There is a buzz in the bass amp camp these days, and it
seems to be chanting "Ashdown!" The retro looking amp harks back
to the days of old hi-hi gear, but with a modern twist. With its clean
lines and understated looks, it brings to mind the subtle style of a great
British racing machine. Because of its retro design, it takes a few
minutes and a little re-thinking about the layout of the amp before you
can really sink your teeth in. Once you get adjusted - the learning curve
is over.
The front panel has two input (hi & low) jacks for
active and passive pickups. A large backlit VU input meter helps with
setting the proper input gain. The input section has an input mix feature
that lets you vary the tone from clean to dirty - not distortion mind you
- just some grind like a good tube preamp overloading. This can be
switched in or out of the signal path. Great for rock & roll bass. No
wonder some of today's top bassists are using them!
The EQ (defeatable) has bass/mid/treble rotary tone
shaping controls, as well as sliding or graphic style mid bands centered
at 180Hz, 340Hz, 1.3KHz, 2.6KHz (respectively) with a boost/cut of +/-
15db. These controls are where you can bring out a color in the sound.
Everything from the big, warm old school thump, Jaco tones, to the
slapping, bright full range bass sound can be had from this amp. Let it be
said that this amp (with a good bass) won’t hinder your ability to get a
great sound right away. An output pot controls overall volume.
There is a sub harmonics circuit control on a rotary pot
(defeatable) that adds a thick bit of beef to the tone that gives the
sound more girth and nuggets. There are some bone rattling tones to be had
here! Be careful, this control is addictive! Season to taste.
The amp also features an XLR DI output, tuner/line
output, and a sub out which takes the sub harmonics control on a line out
to be used with a separate powered subwoofer for those out there who are
into rearranging the internal organs of their fans! On the back panel
there is an effects send/return, foot switchable mute for the main out and
sub out, and a line in with level control. Also there are two speaker outs
rated at 4 ohms each, one being taken up by the internal Celestion
speakers.
Build Quality:
The review amp had been on the sales floor for a while,
so these comments may not apply to all production models.
Overall the amp had a solid feel to it. All the pots and
controls had a positive feel to them and the electronics are very quiet.
There was one slightly off center knob that could have been straightened
with resetting of the pointer by loosening the setscrew and then
readjusting. At this price point something cosmetic like this shouldn't be
overlooked. Also the plug that goes from the amp head to the speakers is
made of a molded plastic, not metal. This should pose no problem if you
are not going to be unplugging the amp a lot to use with an extension
cabinet. The cabinets are plywood with tight seems and no rattles. The
well-positioned flush mount handles make the amp seem lighter than its 84
lbs.
There are dual cooling fans that run at low speed that
keep the amp cool at all times. This is a good and bad. The amp is kept
from over heating, but with the added noise of the fans. They aren't very
loud but cannot be turned off if say you want to use the amp for
recording. This may or may not be a problem for some.
There are rubber feet on the bottom of the cabinet to
keep it from sliding around. The lack of cover and castors may be a put
off for some players that want to protect their investment while making
load in and out easier.
The points I criticize are minute, but it goes to show
how well the amp is built! I had to try to find things wrong with it.
Summary:
To test this amp was a pleasure! It gave all the full
sound you could want from a small portable amp. Big, beefy tones without
mud. Clear, clean highs without being brittle. Lots of power and headroom
to spare. What more could you want? I want one!
Tom Jancauskas has recorded and played bass in bands for
over 20 years, and has bought and sold more gear than though humanly
possible…..
