Ashdown LB-1 Little Bastard Tube Amp SOUNDCLIPS

[Mark Olson]

This arrived at my door a few hours ago. Been toying with it a little bit. Nice ballsy, bassy tube sound. The price is right on these, and they're perfect for small gigs or even big gigs using the DI output (which is off the output transformer, very, very cool).

Unfortunately I don't have my mic and stand right now but I did manage to do a quick clip using said DI. I think this thing has a sound a lot of bass players could really dig. Here it is:

EDIT: Check this first: http://soundclick.com/share.cfm?id=10900143

http://soundclick.com/share.cfm?id=10899497

Obviously if you know me I like the sound through my cab a whole lot better, but once you take this DI signal and put it through some decent speakers to beam it into the audience, the DI function could be very useful, even for me!

Check it out and let me know what you think! I dig this amp and look forward to using it a lot!

[garmenteros]

Definitely going to check this soundclip later when I get home. Thanks for posting. I wouldn't mind owning one to retire my b15 for special occasions.

[Mark Olson]

SoundClick artist: Psychedelic Bass Jams - page with MP3 music downloads

Here's another clip, first the amp clean, and then I kick in my HBE Bajo Mos for a mild boost (set to noon) which adds a touch of hair. Settings on the amp are:

Mid 3 o'clock
Bass Noon
Treble 3 o'clock
Volume 9 o'clock

[funkytoe]

Nice clips Mark. I, too, have been interested in this head. But I was contemplating a 2061 build based on your former clips.

How would you say the Ashdown compares to your Soultone 2061? I know the Soultone is only 20 watts, but it sounds much bigger in your clips than does the Ashdown LB. Also, the Ashdown seems to break up earlier.

Any chance on a side by side comparison/review?

[Mark Olson]

I'll see what I can do. Of course the old Soultone clips are up to a louder volume than what I can achieve in my apartment with the Ashdown right now, and running the Soultone through a cab instead of taking a DI off it (which it doesn't have) makes a big difference too.

The Ashdown definitely has more drive available (The Soultone is pretty clean unless I hit it with a booster using just the bass channel). It also feels like it colors the tone a whole lot more. It's fatter at lower volumes and easier to drive if you want to, so I'd definitely recommend it over the Soultone for bedroom levels, but at a gig I don't think there'd be much difference in volume between the two. Through my cab the Ashdown actually feels like it has the weightier tone, which I'm sure doesn't translate through the DI. The DI feature would be handy if you want to do bigger gigs with these amps, but obviously the Soultone sounds great mic'd as well.

My brother (guitarist) isn't very fond of my tones with the Soultone, he says I sound too much like a guitar (I always tell him I'm playing a bass so how can it sound like anything but; electronic instruments can sound however you want them to) but he likes the sound of the Ashdown a lot better. I guess I'd say the Ashdown sounds more like you'd expect bass to sound, the Marshall makes a decent bass amp and can go beyond if you're like me and enjoy playing with no rhythm guitar player.

Other than that the Ashdown is a little more awkward to carry because of the transformers being off to the back of it, whereas the soultone feels fairly balanced to carry about. The Ashdown is also a little bit heavier, but they're both pretty easy to lift.

I'll see what I can add later when I've had more time to play with the Ashdown.

[dereksilloway]

Man that thing sounds great!

[rodl2005]

Interesting, & thanx. Will listen when I get home.

[Mark Olson]

Originally Posted by dereksilloway

Man that thing sounds great!

Thanks! I'm not fond of DI tones myself so I tried reducing the click by EQ'ing some of the highs out on the amp and afterwords to kind of simulate a speaker a bit. Here's a new clip with some more drive dialed in:

SoundClick artist: Psychedelic Bass Jams - page with MP3 music downloads

I'm still not fond of the drive getting that farty on the DI, but the EQ on the amp made a huge improvement in the amount of nasty click I'm noticing.

[Mark Olson]

Just for the record the amp is at really low volume in that last clip; I'm overdriving the preamp with a cranked clean booster. I dropped the bass down, raised the mids, and dropped the treble.

Also for all of these clips so far I've been using a Gibson SG Bass with a Dimarzio Model One in the neck, neck pickup only. Volume and tone on full. Very dead set of rounds (D'addario EXL220's) on there.

[Zeaweed]

very cool soundclips...love the warm silky tone from it.i'll probably get one for my bedroom studio...thanks for the clips.but i juz wonder why they didnt add the gain knob to it???the volume is juz a master volume rite?

[father of fires]

Why do you have all of the best toys?