Ashdown head

rikk · Post by **rikk** » Sat Jan 07, 2006 5:19 am

I've been reading a lot about Ashdown Bass amps here. I never heard of them. How do they compare with GK, Trace-Elliot etc?

edski · Post by **edski** » Sat Jan 07, 2006 5:33 am

From what I've read, the Ashdown heads are good. I've got a Behringer head, which is apparently a knock off of one of the Ashdown models. Not sure the comparisons are valid...

But the Behringer head is a little muddy/farty sounding in my opinion, but it's a solid and reliable head. I can compare it to a Trace head I have (ripped out of a BLX-80)...the Trace is a far brighter amp. But since the Trace is only 80 W, and I still haven't put a cover over it, I haven't used it in the band setting.

40014002 · Post by **40014002** » Sat Jan 07, 2006 5:37 am

Rikk in answer to part of your question and living here in the UK and being a long time user of Trace Elliot it should come as no surprise when I tell you that many of the people behind the Ashdown amps used to be with the Trace Elliot company but moved ship when the Trace Elliot changed hands a few times and eventually closed.

And now the Peavey company have restarted Trace Elliot made here in the UK if you can see a copy of this months Bass Guitar Mag for the 1st new Trace Elliot rig review or try this website www.bassguitarmagazine.com

highway_star · Post by **highway_star** » Sat Jan 07, 2006 5:48 am

I had an ABM 500 EVO II that I sold like an idiot. I thought the bass was too boomy and wound up getting an Aguilar AG500. Last Saturday, I was in a local shop and the salesman hooked up an ABM 300 EVO II to my Aguilar GS121 cabs. I loved the sound! I checked his EQ settings and noticed that he rolled off the bass a bit and boosted the mids. I went home, listed my AG500 on Ebay and ordered a rackmount version of the ABM 500.

The ABM line has been described as a midpoint between a hi-fi amp and an Ampeg. That's not very far off. The tube drive knob will let you go from squeaky clean to a nice mild saturation. It has a lot of attack, too. I find the bass to be overwhelming and rolling it off to about 3 or so helps tame it.

The only thing I don't like is the harmonizer. It just sounds artificial to me and some of the tones come out jumbled. Get an 8-string bass if you want to do it right.

jps · Post by **jps** » Sat Jan 07, 2006 6:20 am

I am looking forward to trying the new TE AH1000-12 when they are available here. I have never tried an Ashdown, but I have read nothing but great things about them, especially the ABM series. I am not so sure about the Chinese made MAG series, I'd get an ABM.

lshaia · Post by **lshaia** » Sat Jan 07, 2006 6:38 am

I recently bought the Ashdown EVOII RPM-1, which is the preamp for the EVO series heads:

It replaces my Ampeg SVP-Pro, which had started to die. I agree with Ron, the Ashdown sound is more "hi-fi" than the Ampeg and retains more of the piano-like sounds of the bass. The tone controls are very responsive, and the tube blend is nice, although I can't get a real snarly grind out of it, which I could with the Ampeg. The sub-harmonic thing is a gimmick IMO; you can actually hear two distinct sounds, like a thuddy echo, so I leave it off.

What I like best about it is the clarity and openness of the sound; it projects the full range of the bass much better than the Ampeg, which always sounded muddy and compressed to me.

jps · Post by **jps** » Sat Jan 07, 2006 9:20 am

I see you also have an RBI in your rack. How is that for getting the snarly grind out of your basses?

rhampshire · Post by **rhampshire** » Sat Jan 07, 2006 10:07 am

I've got an ABM500-RC (the chrome faced rackmount one) EVO that I haven't used for a while. It's an awesome head, tons of headroom, but I mostly just stick to my 70's SVT's. If anybody's interested, shoot me an email.

lshaia · Post by **lshaia** » Sat Jan 07, 2006 5:42 pm

The RBI is pretty good at that sort of thing, but some days I like it, other days it sounds dead; I guess it depends on how I slept the night before or something. I've had it for a few years and am still playing with it.

jps · Post by **jps** » Sat Jan 07, 2006 8:05 pm

I am expecting one to show up any day to try out. I want to use it primarily for recording, although if it does the job, I may use it for gigging, too.

henry5 · Post by **henry5** » Sun Jan 08, 2006 2:50 am

Ironically I can get far more "snarly grind" out of my Ashdown than I ever could out of my Ampeg SVP, and I much prefer the tone, but my Ashdown (and the one that preceded it) had been in use for a long time before I bought them used. I don't know if it just takes a while for the preamp valve to start cooking. The new ones I've tried in shops don't get close. I can go to Lemmy and beyond with mine. I pretty much always turn the bass down on every bass amp I use, but that's because I hate boom, and I never use the octaver. I'm really happy with my Ashdown so far, and I used Trace previously; I'd say my Trace gear was clearer, but the Ashdown has the edge tone-wise.

highway_star · Post by **highway_star** » Sun Jan 08, 2006 1:24 pm

All this Ashdown talk got me a little curious, so I went out and auditioned the ABM 500 with an ABM 410 cabinet. I wound up getting both and am selling all my Aguilar gear.

jps · Post by **jps** » Sun Jan 08, 2006 1:44 pm

Just can't sit still, can you?

lshaia · Post by **lshaia** » Sun Jan 08, 2006 2:00 pm

Shaun, I've only had the Ashdown for about six weeks, so I haven't fully explored it yet, but I might give thought to replacing the tube with something a bit more aggressive. I do really like the tone as is, though.

Ron, what do you like about the Ashdown cabs? I have an Aguilar GS212, and am curious why you prefer the ABM over the Aggies (this is one of those questions that makes my wallet cry "Don't answer him!").

highway_star · Post by **highway_star** » Sun Jan 08, 2006 2:50 pm

Lindsay, there's nothing wrong with Aguilar cabs and they've served me well over the past year. It's really a matter of coloration. The Aguilar's seem a bit more linear to me and I tend to like a warmer tone. The sound I always come back to when ever I've tried Ashdown gear is something between Roger Glover and Glenn Hughes with maybe a little more shading towards the Hughes tone. The Ashdown cab seems to tame the boominess I've head in the ABM heads while maintaining its dynamics.

If I was playing solely active 5-string basses, I'd have no problem recommending Aguilar gear since it compliments that style of bass well. But I play active 5er's as well as Rics and the occasional flatwound-strung bass and the Ashdown gets me closer to a vintage sound while having the ability to go hi-fi if I want it to.

Jeff, no I can't sit still. But what do expect since I'm a Gemini and my favorite guitarist is Ritchie Blackmore?