My old Ashdown rig
Ashdown ABM 500-410h
I was a big Trace Elliot fan for years, but when my rig got too big for my boots, I decided it was time for a change. I'd decided on a Mesa Boogie 2x10 until I saw the price tag, so I looked at a few Ampegs... same problem. Then this little beauty came up on ebay (where else?) for a song, so I snapped it up. I'd always liked Ashdowns, and they have a good pedigree (designed and made by some disgruntled ex Trace Elliot employees apparently) so I took the plunge and I wasn't disappointed. Four ten inch speakers gives more Bass than you'd imagine, and five hundred watts is more than enough power for any rational man. The EQ layout is great - you can use it as a full on seven band job, or for the simple life, just use the three rotaries as Bass, middle and treble. High & Low inputs, valve/solid state blend, balanced DI output and even a built in sub octave give you more flexibility than you can deal with, and the sound is awesome. Big PHAT Bass, with enough clarity to cut through sheet steel, and a useable EQ to boot. It copes fairly well with acoustic/double Bass as long as you don't stand too close!
Ashdown MAG 115-200
Yes, the combo is pretty fierce on it's own, but in order to get the full 500 watts of power, you need an extension cab. I'd been using a mate's Trace 15 for a while and I loved the extra Bass, power and volume so I decided I 'needed' one. I wanted an Ashdown so it would fit under my amp (and so it would match!) but for some reason, Ashdown don't make a 15" cab with more than 300 watts of power and I wanted MORE dammit! Luckily I found a man in Brum (my old stomping ground) selling one that had been upgraded with a 400W Delta Eminence driver. Mmmmmm. It makes a massive difference - it opens up the full 500 watts of the amp, it moves a shed load of air and the 15" driver gives you more low end than a pregnant elephant. Now all I need is a 500W powered sub so I can make use of the sub output... Mwahahahahahaha.....
I got rid of this in favour of a lovely Markbass setup that weighs a lot less.