That doesn't sound correct, I do wonder if it could be interference from your house?
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OFFICIAL ASHDOWN CLUB
- Thread starter Presto2112
- Start date
I don't think it's my house, everything else sounds good. It doesn't sound like electrical interference. I've had that with a couple of pedals some years ago, and this is different.
The amp itself without the valve drive plus on is dead quiet and sounds good. Press the valve drive button and immediate buzzing.
If the replacement does the same thing, I'm going to move on to something else.
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I was planning on working outside today, but after a brief rain shower, then my ankle with the screws and cable holding thing together decided to act up. 
So I started doing some amp comparisons, my CTM-30 against my MAG300 (non-EVO).
Pictured with my recently acquired Harley Benton JB-75.
The CTM of course, has all that wonderful tube-y goodness on top of the great Ashdown sound. Just marvelous sounding and with the stack, enough for smaller gigs.
The MAG300 sounds awesome too. Loud! (At least for home use, which it's used the most for.
) Definitely the Ashdown sound. Not quite as refined as the CTM, but still a great head. This would be up to a mid size gig volume.
So I started doing some amp comparisons, my CTM-30 against my MAG300 (non-EVO).
Pictured with my recently acquired Harley Benton JB-75.
The CTM of course, has all that wonderful tube-y goodness on top of the great Ashdown sound. Just marvelous sounding and with the stack, enough for smaller gigs.
The MAG300 sounds awesome too. Loud! (At least for home use, which it's used the most for.
) Definitely the Ashdown sound. Not quite as refined as the CTM, but still a great head. This would be up to a mid size gig volume.
- Apr 18, 2008
- 16,002
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- Disclosures
- I'm highly opinionated and extremely self-assured
This will sound ridiculous, but try a different power cable? Even if you're using the one it shipped with. I had a noise issue a few years back with an Ashdown head. I don't recall if it was intermittent with one aspect of the amp, but it solved things. I know seems ridiculous, but worth a try.
I did try a different cable and it didn't change anything. The amp was sent back a few weeks ago.
It's only money. I was offered what seemed to be a really nice deal on very clean ABM 500 EVO III so I took it. It hasn't arrived yet, but really looking forward to my third Ashdown. (The first a Mag I took on trade, and later sold, second is my RM-300 EVO class D before they stopped making those--which I love.) Could this replace my Ampeg all tube heads? We'll see. Even if not, it will be a great flavor to have on hand.
That's the exact one I have, 15yr anniversary model. Love it, haven't really thought about truly replacing it for gigs in 10 years.
Nice! Doesn't look too far off from how I'd do a full graphic preamp. Never used a retro glide, never seen one in person either.
Is that one of the newer 210s?
That appears to be a Root Master MAG210, the predecessor to the recently discontinued RM210T EVO II (same but with the White Line speakers.) These are the sealed cabinets.
Absolutely spot on,except these were upgraded at Ashdown to be 500W. A little extra headroom. Amazing cabs.
Ah, that's nice to know. I've tended to run it flat, which was "OK" but not WOW. This is a great win!
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Nice. Good to know it still gets some love from people. Really looking forward to getting it and doing some playing.
I know pre tubes don't wear unless driven hard a lot and can last a long time, but have you needed to replace yours? I've got a few pre tubes (somewhere yet to be found after a move) if needed.
I was getting some weird loss of volume a short while back, so I swapped tubes. It helped, but I think the cleaning I did actually did it. The old tube probably had just worked loose over the years. I hadn't touched the thing ever, and it's the original.
I'll see if I can find a pic, but I drive my pre really hard normally. No cutting, only boosting EQ points, and normally set the VU so that I'm playing into the red or on the edge. I would almost always play with a bit of grit and then use light drives or boosts to hit the front harder and get tons of grit from the tube.
I can't recall the tube I threw in there, it's an old one that is not common and sits between an ax7, and which ever of the at7 or au7 that's "middle of the road" gain and I'd say I prefer the original more as a whole. Mostly because the output volume lined up closer to the tube bypass volume. It definitely is cleaner sounding though. I don't know much about tube rolling as a whole though, but I believe there's some threads out there talking of people doing so on ABM's.
Yeah, idk if it's just an ashdown thing (though I doubt), but I've found that I tend to prefer to only boost and not set anything below flat. That and I prefer an upside-down smile or close to it normally on graphics. Doesn't always sound the greatest solo, but seems to shine for me in a mix.
Thanks, that's good info. The pic would be great if you have time and find it.
I haven't done any rolling for years. I've been using all tube Ampegs for a good while and I like what the three of them do and never felt the need. I did when I got my first hybrid head (SWR) when I was trying to "less brittle" the tone a bit. I love big and warm and that was not it, but some of it in hindsight was the cabs I was using at the time. Some tubes helped a little and some did nothing important. Did some with some hybrid Ampegs as well. I have some tube, just need to find them! Unfortunately I don't recall which tubes did what. Likely different results in the ABM anyway. But I suspect it sounds pretty good with whatever is in it.
I haven't done any rolling for years. I've been using all tube Ampegs for a good while and I like what the three of them do and never felt the need. I did when I got my first hybrid head (SWR) when I was trying to "less brittle" the tone a bit. I love big and warm and that was not it, but some of it in hindsight was the cabs I was using at the time. Some tubes helped a little and some did nothing important. Did some with some hybrid Ampegs as well. I have some tube, just need to find them! Unfortunately I don't recall which tubes did what. Likely different results in the ABM anyway. But I suspect it sounds pretty good with whatever is in it.
The Retroglide was designed for Mark King - similar to his red Trace Eliot head from back in the day. So it's very mid focused.
I spoke for an hour on the phone to Dave Green at Ashdown, and he explained that what I wanted from the head was possible, but with a lot of tweaking - he even offered for me to pop in to the "offices" and he would tweak with me... that is why I love that company - you just don't get service like that from just anyone.
I ideally would want a Rootmaster - which is more the warmer tone... an ABM would be perfect, but my back doesn't think so hahahahaha
Whelp. I've been contemplating stepping up my living room practice amp for a little while.
I've been using the Studio 8 with the FatailPRO 8F200 4Ω speaker (while the ad copy and manual say 8Ω, it is actually 4Ω), acoustic lining and the cable stowage tube converted to a 3" port tube as my living room amp. It's a pretty decent amp and sound much better with the upgrades (not that stock sounded bad, I just wanted more!
)
At my practice levels, the volume is on par with my studio monitors I use with my laptop, but the speaker is right at the ragged edge and just barely holding on with a modest amount of bass. This is used with my Behringer V Tone BDI 21 preamp/DI pedal, which I have adjusted to nearly match my CTM-30, hence the speaker struggles to keep up with my playing. It sounds really good for an 8" speaker, but it is an 8" speaker and it can only do so much.
I've been looking at stepping up to the Studio 10 for a while. Sweetwater had the best price at $269.99, but at the time was a bit too steep. At the beginning of the year they dropped the price to $229.99 and I put one in the cart for when I wasn't in too dep with other projects or buying other Ashdown products (CTM-30, RM-115T & RM-210T
). As we all know, life can step in, which it did, so the Studio 10 sat there. Along comes another price drop to 9.99! 
I finally broke weak and jumped on it. I should hopefully have it by the end of the week. I'll give it a good workout and review it after the weekend.
As for the Studio 8, it might end up as a bedroom amp, but I don't play back there too often, if at all. I might sell it, just to get it out of the way. I know there's a couple people from church who would be interested.
I'm looking forward to another NAD!
I've been using the Studio 8 with the FatailPRO 8F200 4Ω speaker (while the ad copy and manual say 8Ω, it is actually 4Ω), acoustic lining and the cable stowage tube converted to a 3" port tube as my living room amp. It's a pretty decent amp and sound much better with the upgrades (not that stock sounded bad, I just wanted more!
)At my practice levels, the volume is on par with my studio monitors I use with my laptop, but the speaker is right at the ragged edge and just barely holding on with a modest amount of bass. This is used with my Behringer V Tone BDI 21 preamp/DI pedal, which I have adjusted to nearly match my CTM-30, hence the speaker struggles to keep up with my playing. It sounds really good for an 8" speaker, but it is an 8" speaker and it can only do so much.
I've been looking at stepping up to the Studio 10 for a while. Sweetwater had the best price at $269.99, but at the time was a bit too steep. At the beginning of the year they dropped the price to $229.99 and I put one in the cart for when I wasn't in too dep with other projects or buying other Ashdown products (CTM-30, RM-115T & RM-210T
). As we all know, life can step in, which it did, so the Studio 10 sat there. Along comes another price drop to 9.99! I finally broke weak and jumped on it. I should hopefully have it by the end of the week. I'll give it a good workout and review it after the weekend.
As for the Studio 8, it might end up as a bedroom amp, but I don't play back there too often, if at all. I might sell it, just to get it out of the way. I know there's a couple people from church who would be interested.
I'm looking forward to another NAD!
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