Ashdown CTM15
Ashdown Classic Neo 210 Cabinet – 550 watts, 8 ohms
I was looking for a new low wattage tube amp for my basement jam room and for a recording project.
The ultimate goal was to be able to get over-driven tube tone without having to shake the foundations with ear splitting volume in a small room - whether practicing, jamming or recording
There are not a lot of options for a new amp with my requirements – really only Ashdown. I discounted the Ashdown LB30 as likely being too loud for my needs. This combined with the lack of Gain control (I love Gain on my SS amps) and some online videos led me to choose the CTM-15.
I added the Ashdown cabinet mostly due to my OCD about having matching head and cabs and just happened to stumble across a great deal. I didn’t need it – but it was worth a tryout.
First the Amp…
At 15 watts I know most of you will discount the amp as being pretty useless for many situations – and have probably lost interest already - however I have discovered that this thing can get very LOUD - hanging with my jam band in a 20x20 room with 8 foot ceilings playing hard rock. This is definitely easier/better with my Ampeg 2/115 stack versus the Ashdown 210 – but more on that later
For solo practice, I am actually having trouble getting into overdrive without completely disturbing everyone in the house. Even with the Ashdown 210.
With the Gain off, the amp starts to break up nicely after 2 o’clock. Before that, you can get a nice clean, warm, round sound – especially when using a P-Bass with flats
The Amp has Passive tone controls – which, to be honest – I have no idea how to use properly. Though I can dial in a nice tone with a little effort, I have found it pretty frustrating to figure out - especially when switching between cabinets and basses. If someone has a “Passive tone control for Dummies” book – or a simple way to explain how they work - please send my way.
Unfortunately I have found the Gain on this amp to be completely useless for my taste. Even a little bit of Gain sends the amp deep into distortion territory sounding way too bright, brash and brittle. As hard as I try, I can’t get a nice full, warm sounding Overdrive using the Gain. So I leave it off or if I want that sound - I will add the VT Bass in front – which kind of defeats the original purpose of the amp to be honest.
So in summary – the amp can deliver warm, tubey awesomeness loud enough for a medium-sized jam room at reasonable volume with 2/115’s and stay clean. With the 210 you’re definitely getting dirty – but I like a little dirt – so it works for me.
Here’s some online demo’s I found if you are interested:
Now on to the cabinet…
The Ashdown classic Neo 210 (8 ohms 550 watts) is really hard to find details on – so I thought I’d share a few here.
At 50 lbs it’s a very well made, solidly constructed and tough looking cabinet. It is front shelf ported and has a horn toggle: low | off | high.
I would describe it as a mid-voiced cabinet. The lows are tight and punchy – not boomy at all. The highs come across clean and almost bright.
It's a pretty good match with the CTM-15 though I generally need to dime the Bass, turn the Treble right off, the Mid down to 9 o’clock and the Master at 2:30 to get a sound I like – warm, round and right on the verge of breakup.
When compared to 1 of my Ampeg PF115HE’s – I would give the nod to the Ashdown for delivering a full, rich and clean sound. When compared to 2/115s – well lets just say there is no comparison.
Cheers
Jason
Ashdown Classic Neo 210 Cabinet – 550 watts, 8 ohms
I was looking for a new low wattage tube amp for my basement jam room and for a recording project.
The ultimate goal was to be able to get over-driven tube tone without having to shake the foundations with ear splitting volume in a small room - whether practicing, jamming or recording
There are not a lot of options for a new amp with my requirements – really only Ashdown. I discounted the Ashdown LB30 as likely being too loud for my needs. This combined with the lack of Gain control (I love Gain on my SS amps) and some online videos led me to choose the CTM-15.
I added the Ashdown cabinet mostly due to my OCD about having matching head and cabs and just happened to stumble across a great deal. I didn’t need it – but it was worth a tryout.
First the Amp…
At 15 watts I know most of you will discount the amp as being pretty useless for many situations – and have probably lost interest already - however I have discovered that this thing can get very LOUD - hanging with my jam band in a 20x20 room with 8 foot ceilings playing hard rock. This is definitely easier/better with my Ampeg 2/115 stack versus the Ashdown 210 – but more on that later
For solo practice, I am actually having trouble getting into overdrive without completely disturbing everyone in the house. Even with the Ashdown 210.
With the Gain off, the amp starts to break up nicely after 2 o’clock. Before that, you can get a nice clean, warm, round sound – especially when using a P-Bass with flats
The Amp has Passive tone controls – which, to be honest – I have no idea how to use properly. Though I can dial in a nice tone with a little effort, I have found it pretty frustrating to figure out - especially when switching between cabinets and basses. If someone has a “Passive tone control for Dummies” book – or a simple way to explain how they work - please send my way.
Unfortunately I have found the Gain on this amp to be completely useless for my taste. Even a little bit of Gain sends the amp deep into distortion territory sounding way too bright, brash and brittle. As hard as I try, I can’t get a nice full, warm sounding Overdrive using the Gain. So I leave it off or if I want that sound - I will add the VT Bass in front – which kind of defeats the original purpose of the amp to be honest.
So in summary – the amp can deliver warm, tubey awesomeness loud enough for a medium-sized jam room at reasonable volume with 2/115’s and stay clean. With the 210 you’re definitely getting dirty – but I like a little dirt – so it works for me.
Here’s some online demo’s I found if you are interested:
Now on to the cabinet…
The Ashdown classic Neo 210 (8 ohms 550 watts) is really hard to find details on – so I thought I’d share a few here.
At 50 lbs it’s a very well made, solidly constructed and tough looking cabinet. It is front shelf ported and has a horn toggle: low | off | high.
I would describe it as a mid-voiced cabinet. The lows are tight and punchy – not boomy at all. The highs come across clean and almost bright.
It's a pretty good match with the CTM-15 though I generally need to dime the Bass, turn the Treble right off, the Mid down to 9 o’clock and the Master at 2:30 to get a sound I like – warm, round and right on the verge of breakup.
When compared to 1 of my Ampeg PF115HE’s – I would give the nod to the Ashdown for delivering a full, rich and clean sound. When compared to 2/115s – well lets just say there is no comparison.
Cheers
Jason
