Ashdown Signature Series - what a joke

4-string · #1 01-11-2011, 01:43 AM

So you take the MK500, change the front plate colour to black and voila, meet the JJ500! That said, the MK500 started as the AL-600 AFAIK, so why not.

When I saw Level 42 last October, Mark King played through a TC Electronic rig (2 RH450's and 2 4x10 cabs). I guess this prompted Ashdown to come up with the JJ500.

http://www.ashdownmusic.com/bass/det...tion=ss&ID=238

JimmyM · #2 01-11-2011, 02:13 AM

you sound upset.

4-string · #3 01-11-2011, 02:55 AM

According to my wife, I tend to sound upset.

I just think it's silly, that's all.

mazdah · #4 01-11-2011, 03:09 AM

Well it's not their first time:
Ashdown Pi500 from few years ago

But Wojtek is a great fan of Mark King and Ashdown amps (he used ABM before) so it's not so strange he choose MK 500 for base of his signature amp.

davidprice · #5 01-11-2011, 03:19 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mazdah

But Wojtek is a great fan of Mark King and Ashdown amps (he used ABM before) so it's not so strange he choose MK 500 for base of his signature amp.

I saw Wojtek play last month in Wrocław and I think he was using a Taurus amp (but I could be misremembering...)

mazdah · #6 01-11-2011, 03:25 AM

I think he was either testing out Taurus amps or just borrowed them for a gig.
He is using their effects: Abigar, Tux, Vechoor, Zebu and preamp T-Di.

Here's a picture from 28.12.2010 Christmas/New Years gig

Still with his Ashdown rig.

davidprice · #7 01-11-2011, 03:33 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mazdah

I think he was either testing out Taurus amps or just borrowed them for a gig.
He is using their effects: Abigar, Tux, Vechoor, Zebu and preamp T-Di.

Here's a picture from 28.12.2010 Christmas/New Years gig

Still with his Ashdown rig.

Well, there you go... perhaps Mark King was also using borrowed gear/supplied backline at the gig the OP wrote about.

BTW I played in the formation after him -- rather intimidating

calypsocoral302 · #8 01-11-2011, 08:55 AM

I've never been a fan of the AL-600/MK-500/JJ-500. They've always struck me as Ashdown trying to impersonate Trace Elliot.

Having said that, I just took a look at the rest of the lineup, and it looks pretty exciting, especially the drophead combos and the new Valve series heads!

I also like that vertical 2x12" box under the "Dual Tube Preamp" series.

eastcoasteddie · #9 01-11-2011, 09:01 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mazdah

But Wojtek is a great fan of Mark King and Ashdown amps (he used ABM before) so it's not so strange he choose MK 500 for base of his signature amp.

that's one hell of an EQ scoop....

on a side note:
gdzie wy wszystkie polaki sie chowaja...? pierwszy ras ja widze tyle was na wjedym stronie...

andrew · #10 01-20-2011, 04:44 PM

So is the JJ500 actually the same amp as the MK500 with a different look? Or is that speculation?

It seems like the two use very different tones, I would have thought the JJ500 capable of delivering some good dirty/overdrive tones. Can't see dirt tones being part of Mark King's signature amp.

ttyR2 · #11 01-20-2011, 07:41 PM

That is one ugly amp.

andrew · #12 01-20-2011, 11:24 PM

I don't like the look of any of the other sig. amps, but the JJ500 looks bad ass.

JAUQO III-X · #13 01-21-2011, 06:52 AM

For the record Wjotek does not nor has he ever had a sig amp from Ashdown.

Wjotek's amp is exactly a Mark King with his own graphics on it. He is more famous in Poland than Mark King.

JJ had his amp built with more input gain to suit his sound.

And Mark King using a TC Electronics rig had nothing to do with the release of the JJ Burnel model.

I'm an Ashdown endorser.

davidprice · #14 01-21-2011, 08:12 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JAUQO III-X

He is more famous in Poland than Mark King.

Maybe... he is very well known among musicians but Level 42 has been very popular among the general population here (I've never particularly been a fan of Level 42 FWIW) so I'd say that sounds a little questionable to me but probably true among Polish bass players as a sub-group.

JAUQO III-X · #15 01-21-2011, 08:27 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by davidprice

Maybe... he is very well known among musicians but Level 42 has been very popular among the general population here (I've never particularly been a fan of Level 42 FWIW) so I'd say that sounds a little questionable to me but probably true among Polish bass players as a sub-group.

Please this is not a knock on Mark King. But he is not that big in Poland. While Wjotek is. Wjotek is so huge in the Polish community that here in Chicago (which has the largest concentration of Polish people second to Poland) a few years ago some of my Polish friends here thought that Wjotek had his own sig amp from Ashdown. And when I explained that Ashdown does not offer a Wjotek sig amp, that all Wjotek did was add his own personal graphics to the already existing MK500 they were a little sad. But they fondly got over it.

The Polish community does support Wjotek. And that is a great thing.

Clark Dark · #16 01-21-2011, 08:41 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by calypsocoral302

I've never been a fan of the AL-600/MK-500/JJ-500. They've always struck me as Ashdown trying to impersonate Trace Elliot.
Having said that, I just took a look at the rest of the lineup, and it looks pretty exciting, especially the drophead combos and the new Valve series heads!

I also like that vertical 2x12" box under the "Dual Tube Preamp" series.

...didn't a onetime Trace engineer or COO leave Trace to go to Ashdown ? Is it possible some engineering traits are being shared ?

JAUQO III-X · #17 01-21-2011, 08:44 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Clark Dark

...didn't a onetime Trace engineer or COO leave Trace to go to Ashdown ? Is it possible some engineering traits are being shared ?

Mark Gooday the founder and owner of Ashdown was originally the founder and owner of Trace Elliot.

davidprice · #18 01-21-2011, 09:23 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JAUQO III-X

Please this is not a knock on Mark King. But he is not that big in Poland. While Wjotek is. Wjotek is so huge in the Polish community that here in Chicago (which has the largest concentration of Polish people second to Poland) a few years ago some of my Polish friends here thought that Wjotek had his own sig amp from Ashdown. And when I explained that Ashdown does not offer a Wjotek sig amp, that all Wjotek did was add his own personal graphics to the already existing MK500 they were a little sad. But they fondly got over it.

The Polish community does support Wjotek. And that is a great thing.

I don't mean mean it as a knock on Wojtek - I know and like him - nor am I a big fan of Level 42 but it is true that they had big pop success here (in Poland itself - the first largest concentration of Polish people... ) and Wojtek is very popular among musicians but has not been part of any of the household name pop bands. A lot of non-musicians know who Mark King is and that's generally less true with Wojtek. Of course, that will vary to a degree depending on who you're talking to.

JAUQO III-X · #19 01-21-2011, 09:29 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by davidprice

it is true that they had big pop success here (in Poland itself - the first largest concentration of Polish people... ) and Wojtek is very popular among musicians but has not been part of any of the household name pop bands. A lot of non-musicians know who Mark King is and that's generally less true with Wojtek. Of course, that will vary to a degree depending on who you're talking to.

I agree. And I take it that you may be Polish. And if so you fully understand the support that Wojtek gets from the Polish community at home. Especially the younger generation who may not even have a clue to who Mark King is. Nor know or care about how big of an influence Mark King has been on Wojtek.

davidprice · #20 01-21-2011, 09:43 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JAUQO III-X

I agree. And I take it that you may be Polish. And if so you fully understand the support that Wojtek gets from the Polish community at home. Especially the younger generation who may not even have a clue to who Mark King is. Nor know or care about how big of an influence Mark King has been on Wojtek.

Totally agree - the generational thing is certainly an aspect.

I'm American - have lived in Poland the last 4 years and have been coming regularly since the early '90s and have had an apartment for 15 years - and have played a lot here including with some of the same guys Wojtek plays with.