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Why no love for Ashdown?

#61
Disclaimer I AM an Ashdown endorser. Having said that, I'd like to offer an honest and straight forward opinion. I was a long time Ampeg guy using SVT's (CL, 2, 3, 4 Pros). I always felt like there was something lacking. Around that time I noticed that Nate Mendel (Foo Fighters), Adam Clayton (U2) and Jeff Ament (Pearl Jam) were using Ashdown ABM 500 and 900 heads. I picked up an EVO II ABM 500 and I have never looked back.

I have toured with some top national acts and I've never had reliability issues. I've consistently gotten compliments from other musicians, sound engineers and producers about my tone.

Again, having said all of that, I only use the "higher end" UK and US made Ashdown gear. My 2 ABM's were made in the U.K. (Hard to find) and my cabs were all made in the U.K. And US (Yes, Ashdown had a small run of cabs made in the US).

THERE IS A HUGE difference between this gear and the entry to mid-level consumer gear IMO. Not knocking any of the MAG series, etc, but just like every manufacturer, Ashdown makes their "Pro Series" gear and their "Mass Consumption" gear.

Basing your thoughts about the company based upon the earlier MAG series is the equivalent of basing your opinion of Ampeg on their BA series.

I will add that the new RM EVO heads are extremely great value and tone for the price range!

To each his own, but for me, I've got nothing but love for my Ashdown gear and I can't see myself needing anything else ever.
 
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#63
BaltBass5 said:
Disclaimer I AM an Ashdown endorser. Having said that, I'd like to offer an honest and straight forward opinion. I was a long time Ampeg guy using SVT's (CL, 2, 3, 4 Pros). I always felt like there was something lacking. Around that time I noticed that Nate Mendel (Foo Fighters), Adam Clayton (U2) and Jeff Ament (Pearl Jam) were using Ashdown ABM 500 and 900 heads. I picked up an EVO II ABM 500 and I have never looked back.

I have toured with some top national acts and I've never had reliability issues. I've consistently gotten compliments from other musicians, sound engineers and producers about my tone.

Again, having said all of that, I only use the "higher end" UK and US made Ashdown gear. My 2 ABM's were made in the U.K. (Hard to find) and my candy were all made in the U.K. And US (Yes, Ashdown had a small run of cabs made in the US).

THERE IS A HUGE difference between this gear and the entry to mid-level consumer gear IMO. Not knocking any of the MAG series, etc, but just like every manufacturer, Ashdown makes their "Pro Series" gear and their "Mass Consumption" gear.

Basing your thoughts about the company based upon the earlier MAG series is the equivalent of basing your opinion of Ampeg on their BA series.

I will add that the new MAG EVO heads are extremely great value and tone for the price range!

To each his own, but for me, I've got nothing but love for my Ashdown gear and I can't see myself needing anything else ever.
Click to expand...

More or less what I expected. Expected that the Mag line and now the Rootmaster line were equatable to the Ampeg B line, the GK Backline series or Markbass Blackline series, where the ABMs are more like the SVT CL, SVT Pros and RB1001. Thanks for verifying. Unfortunately here in Nashvegas there aren't many Ashdowns to be found for testing, so it's a buy it to try it situation. Also, based on the comments so far, it seems that Ashdown do tube amps properly, but solid state not so much.
 
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#64
I used to rehearse with a band that had an Ashdown head 4-500 watts, and 410 cab in the rehearsal place. Every time I played it I struggled to get a sound I liked and I thought the cab would fart out at less than real loud settings. After that experience I would never even consider them. I wanted to like it but just could not. I play Genz and Bergs. (Minimega and Bergs now)
 
#65
I should mention for what it's worth:

I play vintage Fender Jazz Basses, mainly rock and hard rock. With my ABM heads I run everything at noon, and use the Valve Drive at about 11 O'clock.

I assume people that had issues dialing in their sound on Ashdowns were referring to anything but the ABM and CTM series because those 2 series are about as straight forward as you can get and I've never found a bad tone out of them! I would also mention that I have never really liked the sound of other cabs with the Ashdown heads with the exception of a few Ampegs. (But I believe that to be more about the other cabs as I'm not a fan of many other cabs period) The Ashdown Classic series cabs and NEO cabs really pair up great!

Also for what it's worth, heads I've compared to the ABM 500 and then passed on: (I still like to keep a pulse and tinker occasionally just to see if my opinion has been swayed)

Aguilar: AG 500, TH500

Ampeg: SVT CL, SVT Pro2, SVT Pro3, SVT Pro4, PF-800

Eden: WT800

GK: 1001RB, MB Fusion 800

Hartke: LH1000, Kilo

Markbass: Little Mark Tube 800

Mesa: Titan V12, M6 Carbine, D800 Subway

Orange: OB1-500

SansAmp: VT500
 
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#66
There were extensive QC issues with the brand, and definitely not just with the MAG series. If you search thread titles for things like "Ashdown reliability" or "Ashdown problem" you'll find stuff like this. Okay, so who else is having serious problems with their Ashdown ABM?

There's even a version of this very thread. Why isn't Ashdown popular?

Seems they had a bad run, but it cost them a lot of customers, new and used, and some retailers and ...

Munjibunga said:
Ashdown's day in the sun has long passed.
Click to expand...
 
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#67
I had an Ashdown RPM1, ABM500 combo, and a pair or their ABM 115's back around 2004 to 2009. I've never had an issue dialing in good tone and was always reliable. It left a bad taste in my mouth though when they moved their ABM line to China and their reliability suffered for a short time. At least Ashdown lowered their prices on some ABM gear with the corresponding move to China. Ampeg under Loud moved and charged the same price.
 
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#68
I have played Ashdown amps of different ranges. In shops, as a backline, at friend's...
The looks and features are too busy for the little versatility I could get out of them.
They sound contrived to me, like they don't let the tone of the instrument come through and force their own tone on it.
To sum it up, I don't find their products sexy or the sound appealing enough to buy into them.
 
#69
Al Kraft said:
I've lived in the Washington DC metro area for over 50 years and I've never seen or heard an Ashdown product in person. I'll buy the geography issue as a clear contributing factor for me, and most everyone I know.
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Interesting, as I know they were sold at Chuck Levin's at least for a good while. I bought a combo, a head and a cab there myself from Tod. I liked them, should never have sold the head, but I was on a lightweight binge and the Mag 600 weighed about 25 lbs. The 410 was a heavy beast, as was the combo.
 
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#72
I played a very early UK Mag 400 head for some time. Great amp, very warm especially when driven a bit through decent cabs. Never any reliability issues.

Kind of miss the old lead sled (very rare now - would never find another one the same) but I went lighter and more powerful. That was the only reason I sold it.

A big thumbs up from me! I think it's a matter of playing the right one. Maybe the right ones never made it to the US?

Cheers.
 
#73
I migrated to Ashdown, UK Only, from my trusty SM400S/2 x Goliath Jr. beginning in about 2001 with my ABM C110-300 and later added the ABM 500 EVOII with an assemblage of ABM Mini cabs. 115, 112, and a couple of 110s. I always thought that the amps sounded great though the little 110-300 combo absolutely needed an extension cab to be anywhere near capable unless used for personal practice. Other than that, the tone is devine. Even more so since I swapped in a Beta10. The Minis worked suprisingly well in some pretty decent sized venues. I usually ran the 500 with the 15 and the 12. Maybe I just got lucky but I never had a reliability issue with any of it. I downsized further in recent years to Class D and a couple of 12s, all Genz. I still have a soft spot for Ashdown and still really like the tone.
I will agree that their cabs are probably the weak link, though I've only used the Minis. The 15 is the only one that I think is up to the task. The 12 was fairly miserable, possibly worn out from Steve Lawson's endorsement clinics, and benefitted from an upgrade to a 250w Truvox, up from the stock 150. The only reason I have a pair of 10s is that The Bass Place was blowing them out super cheap a bunch of years ago. They do ok at moderate volumes, but just ok.
The RPM-1 is still a great sounding pre, and I hear they've been reissued. I have one of the original JE sig. models.
I think a lot of what has driven customers away were definitely the bad QC issues that were reported early on. That, and their product line seems to always be in flux. It's hard to tell what's current, legacy, and origin.
 
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#74
Kirk Bryant said:
I used to rehearse with a band that had an Ashdown head 4-500 watts, and 410 cab in the rehearsal place. Every time I played it I struggled to get a sound I liked and I thought the cab would fart out at less than real loud settings. After that experience I would never even consider them. I wanted to like it but just could not. I play Genz and Bergs. (Minimega and Bergs now)
Click to expand...

I'd be willing to bet good money it's the cab, not the head, that is the issue.
 
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#80
I have one of the original, pre EVO, ABM 500s and I love the sound. The low end is huge, and there's enough control to dial in a wide enough variety for me. It sounds great with my upright as well as my electrics. As others have mentioned, it's not the amp for clinically clean kind of sound, but it's got personality for days! I've stopped using it most of the time because it's heavy and I'm old and lazy,
 

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