Ashdown ABMC115-500 Evo II Bass Combo
Ashdown is one of the worlds biggest names in bass amplification. They have a huge list of famous users (U2, System of a Down, Radiohead, Jamiroquai - the list goes on & on!), and whats even better is that Ashdown is a British company. The ABM Series is a sensibly priced pro range of bass combos, heads & cabinets. ABM amps are very versatile due to the variable valve preamp stage - this enables you to blend your bass signal between a solid state preamp stage (clean & tight sounding), and a dual triode tube preamp stage (warmer & will start to overdrive if pushed). ABM amps also feature a simple to use but powerful 7 band EQ, and with power stages that can produce between 500-900 watts (depending on the model) these amps are going to cope with most live situations. The ABMC115-500 is a powerful yet portable bass combo with a single 15" speaker. As a stand alone unit the combo will deliver about 350 watts, & if you hook up an extension speaker you'll get the full 575 watts. Even as a stand alone combo this should do the job in most pubs & clubs. The single 15" driver will be more suited to a blues/rock band as this combo will have a deep growl rather than the tighter more funky sound that a 2x10 combo would give. Of course you could add a 2x10 extension speaker, like the ABM210T, & then this rig would handle any type of bass style.
Here's what Ashdown say about the ABMC115-500
The ABM C115-500 EVO II combo combines the features of the ABM 500 EVO II head with a single 15" Ashdown BlueLine driver in a precision tuned cabinet. The cabinet is constructed from high-grade birch ply with properly screwed and glued joints, protected by a tough, buffalo leather cloth covering and chromed metal corners. All amplifier chassis are built from heavy-duty 16 swg zinc coated mild steel, foil lined to minimise interference, and special Ashdown-designed metal handles are used in favour of inferior flip handles which can rattle after years of use.
The ABM 500 EVO II is a 575 watts RMS bi-amp bass amp head designed to satisfy both bass-purists and tech-heads alike. Three straightforward rotary tone controls provide 20dB of cut and boost at 60Hz, 660Hz and 5kHz, and are supplemented by two pairs of additional sliders giving 15dB cut and boost at 180Hz, 340Hz, 1.3kHz and 2.6kHz. The EQ can be switched in/out, and flat/shaped by footswitch, enabling players to go from a flat fretless sound to a boosted sound via a favourite EQ setting. A single input is switchable for passive and active instruments with a blend of solid state and dual triode tube preamps stages which can be preset and selected by footswitch, providing access to a massive range of clean, warm and overdriven tones. Also footswitchable is the mighty Ashdown sub-harmonic generator which precisely tracks the main signal and reproduces it an octave lower. A sub-harmonic level control enables the player to add just the right amount of low-end reinforcement - everything from a subtle, thickening of the sound to unbridled, bone crushing tone. The ABM 500 EVO II features a front-panel mounted balanced DI out with pre or post EQ switching, a sub-bass output, a tuner output, an FX loop and a line input for the connection of an external sampler or sound source. Output muting cuts the signal from the DI output but leaves the tuner output 'live', allowing the player to tune up in silence. A new upgraded power section has faster transient attack, more headroom and even less noise.
Ashdown BlueLine speakers are specially developed to achieve a superb balance of power, transparency and deep, controlled low end, without sacrificing any of the mid-band attack and high-end brightness that are so important in a modern bass sound.
Specifications
Power Output (RMS) 575W
Speaker Configuration 1 x 15" BlueLine bass driver
Frequency Response -3dB at 17Hz and 30kHz
Speaker Outputs Minimum impedance 4 Ohms
Sub Output
DI Output
Tuner Output
EQ Bass +/-15dB @ 45Hz
Middle +/-15dB @ 660Hz
Treble +/-15dB @ 7kHz shelving
Slider 1 +/-15dB @ 180Hz
Slider 2 +/-15dB @ 340Hz
Slider 3 +/-15dB @ 1.3kHz
Slider 4 +/-15dB @ 2.6kHz
Shape (Push Flat) +8dB @ 50Hz & 4kHz, -8dB @ 400Hz, filter slope - 6dB/octave
Effects Send & Return
H x W x D (mm) 587 x 610 x 335
Weight (kg) 28
