Ashdown Recommendations

[Klander Brigade]

I've been hearing a lot about Ashdowns lately, and pretty soon, it's gonna be time to trade out the SWR Workingman's 12 for something a little beefier since our band will be gigging soon and 100W at practice usually gets drowned out between guitar and drums. After chatting with James Lomenzo (BLS) on his forums, he recommended something to color my tone more, and I think that's really what I'm after. I play mostly heavy metal and rock. He recommended the EVO series specifically. I read that the MAG series doesn't quite get the tone that you can get in the ABM series. I'm looking to stay away from combos and go with an amp and cab and stay away from tubes. Possibly a 2x12" and 1x15" speaker combination. I'm looking for something that can give me a nice wattage (at least 300W) and not sacrifice tone (and not break the bank! My limit's probably around $1200) Can anyone point me in the right direction so I can get out to the stores and start seeing what they have so I can test them out?

[kev_trb1006]

You wanna stay away from tubes?? each to their own.... though the ABM preamps use both tube and solid state circuitary. If you wanna go MAG, then they do a 307 watt head, or a 600watt head, and i'd recommend going then through a MAG 2x10" cab and a MAG 1x15" cab.

[kev_trb1006]

oh just to add, if I were you. I would actually just go for an ABM 2x10" combo... awesome tone, portability... but either way you go, Ashdown are loud, sound sweet, and are built like tanks

[Klander Brigade]

oh just to add, if I were you. I would actually just go for an ABM 2x10" combo... awesome tone, portability... but either way you go, Ashdown are loud, sound sweet, and are built like tanks

I'd do the combo, but I want something I can build off of easily with cabs, not just another combo, although they probably are pretty loud.

[Your Tourniquet]

Electric Blue 180 is amazing for very little money

[Klander Brigade]

Electric Blue 180 is amazing for very little money

I'm looking for something with a little more to it. 180W wouldn't be cuttin it.

[Your Tourniquet]

I'm looking for something with a little more to it. 180W wouldn't be cuttin it.

Check out the MAG range then. Ashdown's all good...

[Klander Brigade]

Check out the MAG range then. Ashdown's all good...

Do the MAG's and ABM's have similar tone versatility?

[moghes69]

i believe the abm's have more controll over the mids and such... i think they have extra slider controlls instead of just the 5 band eq with knobs

[Your Tourniquet]

Do the MAG's and ABM's have similar tone versatility?

As has already been said, yeah, the ABMs do have more articulation in the mids. I don't really think it's worth paying that much more for what you could get with an MAG and a decent bass EQ pedal

[Klander Brigade]

As has already been said, yeah, the ABMs do have more articulation in the mids. I don't really think it's worth paying that much more for what you could get with an MAG and a decent bass EQ pedal

I might take that route. I had a Boss GEB-7 EQ pedal. But first, I gotta get out there and play as much stuff as possible.

[Chris K]

My reccomendation? Stay clear of Ashdown.

[moghes69]

and why would you say that?

[Chris K]

and why would you say that?

Because they sound crap.

[kev_trb1006]

in the end, there'll always be stories of any brand of amp releasing amps that are dodgy in some form or another but Ashdown kinda seems to get victimised. I know many local musicians here in MK who swear by Ashdown, and though I have to admit I've read the occasional horror story about them, I haven't seen any significant evidence to show any reliability issues as a whole. I looked long and hard into Ashdown reviews and opinions of other players before I purchased mine based on people like Chris K and the whole "crashdown" bollocks. I must admit, my MAG C210t-300 has served me well, and has never showed a single sign of faltering.

[kev_trb1006]

Because they sound crap.

and there's always the odd facist who has to declare what is good and bad and no one else has an opinion :thumb:

[moghes69]

but that's all personal opinion... ampeg's are supposedly for some one of the better sounding amps out there, and when i played through a couple of them i wasn't nearly impressed with the sound... different strokes for different folks

[Chris K]

I have an Ashdown Electric Blue 150 and I'm replacing it with an Amepg/Hartke setup since I'm not happy with the tone.

[moghes69]

and there's always the odd facist who has to declare what is good and bad and no one else has an opinion :thumb:
that works too

[kev_trb1006]

I have an Ashdown Electric Blue 150 and I'm replacing it with an Amepg/Hartke setup since I'm not happy with the tone.

in all fairness it's a budget amp man, and thats not what this guy is looking for from the sounds of it

[moghes69]

I have an Ashdown Electric Blue 150 and I'm replacing it with an Amepg/Hartke setup since I'm not happy with the tone.
i think that electric blue is one of their lower end products. but i have never played an electric blue, so i wouldn't really know. and another example of how taste in sound is subjective, i was set on getting a hartke setup, but then i played one, and hated how sterile and dull the tone of the amp was.

[Chris K]

in all fairness it's a budget amp man, and thats not what this guy is looking for from the sounds of it

Oh yes but I should add that I have played Ashdown's right from the bottom end right to the top, and none have impressed me. I've played countless basses through them, from Warwicks to Rickenbackers, Jazz basses to Status basses, and none have impressed me.

Even the Mark King head doesn't blow me away.

[rh15951]

I have an Ashdown Electric Blue 150 and I'm replacing it with an Amepg/Hartke setup since I'm not happy with the tone.

So you are basing your opinion of the entire range of Ashdown amps on the old version of one the lowest amps in the range. Way to go :thumb:

[Chris K]

So you are basing your opinion of the entire range of Ashdown amps on the old version of one the lowest amps in the range. Way to go :thumb:

No, I'm basing it on the fact I've played loads of them, since Sound Control cut a deal with them, it's been swamped.

[kev_trb1006]

Oh yes but I should add that I have played Ashdown's right from the bottom end right to the top, and none have impressed me. I've played countless basses through them, from Warwicks to Rickenbackers, Jazz basses to Status basses, and none have impressed me.

Even the Mark King head doesn't blow me away.

Fair play, but that doesn't mean they are ****, tone is down to opinion. As much as you try and support your case by how many you have tried, and what basses you've used, it just won't change the fact that tone is a personal thing

[Chris K]

Fair play, but that doesn't mean they are ****, tone is down to opinion. As much as you try and support your case by how many you have tried, and what basses you've used, it just won't change the fact that tone is a personal thing

Okay, but I wouldn't use or reccommend amps that sound "dull" and "crap".

It would have been nice to find one type of bass that I liked the sound of when played through an Ashdown, but like you say, it's a personal thing.

[Your Tourniquet]

Come to think of it, if I were you I'd go out and try a whole load of amps out in your price range- not just the Ashdowns. You never really know what an amp sounds like from what people tell you.

[Killer Fridge]

Okay, but I wouldn't use or reccommend amps that sound "dull" and "crap".

It would have been nice to find one type of bass that I liked the sound of when played through an Ashdown, but like you say, it's a personal thing.

i was really begginning to think that i was the only person here who thought that the ashdowns were crap - i mean originally i thought that they were good, but then i actually played through some good amps, and kinda realised, that the ashdowns i played were a bit wank

- warm (to me, my bass tutor, and a freind) = crap
- clean, consise, personal tone, punchy = good

havent tried the ABMs though, so i cant comment on them, but the electric blues and the MAGs are pretty poor imo

[Chris K]

i was really begginning to think that i was the only person here who thought that the ashdowns were crap - i mean originally i thought that they were good, but then i actually played through some good amps, and kinda realised, that the ashdowns i played were a bit wank

- warm (to me, my bass tutor, and a freind) = crap
- clean, consise, personal tone, punchy = good

havent tried the ABMs though, so i cant comment on them, but the electric blues and the MAGs are pretty poor imo

Clean, concise and punchy are exactly what I'm looking for in tone. At least there is someone here who doesn't like wooley old Ashdown!

[moghes69]

but i think the threadstarter wanted something "to color his tone" which is not clean and concise. i think the warmth of the ashdown's might be closer to what he is looking for

[Killer Fridge]

Clean, concise and punchy are exactly what I'm looking for in tone. At least there is someone here who doesn't like wooley old Ashdown!

exactly, i mean they are OK for begginer amps, but everyone seems to reccomend them here as if they are gods gift to bass - but i really dont like them

my Thumb BO sounds better through my Yamaha BBT500H :thumb:

[Chris K]

but i think the threadstarter wanted something "to color his tone" which is not clean and concise. i think the warmth of the ashdown's might be closer to what he is looking for

I've heard "coloured tone" done better. I've heard "coloured tone" sounding rich and vibrant, which is not how I find Ashdown.

[moghes69]

i don't want to start an arguement... its all subjective and lets just leave it at that.

[Chris K]

i don't want to start an arguement... its all subjective and lets just leave it at that.

But I'd reccommend trying every amp in the price range...it's the best thing to do. Don't buy in haste and repent at leisure.

[moghes69]

exactly... thats the only way to find what's right for you