New Ashdown Bass Amps Shown at NAMM

MAG-400 w/ MAG-410T (Click for a close-up)

HHB is featuring a host of Ashdown Engineering bass amplification products, including the ABM and MAG bass amp ranges, Boxter compact bass cabinet, and BlueLine custom bass loudspeaker drivers, at the NAMM Convention, at the Nashville Convention Center, Booth 1535. Exclusively distributed by HHB in North and South America, Ashdown bass amplification combines innovative technology with classic, timeless aesthetics.

The ABM and MAG bass amp ranges have quickly gained a reputation for solid tone with masses of bottom end. Now the Ashdown ABM bass range is expanding with the launch of the ABM RPM-1 rack mountable preamp and the Boxter compact bass cabinet, while the more affordable Ashdown MAG bass range grows with the addition of the MAG 400 amp head and the MAG Monitor 15 wedge combo. Also new at NAMM is a full line-up of Ashdown BlueLine custom bass loudspeaker drivers.

According to David Beesley, president of HHB Communications USA, "Just one look at an Ashdown amplifier and you know it's something very special, but it's the tone that really makes the difference. Bass players tell us that in Ashdown, they've finally found a bass amp with some serious bottom end. We're very pleased to be expanding both the Ashdown bass and acoustic ranges here at NAMM."

The new Ashdown ABM RPM-1 bass preamp and compact cabinet incorporates simple, 3-band rotary controls, supplemented by two pairs of sliders offering additional cut/boost at 180Hz, 340Hz, 1.3Hz, and 2.6Hz, catering to purists and tech-heads alike. An input mix control provides a blend of solid state and dual triode tube amplification stages, delivering a wide range of clean, warm, and fat tones. Inputs are provided for active and passive instruments and the revolutionary Ashdown sub-harmonizer remains a key feature.

New in the Ashdown preamp are the level and crossover controls for hi- and low-pass filters, enabling use in sophisticated bi-amp systems, along with a full-range output and full-range level pad. All main features are foot-switchable, and a balanced DI output is mounted on the rear panel. As you might expect from Ashdown, the visual appeal of the ABM RPM-1 is high on the agenda. In addition to Ashdowns classic blue panel and illuminated vintage VU, the new preamp also gets a cool new blue LED mute indicator and a stunning, car-style starter button.

When Ashdown's Mark Gooday heard that the Porsche Boxster was becoming the car of choice among LA's top session bass players, he set about designing a high-performance, full-range cabinet that would fit perfectly into the sports car's less than ample trunk. Constructed from high-grade 12mm birch ply with a tough, carbon fiber facing, the Ashdown Boxter sports a pair of new Ashdown BlueLine 8" drivers with a HF horn, and features some ingenious internal cabinet bracing to ensure strength and lightness. Rated at 300 watts rms, this 8 Ohm bass cabinet weighs in at just 44 pounds. Commenting on the launch of the Boxter, Gooday said: "Getting a full, rounded performance out of such a compact cabinet was quite a challenge, but we're happy to help our session customers get the sound they need without having to change their ride."

Since its introduction a year ago, Ashdown's MAG range of bass amplification has proved highly successful in delivering great Ashdown tone to bass players on a budget. Now, the MAG line-up of one amp head, three cabinets and five combos is supplemented by the launch of a new amp head, the MAG 400, and a new wedge-style combo, the MAG Monitor 15.

Sharing the same front-panel features as its popular 200-watt predecessor, the new, more powerful MAG 400 features temperature sensitive dual-fan cooling, relay power on/off switching, an advanced 400 watts rms power section, and a heavy duty power supply. Constructed from high-grade plywood, the MAG Monitor 15 combines a 200-watt MAG amplifier with a 15" speaker in a wedge design, dramatically improving sound dispersal in smaller venues and making it ideal for use as a dedicated, powered bass monitor in larger venues. Classic Ashdown features include sub-harmonizer, 5 band rotary tone controls and an input level VU meter on both the new MAG units.

Ashdown has also turned its attention to bass loudspeakers with the launch of a full range of high-performance drivers. Available in 8", 10", 12" and 15" sizes, with an 18" due in mid-2000, Ashdown BlueLine bass drivers combine new, high-power magnet assemblies with bright blue cones made from a revolutionary ultra-light, stiff material, giving the BlueLines exceptional power and attack. Drawing on 20 years of experience in bass loudspeaker design, the BlueLines are the work of Ashdown's Gooday. "We've worked hard to ensure that Ashdown amplifiers deliver exceptional low-end performance, designing in a sub-harmonizer and using massive power sections and power supplies. Designing our own range of loudspeaker drivers gives us control of every detail to ensure that the full performance of an Ashdown bass amp is realized by the speakers." Ashdown BlueLine speakers are now fitted as a standard to all Ashdown ABM and MAG cabinets and combos.