I can not say anything bad about my Ashdown ABM500 2 x 10 combo and 1 x 15 extension cab (UK Made). I've had them for about 5 years. We play about 8-10 times a month. I have nothing other than a a soft cover for each. It's been bounced around in my car, on stages, and back stages. It has never failed me and I get great compliments all the time on the sound and always use the amps DI...knock on wood.
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Why isn't Ashdown popular?
- Thread starter pica
- Start date
I played an ABM500 for a while.
Nice amp, I did not like there cabs at all.
Ashdown Head, with a good cab sounded fine.
I don't see much Ashdown stuff around. In Austin, Bass Emporium is a dealer, but that's the only place in town - and Austin is supposed to be a "big music town."
I have a couple ashdown cabs and have been very happy. Went to Bass Emporium with the intent to buy something else, but after playing a few cabs in the store, settled on the Ashdown stuff. It's nice. I have two of the ABM Compact 15s. No problems at all. Also have a LB30 head that I am trying to sell... no problems, cool amp, but just wasn't using it much. I think I might keep it though. I've seen a few guys here and there with the EVO heads.
I think the lack of popularity is mostly a distribution thing. If they didn't happen to have it at Bass Emporium when I was shopping, I would own something else. I did know a guy once who had a EVO head and 8x10 Ashdown rig. This was years back, and I had never heard of Ashdown at the time, and never saw one again till years later.
I have a couple ashdown cabs and have been very happy. Went to Bass Emporium with the intent to buy something else, but after playing a few cabs in the store, settled on the Ashdown stuff. It's nice. I have two of the ABM Compact 15s. No problems at all. Also have a LB30 head that I am trying to sell... no problems, cool amp, but just wasn't using it much. I think I might keep it though. I've seen a few guys here and there with the EVO heads.
I think the lack of popularity is mostly a distribution thing. If they didn't happen to have it at Bass Emporium when I was shopping, I would own something else. I did know a guy once who had a EVO head and 8x10 Ashdown rig. This was years back, and I had never heard of Ashdown at the time, and never saw one again till years later.
3) Their introduction of lightweight heads was a disaster (that superfly thing or whatever... one of the worst bass products ever produced IMO). Even though some of their later lightweight offerings were 'OK', again, the reputation damage was done. (their current 'my little pony' looking amps in the different colors will probably not help things much).
IMO and IME.
Actually, from what i've heard so far, they have actually got the micro-amp thing right with their new MiBass series. They almost had it with the Little Giant, just a problem of the preamp having to low an output for the power amp.
Ashdown are really popular over here in the UK, i've turned up to bacline-supplied gigs many times with their gear sat on stage, and its been quite reliable and quite nice sounding. It's mostly MAG gear, although i did have an ABM 410 supplied to me at a gig, didn't have chance to really push it through its paces though. I'm intending to get 2 ABM 2x10 Compacts for my own cabs.
Liam
Ashdown are pretty popular in the UK (you often see bass players on TV using them as their backline.)
They used to have great rep but things went a bit sour when they started shipping production to China. A plethora of horror stories started spreading as many bass players were buying amps that were suffering from terrible reliability issues. I'm actually aware of a shop that stopped stocking them as the amount of returns they were getting began to become ridiculous.
I've been using an ABM 500 evo II for years now. I personally like it a lot as it does everything I need (I don't like hifi sounding amps but it's got more attack than an all-valve head.) I can't say I care for their cabs (in my opinion, they sound a bit muffled). I use mine with Aguilar DB 112s. Lovely sound and I get a lot of compliments on my tone at gigs
They used to have great rep but things went a bit sour when they started shipping production to China. A plethora of horror stories started spreading as many bass players were buying amps that were suffering from terrible reliability issues. I'm actually aware of a shop that stopped stocking them as the amount of returns they were getting began to become ridiculous.
I've been using an ABM 500 evo II for years now. I personally like it a lot as it does everything I need (I don't like hifi sounding amps but it's got more attack than an all-valve head.) I can't say I care for their cabs (in my opinion, they sound a bit muffled). I use mine with Aguilar DB 112s. Lovely sound and I get a lot of compliments on my tone at gigs
So glad to hear such an unbiased and unclouded perspective from an Ampeg endorser, lol.
Seriously though, don't confuse "most widespread" with "best", as they are without a doubt 2 very different things. Fender? LOL. Fender is closer to the worst than the best. The vast majority of Fenders basses (and guitars) I've played in my life just feel totally slapped together, with no attention paid to construction, setup, etc... Now, the best ones are really special, sure, but they basically bank on their reputation and economies of scale (and outsourcing to third world countries) to maintain their market share. Do you think if you could get a Ken Smith, Alembic, etc... for the same price as a Fender that they would still have such a huge presence? HIGHLY doubtful. And also, if 2 products are roughly equally as good and cost roughly the same, the one that is more accessible is the one that will get bought. Just look at GC. They carry fewer and fewer brands all the time, so it's no wonder most people play Fender, Ibanez, maybe a MM, etc... and Ampeg, GK, Markbass, and Mesa amps.
As far as Ampeg, what exactly makes them "the best"? Specs? No. Features? No. Weight? No. Price? No. Build quality? No. Tone? For some people, sure, for others no. Their crowning achievement is something they designed 40 years ago. And there seem to be vast periods of their history where people say "yeah, don't get any of that stuff".
I'm not saying they suck, they do make some good stuff. But if you had a legitimate claim that they're "the best" your argument would have included some or all of those categories above rather than basically just saying "they're everywhere!". To compare to home audio stuff, I'm sure way more people have Realistic (aka Radio Shack) stereo components than McIntosh, but McIntosh is better in every single conceivable way, except in terms of price (as long as you don't consider value for your $) and accessibility.
Bottom line, when making purchases, people have all kinds of things to consider, including the ones I mentioned above, but the final decision is going to come down to money and availability, which work against each other. So if you have more money, availability isn't as big an issue and vice versa.
Have been using a Ashdown Little Bastard (UK) and have never been happier with any brand. There is no "best" brand - it's up to what you like as far as tone, weight, etc. I hate Ampeg and Fender, but others think they are the greatest thing ever. I would really suggest people try out Ashdown gear as it rocks.
To be clear, I can only comment on the US market, and also am answering the question 'why aren't they popular' versus really 'rating the brand'. Often, perception is reality, and the brand image was quite tarnished over here for the reasons I stated.
JAUQO III-X
Inactive
Ken before the reliability issues ever came up Ashdown wasn't that warmly welcomed in the states to begin with and a lot had to do with the fact that is was a not made in USA product . And when the reliability issues came up it didn't help a brand that already had a slight prejudice towards it to begin with.
And we know how the USA waves the made in USA flag so strong in your face that people seem to think that the USA is the only country making anything, especially anything of quality.
To defend JimmyM, he was a vocal Ampeg supporter years before he got that endorsement. I believe the reason he got the endorsement was his unasked-for support of Ampeg products here and elsewhere.
Ampeg is the gold standard of bass amps for a reason.
The first big player and some good advertising being one of the reason. Then get a lot of big names using your product and bassists see and hear their icons using that equipment and want to follow in their footsteps.
There certainly is no "best" when it comes to something that's subjective.
I wouldn't say Ampeg is the most common in the UK, but I certainly like 'em
Here in Belgium Ashdown used to be very popular. I still own the UK made ABM Evo II and 410 cab. I don't want to get rid of it. Although the MAG series are sold more often because of the lower price range. I see them a lot more on stages than the ABM's.
Last year I used the head with an Ampeg 410 which was in a rehearsal room. Not once but weekly for a whole year, it saved me from dragging that heavy cab every time. The sound was ok but never like the ABM. It sounded darker, muddier and didn't have that nice and growly 'undertone'.
But, I was pissed when Ashdown started production in the East. Prices dropped like flies and from what I hear, quality issues didn't help popularity. A lot of people want a popular product for a cheap price. It's nice if it says 'Made in the UK' or 'USA' but no more than tat. MIM beats MIA hands down. So selling the UK Ashdown is no option, it's worth virtually nothing.
Nowadays you see expensive new Markbass and Aguilar gear at GC's. Or TC sometimes. And next to those brands a bunch of second hand or cheap Ashdown stuff. No more value, sad.
I asked an Ashdown dealer and he said he was planning to move towards Ampeg and GenzBenz only. Nothing else. That was 6 months ago. I go there every 4 weeks and they are still selling Ashdown. No Ampeg in the house yet. Maybe, with a little luck, Ashdown will get back to where it belongs, a real competitor for Ampeg.
I must admit, I'm not sure if the new MiBass will help. It may sound great but has too much of a toy image.
Last year I used the head with an Ampeg 410 which was in a rehearsal room. Not once but weekly for a whole year, it saved me from dragging that heavy cab every time. The sound was ok but never like the ABM. It sounded darker, muddier and didn't have that nice and growly 'undertone'.
But, I was pissed when Ashdown started production in the East. Prices dropped like flies and from what I hear, quality issues didn't help popularity. A lot of people want a popular product for a cheap price. It's nice if it says 'Made in the UK' or 'USA' but no more than tat. MIM beats MIA hands down. So selling the UK Ashdown is no option, it's worth virtually nothing.
Nowadays you see expensive new Markbass and Aguilar gear at GC's. Or TC sometimes. And next to those brands a bunch of second hand or cheap Ashdown stuff. No more value, sad.
I asked an Ashdown dealer and he said he was planning to move towards Ampeg and GenzBenz only. Nothing else. That was 6 months ago. I go there every 4 weeks and they are still selling Ashdown. No Ampeg in the house yet. Maybe, with a little luck, Ashdown will get back to where it belongs, a real competitor for Ampeg.
I must admit, I'm not sure if the new MiBass will help. It may sound great but has too much of a toy image.
Well hey, everyone's entitled to their opinion, except for me apparently.
Anyway, to address a couple points, I never ever played an amp in my life just because some big name played it, Ampeg is a much better amp than Justin Bieber is a singer (the kid is actually pretty good, just does lame material), give me the choice of an Alembic, a Ken Smith, or a Fender, and I'll take the Fender 100% of the time, and the Ampeg PF500 owns 10% of the overall bass amp market this year, and Ashdown makes good stuff that hasn't caught on in the US.
Anyway, to address a couple points, I never ever played an amp in my life just because some big name played it, Ampeg is a much better amp than Justin Bieber is a singer (the kid is actually pretty good, just does lame material), give me the choice of an Alembic, a Ken Smith, or a Fender, and I'll take the Fender 100% of the time, and the Ampeg PF500 owns 10% of the overall bass amp market this year, and Ashdown makes good stuff that hasn't caught on in the US.
JAUQO III-X
Inactive
Ashdown seems to be more known outside of continental North America than in the US and Canada. Don't (Didn't?) they manufacture what looks like a good line of hybrid heads somewhere in the southern part of the US (can't remember specifically where) to take advantage of the cheaper manufacturing costs vis-a-vis Europe? I think the brand would have had a better top-of-mind recall if the US brand managers would only push it more in terms of promo as well as presence in the usual distribution channels. I got my Ashdown cab via Craigslist/Kijiji from a guy who lived in a small town two hours away from where I live. After that I was willing to try more of their stuff but couldn't find a dealer which carried them (they could order one for you but that's about it).
As for me, haven't heard or seen it, no one around carried it, didn't seem all that popular.
When I was amp shopping i considered it, but at the time I felt I got a better deal with a GK10001RBII than the ABMEVOII.
When I was amp shopping i considered it, but at the time I felt I got a better deal with a GK10001RBII than the ABMEVOII.
Paul McCartney teaches bass - YouTube
Guy Pratt presents Ashdown ABM Evo III - YouTube
Anything good enough to be onstage with McCartney and Floyd can't be all bad.
Guitar Resurrection carries Ashdown here. Austin Basstraders is a out-of-the-house operation that deals in boutique stuff some other guys don't but yeah, the best music store here is Craigslist. That Custom shop or whatever it is down the sidewalk from Ray Hennings usually has some pretty good quality old, classic basses and other instruments but they seem to think their stuff is made of gold. Some of that same stuff will still be hanging on the wall when I die.
