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Ashdown ABM broke down at the gig...

CaptainWally

CaptainWally

"You wrote a bad song, Petey"
Oct 21, 2000
3,094
1,797
Sandy Eggo, CA
#1
I was playing a gig last night, and in the middle of the song, my Ashdown ABM500 stopped functioning.

Symptoms:

- Amp just stopped producing any noise at all in the middle of a song
- The light in the VU meter went out
- There was a bad burning smell

The Amp:

- Ashdown ABM500
- Serial # would indicate it was made in '99
- Been played about regularly 1.5 years on the average of 3 hours a week. The first owner barely played it.
- I was running it with the Bergantino HT+EX stack (both 8 ohms)
- I was running at 50% gain and 50% volume

So I unplugged the the power cord on the Ashdown, and finished the show through the PA. It sounded like crap, but I got through the gig.

I need advice on: :help:

- What the problem could be
- Where/how I should try to get it fixed
- I'm in Bay area so any local techs suggested?

As a result of reading threads here, I've had growing concerns about the reliability of Ashdown products. Other than that my VU meter stopped working, I hadn't had any problems before this. I was hoping that most problems with Ashdown amps were "DOA type" problems, and once the amp was "broken in", they were pretty stable. Clearly that is not the case here.

Let this be one more small data point for Ashdown owners and potential buyers...:eyebrow:
 
#2
I'm so sorry to hear about this Walley. Unfortunately this is why I sold my Ashdown even though I loved it sooooooo much. I couldn't trust that with all the problems I've heard that it wouldn't happen to me on a gig. You should contact Ashdown immediately. They will take care of you right away, that's the good news.

Funny, I was even considering going back to Ashdown but I just can't do it.
 
#3
emjazz said:
I'm so sorry to hear about this Walley. Unfortunately this is why I sold my Ashdown even though I loved it sooooooo much. I couldn't trust that with all the problems I've heard that it wouldn't happen to me on a gig. You should contact Ashdown immediately. They will take care of you right away, that's the good news.

Funny, I was even considering going back to Ashdown but I just can't do it.
Click to expand...

Thanks, amigo. :)

Yes, maybe that was a good instinct on your part. I thought about contacting Ashdown, but it won't be under warranty, and I don't really think it would be worth sending to the UK. I suppose they might have an good idea of what the problem is.

Anyway, I'll probably get this fixed and decide what to do at that point. I'll probably get a different amp. Otherwise, I'll always be worried about it even if it never breaks down again.
 
#4
CaptainWally said:
Thanks, amigo. :)

Yes, maybe that was a good instinct on your part. I thought about contacting Ashdown, but it won't be under warranty, and I don't really think it would be worth sending to the UK. I suppose they might have an good idea of what the problem is.

Anyway, I'll probably get this fixed and decide what to do at that point. I'll probably get a different amp. Otherwise, I'll always be worried about it even if it never breaks down again.
Click to expand...

Wally, you should still contact Ashdown as this has been an ongoing problem with them. Also, they have a couple places in the States that do work for their amps. I'd suggest you send it out to one of them. I'd be willing to bet that it happened because it's an older amp and that also once it's fixed that it should be alright. I have to agree though, I'd feel uneasy about it. I really miss having an Ashdown though, all the time.
 
#5
emjazz said:
Wally, you should still contact Ashdown as this has been an ongoing problem with them. Also, they have a couple places in the States that do work for their amps. I'd suggest you send it out to one of them. I'd be willing to bet that it happened because it's an older amp and that also once it's fixed that it should be alright. I have to agree though, I'd feel uneasy about it. I really miss having an Ashdown though, all the time.
Click to expand...

I'd give you a good deal on this one! :)
 
#7
Call Ashdown ASAP. Altho your amp isnt under warranty they will likely stil do something for you.

I love the way these amps sound. I mean, the ABM is EVERYTHING i wanted in a hybrid but couldnt quite get with an ampeg or aguilar (db750 excepted).

UNF the problems with these amps are just unreal lately. SOOOO many people have major problems with them even right out of the box. I went thru an unbelievable ordeal with them this past year where i literally went thru 4 amps before i got one that operated properly. As a treat for all my troubles they gave me a free compressor pedal....... which was also totally defective out of the box and when i went to check the battery .... three little green resistors fell out!!!

I dont know what the hell is going on with this company but I really cant forsee them continuing on this way for long.....

The only consolation is that thier cust serv is among the best and they'll bend over backwards for you.....
 
#8
pablomigraine said:
Call Ashdown ASAP. Altho your amp isnt under warranty they will likely stil do something for you.

I love the way these amps sound. I mean, the ABM is EVERYTHING i wanted in a hybrid but couldnt quite get with an ampeg or aguilar (db750 excepted).

UNF the problems with these amps are just unreal lately. SOOOO many people have major problems with them even right out of the box. I went thru an unbelievable ordeal with them this past year where i literally went thru 4 amps before i got one that operated properly. As a treat for all my troubles they gave me a free compressor pedal....... which was also totally defective out of the box and when i went to check the battery .... three little green resistors fell out!!!

I dont know what the hell is going on with this company but I really cant forsee them continuing on this way for long.....

The only consolation is that thier cust serv is among the best and they'll bend over backwards for you.....
Click to expand...

Great customer service ain't **** if they can't make stuff that works.
 
#9
pablomigraine said:
Call Ashdown ASAP. Altho your amp isnt under warranty they will likely stil do something for you.

I love the way these amps sound. I mean, the ABM is EVERYTHING i wanted in a hybrid but couldnt quite get with an ampeg or aguilar (db750 excepted).

UNF the problems with these amps are just unreal lately. SOOOO many people have major problems with them even right out of the box. I went thru an unbelievable ordeal with them this past year where i literally went thru 4 amps before i got one that operated properly. As a treat for all my troubles they gave me a free compressor pedal....... which was also totally defective out of the box and when i went to check the battery .... three little green resistors fell out!!!

I dont know what the hell is going on with this company but I really cant forsee them continuing on this way for long.....

The only consolation is that thier cust serv is among the best and they'll bend over backwards for you.....
Click to expand...

Hmm, thanks for the thoughts. Wow, sorry you had so much trouble. I do agree the Ashdown has a special sound that just hits a certain spot for some of us.

My customer service experience with Ashdown wasn't so great. When my VU meter stopped working, I contacted them about it. They offered to ship a replacement for $50. Fair enough, but it took them well over a month to get it to me after I paid. At least they were friendly on the phone. :)
 
#10
I'll go with what everyone else said: Call Ashdown!


That said, do these problems, whatever they are, only occur in certain lines or across the board?

I have a ABM 900 EVO that I love and I've never had a problem with. I'm the original owner and that thing has seen a lot of stuff, so I'm curious. I am actually, once I get the money, going to take my amp to get it cleaned up (get the dirt and dust out from so much work and moving). I'm hoping all is well.
 
#11
CaptainWally said:
I was playing a gig last night, and in the middle of the song, my Ashdown ABM500 stopped functioning.

Symptoms:

- Amp just stopped producing any noise at all in the middle of a song
- The light in the VU meter went out
- There was a bad burning smell

The Amp:

- Ashdown ABM500
- Serial # would indicate it was made in '99
- Been played about regularly 1.5 years on the average of 3 hours a week. The first owner barely played it.
- I was running it with the Bergantino HT+EX stack (both 8 ohms)
- I was running at 50% gain and 50% volume

So I unplugged the the power cord on the Ashdown, and finished the show through the PA. It sounded like crap, but I got through the gig.

I need advice on: :help:

- What the problem could be
- Where/how I should try to get it fixed
- I'm in Bay area so any local techs suggested?

As a result of reading threads here, I've had growing concerns about the reliability of Ashdown products. Other than that my VU meter stopped working, I hadn't had any problems before this. I was hoping that most problems with Ashdown amps were "DOA type" problems, and once the amp was "broken in", they were pretty stable. Clearly that is not the case here.

Let this be one more small data point for Ashdown owners and potential buyers...:eyebrow:
Click to expand...

Hold on guys before everyone jumps on the bash Ashdown bandwagon. Everyone knows that Ashdown had problems a few years back and they are the first to admit it and I have never seen a company work so hard to correct it both with the new products that they produce and cusyomer service for the older units. If your amp was new then yes that is a ****ter and it shouldnt happen, although you say your head was made in '99? that makes the amp 7 years old? Again, shouldnt go down on you, but I know that they have changed and upgraded a lot of parts since then, so people saying ahh their issues are back again are and 'i wouldnt buy an Ashdown' are missing the point, the amp is 7 years old and doesn't reflect the products Ashdown are currently producing. Give them a call or e mail [email protected] and im sure that they will help you out as best they can.

Zakk
 
#12
Zakk007 said:
Hold on guys before everyone jumps on the bash Ashdown bandwagon. Everyone knows that Ashdown had problems a few years back and they are the first to admit it and I have never seen a company work so hard to correct it both with the new products that they produce and cusyomer service for the older units. If your amp was new then yes that is a ****ter and it shouldnt happen, although you say your head was made in '99? that makes the amp 7 years old? Again, shouldnt go down on you, but I know that they have changed and upgraded a lot of parts since then, so people saying ahh their issues are back again are and 'i wouldnt buy an Ashdown' are missing the point, the amp is 7 years old and doesn't reflect the products Ashdown are currently producing. Give them a call or e mail [email protected] and im sure that they will help you out as best they can.

Zakk
Click to expand...

Hmm, so far no one is bashing Ashdown. I'm looking for help and experiences in the thread have been presented in a pretty factual and clinical manner.

I just spoke with Guy of Ashdown and we did a little trouble shooting. I'll need to first replace the T8A fuse in the power jack, obviously, which I'll pick up tomorrow. I've also removed the fuses in the output device. If the unit still won't fire up after replacing the power jack fuse, it's probably the transformer :( Otherwise, we can suspect the output device. The guys at Ashdown were helpful and friendly.

Incidently, what kinds of upgrades have been made in terms of parts, etc. since 99? Is the transformer the same? Contrary to your point, most problems I've heard about are DOA issues in recent models.
 
#14
McHack said:
Oh, there have been in the past. They really are working hard to make things right. I can't speak from experience, because I've never had a problem w/ my ashdown unit.
Click to expand...

Not much we can do about other theads, I'm afraid.

Out of curiosity, if you've never had a problem, how do you know they are working really hard to make things right? Word of mouth on the forum?
 
#15
CaptainWally said:
- There was a bad burning smell

- What the problem could be
Click to expand...

The magic smoke that allows the amp to operate escaped. This has happened to me also; it can actually happen to ANY brand amp. Send back to an authorized service center and they will put it back in.
 
#17
CaptainWally said:
Not much we can do about other theads, I'm afraid.

Out of curiosity, if you've never had a problem, how do you know they are working really hard to make things right? Word of mouth on the forum?
Click to expand...

Yup... Pablomigraine is pretty much the poster child for getting a good response from Ashdown.
 
#18
CaptainWally said:
Thanks for your technical acumen and insight. :eyebrow: :)
Click to expand...

You are welcome! As a former amp repair person I can assure you that the amps quit working every single time the magic smoke escaped. We then took the amp to our workbench and said the appropriate majic spells; this often involved the appropriate curse word or 2 (said of course to expell any remaining evil) as we were working.

OK, sorry, I was just having fun.
There is no brand of amp out there that can't crash & burn. A great idea is to have a backup.
 
#20
zongeek said:
I'll go with what everyone else said: Call Ashdown!


That said, do these problems, whatever they are, only occur in certain lines or across the board?

I have a ABM 900 EVO that I love and I've never had a problem with. I'm the original owner and that thing has seen a lot of stuff, so I'm curious. I am actually, once I get the money, going to take my amp to get it cleaned up (get the dirt and dust out from so much work and moving). I'm hoping all is well.
Click to expand...

there seems to be no rhyme or reason to it..... the ABMs seem to have the most problems oddly....


As far as bashing Ashdown...... I gave them a fair shake... and still endorese them for the most part..... but I cant in good concience reccommend them without a stern warning.....

I've spoken to Martin on many occassions. Awesome guy... will do anything for you.
 

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