Ashdown FA-60 Fallen Angel DSP 60W Head

This amp is full of features. 2 channels, clean and dirty, of course. What makes this amp RULE is that it has a gain control on the clean channel! I've never seen that anywhere else. You can literally dirty up the clean channel. Nice. It is a good clean as well, if you leave the gain down, its quite sparkly. But, you can turn it up, leave the dirty channel alone, and it still gets bluesy and nasty. One drawback - the clean channel does seem much louder than the overdrive channel. You can easilly tweak this though, due to the sheer tweakability of the amp. You can select between two different master volume controls, and each channel has its own volume control along with the two master volumes, so you can balance things out no matter what. The amp also has DSP effects which I don't really use. They add a bit of noise, which I don't like so much. I will say this though, there are a couple of very nice chorus settings! The flanger and delay settings I don't need - I have a Boss DD-20 for delay, can't be beat, and a Guyatone FL-3 for flange - again, can't be messed with. If I didn't have such a nice Maxon chorus, I'd use the included one. I use lots of pedals. The amp has an effects loop with adjustable level. 3 footswitch inputs - I've been using two 2-button switches, but there is another for an Ashdown 4 button switch, I haven't been able to locate one yet. There is a separate speaker input for a 16 ohm 4x12 cab, or two inputs for either 2 8 ohm cabs or a single 4 ohm. I mean, basically, try finding a feature this amp doesn't have! It would be nice if the 4 button footswitch was available, it seems to have once come standard with the amp, but I got mine 2nd hand almost new and didnt' get one. Their 180 watt heads come with one, but those are almost $2000! Oh well. That is a bummer, because even with two 2-button switches, you can't fully make use of all of the channels and volume controls in the best way. IE - channel 2 has a boost function, but I can only use the switch to change from channel 1 to channe 2 with the boost automatically turned on. I would like to be able to go from clean(ish) to distorted, to over the top. But using pedals I can do this anyways. Everything is great except for the somewhat limited footswitching capability. But again, this doesn't matter much if you're using pedals. This is a 60 watt head that can get really, really loud. Don't be discouraged by wattage rating. My other head is a 200 watt solid state Sunn concert lead. It does get louder overall, but not by too much. On the whole, great features, esp. for the money.

The sound is really varied. A lot of people love the distortion of this amp, and it is good, but the real story is channel 1. As I mentioned before, it has both a gain and a volume control, not to mention the master volume as well. So, even if you only ever use channel 1, you have a ton of options. With the gain all the way up, you have serious tube blues tone. Sustain, grit, bite - it sounds great! For the time being, I just use this channel with pedals for high gain. I use either a Gibson Blueshawk or a Washburn WI66 Pro which is my primary guitar. The Washburn has 2 seymour duncan humbuckers, and the Hawk has the 2 P-90s. My pedal chain for those who care is - Guyatone tuner -> Maxon Compressor -> Digitech Expression Factory -> Boss OD-3 -> Zoom Hyper Lead -> modded Boss BD-2 -> DeArmond Weeper -> Maxon CS-01 -> Marshall VibraTrem -> Guyatone FL-3 -> Boss DD-20 -> BBE Sonic Stomp. Obviously this gives me a large range of sounds and tones to choose from. I just specailly order two EarCandy Vagabond cabs to go with my Fallen Angel - one with 2 Eminence Delta 10B speakers and one 1x12 with an Eminence Black Powder. Both cabs are at 8 ohms so I can make full use of the 60 watts. I occasionally use a stereo setup with my Sunn Concert Lead paired with an EarCandy Buzzbomb with 2x12 Eminence Legend 125s. In this configuration, I use either the stereo output from the Marshall VibraTrem or the Boss DD-20. Sounds amazing. But generally I use the 2 Vagabonds with the FA60 as my rig of choice. Its hard to drag all of that equipment around in NYC, hehe. On to channel 2. It does seem to have less power overall than channel 1, but it is really brutal disotrition with the gain and volume properly adjusted. The EQs on this amp are also excellent. Both channels are highly adjustable, esp. channel 2. As people have noticed, this is a bass-heavy amp which was, according to the manufacturer, designed for nu-metal. Whatever, don't let that turn you off of the amp. I can achieve those sounds, but the guitar sounds I like which are in the range of - Pixies, My Bloody Valentine, Pavement, Sonic Youth, Television and similar stuff are all achievable. This is an innovative amp, very modern, not really retro at all. I use it because it can further the sounds I've been into all my life. I've gone through a lot of amps in my time, and this one's a keeper because of its tonal variety. I'm only giving the 9 instead of 10 because the overdrive channel mysteriously is less powerfull than channel 1. I am not sure why, maybe replacing tubes would change that. We'll see. I've played several gigs with this amp by now, and it has come through with flying colours...

So far I find it dependable. I'm always worried with tube amps, you know? They're more delicate that solid state amps. But, I've read a lot of complaints about the Fallen Angel's reliability, especially the Chinese made one, which is what I have. But so far, no problem, and I have to haul mine around in the back of sketchy cabs in NYC. So, I can safely say that the particular one I've got is well made. Treat it well and it will treat you well.

Mixed. Ashdown is a UK company. I wrote to them seeking the 4 button footswitch. My 2nd try elicited a response from a customer service rep who said they'd try to locate one for me. That was about a month ago and I haven't heard anything further. I think they just stopped making them though, except for their top of the line heads. That is silly though, because I would pay top dollar for the thing, it would make the functionality of the amp a lot better, and I want one dammitall! Mine is registered and under warranty though, so on the whole support is OK. Its hard, what with them being across the ocean and all. They seem OK, I'm sure if I was in the UK I would have more access to their help, that's not really their fault.

I've played for 16 years. I play in a rock band in NYC, and this is my main gigging amp. I lent it to another guitar player at my last show, and he raved about its sound up and down. And I don't blame him, I was out in the audience saying "damn! my amp sounds f-in' great!" I've pretty much covered my views on the thing. I love its sound, its features, its tweakability. It has that flaw that a lot of cool & unusual amps have of being limited by short-sighted footswtich configuration, but that can be overcome with a bit of ingenuity. I A-B-C'd this amp along with my Sunn Concert Lead, and the new Epiphone Triggerman 100 Watt solid state DSP amp. I have such great cabs that they all sounded pretty much amazing. But I wanted to end up with 2 amps, one to have as a backup or 2nd amp for stereo setup. This one came out #1 in terms of pure sound. This company seems to be relatively unknown in the States, which is a shame, as they're making good guitar products. I think they should increase their presence here if possible. A lot of other amps are available here with abut 2/3 of the features that this one has. If something happened to it, I would probably try other heads, just cause there are so many out there and I haven't heard them all yet! But that doesn't mean that the FA60 doesn't rule, it does! It is a serious piece of equipment.

The amp is a new 2006 model, with a new look front panel, which I like more than the one which was around for a while just after the dsp range were released, although I only saw this in pictures so maybe no actual heads were sold looking like that.
anyway, this amp suits all styles of music I play, ranging from bits of punk, through blues and into hard rock bordering on metal, it really is versatile.
It is a 2 channel amp with gain boost, DSP section with flanger, delay and chorus effects and a seperate dsp reverb level. it also has an effects loop with a mix level on the back panel. It also has switchable master volumes so you can get a volume boost without stompboxes or changing channel.
It is a 60W all tube head, with 4 12ax7s in the preamp and 2 el-34s in the power amp. Mine came with electro-harmonix el-34s but I haven't taken the cover of the pre valves yet so don't know if they're e-h as well, they sound great though.
I will use this amp in gigs, just got it and haven't used it but I can't see it falling behind even un mic'd in the largest venues I've done (200-400 people) as it has power on command.
4 way footswitch (supplied) available for channel switching, gain boost, dsp on/off and master volume 1/2. or you can split these into 2 seperate footswitches (first 2 functions on one f/s, last 2 on another) as it has 2 more ports on the back for this, any 2 way footswitch will do.
I base this score on features for the money, in which this amp excels, as it is just over #250 for a 60W all valve, independant channel amp with features beyond that, which really is value.

It is sold as having 3 channels, but really only has 2. there are clean and overdrive channels, both of which have independant gain, e.q and volume controls, with a gain boost footswitchable on channel 2 (this being the so called 'third channel'). Despite this strange advertising the amp can cover pretty much anything I ask for, as the clean channel ranges from bright-ish clean through darker clean, into crunch and a nice lightly driven rhythm or blues lead sound. like the ads say, the 2nd channel is where this amp really shines, with a really sweet overdriven sound ranging to higher distortion, and I love using the gain boost, just goes that last little bit. I do occasionally wish for a tiny bit more gain, but that's what pedals are for and you cant expect a mesa triple recto for 260 quid, and even then its only occasioanlly.
I like my really chugging bass sound alot, and this amp gives that. It has a really nice, deep low end that I don't ever turn up to full, which I do on all other amps. It can be tight and articulate or loosen up with slight adjustment on the eq or even a simple pickup change.
I like to play queens of the stone age, which this amp does perfectly, as well as deep purple (blackmore and morse) and other, cleaner stuff like peter green in fleetwood mac and it can even do that really punchy 'funky monks' chili peppers sound if I use my Jag (just like John's). This amp does them all really well.
But one thing I must warn about: bass. If you do not like your bass frequencies much, then steer clear of this amp (or maybe try and it will convert you) and try the Peacemaker range, equivilent models are available (except the dsp option and the 180watt option) as they are much brighter.

I have not had this amp long and am going to gig with it in a couple of weeks and so do not know yet, but am going to use it without a backup when I do gig as I really can't afford a spare amp of even similar spec.
I am hoping it will prove to be reliable as I have used Ashdown bass amps and was really pleased with the way they played and how they stood up to lots of use.

I have dealt with the company, almost immediatley as my amp was supplied without a 4-way footswitch. I am not sure if this was the shop that I bought it from as they are selling the 4 way footswitch for 35 pounds even though ashdown themselves don't sell it seperatley, so maybe they take out the footswitch and sell it. But the amp was a better price than anywhere else, even considering the missing footswitch value.
Despite this, I contacted Ashdown saying that my amp was missing a footswitch and they just asked for my address and said they'd send me one within a couple of weeks no question. The service, quick response and general friendliness were great and I was really impressed. I am still waiting on the f/s as its only been one week and they said it will be 2-3 before the supply come in from the factory abroad, but everyone I know who has dealt with them says that they have received great service.

I've been playing about 2-3 years, and I own an old beaten up encore strat, which I love, a tanglewood les paul, which really does sound best with this amp, and a MIJ fender '62 reissue Jaguar, which sounds great clean but a bit weak overdriven because of the low output.
If it were stolen I would definatley buy a new one, the 180h head would be nice but a bit expensive, and the 2x12 combo is around #450 upwards and it seems senseless to pay #200 for a 2x12 cab when a marshall 4x12 with the same speakers is only 180-200, or cheaper if you wan't to go for a 2x12 which I did, so I stand by my decision on this model.