of marketing and media coverage, as well as the sell through. We are now on the radar here.” Added to this, Ashdown has – from June 1st – switched its US distribution to EMD, a company with which Ashdown has been working in Europe for over ten years. The previous distributor, Power Music, will continue to supply Ashdown to Canada. “We have been building territories with EMD for 11 years now,” said Gooday, “and while it might seem as though we are putting a lot of eggs in one basket, this is a company we trust implicitly. EMD sells, and it sells very well. It’s what the business is built around. Added to that the company’s experience in China, this means we have a distributor in the US that knows how to plan well, put the plan in place, and then work it.” Gooday went on to say how a meeting in Frankfurt with EMD’s newest directorial recruit in the US, Dan Barker, who joined the company from Sabian earlier this year, was the clincher for the deal. “Within ten minutes of talking to Dan I knew this was the right thing to do,” added Gooday. “On top of that, EMD has ten full time reps in the USA and 13 freelance agents – we know the product is spot on, we know the price is spot on, the set up to sell through is just perfect. To have done the whole thing ourselves here would have been too expensive and very stressful. Now we can really light a fire in the US.”[/quote] So do we reckon that this is genuinely a USA built amp that has been converted back to UK voltage and reimported for sale, as opposed to a good old fashioned bit of cr4p being trotted out by a shop... a bit of a weighted question so I guess you know which side of the fence I might be sitting on. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wateroftyne Posted February 17, 2010 Share Posted February 17, 2010 Well, presumably it'll have 'Made in the USA' on the back...! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
warwickhunt Posted February 17, 2010 Author Share Posted February 17, 2010 [quote name='wateroftyne' post='748081' date='Feb 17 2010, 09:45 AM']Well, presumably it'll have 'Made in the USA' on the back...![/quote] My heads done in dealing with Estate Agents so I could do with some diversions; I'll send them that question now. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Adrenochrome Posted February 17, 2010 Share Posted February 17, 2010 Surely it's just a [s]gimic[/s] [i]marketing ploy [/i]to get some more US sales? It is a big market... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
crez5150 Posted February 17, 2010 Share Posted February 17, 2010 It is a big market...... and if they are only doing $1m then they seriously need to ramp up over there.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Musicman20 Posted February 17, 2010 Share Posted February 17, 2010 Off topic slightly, I used an Ashdown 4x10 at a practice room recently that was supplied. I was actually quite impressed....no wooliness. It could have been the amp and bass I brought with me, but it did the job. I am still unsure on Ashdown though...I would be interested to a least test their new line. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
warwickhunt Posted February 17, 2010 Author Share Posted February 17, 2010 [quote name='wateroftyne' post='748081' date='Feb 17 2010, 09:45 AM']Well, presumably it'll have 'Made in the USA' on the back...![/quote] Message from the seller; [i]Hi, It has made in the UK on the back. It has a Union Jack and USA flag on the front. Ashdown explain that the parts are British including the case which has the made in UK on it, they are flown out to the USA and built there and returned to the UK. If unsure check it out with Ashdown. Mike.[/i] I think the important bit in that reply is "It was made in the UK"! Regardless of the market it is aimed at or the Stars and Stripes flags on it; if it says "Made in the UK" and NOT "Made in The USA", then I'm not certain that they are selling anything different to what Soundslive are selling which they state is "Made in the UK"! [url="http://www.soundslive.co.uk/product~name~Ashdown-Classic-Series,-Klystron-500-Head,-EVO-III~ID~6159.asp"]http://www.soundslive.co.uk/product~name~A...III~ID~6159.asp[/url] Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MB1 Posted February 17, 2010 Share Posted February 17, 2010 MB1. I'm an Ashdown User myself! The sentence..."Now we can really light a fire in the U.S"... Might not have been the best one to make! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AlanP2008 Posted February 17, 2010 Share Posted February 17, 2010 [quote name='warwickhunt' post='748454' date='Feb 17 2010, 02:04 PM']Message from the seller; [i]Hi, It has made in the UK on the back. It has a Union Jack and USA flag on the front. Ashdown explain that the parts are British including the case which has the made in UK on it, they are flown out to the USA and built there and returned to the UK. If unsure check it out with Ashdown. Mike.[/i] I think the important bit in that reply is "It was made in the UK"! Regardless of the market it is aimed at or the Stars and Stripes flags on it; if it says "Made in the UK" and NOT "Made in The USA", then I'm not certain that they are selling anything different to what Soundslive are selling which they state is "Made in the UK"! [url="http://www.soundslive.co.uk/product~name~Ashdown-Classic-Series,-Klystron-500-Head,-EVO-III~ID~6159.asp"]http://www.soundslive.co.uk/product~name~A...III~ID~6159.asp[/url][/quote] It sounds a bit as if the amps might be made in the UK, but the cabs are made in the USA - which would make a lot of sense, given the cost of shipping big heavy items back and forth... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Basska Posted February 17, 2010 Share Posted February 17, 2010 my little giant 1000 was made in the people republic of china, my ABM BP1510TX Cabinet in england and the USA ABM 4x10 ( I should be recieving tomorrow) made in America. seems to me they have their fingers in a few different bowls! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
elliswasp Posted February 17, 2010 Share Posted February 17, 2010 [quote name='Musicman20' post='748162' date='Feb 17 2010, 10:48 AM']Off topic slightly, I used an Ashdown 4x10 at a practice room recently that was supplied. I was actually quite impressed....no wooliness. It could have been the amp and bass I brought with me, but it did the job. I am still unsure on Ashdown though...I would be interested to a least test their new line.[/quote] I too used a 4x10 cab in a studio recently and have used one of the 15" combo's before and i have to say i was really impressed both time so much so that i went out ans shelled out alot of money on a 210t combo and a 115 cab the combo was 300w and i took it back the day after my frist gig with it as it seemed very under powered im now the prowd owner of a 600w mag head with a seperate 210 cab and still have the 115 cab as well so im hoping that will do the job but as far a the sound quality goes i was more than happy i must say just needed a little more juice. Im not a big fan of having to drive an amp almost to the max to just keep up if head room is availible then i wantit so it made sense to go for the bigger amp. As far as that us made amp business i would say i have to agree with others that have commented that it would seem to be more of a gimick there doesnt seem to me to be any reason why they would make an amp over in the us to then bring it back here for sale i could understand them doing it for the us market to make it cheaper for them and so on but i cant see any reason other than that and you have got to ask your self where are they getting there components from because if they are using cheap chinese valves or a valve of a lesser quality then it wont perform as well as the british made stuff anyway. and thats just one component what about all the others. does ashdown have the pulling power to get all the same components shipped to the us for one factory something tells me the answer to that question is a firm no. Its funny though the only bad reports ive really heard about ashdonw seem to come from the U.S. so you got to ask your self why they are even bothering. Markus Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
phatbass787 Posted February 17, 2010 Share Posted February 17, 2010 Yes it does seem a bit odd importing the same amps from the US that you build in England, however I think I may have a theory on this that the more I think about it makes sense. If I remember rightly didnt Ashdown have a huge fire in their UK factory last summer? Im pretty sure they did and couldn't build anything there for a few months, therefore I would imagine this amp and probably others were imported by Ashdown from their US factory to keep supply of their high end going whilst they got the factory over here operational again... Do I win a prize? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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