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Looking to replace my Ashdown ABM with something slightly quicker

gillento

gillento

Oct 15, 2005
4,456
1,619
Luxembourg, Europe
Disclosures
Nordstrand pickups
#1
Looking to replace my Ashdown ABM with something slightly quicker and less woolier.
I tried the Aguilar 500SC but it was not thick enough.

What amp lies between these two?

Would a Hiwatt 100/200 (clone) be a solution? I heard they were faster and give less break up than Ampegs.
 
#7
I have a brand new Ashdown ($250 Superfly that I think I'm returning for tech issues) that I thought sounded too "wooly" or overly warm until I EQ'd in some upper mids/highs. IMO, on this particular amp, the low mids are voiced extremely warm. It's still "wooly" but much more acceptable to my ears.

I'm not one who's into extremely hifi amps either. My other amp is a yba200.
 
#10
rathervague said:
I have a brand new Ashdown ($250 Superfly that I think I'm returning for tech issues) that I thought sounded too "wooly" or overly warm until I EQ'd in some upper mids/highs. IMO, on this particular amp, the low mids are voiced extremely warm. It's still "wooly" but much more acceptable to my ears.

I'm not one who's into extremely hifi amps either. My other amp is a yba200.
Click to expand...

My eq is rather middy: I cut the lows and boost the hig mids. Kind of reverse "smiley" curve. And I am mainly playing pick style with this amp/band.
 
#12
Hiwatts are really nice. The cleanest tube amp I've ever found was a Hiwatt DR-405. If you don't have 4 grand and a medium-duty forklift lying around though ... hmmm. They definitely break up at a louder gain setting than the SVT, but they do break up. I personally love my ABM more than any Ampeg (and for convenience, more than the Hiwatt as well), but I think what you're looking for is a solid-state input stage. For that, nothing better than Markbass, IMHO. If you get the Little Mark II, you'll be happy.

Phil
 
#14
JMDT said:
Have you taken a look at the Tech 21 amp; it has the tube warmth sound, but is all solid state. It is essentially a vastly underrated poweramp with both the sansamp preamps built in.
Click to expand...

The Landmark 600 seems to be rather expensive and difficult to find.
On the same hand, I am trying to get away from my SABDDI sound ....so....



Basically I am looking for a tube (like) amp that is not too boomy for my "pick playing" band.

Ashdown is a bit too boomy.
Aguilar 500 is a bit too thin.
 
#15
I own and love my ABM500. I also own the Mark King MK500. The MK500 is what you want. I have been using that one over my ABM lately. I also have one of the new sansamp bass vt pedals. That pedal in the effects loop of the ABM can clear things up nicely.
 
#16
velvetphil said:
Hiwatts are really nice. The cleanest tube amp I've ever found was a Hiwatt DR-405. If you don't have 4 grand and a medium-duty forklift lying around though ... hmmm. They definitely break up at a louder gain setting than the SVT, but they do break up. I personally love my ABM more than any Ampeg (and for convenience, more than the Hiwatt as well), but I think what you're looking for is a solid-state input stage. For that, nothing better than Markbass, IMHO. If you get the Little Mark II, you'll be happy.

Phil
Click to expand...

There's a guy in Germany building Hiwatt clones for good money.
[This invalid link has been removed]

MyWatt100: 1000€
MyWatt200: 1200€
 
#19
My latest greatest amp is the Thunderfunk Tfb750a. It's quicker and louder but still warm and round. I loved my old abm500 and played so many gigs with it but, I was always wanting alittle more power and alittle brighter. The tfb isn't super bright but, it's better suited to me than the ashdown.
 

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