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{{commons category|Ashdown Engineering}}
{{commons category|Ashdown Engineering}}
* [http://www.ashdownmusic.co.uk/ Ashdown Engineering Official Site]
* [http://www.ashdownmusic.co.uk/ Ashdown Engineering Official Site]
* [http://www.ashdownmusic.com/bass/index.asp]
* [http://guitarmegastore.com/used-ashdown-bass-guitar-amps/ Used Ashdown Bass Amps]


[[Category:Guitar amplifier manufacturers]]
[[Category:Guitar amplifier manufacturers]]

Revision as of 04:23, 30 April 2013

Ashdown Engineering
Company typePrivate
IndustryBass amplification
Founded1997
FounderMark Gooday
HeadquartersChelmsford, Essex,
England
Key people
Mark Gooday - Managing Director Chris Bates - Sales Director Dan Gooday - PR & Artist Relations Lee Alexander - UK Sales
SubsidiariesHayden Amplification
Websiteashdownmusic.com

Ashdown Engineering is a British manufacturer of instrument amplifiers, particularly for bass, but also developed a range of guitar amps for a number of years. The company was founded in 1997 by Mark Gooday, a chief engineer and manager at Trace Elliot during their glory years. The company suffered large financial losses, and Gooday was fired by Trace Elliot's then parent company, Kaman. However, he had secretly been planning to start his own company. The company was named 'Ashdown' after Gooday's wife's family name, and the logo was constructed from this, the Austin-Healey motor badge, and Mark's insistence on the use of the word 'engineering'.

The first amplifier that Ashdown produced was the Klystron Bass Magnifier, of which only 200 amps and 100 pre-amps were shipped, since another company had registered the name. Following this, much of the currently available gear was released - the MAG, Electric Blue, and ABM series. Following this, the Acoustic Radiator, Peacemaker, Fallen Angel, and recently,[when?] All-Access series of guitar amplifiers have been released, to great acclaim. All of the above products were designed by Clive Button, a freelance electronics design engineer who produced designs for Trace Elliot.

Ashdown have gone on to produce higher quality boutique and hand-wired amplifiers, such as the Essex Blonde. Ashdown then set up a separate company called Hayden Amplification who specifically produce hand-wired amplifiers.

From 2007 sister company Hayden Amplification produces Ashdown's valve guitar amplifiers.

Bass Amplification

  • All Access Series designed for small gigs and practices, aimed at beginners
  • Electric Blue Series amps with more power and more features, they are aimed at players who are starting to get more serious about playing and gigging
  • MAG Series designed for semi-pro musicians, who want the classic Ashdown tone, without all of the features and cost of the ABM series
  • ABM EVO III Series professional bass amplification
  • Classic All Valve Series All Valve Combos, Drophead Combos and Little Bastard, especially for pure rock sound
  • Superfly Series lightweight programmable amplifiers, having the ability to store 69 programmes
  • Signature Series Mark King Signature series, and J.J. Burnel Siganture Series Bass Amp Head
  • Legacy Series no longer in production

Bass Effects Pedals

  • Chorus Plus
  • Drive Plus
  • Dual Band Compression
  • Envelope Filter
  • Sub-Octave Plus
  • Bass O'meter tuner

Guitar Amplification

Ashdown Peacemaker 20 guitar amplifier.

These amps are no longer in production by Ashdown:

  • Fallen Angel DSP All-Tube Series
  • Fallen Angel DSP Tube-Pre Series
  • Fallen Angel 180 Series
  • All Access Series

Acoustic Amplification

  • Radiator 1 compact 100W acoustic combo, available in both cherry and black vinyl
  • Radiator 2 pair of 160W combos, with two different speaker configurations
  • Resonator 1 same features as the Radiator 1, but is housed in a polished metal cabinet, inspired by the early resonator guitar designs

Notable Ashdown Users

Polish bass guitarist Wojtek Pilichowski using Ashdown amplifiers during a concert

See also