Ashdown Guitar amps?

[infrared72]

So I've been eyeing the Ashdown Mag 210 amp for my bass playing for quite some time now. I'm crusing Ashdown's website today and I came across the Fallen Angel guitar amps. Are these things any good? Has anyone played them?

Ashdown dealers seem to be few and far between. There's only one I know of near me, and it's a good 2+ hour drive from my home. I did talk with one of their product reps at the NAMM show a few weeks back - super nice people, and they seem to be decent quality amps for the money. I know nothing about their guitar amps though.

-Peter

 

[DankStar]

Re: Ashdown Guitar amps?

all I know is I played in a guitar contest sponsered by Ashdown, and they had everyone play through some P.O.S. Ashdown halfstack, and everyone sounded like crap. The guy that won did so by whipping out a Boss Metal Zone, which generated so much noise and feedback through it that he got the grand prize.

 

[Kosh Naranek]

Re: Ashdown Guitar amps?

The Ashdown Peacemaker amps are reportedly great quality amps with tone that competes with boutique amps.

As for the Fallen Angel series, I've heard some on the board here say they have experienced quality control issues.

But as for the tone of the Fallen Angels, I like it, for certain types of music. The amp is aimed more at players of heavy music. I loved it's snarling, aggressive midrange. It sounds kinda scooped, and sounds real mean. It's a very distinctive sound. I loved it because rather than a generic midrange with generic EQ that lets you boost or cut it, this amp definitely had it's own personality. A rude, attitudinous personality!

What I've read about them says that Ashdown designed them to be able to have more evergy available to produce low frequencies too. They designed them to accomodate players who play downtuned heavy stuff.

Now, I was banging out classic rock riffs on the Fallen Angel I plugged into at a local shop, and it didn't sound too bad doing that either. But you can tell it wants to get aggressive. The sizzling high end, the snarling mids, they want to really shine when you crank the gain and play heavy music. I can see the tone of this amp sounding really cool on power chords and riffs. I don't remember it exactly having a singing tone though that you would probably want for lead playing.

The guitar I pulled off the wall to try out the amp was a EB/Music Man Luke, which has EMG's. I have no idea how the amp would sound with passive pickups. I was amazed it sounded so good, so full of personality with EMG's since I expect all the personality to disappear with those pickups. The amp took those neutral sounding pickups and imprinted its own personality on the sound. Players with passive pickups looking for the sound of their guitar and pickups to speak through may find that the amp puts too much of its own color on the sound of their guitar, I don't know.

Oh, and I thought the built in digital effects might be handy for some, but personally, I like an amp to just be an amp, not a multi-effects unit too. I like the idea of hearing the pure tone of the amp, not having it go through a bunch of digital circuits.

 

[milkbone]

Re: Ashdown Guitar amps?

I have two of these in 2x12. The English made non DSP and Chinese made with DSP. I had the PT on the Brit. go and replaced it. Never had a problem with the Chinese one. The English one sounds better to my ears. Both have pretty much the same features except for the DSP (which are very limited anyway).

English:
Vintage 30s, casters, a bit smaller than the C, Pain in the Arse!! to get apart. Two master volumes. Clean channel (no Fender here) dirty,(very cool) and boost on dirty. Managable power. Effects loop. Single 16 extention and two switchable 8-4 extentions.
Can do just about any type of sound that I am looking for (classic, heavy rock) no "numetal" even though the name would imply. TONS of bass, really too much.

Chinese: Ashdown speakers, swithcable cooling fan (nice!) comes with 4 button footswitch (ch1/ch2/boost/effects) Dsps are OK, nothing spectacular or adjustable. Both have reverb,(brit. is a tank, don't remember if the Chinese is dig. or tank, have to look).

Both are HEAVY! Two EL34s 4 12AX7s (3 pre 1 PI) Stock with EH tubes.

I have Celestion G12hs in both now. Brit with two 8s (wired for 16 so I can run either my 4x12 or 2x12 under it @16 for an 8 ohm total)(6 12"s ,,,, YEAH!!!!)

Chinese : two 16s wired @ 8.

I think the English one sounds better. To me it has a clearer sound and more of a "direct" sound.
The Chinese one is by no means a bad amp though!

You can get these super cheap right now. I think they are a great bargain for a decent amp.
SOOO,,,,, English sounds better but they do have some reliablilty issues (at least mine did but fixed it).
Chinese, Seems like a really solid amp that has a lot of features and to me, great sound and versatility for a super price.