NAD! Ashdown Tourbus 15W

[Gilsdorf]

So Guitar Center had this little guy on sale for $49 for their extended Black Friday sales, and I figured "meh, why not?" Wowza. I am actually pretty impressed with this thing. Modern, clean tone, surprisingly loud for a 15 watt amp with an 8" speaker, needless to say I'm a fan. Haven't seen any talk about these guys (also haven't bothered to search), just wanted to share my excitement and see if anyone else picked one of these up. Rock on!

 

[iagtrplyr]

There's a couple of postings on people picking up the amp, including me just last week.

Actually tonight was my first chance to play through the speaker. I tried it with headphones and my iPod a few days ago. I was actually less impressed than you were, but have to remind myself it's a $50 investment.

I agree volume wasn't too bad, but it was really boxy, without any sustain. I really had to dig in to hear myself. I know the speaker is really tight right now, but there was little definition between notes.

Plus, I hate the annoying pop when switching it on. I know, it was fifty bucks, but some kid is gonna be enjoying it down the road. This is my second amp with an 8" speaker and I guess it's just not my cup of tea. Tomorrow I'm going to try my VT pedal and Zoom MS60B to see if they help.

Glad you like it though, Gilsdorf. Let's see what some of the others think.

 

[JEFFinATL]

Got mine on the MF sale too. I would like to upgrade the speaker but can't figure out how to the thing apart. Took the unscrewed the back and all it did was expose a metal chassis that could not be moved.
Took the screws out of the sides of the baffle but it would not budge either.

 

[NightCat]

Is this a zombie thread or is it too recently dead?

I'm looking to pick-up one of these. I need something super portable and only needs to keep up with a couple of acoustic folk guitar players playing at living room volumes. I do want something that has good bass tone even at low volume. You guys still digging the amp?

I think I'll head over to the classifieds and see if anyone has one for sale. The $50 deals seem to be long gone...
The After 8 looks pretty cool to. I wonder how they compare at living room volume?

 

[iiipopes]

Yes, zombie thread. But to answer the comments above, yes, I use this with my Kala U-Bass for the ukulele jams I accompany from time to time, as well as personal practice. BUT...I had to do these two things to make it playable: 1) it tended to whine with the high-pitched feedback, whichever of my electric basses I played; and 2) I needed more low end. So...I looked up the output transistor, and it takes a 4-ohm load. So I took it apart, soldered a 50pf capacitor from the tip to ground on the jack, and added an external speaker jack for a 1X15 cab salvaged from a dead '70's Polytone amp. The Ashdown tech I asked about it tried to ream me a new one, and I gave it right back to him and told him that is how we used to tame spurious oscillations in the tube amp era. He tried to tell me about blown amps and void warranty and I gave it right back to him that he had spec'ed the output transistor, he knew what it was designed to do, that this was for personal practice (and acoustic accompanying), I was over 50 years old, and the chances of "blowing" the amp were slim to none. Epilogue: yes, after also getting mine on the $50 closeout deal back then, and after the mods, it has worked perfectly, and continues to do so. Just don't push it. It will quack the speaker.

 

[agedhorse]

Actually, the Ashdown tech was right. Just sayin'

 

[iagtrplyr]

And can I add, five years later, that the Ashdown still holds the crown as THE worst combo I've ever owned, and if you know of me you know I've owned many a combo. Admittedly, any 8" combos I've picked up since 2014 have been more expensive than 50 smackers, but nothing my bass has played through has ever sounded so bad. Avoid at all costs even if you find one for $10 somewhere. Head to Culver's and thank me later...