NAD! Little Stubby PROTOTYPE - all tube

Picked this up recently, pre-corona... and it arrived last week. Ashdown CTM-30 Little Stubby prototype. This is the same unit in this review and I bought it from Tyler (who was great to deal with)



This was the amp that Ashdown used at the various trade shows, etc and differs somewhat from the production models (mainly no graphics on the back and it does not have the surrounding pinstripe on the faceplate). Most notable is that it was shop-made in the UK rather than being a Chinese made assembly line version.



Like many of us, I have some extra time on my hands - like it or not - have been on lockdown here since Saturday. The outer case was black though had some nicks and scratches from having traveled with Ashdown and that Tyler had been using it as a gigging amp (certainly not abused in any way). Considered painting the case and... had a can of Hammerite in the basement that was close in color to my beloved Inverness Green '64 T-bird. Project time!





Pleased with the result even if it now qualifies as a 'refin'. I also like that the hammered finish better emphasizes the mid-century type of look along with the VU meter, etc.
I think it nicely mimics some of the vintage studio gear.





It clearly shares - even if unwittingly - the form factor and similar weight (and even the side handle) with a 1964 Dynacord Bass-King I have here and previously posted:
NAD! (vintage all tube content) 1964 Dynacord Bass-King





Anyway, I'm happy with it - very nice and flixible range of tones and goes way louder than I can reasonably get away with in my flat considering all the neighbors are also home. Will clearly be a long time before I can try it in a band situation... (had two tours booked in April - May and was looking forward to trying it on some of those but that will have to wait - as we can all relate to...)

 

Thanks so much, JIO! Always appreciate your aesthetic sense!

Was also nice that my son came in and stopped "woah, that looks cool"

 

No, that's 'stock'. Really nicely made and VERY thick. The whole unit has a nice hand-made vibe to it.
There were also some rubber feet for the opposite side. I'll put those back on once it's more fully cured.

 

The only mods I did was the paint on the outer case and I labeled the jacks on the back (1/4" DI, 4 ohm and 8 ohm speaker connects).

 

Thanks so much! On both.

That looks terrific!

 

A couple gut shots:

 

Makes it sound biglier @fasterpussycat describes it very well. Really fattens it up when pushed. Dialed back it sounds more modern. Can get very thick in combination with the bass control - even though the EQ is all passive so not super extreme.
Ashdown's PR blurb is "the heart of this amp is the unique Feedback control which allows the complete character of the amp to be changed and fine tuned from old school vintage valve amp tones at one end through to tighter more mid heavy modern tones at the other."

 

If it was NAMM from a few years ago when it was first introduced it would be this same unit.