Ashdown FA-60 Fallen Angel

I have a 2003 model FA-60w 2x12 Combo. The amp is advertised as a 3 channel amp, but it's only got two, the third is just extra boost on the dirty channel. It's all footswitchable though, very easy to get good tone. It's amazingly good value, awesome sound. It's quite odd to use, as all the controls are backwards, due to Ashdown using the circuitry from the 60w head upside down in this model, but you get used to it. The tubes are Electro Harmonix, which I wasn't expecting for this price, and they are sonicly superb.

It's got an effects loop, which to be honest I haven't used. One thing I wish it had is a Line Out for recording, I'm actually at a loss to come up with anything else to fault it for though.

It's loud enough as well, 60 watts sounds more like 100w! The amp is very bassy though, so if you're at all put off by a bit of chug, steer clear. I love it though.

The tone from this amp is very versatile, the clean channel is much like a fender, and the filthy channel is very mesa. I use a Les Paul with EMG ZW's in so my sound is very well defined. I play rock, so this amp coupled with my guitar suits my style perfectly.

The only thing I have to fault is the clean channel can get a bit gainy at high volumes.

But I bought this amp for its dirty channel, and good great lord it's good. I used a big muff before, but not so much now I have this. It's just ridiculously filthy.

I bought this amp on the strength of hearing my bandmates' Ashdown bass head, sounds odd I know but bear with me. His bass head is amazing, such well defined tones. So I trawled through various ads for the best deal and managed to get a shop soiled ex-demo combo for #375 - #225 less than list! It was used once for practice when I noticed a bit of a hum on the clean channel, and a loud hum on the boost channel. Sure enough, three days after the main transformer blew, leaving me without an amp for two weeks. This was sorted though, the guys at ashdown kept me up to speed on what was happening, and replaced all the tubes as well. When it was returned, I got the chance to really hear what it could do. It F**king ROCKS. I have had no problems since then, and would not be worried at all about taking a spare amp on tour.

When I dealt with Ashdown, they were very helpful and returned my amp when they said they would. Can't complain.

I've been playing for 13 years, but only started gigging recently. I've no real frame of reference, but I'd say this amp is a quality piece of kit, the best for the cash. I wouldn't buy the same one again, but only because I'd save for 180w head instead!

If you want a great sounding amp that won't break the bank, then you won't regret your purchase. BUT remember it's a very bassy sound, so don't be expecting to use it for anything other than what it was designed for - ROCK!

This is a follow up to my earlier review. I said below that the gain channel was wimpy and I'd rather have a 5150. Well, I took it to be serviced not long after and it turns out there was slight crack in one of the tubes. I called Ashdown and they said all their Fallen Angels are hand checked before being shipped, and it must have occured during delivery. So, I went home and started playing....hmm, it seems I was a little hasty in my review. The gain channel now sounds chunky at low volumes and it's awesome when you begin to crank it. Very clean, clear, yet crushing distortion when played at a decent volume. The clean channel is beautiful now. Sorry Ashdown!

2002 FA-60 head. 2 Channel (3 if you include the gain boost) 60 watt head being played through a Behringer 4x12 cab. The head doesn't come with the footswitch needed to access the extra gain so make sure you mention it when buying. The output dial is something special and it's a real bonus to have it on a head as cheap as this one.

I'm using a custom built explorer with EMG's in both positions. Generally I play metal, from Blue Oyster Cult to Metallica, to In Flames and Arch Enemy, so a reasonable range of diverse sounds. The clean channel is very nice indeed, from jangly cleans to slightly overdriven tones that perform well. I've upgraded to this amp from a combo so obviously the clean sounds are a breath of fresh air to my ears. It's no JC-120, but hey, it's not built for that. Click over to the gain channel(s) and, if I'm honest, I was disappointed. The basic drive channel cranked up resembled something between the Darkness and AC/DC. If that's your thing then hey, more power to you, but it's not mine. I was looking for a saturated sound so I clicked the gain boost on and things started to improve. One of the marketing angles of Ashdown is to claim this amp sounds great at low volumes. It really doesn't. Crank it up, however, and the gain boost comes into play and the tones and thick and meaty. At low volumes they are grainy and fuzzy. If you intend to play this in your bedroom make sure everyone is out before cranking it up, because this thing is loud. That said, my cab is no Mesa 4x12 and I suspect my views are being shaped by it. It will sound better through a better cab, simple as that. Attach a decent EQ and I'm sure things will start getting more like it. Another reviewer compared this to a 5150, stating the tone was better. I'm inclined to disagree. After hearing the 5150 I know its capabilities and whilst it has it faults, the tone is excellent.

When I turned it on for the first time nothing happened. I just sat there, cursing the world for screwing me. Eventually the tubes warmed up and the clean channel kicked in and from that point on I've not had a problem with it.

I've called them a few times and they seem helpful. It's a small company so the techs are generally on the other end of the phone. I called to order a footswitch and it was here within a week.

I've been playing for about 8 years and I've changed my gear quite frequently. My guitars have always had EMG's in them so I know what tone I'm capable of generally. If it were lost or stolen I'd claim on insurance and buy a 5150. Sorry, but you get what you pay for. I'm sure the FA-180 is a great amp but I couldn't afford the #1100 asking price so I had to go for its little brother. Don't get me wrong, I do like this amp. The cleans are lovely but there isn't enough gain for me. If you look at alot of very heavy bands from either Sweden or the US, and the vast majority with be using 5150's. I'd rather have the gain and choose not to use it than crank the thing full up and it still not being heavy enough.

Mine is a brand new FA-60 watt head. The Fallen Angel is a two channel head with footswitchable boost, channel and master volumes(which is cool). It has a VU meter on the front that tells your amps output, and it actually works. These heads come stock with electro harmonix valves, which is cool. The Fallen Angel comes stock with EL34 power amp tubes. It has a serial effects loop, and looks amazing. This 60 watt amp has plenty of power, and is extremely versatile, plus the eq actually changes your sound, unlike a 5150 or a Laney GH50L. Has every feature that I want in an amp.

I love this amps tone! In the past two years I have been through several different amps (Laney GH50l, 5150, Carvin MTS) and I was not pleased with any of them. I am very satisfied with the Ashdown.

Clean: Awesome! I can't describe it any better. I use a Korg AX1000g in the loop for modulation effects only because the korg has some of the best mod effects. I run a little chorus, and delay through the amp and I set my Ibanez RG421 to the single coil portion of the bridge humbucker, bingo!

Dirty: I will preface this section by addressing the constant comparisons to a 5150 that everyone does. First and foremost this amp does not have as much gain as a 5150. THANK GOD! The 5150 has alot of gain, unfortunately most of it is unusable. If your looking for the high fuzz, feedback, hurt ears squeel 5150 distortion, more power to ya. As far as gain, the ashdown is not in the same category as the 5150 but as far as tone goes, the 5150 does not hold a candle. I dont want to mislead anyone into thinking that the Ashdown doesnt have any gain because it does. What is important to me is the tone of the amp, and the Ashdown has it. I can turn the gain on the dirty channel all the way up and crank the amp and hear every individual note in a chord with tension. It also is extremely quite, I dont even have my boss NS-2 running into it. This amp is extremely bassy! Right now I have my bass on the dirt channel on about 3, and I play heavy. When you crank this baby, as with all tube amps, it really starts to stand out. When I put the master volume on about 4, it sounds really in your face. Now mind you, I keep the boost on the dirty channel constantly for the sustain, and the dirt channel doesnt sound quite as good without it. It is excellent for both rhythem and lead.

This amp gives me the tones that I have been searching for in my head for a long time. Just a side note: I can not stand when a person says that an amp can not be a perfect 10, not even a bogner, VHt, etc,etc. Tone is subjective and if it sounds like a 10 to you, guess what? Its a ten. To many people come on hear and think that unless it is a $2000 plus amp, its junk. Whatever. Just wanted to express that, sorry.

Hard to say at this point. The amp is built very well, and looks solid. Seeing how I am a poor musician, I would have no other alternative but to gig with it without a backup. Besides I would not be worried about it breaking down.

Haven't had to deal with them, don't think I will ever have to.

I have been playing for 12 years, and have owned alot of different amps, and alot of different guitars, but who cares. I really like the tone I get from this amp into my Peavey XXX cab. If it were lost I would be very ticked off, but I would but another one without regret. For the money, I have yet to get a better tone. If you have any questions about this product, because there is not alot of info out there on them, drop me a line, and I will give you the scoop.

well it is a 100 watt all tube guitar head (would have been nice as a 100 watter...) with 2 channels and blah blah blah go to the site for more info but i will say its easy to mess with to get the tone you want and very very very versatile

Marshall,Mesa,Orange has nothing on this amp! i play metal and this amp is built for it. have you ever listened to a cd and went..how did the guitar player get that distortion ? well mess with the knobs on this thing and you will get it no matter who the artist is its just amazing

its built like a tank no problems

havnt dealt with them yet

if this was stolen i would weep and weep and weep then save up and buy it again..this time with an alarm this amp is the amp of my dreams my quest for tone has ended!

To the person who wrote the review below and said "looking at the valves the designer has used an el84 as part of the pre amp stage to warm it up", well thats crap, theres no el84 in the FA60!! And it doesn't sound like a 5150 atall, the 5150 has about 4 times as much gain, you're misleading people giving the items 10's when quite frankly they can't be 10's, not even a bogner or soldano or diezel can get a 10 and the fa60's can't even be mentioned in the same breath as them.

a very versatile amp with two channels plus boost and two master levels. a bit sneaky that they dont include the footswitch for the twin masters but do for the channel switching.also it would be nice to have a foot switchable effects loop as on the bigger head.choice of speaker outs is very comprehensive

my main amp is a peavey 5150 mark 2. this amp is very close to the peavey in terms of the 'brown' sound.at loe bedroom volumes it is exceptional and reminds me of my first decent amp which was a Rivera designed fender concert amp with a graphic eq inserted in the fx loop to get the heavy sounds. i disagree with previous reviewer who thinks the sound is thin but then tone is subjective. i think most people cut too much middle which is the number 1 mistake at high volume.looking at the valves the designer has used an el84 as part of the pre amp stage to warm it up as highlighted in the blurb and it really is the best practice sound i have heard. at this price i can justify it as a practice amp however it does sing at high volume.clean tone is adequate and works well with an mxr dynacomp.

has been ok so far. mine has latest mods as the ashdown guys realised that fuses were being blown and have fixed the problem.still too early to say though

excellent. free mod carried out and very friendly when i asked for fan to be fitted

an excellent amp.if you like the 5150 and appreciate the brown sound as invented by EVH then this amp is excellent. at this price it is a bargain considering build quality and practice/live sounds.much better than marshall avt series and 100% valve. i think the 60 watt combo is the best of all options plus fitted with celestion vintage 30's

Well this amp is 2 channels with a lead boost, 2 switchable master volumes (with an extra footswitch.) Reverb, but thats for it all you can't just have reverb for one channel or switch it off atall, its all or nothing!

It has a kinda marshally clean, kinda jangly, not too good, but usable! Could be driven a bit too if you are into that sort of thing.

The overdriven channel sounds a bit wimpy to tell the truth I wouldn't use it atall without the solo boost on, they say they made some new technology so that it sounds the same at all volumes but they must be lying, as it sounds much better driven loud and poor when at a low volume. A marshally type overdrive I guess, fuzzy, I changed the powertubes to Svetlana's and that helped to smooth it a bit!

Its verrrrrrrrry bassy, I had to have the bass turned to around 5 and I play metal! Thats how bassy it is, too much, I know they normally make bass amps but this isn't meant to be one! But saying all of this I prefered it to my other guitarists 5150, but I think thats just because of the settings his use's on it!

Yeah, seems pretty reliable had no problem with mine! HOWEVER my friend got one and the fuse kept blowing, so he sent it back and got another and the sames happening to that!

At first before I bought the head they were very helpful then when I had got it they just ignored me, I ordered a footswitch on their site (so I could switch between master volumes) and nothing ever happened, never got it, I e-mailed asking what was happening with it and they ignored that too.

Well its now my backup head, hope my Marshall 6100lm doesn't ever breakdown though! I used this in the studio along with the Marshall (and a Peavey 5150) and they all mixed together well, the Peavey and Marshall stood out by themselves aswell but the Fallen Angel couldn't, without the others it would have sounded bad.

Its very very cheap for an all valve head and probably the only highish gain amp on the market at that price, and it comes with decent enough russian valves.

If it was stolen I'd probably not care and take the money to buy a new cab instead. But if someone stole my 6100lm I'd hunt them down and stick the my guitar (well someone else's guitar so mine doesnt smell) up their bumhole as punishment!