Is This Amp Worth Saving?

[GASsyFunker]

I recently came into possession of an Ashdown Mag 300 410c (not the Evo model). While the 410 cab sounds amazing, the head has some sort of issue which causes a moderate hum when it is on. The VU meter does not budge when I plug something in, and no sounds gets past. However, when I plug in a preamp to the Effects Send, I can get full sound (even though the hum persists) which leads me to believe there is an issue with the preamp.

Does anyone more amp-savvy than me know a possible solution?

Is it even worth taking it to a tech, if Ashdown heads are already only about $150-200?

 

[agedhorse]

It depends on how good the tech is. A really good tech will be able to sort it out quickly BUT if there are problems with the power devices, they are no longer available (Magnetek discontinued them quite a while back) and while there are a few possible substitutions, they are not the same. IF you have a bad MOSFET, replacing all 4 devices will run about $75-$100 in parts alone (depending on which package they are in) because the new ones won't be close enough to the old parts.

This is the same challenge we had with the legacy Mesa MOSFET bass amps, there was no reliable supply available as the lateral process was phased out.

 

[Gearhead17]

Ashdown Contact Us

You might be able to find an authorized repair shop near you. If it were me, I don't think it's worth it to be repaired. I suggest saving your money and buying something brand new or used, but in good shape.

 

[eniac]

[...]However, when I plug in a preamp to the Effects Send, I can get full sound (even though the hum persists) which leads me to believe there is an issue with the preamp.[...]

I hope you meant you plugged into the effects return.

 

[MattZilla]

Given what AgedHorse said, I’d probably just consider it a power amp with a limited lifespan at this point and be doing a bunch of in-person-with-cab shopping for another head or start collecting heads with a five-ten year plan to sell off most of them that don’t play well with that cab or any others which you come into the possession of.

 

[GASsyFunker]

I hope you meant you plugged into the effects return.

You're right. The full loop doesn't work anyway, so I'm not sure why I mentioned the send

 

[GASsyFunker]

Given what AgedHorse said, I’d probably just consider it a power amp with a limited lifespan at this point and be doing a bunch of in-person-with-cab shopping for another head or start collecting heads with a five-ten year plan to sell off most of them that don’t play well with that cab or any others which you come into the possession of.

Honestly the biggest problem for me has been finding a cab I like for cheap. Since I only spent $75 for this, my budget has more wiggle room for a nice head.

I've pretty much narrowed it down to an Aguilar TH, although I'm still keeping an eye on the new Ampeg heads...

 

[MattZilla]

Honestly the biggest problem for me has been finding a cab I like for cheap. Since I only spent $75 for this, my budget has more wiggle room for a nice head.

I've pretty much narrowed it down to an Aguilar TH, although I'm still keeping an eye on the new Ampeg heads...

Ampeg heads sound great with Ampeg cabs. It turns into a scratch off lottery game when mix-n-matching cabs & heads.

It’d be cool if you’ve got a Music Go Round or GC nearby that can ship stuff from their other locations to the one nearest you so you can try various heads with your cab before/without taking them home.

 

[Gearhead17]

The best advice I can give anyone on this forum: don't go cheap on the cabinet! Your entire experience with live bass playing is coming through this "box". Saving money on the cabinet means you will compromise all components that feed into it. As others can attest to, the wrong cabinet can give you the impression that your newly learned bass skills/heads/pedals and more will sound like doo-doo on stage.

 

[GASsyFunker]

Thanks for the advice. I'll use the link you shared to reach out to Ashdown tomorrow.

I also appreciate the advice about going cheap, but since I have yet to make a dime playing yet, maybe I should just focus on an equally cheap head...

That said, even the broken Ashdown sounds better to my ears than the various 1x15 cabs paired with Peavey/GK heads that seem to be ubiquitous on Craigslist near me

 

[agedhorse]

It may not be the power amp, but wanted you to be aware of the possibility in the event that the shop charges a high diagnostic fee up front knowing that they can't get the parts.

In my shop (we only work on Genz Benz, Mesa Subways and Genzler), everything is flat rate so you know how much the labor is going to cost up front... the diagnostics and the labor to repair are virtually the same so to simplify things we fix everything for the cost of diagnostics (including all small parts). This is provided we can get the parts, and if the parts cost increases the repair to beyond what the customer is comfortable paying, they can either pay the diagnostic/labor charge and get the broken amp back or if they donate it to our boneyard we eat 100% of the diagnostic cost. The boneyard parts are used to repair amps that need parts that are no longer available, things like mechanical parts, sheet metal, brackets, certain PCBs that can be rebuilt and then used as spares.

This was much more common back in the day where the techs were very qualified and experienced, every shop I worked at when I was a young'un worked this way, though some did charge a nominal diagnostic fee that applied to the cost of repair (to limit the amount of sheer unrepairable junk that came through the shop). I wish the industry would go back to this model because it's way more transparent overall.