Ashdowns dark sounding?

[juan13]

My goal for 2016 is to get an ashdown (an abm 500/600 is my ideal, if so the mag 420 or 800). My question is: do you consider this brand dark sounding? I have heard its darker than other brands like EDEN (which is great and at good price but they told me is not the best thing for the kind of sound i'm up to). But it's a characteristic of this one?
After doing research and posts, many posts, i have come to find out Ashdown is known to do very good what i'm up to (agressive midrange horn kind of sound with overdriven capabilities but with the necesarily low end needed at a power trio), but this is something i didn't take into account until now.

PD: If you consider the EDEN can do well what i'm looking for tell me, is at a lower price.

 

[B-string]

From what you have said the Eden would be a better fit. Ashdown is more low and low mid heavy (darker).

 

[juan13]

From what you have said the Eden would be a better fit. Ashdown is more low and low mid heavy (darker).

But when i say overdriven tones i'm not going in for a pedal, i'm talking about something that i can achieve with the amp. You say Eden is good for that aggresive thing?

 

[B-string]

But when i say overdriven tones i'm not going in for a pedal, i'm talking about something that i can achieve with the amp. You say Eden is good for that aggresive thing?

Ah, I can't help there. I have never tried that with an Eden. I'm sure someone else will be along to help there.

 

[chaosMK]

Ashdown is definitely not bright. I owned a MAG once and a Sansamp BDDI into the input helped me get where I wanted. Even then it still had a bit of "wool".

 

[juan13]

The thing is that i understand how difficult is to talk about sound with letters. Clarity is always a must obviously. But what Ashdown sells (from the look to the sound they say they have) is that vintage kind of sound. I like the rawness of it. My thing with bass is something near to that Chris Squier tone, Lemmy Kilmister tone (yeah, both rick players), Les Claypool wynonas big brown beaver tone..
Eden seems to be THE right option but then sometimes tells me its as good as their markbass stuff, a brand that is known for its clean sound no matter how much volume you put, something that i'm not searching.
BUT, brightness is very important.

The other thing is to get the eden and get the dirt and grind from my pre amp (tone hammer) which was not my first option but maybe you tell me is THEEEEEEE CORRRECT ANSWER.

 

[lomo]

If you want "aggressive", I would not recommend Ashdown or Eden......at all. I would tend towards GK RB.

 

[boristhespider7]

Ashdown definately has a warmer more vintage tone as their signature tone. ABM 500 will get you a more aggressive tone than a MAG due to the valve drive, but you'll need to heavily EQ the treble to bring out some top end. Not an issue but i've read some complaining about having "extreme" EQ settings on the ABM. I think it's just a feature of their tone and the shelving EQ. Try some of their other amps out as well like the JJ Burnel Signtaure amp, Spyder (discontinued) or the CTM100 100W valve head (if your budget will allow).

 

[juan13]

If you want "aggressive", I would not recommend Ashdown or Eden......at all. I would tend towards GK RB.

GK always seems a good option but i have two """"complaints""" about it:

- the eq on the eden and the ashdown seems to be more mid range focused (in the abm with the extra sliders and in the eden with the three extra knobs).

- aren't the gk's a little bit mid scooped?

If not the mb500 seems a good one or maybe scratch to the mb500 fusion

When i say aggression i go more into overdriven midrange clarity. I don't know, maybe like chris squiere form yes or john wetton at king crimson's red, les claypool on some songs, even flea (he uses gk!) on blood sugar sex magik, lemmy. Not so slap clean sounds but more of an aggresive midrange that is up there in the mix with the guitars.

And to answer boris: here at my country (Argentina) is difficult to find discontinued models so ashdown speaking the abm seems to be the best option.

A little ¿conclusion?: eden will be a clean sounding head and finding the dirt will be job for the tone hammer preamp, on the ashdown the dirt comes with the amp. But if you have suggestions, or other brands, just keep saying!

 

[B-string]

G-K is a little "scooped" with controls at noon, below is "flat" response for a G-K:

Contour = Off
Treble = 10:00
Hi Mid = 2:00
Low Mid = 1:00
Bass = 10:00

Not too radical.

 

[juan13]

G-K is a little "scooped" with controls at noon, below is "flat" response for a G-K:

Contour = Off
Treble = 10:00
Hi Mid = 2:00
Low Mid = 1:00
Bass = 10:00

Not too radical.

Do you see the gain controls usable for an agressive midrange overdriven sound?

 

[lomo]

I would tend more towards GK's RB heads (as opposed to MB) for "aggressive".

 

[juan13]

I would tend more towards GK's RB heads (as opposed to MB) for "aggressive".

I thought of the mb fusion which has a tubes.

 

[AstroSonic]

Your TH pedal preamp is a good way to get some overdrive tones with the amp of your choice (like one of the Ashdowns), if you like its flavor. The pedal also has a very flexible mid-band EQ (semi-parametric) - another plus. But you might also like the GK MB500 (or fusion version) which has very powerful EQ - the controls are not just discrete - they are interactive. Once you get the hang of it, its really flexible and powerful. It also has the GK overdrive (GIVE/Boost) - yet another overdrive flavor. The MB500 can easily be EQ'ed to a non-scooped tone, and the mids can easily be brought forward.

Edit: The gain control is meant to be used in the way you are asking about: By turning up the gain, you can overdrive the preamp, or, in conjunction with the 'Boost' control, you can get some serious overdrive tone.

 

[juan13]

I obviously not the customers that gk are trying to reach, because they don't give too much time to the gains posibilities on the demo videos. I know les claypool uses ampeg stuff, which i think is great but on reality find it a bit mid scooper, and very expensive. But the kind of aggresion i'm up to is MORE OR LESS like this (1:50 to 2:10 is kind of THE example) maybe a little bit more mid focused because the guitar player is not as particular as is on here (chek out the video also if you have time - nothing to do whith my question just if you are curious):

 

[B-string]

Do you see the gain controls usable for an agressive midrange overdriven sound?

Ah, YES. The "Volume" is the gain control, the boost adds harmonic content and the master is the power amp input control. MANY possibilities to be had. Youtube videos are pretty worthless and they always seem to slap, in the demos.

 

[juan13]

I would tend more towards GK's RB heads (as opposed to MB) for "aggressive".

Ah, YES. The "Volume" is the gain control, the boost adds harmonic content and the master is the power amp input control. MANY possibilities to be had. Youtube videos are pretty worthless and they always seem to slap, in the demos.

Reading the manual i found out that the hi mid knob cuts/boots at "around 1khz" and the low mid knob does it at "around 250hz", no 500hz or 800hz controls are not a bit unfriendly for us obsesive midrange bass players? I ask you because you seem to own the head or know about it, thank you!

 

[Eric Swaim]

I owned the first generation Ashdown EVO 500 Bass Magnifier and ran it through a Ampeg SVT4X10HLF sometimes and a SWR Goliath II 4x10. My amp was very powerful, but It was not as bright as my SWR heads I used. If your playing classic rock, country or blues it sounds fine. If you "slap" you may not be as happy. I liked the Ashdown I had and only sold it because I didn't need that much power anymore in my bass rig.

 

[sikamikanico]

HAd an EVOII ABM combo (300w, 210), and it was more on the dark side. That being said, perhaps some EQ could help dial in a more mid/ upper mid focused tone?

The 210 in the combo was also positioned horizontally - prerhaps having them stacked/vertically, the clarity would be better? Or using a different cab altogether?

Personally, I'd try to get a tube amp or go fully solid state and transparent, with pedals doing the tone shaping.

 

[C-60 Bass]

Nothing dark about my Ashdown JJ500!!