Just done a search on Ashdown mini cabs here as I'm interested in swapping from my heavy rig to something a little more portable.

I'm currently running an ABM C4*10 combo with a 15" extension cab. It gives me the sound I want but there is a lot more headroom there than I need. In the time I've had it (about 2 years now) I've only ever been up to about 30% of max volume apart from in a sound booth with ear plugs to see just how loud it would go before distorting

I spotted the reviews of the minis in Bass Player and a few online reviews here on TB. I noticed a thread where you said they were ok and were thinking about getting some when you got back to the UK.

Did you get them ? and if so what do you think of them ?

Thanks

Howdy,

I am using a Mini 4x8 and a Mini 1x10 with an ABM500 head. It sounds fantastic. Really great tone, well balanced... If I was gigging regularly with a rockier band, I'd get a mini 12 on the bottom, but even with the 10 I get a great sound... Well worth checking out...

cheers

Steve
www.stevelawson.net

Thanks Steve - just waiting now for my local music shop to get though to sales for some prices (and delivery dates)

I'd also like to put in a good word for the Ashdown Mini series - I've got a 1x15 that I'm very happy with.

Is your local music store planning to get the full range to try out?

I got mine from the Bass Centre in London, where they had the 1x15 and 4x8 available when I went in (last July). Against my expectations, I actually preferred the 1x15 to 4x8 (the latter seemed a bit harsh on its own) - I'd have liked the try the 1x10 and 1x12 as well but was won over enough by the 1x15 to make me decide not to wait.

However, if I need to add an extension cab at some point, the 4x8 is top of my list as an ideal complement. Look forward to hearing how you get on with them.

Wulf

Originally posted by =^..^=
Thanks Steve - just waiting now for my local music shop to get though to sales for some prices (and delivery dates)

In answer to your title :

"The Yellowjackets" ? ;)

Just thought I'd bump this back up to say thanks. Got my mini cabs and they are great. I got both the 1*15 and the 4*8 and hooked them up to a EVO II RPM1 pre with a stereo power amp driving each cab via the RPM1s crossover.

Amazing sound from such litte cabs. I've done two open air gigs (without a big PA to DI into) and they've been enough to keep up with the rest of the band. Can't wait to get to an indoor gig to really shake the room.

Thanks Steve. Top advice :)

My pleasure, yellow funky person - glad to be of service... ;)

Steve
www.stevelawson.net

hey guys
what kinda wattage r u putting thourgh the mini's palindrome guy? :)
i'm thinking of swapping my ampeg 2x10, 1x15 & B2R for an EVO 500, mini 48 & 15. All things considered it should be louder then my current setup shouldn't it, i know the 8's are a little smaller, but i was looking at a chart of surface area and it should be able to handle 500watts if it needs to shouldn't it?

cheers
Si

My power amp is 2*475 into 8 ohm so for the outside gigs I had the channel with the 8"s at about 75% and the 15" at about 50%.

I suspect that for a small (100+ seater) gig I won't need to be anywhere near that loud - the 15" seems quite efficient so should throw out a fair amount of rumble without to much volume.

The 8"s are rated at 600 watt RMS max and the 15" at 300 watt.

I replaced a full size ashdown 4*10 and a 1*15 with this and it seems about the same volume :)

cheers for the input.

Steve (or anyone), did u have any problems with the 4x8/1x15 combination wen using some of your more out there effects at high volumes. The reason i ask is because on occasion i use a Electro Harmonix bass synth with my dance band and i'm a lil worried about damaging the 8" speakers

cheers

Si

Hi Si,

I've not had any trouble, but then I've never needed to run the amp at REALLY loud volume. On the Level 42 support tour I did have a pretty big stage sound, and the 4x8 1x10 combination worked really really well - great sound all round.

cheers

Steve
www.stevelawson.net

thanks for the help
i think i'm gonna take the plunge and buy the mini's with the EVO 500, its gonna be smaller and louder then my current rig, which can only be a good thing. So if anyones interested in a soon to be lonely ampeg rig.... :)

cheers
Si

Hi,

I've never been to this part of the forum before, i'm a bit of a newbie to be honest so apologies if my question is rubbish!

Anyways i followed =^..^= here in a quest to find out about ashdown minis!

I really want one of the 15"s (i have to have a 15 in my setup!) as my old laney is starting to die and is repeatedly knackering my back, i just wondered how you think it would hold up in a loud/noisy rock band situation when paired with an ashdown abm 500 head and a warwick 400w 210.

I just have a mental block about whether a cab this small can compete with the big boys!

thanks for your time,
Phil.

ok - heres the deal. I don't drive my Ashdown 15" mini as hard as I drove my 'full size' Ashdown cab.

I was pushing it very hard the other night outdoors and the speaker cone was jumping pretty badly so I backed the volume on that channel down. My full size cab may have been as bad - just that I've never noticed it that bad before. Or it may just be that its just being driven properly as its now being bi-amped ?

I suspect indoors though I will quite easily be able to keep up with a loud drummer and guitarist - outdoors withouth a PA to play through is a different kettle of fish

The plan is to drive it until it pops and then drop an 800 watt eminence driver in there as they are only just over £100. Might not be as efficient but I ain't going to blow it...

Just like to add my comments. Recently bought an Ashdown Mini rig and it is superb. MAG 250 head, 1x15 Mini cab on the bottom, 1x10 with tweeter on the top. Big sound when you need it, plenty of tone options and so easily portable (when you get to my age etc, etc). For quieter stuff I use one or the other of the cabs with a Vintage Selmer valve (tube) amp head - lovely sound, especially with passive vintage Fender (usually use active Fender five string though full rig). For me the Ashdown Minis give the best of everything - throughly recommended.

We should start an Ashdown mini owners thread/forum :)
i'm gonna go and try the mini/evo 500 rig out today with my synth pedal, see how the little fellers handle it :)
i'm definatly looking to purchase before the week is out though (assuming it passes the synth test)

Si

Originally posted by =^..^=
ok - heres the deal. I don't drive my Ashdown 15" mini as hard as I drove my 'full size' Ashdown cab.

I was pushing it very hard the other night outdoors and the speaker cone was jumping pretty badly so I backed the volume on that channel down. My full size cab may have been as bad - just that I've never noticed it that bad before. Or it may just be that its just being driven properly as its now being bi-amped ?

I suspect indoors though I will quite easily be able to keep up with a loud drummer and guitarist - outdoors withouth a PA to play through is a different kettle of fish

The plan is to drive it until it pops and then drop an 800 watt eminence driver in there as they are only just over £100. Might not be as efficient but I ain't going to blow it...

does that mean that you generally wouldn't have to drive a larger enclosure as hard as a smaller one? The specs for the all the ashdown 15's are pretty similar so the size of the cab is really the only variant.

mind you i've been using the same 250watt laney 15 for a fair while now, and that does the job admirably (it's just cumbersome) so i would hope the ashdown mini would be able to compete with that.

You make it sound really easy to put a new speaker in, surely it can't be that simple?

SI-BOB, let me know how you get on trying out the mini 15, and what price you get it for!

cheers, Phil.

does that mean that you generally wouldn't have to drive a larger enclosure as hard as a smaller one? The specs for the all the ashdown 15's are pretty similar so the size of the cab is really the only variant.

mind you i've been using the same 250watt laney 15 for a fair while now, and that does the job admirably (it's just cumbersome) so i would hope the ashdown mini would be able to compete with that.

You make it sound really easy to put a new speaker in, surely it can't be that simple?


When I replaced my 'full size' (1*15 + 4*10 driven from an ABM 500) ashdown rig I went to a rack system with a RPM1 pre amp which has a cross over in it. So not only have I changed cabs I've also changed the way I drive them. Whereas before the 15" cab would be handling the full range of frequencies its now only getting the frequencies beneath 100hz. Maybe this 'frequency isolation' is leading to the speaker jumping, maybe its a better speaker in that it responds quicker, maybe its a better cabinet design which doesn't damp the sound as much, and maybe it happened before but I just didn't notice !

I've noticed that the mini cab shakes the reheasal room at a much lower volume than the full size cab did but there are to many variables that have changed to simply attribute it to the mini cab.

I would need to get a new 4*10 and set them both up side by side off an A/B box from the same amp to give a definitive answer - and until I sell my old amp I can't afford to get a 4*10.

As far as replacing the speaker goes there is a lot more to it than simply dropping a different make in. The mounting holes may be different so I'd need to come up with a new way of fixing it, the speaker surround may be slightly larger so I might have to enlarge the mounting hole. The new speaker will also probably have a slightly different frequency response which may mean the porting isn't working as efficiently as it could. But all of these will not lead to damage to the new speaker - only to a slightly different sound. And without trying it whose to say it will sound worse ?

Originally posted by =^..^=


When I replaced my 'full size' (1*15 + 4*10 driven from an ABM 500) ashdown rig I went to a rack system with a RPM1 pre amp which has a cross over in it. So not only have I changed cabs I've also changed the way I drive them. Whereas before the 15" cab would be handling the full range of frequencies its now only getting the frequencies beneath 100hz. Maybe this 'frequency isolation' is leading to the speaker jumping, maybe its a better speaker in that it responds quicker, maybe its a better cabinet design which doesn't damp the sound as much, and maybe it happened before but I just didn't notice !


I don't really comprehend all that, i think i'm a bit of an amp heathen really!

I just plug my two cabs into the speaker sockets in the back of my ashdown and play!

as long as people think this would hold up in a small venue loud rock situation (pixies/fugazi/ride) then i'll get a mini 15!

cheers,
Phil

hey all
i just got back from trying the mini/evo 500 rig with my synth pedal, seemed to be able to handle it well!
i havn't tryed the cabs individually because i won't be using them like that wen i'm gigging, so i'm afraid i can't give an impression on the mini 15 individually, suffice to say that as an entire rig, its very loud :) with loadsa bottom!
the prices i found this lot for are as follows:

ABM 500 EVO II - £799
Mini 48 - £420
Mini 15 - £340

cheers
Si

I am running a mini115, and mini112H powered by an EVO 300 head.

I would like to upgrade to a 500 at some point for headroom reasons, but it's not really necessary. I get all of the volume I need for my roots rock trio.

I am constantly amazed at the tone I get out of these cabinets.

Cheers,
Chris

hey
had the first gig with the Ashdown EVO II 500 and mini cabs setup. And it was great, at no point during the set did i feel like i was pushing it hard, even with my synth and chorused FX all going at once (the synth requires a fair amount of gain). Still playing with it and finding new sounds. But overall a decent purchase and the cabs are a lot easier on my back :)

cheers everyone for your various comments on these products.

Si