I gig the ABM600 EVO IV head and a point not raised in this video is not to have the “ Shape” button out ( it scoops the mids ) I believe many folk have tried the amps and got buried in a mix. If you push the Shape button in and use the 9 band EQ you get a full punchy tone that is great for live use The Shape “ out” sounds huge in isolation but as it’s so scooped you will disappear in a band context. I’ve tried virtually all makes of bass heads and I always return to Ashdown as my preferred amp and cab.
I used to play an ABM 500 Evo III with a 410 and a 115 on tour. The best compliment I ever got about my tone was with that amp and a USA SUB Stingray. This kid came up and told be that my amp was making his nose rattle and vibrate.
A little surprised you didn't go into their historical pedigree at all. Ashdown came out of Trace-Elliot. From memory, after that company ended, the bass division became Ashdown while the guitar division were bought up by Gibson to become their GoldTone amplifier range. Trace-Elliot were very innovative, and super important at one point.
Bassists that like amps that slam absolutely LOVE the old TE gear. Insanely heavy by modern standards but man. And the newer revived brand stuff is also great and gets that tonal shape vibe nailed pretty well. The elf 2x8 cab with Faitals is one of the best cabs you can buy for $400. But yes, Ashdown is good stuff as well. I got along REALLY well with the Geezer head but I couldn’t justify the cost for such a device where I don’t need to push that much air regularly.
Sounds great. I have the EVO IV DUAL VU, 600 watts. I set it up next to my SVT, and I prefer the Ashdown. Don't understand why this head doesn't get more love.
I used to have a 500 watt EVO 2x10 combo about 15 years ago and it was HEAVY !!! But the sound was sooo warm and good I used a fretless wal bass through it and it was a match made in heaven I was touring with a Celtic band at the time and it them sound amazing !! i could not handle the weight of lugging it about for gigs and went over to the now defunckt Genz Benz class D shuttle heads and focus cabs which were amazing ! Listening to your amazing warm bass tones on this vid reminds me that Ashdown are serious pro amps with amazing tone also they have made all sorts of amps and cabs to cater for everyones taste ie lightweight and heavier !!This set up with the 1x 15 sounds awesome and is probably more portable than my original combo that said im glad to see a UK amp manufactuer get the spotlight !Great Vid I might have to search one of these rigs out now and I love the bass octaver built in !
Ashdown makes lovely gear. They made a few guitar amps as Ashdown, and then a few under the brand name "Hayden". I've used a few Ashdowns over the years and they are super reliable, classic amps. Sadly my Hayden wasn't quite so sturdy - had a few issues with that, but I did move with it multiple times so it's understandable! But I expected more because all the Ashdowns I've had over the years are the kinda things you expect to be in full working order when the cockroaches inherit the planet.
I got a MAG300 head 2 weeks ago for 40€! I didn’t remember how a real bass amp sounded. I have it vertically tied to the 208 cab and it’s even taller than it. It’ll be my forever more home rig.
I have a little giant 1000. It's absolutely incredible. Very versatile if you want variety of tones. Paired with a 4x10 cab, it can achieve from a "vintage" tone, to a sort of b7k tone emulated with an electronic pedal
Played loads of Ashdown here in the UK, they are pretty much standard issue in most rehearsal spaces or venues. Never fell in love with the tone. I did however own a Ashdown John Entwhistle RPM-1 Preamp for a while running into some PA power amps when I was running a biamped rig.
Owning a Evo III since manny years. it’s the silver fronted 15 years special edition. It was my first real bass amp. Loved it pretty much. But it let me down a few times. And because of the weight, I only play a pedalboard and in ear setup now. Should give it a shot again, maybe with a better Cab.
My trace Elliot is becoming more of a collectors item, so I like to reach for an Ashdown when gigging. Best customer service I've dealt with as well. The owner contacted me on a Sunday in regards to an issue I was having.
Dude I have a Shavo head into a 410/210 ABM stack and all I gotta say is people need to stop sleeping on Ashdown. I couldn't go back and play my DG heads after it for good hard rock tones, they just sounded so much heftier. They both have their own place for me but man the Ashdown are made to ROCK!
I'd like to see a demo of the new ABM EVO V 750. It really looks like a beast with the same tonal features but a much beefier output section with more headroom, sustain, and low end control according to Ashdown.
Oh, so you are a little off on your descriptions though. So, with the valve drive off, it actually removes the tube from the circuit. Makes it a purely solid state amp. The drive knob, actually controls the voltage to the single 12ax7 in the pre amp. The button turns the tube on and off. The shape button, is your ultra high/ultra low. Except, they work the switch in reverse. Out is on, in is flat (off). The eq button doesn't turn the sliders off, it turns the entire eq section off. But, allows you to still use the other features with, let's say, an external preamp. You can run it through the front end, and still use the features of the amp without the preamp eq getting in the way.
I tried so many amps/cabs (since 1970) and way overspent doing it. There`s a lot of good amps that will work fine. I got a Porta-Flex 800, P-bass, and a 1-15 Carvin cab (the big one) and I`m sticking with it.
I have and love my Mag iii 300w bass and 115 and 210 cab combination. Super loud and punchy live and a great eq, compressor, di for recording. The ABM just looks like the newer version. I don't like or use the sub bass or distortion knobs so they are bypassed.
I have an ashdown. It sounds amazing, but they are known for dying. I had to replace mine after 1 week. I know 3 others who went through 2 or 3 before they found a good one.
Hi Patrick, I have an important question: is your D.I. XLR cable ending with another XLR (and going to the MIC input of a DAW, or is it ending with a 1/2" Jack going to the Instrument input of the DAW? Thank you for your help!
If you want to push that game up to another level try to get a Klystron 500. It takes nearly everything from this ABM and makes it bigger. The build quality is unprecedented. It is a bit heavier and it´s not easy to get one. I feed mine into a Ampeg 410 HLF and won´t give it away.
The older version of the ABM 300 seems to be the standard amp in rehearsal studios over here in London, UK. I've always found them utterly gutless and lacking any bottom end - unable to keep up volume wise with a drummer and single guitarist. Having used them in several different rooms at various studios, I don't think it was because they've been thrashed as they've all been completely hopeless.
America has Ampeg. And increasingly it seems Britain has Ashdown. Slightly Different beasts, but in the same ball park, … er perhaps should say Cricket Ground 😂 tonally I love my Ashdown, But despite my Arthritis, am tempted to upgrade my EVO EB 180 to a full ABM. All I’m really missing is the Tube Drive and a few sliders on the EVO as essentially those classic tones are there. I Had been toying with going with a lightweight Class D to help the arthritis, but I think the Tone is worth the extra physical lugging involved.
Nice review. I have to say I am a little disappointed by the EQ on this amp. You have three bands of bass and three bands of treble, and then a single knob for mids? Bass lives and dies by the mids. Proper mid control is the difference between disappearing in a mix, or being a clanky mess.
That's not really how it works. The additional sliders are extra frequencies, low and high mid, it's more a range of frequency controls than them being dedicated to BASS, MIDS or TREBLE. If anything the extra slider mean you have 6 extra bands of varied middle frequencies ;)
Not my cup of tea to be honest. IME I've never had a good gig everytime I played through an Ashdown rig. It doesn't matter how loud I turned up or how many EQ settings tried, everytime that the two guitar players turned up the distortion the bass disappeared buried in the mix. Nowadays I use an Ampeg PF350 and a cheap Harley Benton 2x10 bass cabinet and surprisingly it keeps it up against two guitars and a drummer
Likewise, I've tried a couple of ashdowns (abm 600 recently) and no matter how i eq'd it has this baked in tone that just doesnt sit in the mix well for me.
Same, had my own 1x15 and 4x10 combos back in the day and done a few gigs with 8x10 as backline and never had a sound I enjoyed. All sounded very meh. Compared to anything Aguilar/GK/Ampeg which has sounded great everytime with little effort.
Funny thing, it’s exactly the opposite for me! And many live records I love where the bass fits PERFECTLY in the mix feature ashdown gear: Bonamassa live At the Greek, Gilmour live At Pompei, Black Sabbath the end live, U2 Slane Castle and Chicago DVDs….
300 watts. wimpy wimpy wimpy. ampeg svt 7 pro and my carvin 4ohm cab that will handle the ampeg. 1,200 watts continuous 4x10 cab. on wheels. hefty hefty hefty. 1,000 watts. rms. 👍👍👍👍👍.
Ashdown sound awesome. However, they have an absolute dreadful legacy of quality control issues. MANY Ashdown amps were poorly packed in shipping from UK and arrived damaged and later the ones that were built in China were poorly constructed and defective. All of this was my experience back in the early 2000s. I hope they are more reliable now.
Ha! Trip out Patrick. I guess we think alike yo. I was curious myself, and got the same set (600w version) up a month or so ago. Oh, I also got the rm 610T on top of it though. th-cam.com/video/_Z-szAefFoM/w-d-xo.html
![The LOUD & POWERFUL Lunchbox Amp! - Orange Bass Terror [Demo]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/O8d_pXtsr3E/mqdefault.jpg)
![The LOUD & POWERFUL Lunchbox Amp! - Orange Bass Terror [Demo]](/img/tr.png)
![ตีสิบเดย์ [FULL] | ตัวตึง! ปากกล้า! ท้ารบ! "ทนายไพศาล เรืองฤทธิ์"](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/pU3dXTsaBVc/mqdefault.jpg)
I gig the ABM600 EVO IV head and a point not raised in this video is not to have the “ Shape” button out ( it scoops the mids )
I believe many folk have tried the amps and got buried in a mix. If you push the Shape button in and use the 9 band EQ you get a full punchy tone that is great for live use
The Shape “ out” sounds huge in isolation but as it’s so scooped you will disappear in a band context.
I’ve tried virtually all makes of bass heads and I always return to Ashdown as my preferred amp and cab.
I’ve played Ashdown for a long time and this is key.
Bought an ashdown as my first proper amp and have not wanted another since. It’s part of my tone now.
I used to play an ABM 500 Evo III with a 410 and a 115 on tour. The best compliment I ever got about my tone was with that amp and a USA SUB Stingray. This kid came up and told be that my amp was making his nose rattle and vibrate.
A little surprised you didn't go into their historical pedigree at all. Ashdown came out of Trace-Elliot. From memory, after that company ended, the bass division became Ashdown while the guitar division were bought up by Gibson to become their GoldTone amplifier range. Trace-Elliot were very innovative, and super important at one point.
Trace Elliot were bought by Peavy.
@@eaglebauer944 Later on this is correct. Peavey bought the name and rights from Gibson, who had owned T-E for about 7 years or so by then.
Bassists that like amps that slam absolutely LOVE the old TE gear. Insanely heavy by modern standards but man. And the newer revived brand stuff is also great and gets that tonal shape vibe nailed pretty well. The elf 2x8 cab with Faitals is one of the best cabs you can buy for $400.
But yes, Ashdown is good stuff as well. I got along REALLY well with the Geezer head but I couldn’t justify the cost for such a device where I don’t need to push that much air regularly.
@@niallmacdonald2710 I guess another example of Gibson buying a brand and doing nothing with it
@@Ian44_92 Yes. R.I.P. Opcode
Glad to see Ashdown get some love….I just got a Shavo 22-head and it’s a beast.
Sounds great.
I have the EVO IV DUAL VU, 600 watts. I set it up next to my SVT, and I prefer the Ashdown. Don't understand why this head doesn't get more love.
I have played many times on this gear.
Among the very best amps IMO.
I used to have a 500 watt EVO 2x10 combo about 15 years ago and it was HEAVY !!! But the sound was sooo warm and good I used a fretless wal bass through it and it was a match made in heaven I was touring with a Celtic band at the time and it them sound amazing !! i could not handle the weight of lugging it about for gigs and went over to the now defunckt Genz Benz class D shuttle heads and focus cabs which were amazing ! Listening to your amazing warm bass tones on this vid reminds me that Ashdown are serious pro amps with amazing tone also they have made all sorts of amps and cabs to cater for everyones taste ie lightweight and heavier !!This set up with the 1x 15 sounds awesome and is probably more portable than my original combo that said im glad to see a UK amp manufactuer get the spotlight !Great Vid I might have to search one of these rigs out now and I love the bass octaver built in !
Ashdown makes lovely gear. They made a few guitar amps as Ashdown, and then a few under the brand name "Hayden". I've used a few Ashdowns over the years and they are super reliable, classic amps. Sadly my Hayden wasn't quite so sturdy - had a few issues with that, but I did move with it multiple times so it's understandable! But I expected more because all the Ashdowns I've had over the years are the kinda things you expect to be in full working order when the cockroaches inherit the planet.
They still make some guitar amps, the ashdown guitar magnifier range.
I got a MAG300 head 2 weeks ago for 40€! I didn’t remember how a real bass amp sounded. I have it vertically tied to the 208 cab and it’s even taller than it. It’ll be my forever more home rig.
I have a little giant 1000. It's absolutely incredible.
Very versatile if you want variety of tones. Paired with a 4x10 cab, it can achieve from a "vintage" tone, to a sort of b7k tone emulated with an electronic pedal
I had a L.G. 350 as a back up, great little amps with very good pre sections.
Played loads of Ashdown here in the UK, they are pretty much standard issue in most rehearsal spaces or venues. Never fell in love with the tone. I did however own a Ashdown John Entwhistle RPM-1 Preamp for a while running into some PA power amps when I was running a biamped rig.
Owning a Evo III since manny years. it’s the silver fronted 15 years special edition. It was my first real bass amp. Loved it pretty much. But it let me down a few times. And because of the weight, I only play a pedalboard and in ear setup now.
Should give it a shot again, maybe with a better Cab.
My trace Elliot is becoming more of a collectors item, so I like to reach for an Ashdown when gigging. Best customer service I've dealt with as well. The owner contacted me on a Sunday in regards to an issue I was having.
Dude I have a Shavo head into a 410/210 ABM stack and all I gotta say is people need to stop sleeping on Ashdown. I couldn't go back and play my DG heads after it for good hard rock tones, they just sounded so much heftier. They both have their own place for me but man the Ashdown are made to ROCK!
I'd like to see a demo of the new ABM EVO V 750. It really looks like a beast with the same tonal features but a much beefier output section with more headroom, sustain, and low end control according to Ashdown.
Glad to see you’ve got a Warwick!
Oh, so you are a little off on your descriptions though. So, with the valve drive off, it actually removes the tube from the circuit. Makes it a purely solid state amp. The drive knob, actually controls the voltage to the single 12ax7 in the pre amp. The button turns the tube on and off.
The shape button, is your ultra high/ultra low. Except, they work the switch in reverse. Out is on, in is flat (off).
The eq button doesn't turn the sliders off, it turns the entire eq section off. But, allows you to still use the other features with, let's say, an external preamp. You can run it through the front end, and still use the features of the amp without the preamp eq getting in the way.
I tried so many amps/cabs (since 1970) and way overspent doing it. There`s a lot of good amps that will work fine. I got a Porta-Flex 800, P-bass, and a 1-15 Carvin cab (the big one) and I`m sticking with it.
Love my Ashdown Klystron/ABM Stack. Punches way above its weight class.
If I were a gigging bassist, that would be my amp. Love Ashdown
Ah, love these amps :D One of the best, haven't heard much from them in the past few years.
Yeah, ahsdown is a nice amps, they sounds very warm and tasty. I was play one of it with band and it sits quite good in a mix
I have and love my Mag iii 300w bass and 115 and 210 cab combination. Super loud and punchy live and a great eq, compressor, di for recording. The ABM just looks like the newer version. I don't like or use the sub bass or distortion knobs so they are bypassed.
I have an ashdown. It sounds amazing, but they are known for dying. I had to replace mine after 1 week. I know 3 others who went through 2 or 3 before they found a good one.
Hi Patrick, I have an important question: is your D.I. XLR cable ending with another XLR (and going to the MIC input of a DAW, or is it ending with a 1/2" Jack going to the Instrument input of the DAW?
Thank you for your help!
If you want to push that game up to another level try to get a Klystron 500. It takes nearly everything from this ABM and makes it bigger. The build quality is unprecedented. It is a bit heavier and it´s not easy to get one. I feed mine into a Ampeg 410 HLF and won´t give it away.
John Myung uses a ABM600 and has a signature drive pedal, as does Nate Mendel.
The older version of the ABM 300 seems to be the standard amp in rehearsal studios over here in London, UK. I've always found them utterly gutless and lacking any bottom end - unable to keep up volume wise with a drummer and single guitarist. Having used them in several different rooms at various studios, I don't think it was because they've been thrashed as they've all been completely hopeless.
America has Ampeg. And increasingly it seems Britain has Ashdown. Slightly Different beasts, but in the same ball park, … er perhaps should say Cricket Ground 😂 tonally
I love my Ashdown, But despite my Arthritis, am tempted to upgrade my EVO EB 180 to a full ABM. All I’m really missing is the Tube Drive and a few sliders on the EVO as essentially those classic tones are there. I Had been toying with going with a lightweight Class D to help the arthritis, but I think the Tone is worth the extra physical lugging involved.
Anyone know what wattage rating the ABM 300 is rated for with an 8 ohm cab?
That Ashdown phone box thing? What's that all about? Good video btw.
Nice review. I have to say I am a little disappointed by the EQ on this amp. You have three bands of bass and three bands of treble, and then a single knob for mids? Bass lives and dies by the mids. Proper mid control is the difference between disappearing in a mix, or being a clanky mess.
That's not really how it works. The additional sliders are extra frequencies, low and high mid, it's more a range of frequency controls than them being dedicated to BASS, MIDS or TREBLE. If anything the extra slider mean you have 6 extra bands of varied middle frequencies ;)
Hey man. I've just bought a bass for the first time. I was just wondering if you had any advice where to start with learning how to play it? Thanks!
Just listen and practice. Start nice and easy and try to grab a bit of theory as you go. Enjoy!
Am I hearing the amp only... or your rattling strings as well ?
Not my cup of tea to be honest. IME I've never had a good gig everytime I played through an Ashdown rig. It doesn't matter how loud I turned up or how many EQ settings tried, everytime that the two guitar players turned up the distortion the bass disappeared buried in the mix.
Nowadays I use an Ampeg PF350 and a cheap Harley Benton 2x10 bass cabinet and surprisingly it keeps it up against two guitars and a drummer
Likewise, I've tried a couple of ashdowns (abm 600 recently) and no matter how i eq'd it has this baked in tone that just doesnt sit in the mix well for me.
Same, had my own 1x15 and 4x10 combos back in the day and done a few gigs with 8x10 as backline and never had a sound I enjoyed. All sounded very meh. Compared to anything Aguilar/GK/Ampeg which has sounded great everytime with little effort.
Funny thing, it’s exactly the opposite for me! And many live records I love where the bass fits PERFECTLY in the mix feature ashdown gear: Bonamassa live At the Greek, Gilmour live At Pompei, Black Sabbath the end live, U2 Slane Castle and Chicago DVDs….
300 watts. wimpy wimpy wimpy.
ampeg svt 7 pro and my carvin 4ohm cab that will handle the ampeg. 1,200 watts continuous 4x10 cab. on wheels. hefty hefty hefty.
1,000 watts. rms.
👍👍👍👍👍.
Ashdown sound awesome. However, they have an absolute dreadful legacy of quality control issues. MANY Ashdown amps were poorly packed in shipping from UK and arrived damaged and later the ones that were built in China were poorly constructed and defective. All of this was my experience back in the early 2000s. I hope they are more reliable now.
Great amps and their brit made Trace Elliot predecessors before them.
Ha! Trip out Patrick. I guess we think alike yo. I was curious myself, and got the same set (600w version) up a month or so ago. Oh, I also got the rm 610T on top of it though.
th-cam.com/video/_Z-szAefFoM/w-d-xo.html
is this head on a tour? lol
You talk to much
Talk more? Well I guess if that’s what you want
Totally an ABM user, I'll never use any other brand than Ashdown...ever.
4.38 that sounds absolutely dreadful.