Why no love for Ashdown?

[Shawn Luckman]

Can't judge a company by its budget line.

As the famous saying goes "you don't get a second chance to make a first impression". The same can go for basses & amps while both entry level basses & amps,are not fully on par with their more expensive versions, the company would want to try & keep you interested in their brand when you choose to upgrade. Hence making their budget line as best as costs would allow them to do.
Look at the Fender Rumble V3 series of amps amazing amps for the price, and many here (myself included) think these sound excellent. Even Peavey with their TKO amps as a "budget line" sounded good & that was years before Ashdown began making amps, so yes you can judge a company by it's budget line.

 

[eyeballkid]

My first impression with budget line ampeg, fender, and others was quite unimpressive...as I should've expected from a low wattage combo sub $500. Obviously that didn't keep me from buying svts v4bs or 300 pros. Ashdown has been one of the finest amps I've owned whenever you buy the professional level gear.

 

[Wicked G]

I agree that you can't expect amazing out of budget lines or it wouldn't be budget line. And lets face it, the Fender Rumble V1 was far from amazing although the newer V3 models are actually pretty good. As for Peavey TKO amps sounding good, I'm pretty sure there will be a lot of difference on opinions on that one.

 

[eyeballkid]

The TKO had volume and durability, a BASIC solid tone, but nothing with character at all.
if you wanted a reliable 150lb combo to lend your buddy, it was the one.... but thats about it.

 

[Shawn Luckman]

My first impression with budget line ampeg, fender, and others was quite unimpressive...as I should've expected from a low wattage combo sub $500. Obviously that didn't keep me from buying svts v4bs or 300 pros. Ashdown has been one of the finest amps I've owned whenever you buy the professional level gear.

I agree that you can't expect amazing out of budget lines or it wouldn't be budget line. And lets face it, the Fender Rumble V1 was far from amazing although the newer V3 models are actually pretty good. As for Peavey TKO amps sounding good, I'm pretty sure there will be a lot of difference on opinions on that one.

The Ashdown EB 15-180 I doubt was a budget line amp, Ashdown had a couple of other models below the EB. And my comment regarding the TKO here in the UK during the early part of the 80's, good quality beginner amps were few and far between. We had makes like Laney, HH & various others some to worse to remember their names, yet with the Peaveys you were getting a good quality Made in USA amp the sounded better than a lot of the others. And yes they weighed a ton my TNT 160 I'm sure was the same dimensions & weight as a washing machine. I gigged with mine for over 10 years, the thing was bomb proof.

 

[eyeballkid]

If I remember correctly the eb line was small low wattage combo, mostly for bedroom practice.... then came the mag line which was higher wattage but light on features.... then the abm line and signature models or their ashdown labs stuff. Definitely budget line.

 

[Shawn Luckman]

If I remember correctly the eb line was small low wattage combo, mostly for bedroom practice.... then came the mag line which was higher wattage but light on features.... then the abm line and signature models or their ashdown labs stuff. Definitely budget line.

I think the EB 15 180 could have been used for more than bedroom practice, either way it was my one & only Ashdown experience and not a good one unfortunately.

 

[B-line]

I've got some love for MY Ashdown:

 

[BlushResponse]

I'm digging on my CTM300 and my newly acquired Little Bastard.

 

[Wicked G]

I'm digging on my CTM300 and my newly acquired Little Bastard.

Now the Little Bastard is something that has interested me for quite some time. I just don't think it would be loud enough for my band on gigs and it would be a little expensive for a home practice amp. But I would really like to hear one some day. How long have you had it and how is it working out for you?

 

[Altitude]

I had the red Mark King amp head about 10 years ago. It did require a trip to the shop in the first 9 months I had it. It sounded fine but not really remarkable; I sold it to buy something lighter.

 

[Daniel Piper]

I want this.

And a big berg.

 

[B-line]

View attachment 1193981 I want this.

And a big berg.

That is a BEAST. I want it too, but it scares me!

 

[Daniel Piper]

Yah- the 200 watt version would be enough for my tastes.

I could even settle for one of those new uk made cabs with it.

But that highlights my number 1 problem with ashdown- those uk cabs will probably only be made for a while before being discontinued, and im pretty sure the 200 watt bta isn't in production now.

 

[B-line]

Yah- the 200 watt version would be enough for my tastes.

I could even settle for one of those new uk made cabs with it.

But that highlights my number 1 problem with ashdown- those uk cabs will probably only be made for a while before being discontinued, and im pretty sure the 200 watt bta isn't in production now.

My CTM 100 belies the RMS output in its power and sound, and Volume-Headroom. Amazing what they do w/ (2) KT88's. Here's a pic with the UK-built KLY115H- Cab was NOS, interesting to note the Union Jack/American Flag Badge. Ashdown hsd a couple variants for their cabinets I understand.

 

[BlushResponse]

Now the Little Bastard is something that has interested me for quite some time. I just don't think it would be loud enough for my band on gigs and it would be a little expensive for a home practice amp. But I would really like to hear one some day. How long have you had it and how is it working out for you?

I just picked it up from a fellow TB'er. Haven't cranked it yet, but I have a Greenboy Dually that I was planning on running it through, just to see if there's any credence to this whole idea of playing it through an efficient cab. So far I've been running it through a single 10" Trace Elliot cab. It will get put through its paces on every cab I have to see which sounds better. So far though, it has a pretty cool tone that I'm digging. And it's so small and light. The previous owner had done the preamp tube swap to increase gain. I'm not much of a whiz kid on which tubes do what though.

 

[Daniel Piper]

I just moved my ctm 100 on, like you I loved its power, but the preamp tone stack just wasn't flexible enough.

Great power tube saturation though!

 

[Tbone76]

I bought a Rootmaster 420 head a couple years ago to have as a backup, and I ended up returning it because I didn't like how it sounded. I didn't spend a ton of time with it, but I remember it sounding very muffled, without a lot of top-end.

I picked up a used LB30 a couple of weeks ago, and I love the tone immensely. I originally was running it thru an Aguilar DB112 cab, but then I saw that a local shop had a used KLY115H cab, so I picked that up, too. It's a UK-made cab, and the tag on the back says that it's rated for 400 watts. Everything I could find on this cab, however, shows it to be a 300 watt cab. Warm, full, and loud, and with the tone stack it's simple to dial in a variety of great tones. What more could you want??!

EDIT: added in a pic!

 

[B-line]

I bought a Rootmaster 420 head a couple years ago to have as a backup, and I ended up returning it because I didn't like how it sounded. I didn't spend a ton of time with it, but I remember it sounding very muffled, without a lot of top-end.

I picked up a used LB30 a couple of weeks ago, and I love the tone immensely. I originally was running it thru an Aguilar DB112 cab, but then I saw that a local shop had a used KLY115H cab, so I picked that up, too. It's a UK-made cab, and the tag on the back says that it's rated for 400 watts. Everything I could find on this cab, however, shows it to be a 300 watt cab. Warm, full, and loud, and with the tone stack it's simple to dial in a variety of great tones. What more could you want??!
View attachment 1363970
EDIT: added in a pic!

That is VERY nice-lookin'

 

[BlushResponse]

I've run my LB30 through a Trace Elliot 2103x cab (2x10 + 2x5) to good effect, but what a difference it is when I run that little guy through my Greenboy Dually! As ridiculous as it would appear to the casual observer; I think I've found my lightweight gig rig.