Ashdown Little Giant 1000W Bass Amp

Not sure when it was built, a saleman in the store recommend me try it while I was amp shopping. Little Giant is 1000w(500 per side); no bridge option. Front panel has separate input/output knobs, single 1/4 input with active/passive pad, Deep and Shape buttons, 4 channel parametric E.Q. with ON/Off button; E.Q. section also comes equipped with tight spacing(More gripes about this later). Back panel has pre/post DI out, Line in/out, FX loop, and 2 Speakon outs.

Using it with Warmoth Gecko 6 string fretted and fretless basses and 2 Avatar 210 cabs w/Tweeters. I've used it for a variety of styles ranging from Rock to Funk, Reggae to Hip-Hop, Fusion to Swing, Gospel to Blues. I've mostly used it in small clubs, bars, and restaurants. The front panel is pretty versatile tonewise: I've used it with and w/o E.Q., without and w/o the Shape engaged, Effects, and totally Flat. Sounds good slapping on a fresh set of roundwounds, or if laying down a tender fretless melody. All settings have proven useful depending on the situation. The sound is pretty clean, uncolored, and transparent. To me it lacks the warm and punch as a tube or solid state amp but of course, this is a digital powered amp. You could say its a bit sterile like EMGs but again, that's a matter of taste. A 1000 watts of power(digital or not) should be more than adequate for most non-concert hall gigs.

I've only had it for 4 months now. Haven't had any problems or issues with durability. Contrary to some reviews I had no issues racking it; I bought a 2 space gigbag and mounted it using the rackears included. I also love that its very lightweight at just over 7lbs. One issue I encountered was when I played a wedding gig at a country club. The power in the building wasn't very good, and I had to max out the volume because the band said they couldn't feel the bass. But in all fairness the band was playing pretty loud anyway; the venue was cavernous and had a high wooden ceiling. Another issue was as the gig progressed I noticed the amp was pumping a little, probably due to the poor power source in the building. Fortunately I was able to finish the 3 set gig without the Ashdown blowing or shutting down. I've got to give it major points for that. Note to self: Buy a quality power conditioner.

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Been playing over 20 years semi-professionally. Lost or stolen I'd consider buying another. Love the lightweight, and uncolored sound. Don't like that the E.Q. knobs and sliders are so close together...and I have fairly small hands. Making tonal adjustments on the fly is a chore, especially on a dimly lit stage. The burnt orange front panel with black lettering doesn't help matters either. For a 1000watt amp you'd think this unit would have a bit more low end muscle and punch, but its not that bad. I compared this against similar products by MarkBass, Acoustic Image, and Genz Benz. I thought they were all good sounding, Acoustic Image sounding best to my ears. Ultimately I chose the Ashdown because it had more power and I got a really sweet deal on it. The Ashdown has pretty all the major pro features except a dedicated Tuner out, but Line Out fills that need adequately because I rarely use Effects.

I use an effects board, so I do not use too many features, but it has a nice parametric equaliser, and all the usual ins and outs. passive/active switch for input, a couple of effects. It is very lightweight and portable, which was one of the reasons for buying, as bassists seem to need more muscle than other players because of the weight of the kit

I use an Ibanez SR500, played with fingers. The sound itself is fine from the amp, but there is noticeable mains buzz, even when the volume is off, which really irritates me. I will need to take it up with Ashdown. The two effects sound good, but with the right speakers. I switched from Ashdown to Schroeder, and the Schroeder sounds much better for this amp

First unit arrived dead on arrival. The supplier would not give me a replacement until Ashdown had a look at it, and this took them two weeks. So I bought from another supplier, and the second has mains hum. Not too happy.

So far Ashdown has responded to emails quickly, but the checking of the first amp was too slow. They should take these issues more seriously

I am disappointed with this amp. I would not buy another one. Which is disappointing as I am a Brit and thought at least buying from a British company would be good (ok the amp is built in China)

I love the size and the weight, but the mains hum? Ughh

Designed in the UK-Made in China 1 channel. 500 watt x 2. All solid state.

I use Fender 4 and 5 jazz basses. This amps sounds great. It is very quiet. It is basically an old Trace Elliot 1000 watt solid state head that weighs 7.8 lbs. The sliders that cut or boost frequencies are flimsy. If it is taken care of it is not an issue. If it is thrown around and handled by roadies the amp may have some problems. GET A COMPUTER BAG TO STORE IT IN. It will not fit in a bass gig bag like Ashdown says it will. It is too long.

It seems I am the only guy at this point over in the states that has one. It is new so it has been reliable. It does seem a bit on the cheap side as far as the overall construction goes. I'm not worried but others might be.

No comment-I don't know---

Been playing bass for 17 years. I'm a pro. I expect to get at least 10 years out of this amp with VERY good care. No more. I paid $450.00 for it. At 45 bucks a year I'll be thrilled.