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My New Ashdown Superfly...

Do you think they droped the price 700 dollars to be nice ? Is it because they like you, and want to give away there product for no profit, just because, they have too much money in the bank ? :smug: Yea right

I might try one. Who knows :help:


No one here is saying it's perfect. I think we all agree that for the current price it's an amazing bang for the buck deal. It has issues that some can live with and some can't, and which seem to vary from unit to unit. Why don't you try one and formulate your own opinion? Then you could post some objective comments about your likes and dislikes of this amp and add something meaningful to this thread. Oh IMHO of course!
 
WADR...

It's called a close out! New model coming online. Got to move the old stock. It's a tale as old as retail. On Ashdown's website there appears to be a full and continued commitment to the Superfly product line. To me, getting a cool 500 watt model at a great price makes me jones for the new 1000 watter when it is released. I think they know what they are doing.
 
Mine came in the mail today. I got the same slight buz in both channels, but it is really only noticable if I am right next to the cab or have the volume cranked. I just play at solo practice levels at this point so it really isn't an issue for me.

Other than that, the sound is pretty dang good. Highs could be better, but the low end is clean and tight. If you can live with a little buzz you really can't go wrong for $280. The programmable eq is pretty sweet if you have multiple basses. Or even if you don't, I could see the eq being nice if you frequent a few differnt venues. I got mine from zZounds.com.
 
How much do you wanna bet, Tom Bowlus NEVER gets a good one ? Care to wager smart man ?

FWIW, the first one that I bought (and returned) back when they were $499 did not have the high pitched whine. But, that said, I do not recall it sounding anything like the other two (if you factor out the whine), so it may have had other issues.

I'll let y'all know how the fourth one goes when it gets here.

Tom.
 
Did everyone have to change the voltage setting on theirs when it arrived?

Mine arrived and has a clear "230" visible on the voltage selection switch. I'm assuming I need to undo the screws holding the clear plastic over that switch and get it to show a nice 110 or 120 to set it up for the correct voltage.

I'm just wondering if everyone noticed and adjusted their voltage setting before trying them out. Most of the equipment I've gotten has not been switchable so it's not something I think about - I only noticed because I checked out the manual.
 
Did everyone have to change the voltage setting on theirs when it arrived?

Mine arrived and has a clear "230" visible on the voltage selection switch. I'm assuming I need to undo the screws holding the clear plastic over that switch and get it to show a nice 110 or 120 to set it up for the correct voltage.

I'm just wondering if everyone noticed and adjusted their voltage setting before trying them out. Most of the equipment I've gotten has not been switchable so it's not something I think about - I only noticed because I checked out the manual.
Mine came like that. Pop the screws, reset the switch and you are good to go.
 
I figured i would say something good about this little sucker....came in the mail a couple days ago....so far...no whines or buzzes.....
I bought it one night while being bored and drinking beer looking on the internet.....(bad combo) so, I start reading a bunch of bad stuff...get worried......I am glad I got a good one....BUT, I did not like the digital-ness of it...It's a good amp and powerfull enough for my smaller gigs......but it seemed too sterile for me.........I was gonna send it back, then, i decide to hook up my Personus Blue Tube into the Superfly.....and wow! This is a great sounding combo.........fantastic. I think I will keep it. The blue tube really turned this into a mean sounding amp....just enough tube for my liking.......with my '83 P w/flats though my 1 x 12 I am very happy.....now, I just gotta get 2 of those Berg 1 x 12 and I will be set for all kinds of gigs.
 
Well, the new Superfly seems to be working out OK. At practice this week I got complemented on my tone and that was just with a slightly 'smiley'EQ. No time to play with it as yet. I ran it through 1 8ohm Aggie GS112, but I had to run the master at about 2 oclock. I also have an 8 ohm Ashy ABM410 (also 8 ohm) but even so I think gigging it will be out of the question til I get some 4 ohm cabs (no PA support you see). I think I must have been a luddite in a previous life-I still prefer to have knobs to turn and sliders to ...slide but the 'fly is still a keeper.

Anyone looked at the software yet? The parametric doo dah is a bit beyond me but looks like it could make this cracking little amp even better in the right hands.
 
Anyone looked at the software yet? The parametric doo dah is a bit beyond me but looks like it could make this cracking little amp even better in the right hands.
It works very well if you have the computer and audio skills to figure out how to use it; the manual is worthless. I would not hesitiate to use mine in a gigging situation, it sounds better than my Hartke 3500, much cleaner, far less noise and just as powerful, at least with my speakers.
 
Hey Tom,
I am giving one of these a try as well. If your sucks, maybe mine (#5) will do the trick!


Well, #4 has the whine, as well. This one appears to be brand spanking new (two of the others were apparently 'open box' versions - the first, well second, one I specifically ordered that way, but when they sent its replacement, I asked for a new one), and I had to do the voltage switch, so I believe it was unused.

When I first fired it up, I got a lot of hiss and whine out of both channels. After leaving it on for a while, the hiss seems less, and they whine definitely reduced in intensity on one channel, but not the other.

Other than the whine/hiss issue, I really like the tone/volume and tweakability of this amp. Any suggestions on how to get rid of the whine? Or do I just send it back, knowing that I seem to be a magnet for all things whiney and British. :p

Tom.

P.S.
That last bit is a poke at one of my best friends, who is a Brit living here in the States.