New US made Tube amp from Ashdown!

[Geddyfleaharris]

Originally Posted by ihateusernames

You might get your grubs on a Traynor up your way.

I'm amazed how many tube amps are brought to market lately (couple of years) Seems we're due for a what's old is new trend again? Maybe Diezel will put out a product to temporarily wow us like their VH4 and Herbert did to the guitar world.

I tried the Traynor 200 in the store. Probably not the best spot to really give it a roar. Did not mind it but it seems to have even more mixed reviews than the Peavey VB2.

[bdeaux]

I wouldn't count out the 2ohm option yet. I too think they just posted the rear layout drawing for the EVO III on the website. So who knows yet. Either way I want one of these. I get excited about gear often, but this was a huge surprise. Loving the idea of this amp!!!

[metallicafan18]

Is the new Ashdown Factory still in Louisville, KY like it was stated? If it is, I live really close, and I could go check it out and report back if I was able to.

[andrew]

Originally Posted by bdeaux

I wouldn't count out the 2ohm option yet. I too think they just posted the rear layout drawing for the EVO III on the website. So who knows yet. Either way I want one of these. I get excited about gear often, but this was a huge surprise. Loving the idea of this amp!!!

You're probably right about that, if it doesn't do a 2 ohm load it'd be an oddity for an amp with that much tube power.

[ishouldbeking]

I got my response from Ashdown... apparently they don't have any more technical specs than the ones that are listed, at least for the moment. So the weight mystery will continue.

And yes, the "rear" photo on the website is taken directly from the ABM 500 EVO III's and is probably either an oversight or just something to give an idea of where the wires/cables will go.

These will be available on musiciansfriend at some point. The Mark King Signature heads are the only US amps that will be released right away though, and those should be available within a week or so. Other than that, no new info. Alas!

[Mr_Dave]

Originally Posted by tombowlus

Mmm... makes me think of my V8...

I thought of the V8 too... I'd really like to hear this new ashdown, i like the pre/eq/tube drive... would be interesting to hear it with a tube power section. And it looks fantastic

[iualum]

Originally Posted by metallicafan18

Is the new Ashdown Factory still in Louisville, KY like it was stated? If it is, I live really close, and I could go check it out and report back if I was able to.

Louisville, huh? We're neighbors. I'm just down the Knobs in Nawbny (otherwise known as New Albany, lol).

Searched yellow pages on Yahoo. Don't see any listing for Ashdown. Anyone know if this is correct?

If it ends up being 2 Ohm capable, then I'll certainly be on the lookout for it.

[Psycho Bass Guy]

Originally Posted by Tim Cole

I witnessed an unnamed tb-er plug in a tube head, forgot there was not cab plugged in...turned it all on, turned up the volume and plucked a strong open E.

It made a very distinct sound, and it wasn't good....the tubes were actually screaming or something!

But, it survived.....

He was VERY lucky. The sound you heard was the output transformer windings moving. The induced voltage feedback went into moving the coils just like a speaker rather than firing back into the tubes. Those windings are NEVER meant to do that. No load on a tube head is not a guarantee of instant amp death, but that will be the result more often than not with the probability increasing exponentially the longer the amp is played without a load.

[prsbass]

Originally Posted by Bassflute

likely $3,000. And 85+ lbs. And temperamental. Don't transport it in the trunk of your car in the winter to and from gigs. Let it warm up for 1/2 an hour before you play it. And let it cool down completely before you move it - those are the laws of tubes that we lived by for years, unless you like replacing power amp tubes for $200.00+ every 3 months.

But it will probably sound really good.

But not as good as

The Aliens have landed with new technology for us...


Cheers,
Cameron

I've been using tube heads for years. All the things you wrote are urban legends. Except the price of tubes of course but they don't need replaced that often. I'm going on 5 years with the same tubes in a head that has been gigged hundreds of times and left in my car over night in the winter. I like Berg cabs but don't like the sound of SS power so IMO this head will sound better than you IP stuff. Take your hate somewhere else.




As far as the actual topic goes, I for one would be seriously interested in this head. Subscribed.

[andrew]

Like most tube amps I've heard, I'm sure it will marry with the Berg NV cabs very well.

[prsbass]

Originally Posted by andrew

Like most tube amps I've heard, I'm sure it will marry with the Berg NV cabs very well.

Yeah, exactly what I was thinking. I had the YBA200 but it was under powered. This head might just be a perfect fit with my NV425 as a back to my other stuff.

[andrew]

I spoke with Mark Gooday years ago about Ashdown making a tube amp. He and I are both big fans of the Hexavalve (apparently Mark uses a pair of Hexa's to power his home stereo!) and he said he wanted to do Ashdown's version of the Trace tube head. I'm surprised it took this long. I've always liked the Ashdown preamp, I think giving it a tube power section will be killer.

PRSBass, if you can find someone who owns an Ashdown amp so you can demo the preamp in it I'd be curious to know how you find the Ashdown pre sounds into your Aggie 728/Berg NV cab.

[prsbass]

Good idea, before getting to into this head maybe checking out the preamp first would be a good idea.

[metallicafan18]

Originally Posted by iualum

Louisville, huh? We're neighbors. I'm just down the Knobs in Nawbny (otherwise known as New Albany, lol).

Searched yellow pages on Yahoo. Don't see any listing for Ashdown. Anyone know if this is correct?

If it ends up being 2 Ohm capable, then I'll certainly be on the lookout for it.

Yeah man, I'm up in the knobs too. Technically Georgetown. lol. Right next to Floyd Central High School. (I guess you know where that is)

and last I checked, in Bass Player magazine, in an Ashdown ad with James Lomenzo, it said it is made in Louisville, KY.

[ishouldbeking]

Originally Posted by iualum

Louisville, huh?
...
Searched yellow pages on Yahoo. Don't see any listing for Ashdown. Anyone know if this is correct?

They definitely are building them in Louisville... and I'm pretty sure I remember reading that they had purchased the old Ampeg factory, which would make sense.

[iualum]

Originally Posted by metallicafan18

Yeah man, I'm up in the knobs too. Technically Georgetown. lol. Right next to Floyd Central High School. (I guess you know where that is)

and last I checked, in Bass Player magazine, in an Ashdown ad with James Lomenzo, it said it is made in Louisville, KY.

Yeah sure, I know Old Vincennes Rd. Sister teaches at Floyd Knobs Elementary on Scottsville Rd. You ever go to Berry Twist in the summer? Pretty good, although I still like Zesto on Charlestown Rd. in N.A. better.

I see on their site they do say built in Ky. I just don't know where the new Ashdown factory is/old Ampeg factory was.

[metallicafan18]

Originally Posted by iualum

Yeah sure, I know Old Vincennes Rd. Sister teaches at Floyd Knobs Elementary on Scottsville Rd. You ever go to Berry Twist in the summer? Pretty good, although I still like Zesto on Charlestown Rd. in N.A. better.

I see on their site they do say built in Ky. I just don't know where the new Ashdown factory is/old Ampeg factory was.

I gotcha. I went to Highland Hills, and Im at FC now. Brother went to Galena Elementary. and yeah, Berry Twist is awesome. and I agree about the Zesto's. Moms and Pops down in NA is my favorite.


I didn't even know Ampeg had a factory in Louisville.

[iualum]

Originally Posted by metallicafan18

I gotcha. I went to Highland Hills, and Im at FC now. Brother went to Galena Elementary. and yeah, Berry Twist is awesome. and I agree about the Zesto's. Moms and Pops down in NA is my favorite.
I didn't even know Ampeg had a factory in Louisville.

Hazelwood, N.A. & IU Bloomington here.

Yeah, I didn't know about the Ampeg factory either. I might call the Louisville Chamber of Commerce about the factory. See if they have the info & if they can give it out. Be super if possible to get some sort of local deal/discount, although I highly doubt it, lol.

[ishouldbeking]

Originally Posted by metallicafan18

I didn't even know Ampeg had a factory in Louisville.

Who knows, I may have read some misinformation... the more that I think about it, the thread I originally read about Ashdown moving production to the states I believe said production was moving to the "old ampeg factory in louisville"... but I bet that poster was confusing St. Louis with Louisville, and I didn't stop to think it through. But according to Ashdown these are being built in Kentucky, just don't know where. Sorry for contributing to the spread of confusion.

[TheWolf]

They updated the picture on the back

http://www.ashdownmusic.com/bass/detail.asp?ID=215