Ashdown MAG-400 Combo

2001, 400Watt, 4x10 plus horn. Red Face. High and Low input jacks, input level control, input level VU meter, Deep, Bright and EQ in/out buttons, 5 band EQ, sub harmonic (Octaver) in/out button and level control, Post EQ D.I. out, Effect send/return, Tuner/Line output and master Output volume. External speaker jack on the back.

Hint for user below regarding silent practicing - the D.I. out is post EQ but pre master volume. I run the D.I. out to my small 8 channel Behringer mixer - keep the input level up, master volume at 0 and use the control room/headphone out on the mixer - voila - no sound to the speakers, but all the tone through to the headphones.

Using basic Yamaha 4 string with P/J pickup config - can go from very growly jazz sound to thick, smooth, 'upright-bass' tone. Sub-harmonizer fills in the sound nicely, and can be set from just a hint, to full out octave funkness.

Just bought if off e-bay, but in excellent condition. Solid, but not grossly heavy. Previous owner put locking casters on bottom - excellent move. No tubes to worry about rattling around.

Haven't dealt with them yet.

I owned and used a Peavey TNT 130 for years (bought it new in the 80's - traded it in for my current Strat). Had been renting a Yorkville XM200 Bass Master which has great tone, but not enough power for the group I'm in (fighting against a 100Watt Marshall/4x12 guitar rig). Was looking at Hartke and G-K, but the combo's weren't big enough, and couldn't find a head/cabinet in my area. For the same price, I'd buy it again if stolen.

'01 Mag 200 4x10t. This is the discontinued 200 watt model. All the features are the same as listed in the other reviews. The only feature I would like to see added is a footswitch for the subharmonizer and pre-shape, perhaps an onboard compressor. But... this is a mid-price/budget amp so I've rated it accordingly.

I play an NS Chapman Stick and Pedulla Pentabuzz. Modern post grunge art rock. The Ashdown nails the sound I'm looking for. Huge and deep with plenty of warm growl even though it's only solid state. The amp has handled medium-sized gigs very well. Even though it's only 200 watts I have had plenty of headroom in every situation I've played. I've run a GK 15 ext cabinet without any appreciable loss of headroom. Will easily handle a 500 seat club or the loudest drummer you can find. The NS Stick sounds incredible through this. Every soundman I've worked with loves it, although some would rather DI from the Stick as opposed to the DI out on the amp.

No problems whatsoever. I've played 3 times a week for the last 3 years and could always count on it.

Questions were answered promptly be email direct to the manufacturer.

I've played bass, Stick and guitar for 20+ yrs. This is the best solid state amp in it's price range, bar none. A perfect combination of HI FI and vintage warmth. I have recently AB'd it v. Mesa M Basis, Aguilar 680, Ampeg SVT, SWR MO'Bass, Genz Benz & Trace Elliot GP 12 SMX. The Ashdown beats all but the Aguilar hands down. The Aguilar sounds better (obviously) but is a pretty negligable difference considering it's $1k more for just the pre. I will be trading in the MAG for an ABM 500 2x10t combo and will probably add an Acme Low B2W sub. Soundwise, all this thing lacks is tube dynamic. For $700 this thing cannot be beat

2001 model year, 400 Watts (800 peak) solid state, one channel (active and passive inputs), five band EQ, EQ engage, "bright" and "deep" pre-sets, sub-octave generator, direct out, effects loop, tuner out. Two fans. Cool red color, and retro VU meter. Too bad it doesn't have a headphone out for solo practicing. Controls are intuitive and easy to use.

I play a 70s Fender P Bass and a new G&L ASAT Bass. Both sound great; the amp reflects their individual characters. I play mostly blues/country/rock, but occasionally back up acoustic ensembles. Venues are private parties (inside and outside) and small clubs. The amp handles all these environments easily, and has garnered rave reviews from my mates. I have a vented 1X12 which I can add onto the rig for larger venues; but generally the combo itself is enough to cut through (and this even though my guitar player insists on playing through a 100 watt Marshall and a 4X10). The amp is actually very difficult to overdrive at reasonable volumes, but I consider this an overall plus in a bass amp. If I need distortion, I can crank the pre-amp in the G&L and/or run the signal through an effect.

Ver reliable and sturdy. I do lug the old Peavy around with me as a back-up, but I don't ever expect to have to use it. . . .

I sent the company an e-mail shortly after purchasing the amp used. They responded promptly to my questions, clarifying the power rating (which was somewhat murky based on reviews and web chatter) as well as the reasons for discontinuing the model (largely because it was competing with their own, higher end ABM combos). Unfortunately, the company was unable to provide me with a dated owner's manual, but their website is useful and includes a forum for exchange of info. I've had no need to service the amp thus far.

I've been playing bass and guitar on and off for twenty five years, but remain an amateur enthusiast. I recently started playing bass (vice guitar) regularly with a group again, and shopped long and hard to replace the Peavy Centurion (130 watts) head I bought in college (and never really liked). I looked at Mesa Boogie, Eden, SWR, and Ampeg, and nearly settled on a used Eden 400 head and a Euphonics cabinet when I saw this in the store used for less than the Eden head alone. I'm glad I did -- no tubes, but it's difficult to tell if you just listen to it. Plenty of juice and headroom, very clean and versatile.

I also own, as mentioned, an old Peavy Centurion bass head, a no-name high quality 1X12 bass cabinet (from EU Wurlitzer in Boston), and various guitar gear. This combo was a welcome upgrade for my bass rig, complements my 1X12 cabinet, and meets my needs well (though sometimes I'd like to have something even smaller and more mobile for practicing and playing with acoustic combos). I love this combo's clean tone and versatility. Also, Ashdowns are unusual where I live, and it looks cool, which is a nice plus. If it were lost or stolen, I'd definitely miss it, but there's so much amazing gear out there these days that I'd probably buy something else just to check it out.