Ashdown ABM EVO-II Head

ABM 300 EVO II Purchased new in 2004. 325W version. EQ section very powerful and versatile ... I like the combination of sliders and knobs. DI invaluable at gigs and very useful to be able to select pre- or post-EQ (soundmen love it when I turn up with the Ashdown!). Sub-harmonics feature can prove useful as a special effect ... experiment with it! I don't understand why one speaker out is 1/4" jack and the other is Speakon! Most attractive feature for me is the selectable tube preamp driver. In short, the amp is fully featured and succeeds in being applicable to just about any style. No one will use ALL of the features, but that's not the point ... it's designed to appeal to a maximum number of players in many styles of playing. All in all, a useful combination of bells and whistles.

Most commmon set up is vintage-style P-bass with a Lollar pickup, then Carl Martin Compressor/Limiter, then BSIAB2 overdrive (home-built), then Big Muff ('triangle' circuit, home-built), then Boss tuner, with a Boss bass chorus (set slow and shallow) for occasional use in the effects loop (post-EQ). I play in a band that needs me to produce a wide range of tones from woody & rootsy to ballsy rock tones to guttaral fuzzy mayhem.

How often do I use the Ashdown? Very rarely these days. The sounds are high quality, all of the features work fine and the noise floor is low. So why do I now leave the Ashdown at home and take my noisy mid-70's Kustom 150 with the scratchy pots and prehistoric 3-band EQ to every single practice and gig? It has a natural, organic sound that the Ashdown just cannot do.

What do I mean? The Ashdown sounds good - don't get me wrong - but it has a very definite ASHDOWN SOUND ... something I know for a fact the company is very proud of, and rightly so, as many players evidently love the particular sonic signature. However, it's just not for me. I tend to find that I can dial in "my sound" through any other amp that I play through, but I feel that the Ashdown makes me sounds like "A N Other Bass Player" however I set it up. This is probably because so many other players are also employing the ASHDOWN SOUND.

So, high quality sound, easy to get a good tone, but not for the individualist and not for me, hence the so-so score. If you are reading this because you are wondering whether you should consider buying a similar Ashdown amp, go to the shop, play it with your own bass/leads/effects (yes, even take your leads!!!) and decide for yourself whether the sonic signature is the answer to your prayers or an imposing burden.

Hmmmmm...

Bought the amp, took it to a rehearsal, ran it at less then half volume for about 2 hours and it died. I took it back to the shop and two weeks later it was returned to me with no issues arising since then (4 years). The problem had been something to do with the chassis mounting causing a power short. I'm surprised it made it out of the factory with this kind of fault (quality control?!?!) but it was fixed quickly, permanently and free of charge, so I guess I forgive them.

Recently, the VU meter stopped illuminating. Since buying the amp I have developed some tech knowledge, so I requested a schematic from Ashdown (see below), opened the amp up (PLEASE don't do this yourself unless you are 110% positive you are able to do so safely) and found the bulb had burned out. The repair cost me zero in parts (see below) and took me approx 15 mins, including the removal and re-installation of the chassis. Hence, if this is a common fault, it should be extremely cheap to get it repaired professionally.

(BTW The chassis mounting system is a beatiful piece of design!)

Superb!

When I requested a schematic, it took a few e-mails for me to accurately communicate which one I needed (my fault) and I had the right diagram within a few hours of my original query!

When I e-mailed them to ask how I could get hold of a bulb for the VU meter, the reply simply said "Reply with your address and I'll post you one". No charge, no fuss. It arrived the next day.

Ashdown is VERY good at customer service.

I used this amp exclusively for a about a year afer purchase, then sporadically for another year or so. It has seen very little use in the last 2 years. The decline in use is simply a matter of personal taste - I prefer the sound I get from other amps. Hence, I would not replace it if stolen, nor would I consider Ashdown when buying a new amp in future.

If you like the sound, can make some use of the extensive features and get a good price, go for it. They are high quality and well regarded. If buying secondhand, be happy that you know the repair history before parting with cash. If brand new, make sure you complete that warranty card, because you may need to use it!

I have the 300watt EVO II head, made in 2005 i believe (bought as new but old stock, as its a discontinued amp) and is the proper British built ashdown. Its certainly the 300watt model, i believe the last units to be produced were 325. Its a solidstate (MOSFET)power amp with a solidstate/valve preamp.

This is fantastic Amplifier. It has everything you could ever want from a bass amp, and a few things that some players (myself) would not need. Its very retro looking and sturdy.

The Layout of controls is very easy to understand, The VU meter for input level is very cool, and pretty damn accurate. There is a single input, with passive/active switching. Next to this is the shape/flat switch, which switches between the amps natural sound and a "modern" mid scooped hollow sound.....this one of my only gripes with the amp, why should you have to push a switch IN, in order to get the amps natural tone????

Theres also a valve drive section, a switch and a level knob, that blends in a single 12AX7 tube, which is fantastic.

The EQ is 7 band, with rotary controls for the main bass middle and treble, and 4 graphic sliders for the low and high midrange. Theres an EQ on off switch too. Of course you have The sub harmonics, which i never touch, i dont think its all that useful. unless you use a very mid scooped tone (i hate that sound) the sub just adds mush.

The DI out is great, and is pre and post EQ/valve drive selectable. Theres also a tuner output and a "sub" out, basically a line out that filters off everything over 160Hz. I believe this was designed to drive the ashdown powered sub cab????

On the back are the speaker outs, one jack and one speakon..which is a slightly odd config but oh well, footswitch sockets for sub/valve and shape/EQ, power amp line in and an effects loop.

Im using this with Ashdown MAG cabs, a 2x10 and a 1x15)
I use various Fender P's and a ricky 4003 with it, no effects at all.....for a fat and fairly traditional rock/old school funk sound i have not heard a better bass amp with the exception of Ampeg Valve s!!t, which i cannot afford! The solidstate Ampeg stuff that i have tried sounded like crap when compared to even the cheaper ashdowns to my ears.

If you like a very transparent, clean and toneless bass amp (ie SWR, Gallien Kreuger, Markbass etc) I would NOT recomend these amps, as they really have a sound of their own. They actually react with your instrument and "colour" it, as supposed to simply amplifing a "clean" DI like signal. It also can provide an intense low end if you crank up the bass control! (its at 45Hz)
It is actually fairly smooth sounding when compared to the cheaper ashdown MAG's (and my old head, the EB 180H), i also dont find it particularly "louder" than my old 180w ashdown, but then again the extra power does yield more headroom and a far richer sound. The valve preamp is subtle but very affective at about half way on the dial it sound very SVT like, any higher and it tends to sound a bit mushy, tho i think it really depends on the instrument being used. It does Affect the DI out when in post EQ mode tho, too much valve drive makes the DI sound brittle (to be expected). It has less upper mid than my old cheap ashdown, which is a shame.

For most styles of music/playing, this amp is killer although as i was saying, not the best choice is you like a very Hifi clean sound.

I have not had it long enough to comment but all my other ashdown gear has been great. Its certainly very sturdy and uses very good components throughout. The contol knobs have very long shafts tho.....all the dials protrude further than needed.....did they run out of pots that were the right size???? i have seen this on many ABM's. its not a problem just odd.

Ashdown Have GREAT customer service, fast email responses, helpful info, they even sent me a free replacement speaker for one of my cabs on a next day delivery (the speaker had developed a minor rattle)

Its just simply a great product.

I have an EVO II 300 watt. Check the ashdown link for list of features. Purchased new in 04 for just under US retail, $750 maybe? I've used this for punk, rock, and pop. I'm not much of a knob tweaker but I always seem to have a nice tone dialed in. My bass is a Fender Jazz and I play into either an Ampeg 810 or an SWR Triad. This amp has enough power to handle the 810 and makes a great sounding, great looking setup. (I played a show with this amp through an Ashdown 810 and it sounded even better!). I think it sounds best though through my SWR though, more character comes through.

I don't use the subharmonic at all, but it has everything I need. I like the EQ, it is easy to use and the drive knob adds a wee bit o' growl.

One nice feature is the direct out. I've had sound guys comment on how great it sounds
and you don't have to worry about adding noise with a suspect box.

Another great (often overlooked) feature is it's size/weight and ease to carry. It's light, the case is very attractive and you could park a tank on it. And it has a nice big strap handle on the side so it is simple to lug around, like a brief case. Bonus: while playing, the handle is large enough to double as a beer holder so your drink does not rumble away!

Smooth. Nice drive at high volume.
Good for a deep punch in the gut or a slap in the face.
I have not had to vary my tone too much but I think this amp would perform well in a wide range of settings/styles.
I have never noticed the fan noise.

Here's why I wanted to post. I've had some problems.

After about a month it started to crap out on me and make this horrible square wave sound/buzz. I would turn it off then it would work. After 3 or 4 episodes I took it back to the dealer and they exchanged it.

I was walking out with my new one and I notice that something inside did not feel right. We discovered that one of the screws that secures the power transformer to the chasis was missing, is it was rattleing around a little. So I got a third unit and have had no major problems with it after 2 busy years, except,

the front input jacks suck. They barely hold a cable in. It takes a very small amount of pressure before it spits out a cable end enough to break the connection. WTF? This happened to me once and now I tape the cable in, I don't trust it at all. I'm not doing acrobatics or anything. I have never seen this problem with anything else. For the amount this costs it should hold a cord snugly until you pull it out. I will have to replace or forever use tape.

Never tried, but Bass NW in Seattle was very good about getting me one that was problem free. I may try to contact Ashdown about the jacks.

My overall rating is a very high 7. It sounds great but I'm on my third unit!, and I have a gripe about that one too- that shouldn't happen for the amount these cost. Ashdown has a good reputation0, so I guess I just had some bad luck.

If lost or stolen I would certainly consider a new Ashdown but I would look at other brands too.

This is an incredible amp. Made in 2004.Manufactured in England. Tube or solid state pre-amp. I use it with my abm 4x10" box and for practice with my band and of course on shows. It does an excellent job. Sounds very similar to Ampeg. The main thing I like is 'cause it can sound totally modern or totally vintage. U move any button just a little bit and the sound is different. Amazing!
Oh, forgot to say, I use the 575W rms model.

As I said. It's amazing. Sound vintage, sounds modern, sounds funky, sound punchy...Totally versatile. I mainly use it for metal/hardcore/punk style and does an amazing job. I was planing to buy Ampeg, but Ashdown convinced me no to.

Last week we had been rehersing with my band for like the whole afternoon, about 7 hours I guess. The amp was always on, nothing was wrong. The amp stayed cold as the north pole.
There is just one thing I don't like, the weight!
It's heavy. But that doesn't stop me from playing :)

In Slovenia, where I come from, we have an authorized dealer that takes care of that. And the warranty you get on your Ashdown is 5 years :) That's sweet :)

I've been playing my Evo head for about 6 months now. I'm amazed what I can do with it. Comparing it to GK,Hartke,Eden,SWR, doesn't make any sence. That amp can clearly compete with Ampegs SVT series, Fenders bassmann pro all tube serires,Augilar, Trace Elliot of course,even though it has a tube only in pre-amp.
If you're into versatility go for this amp!

Other reviews sum this up nicely. You can also see the Ashdown Website. It woyuld be nice of the EQ was parametric or semi-parametric.

First off, I actually own the preamp version of this amp, but the guts are the same in the preamp and amp head. The clean sound is pretty good (I rate it an 8) but there are better clean amps out there. In my opinion, the only reason to buy this amp is for the overdrive. This overdrive is amazing, dare I say it is even better than poweramp distortion...I even like this overdrive better than my all tube Ampeg SVT II Pro (which is also very very good). In the past, with any amp/pedal, I had to tweak and turn and tone to really dial in a good overdrive. That is, with other amps there are some nice ODs and a lot of buzzy, gravely broken up junk ODs along the way. A great amp/effect/guitar should sound great at virtually any setting, and thats what the EVO II does. Just kick in the OD and go. The other amazing feature is the range of usable ODds you can get. I used to think my Ampeg was the champ...no more. By tweaking the input and tube grind knobs you can get a

1. Low intensity touch sensitive classic Geezer Butler OD.
2. A very fine tight clean OD kind of like Billy Sheehan.
3. A deep strong fat throaty OD like Tim Commorford.
4. A Geddy Lee OD

And the OD always stays consistant from string to string. You really have to try hard to get a bad OD out of this. It is truley plug and play. You can also get some more varaitions by adding just a touch of the sub-wave generator which also tracks well and works on multiple strings.

I use this as the dirty amp coupled with my Aguilar DB 728 + DB 680 pre-power amps. Into it I feed the BBE sonic maximizer a Demeter rack compressor and the bass Crybaby Q105 (great pedal. The ashdown is the best Dirty amp I have ever heard period...my search is over.

Still too new to tell.

Worth it worth it worth it. I would give it a 10 but it wasn't cheap. If it were stolen I would buy a new one the next day and then track down the SOB that stole it.

Made recently, not sure when they first came out. Very versitle amp!!! I really love the EQ. It could use a built in chorus, but you can't have everything... The little meter thingy looks awesome, but is also functional in that it signals wether you are clipping the preamp. 1 channel I think, octave built in, optional footswitch, tube "grind" but its basically a knob for tube integration into the signal path, did I mention I love the EQ?? Line out on front for mic cable and back for 1/4 inch, 4 Ohm minimum (wish it went to 2). Active/passive button, FX loop, cool shape button, tuner out with mute, I think thats about it. Tons of features on this amp, you can dial in just about any tone (save genuine power tubes).

I'm using a Traben 5-string Phoenix with the Traben "custom" pups and an EV 215 with 6" midrange. This amp will adequately suit any music style. I play mostly fingerstyle rock and a tad bit of tapping and slapping, but almost no picking. This will work for just about any style, but as a result it is not the greatest amp for any specific sound. When you crank the treble very high (more than 90#. I cannot get this thing to high volumes, my ears just won't take it! I need to take it to a bigger gig before I can determine its extreme volume characteristics, but so far it sounds great!

Looks solidly built, we'll just have to see.

Dunno...

Been playing for a while; about 5 or 6 years. I've played through many amps, and I love tubes a lot. The only thing I would replace this with would be a rack or an all tube head. I used to own a Trace V4 but sold it because I wanted to get a different tube amp, but I found this and so far I am pleased. I really love the EQ. It is so easy to use! I would like to see a tube power section in an Ashdown some time. That would just make my day! I don't really hate much about this amp... I wish it could go down to 2 Ohms though. I personally would take a good tube amp over this, but this amp is very awesome for a hybrid head (and it doesn't weigh or cost nearly as much).