October 25, 2011
Which bass amp combo is best for you? Ashdown vs Ampeg vs TC Electronic
Buying a top quality bass amp combo is crucial to the sound of your bass. In fact, it is probably as important as having a decent bass guitar. It definitely pays not to cut corners when purchasing a bass amp combo, therefore in this blog post I will be looking at 3 of the best mid to high market bass amp combos on the market at the moment. In particular I will be looking at Ashdown, Ampeg and TC Electronic bass amp combo offerings. Which bass amp is best for you? Lets take a look.
Compared to Ampeg and TC Electronic, Ashdown Engineering are the newest brand on the block. Founded in 1997, their bass amps have gone from strength to strength. They are now somewhat of a boutique brand that make Ashdown bass amp combos for someone who would prefer something a little bit more edgy and unique. The ABM and EVO III ranges in particular are favourites of Ashdown users.
It is easy to spot an Ashdown bass amp by their prominent logo. The Austin-Healey inspired logo with the words Ashdown Engineering emblazoned upon it is definitely eye catching. One of Ashdowns most favoured bass amp combos is the ABM C210T-500 EVO III. Part of the ABM range, the Ashdown ABM C210T-500 EVO III is
Ampeg specialise in bass amp combos, that is what they do. Whereas a lot of other musical instrument and equipment companies make a variety of different instruments and amplifiers, Ampeg focus solely on creating quality bass guitar amps. Due to this, many seasoned bass players turn to Ampeg for their bass amp combos. Ampegs most powerful offering is the BA-115HP. This high-powered bass combo amp delivers 220 watts of power which make sure that the bass is heard and felt. The BA-115HP is surprisingly portable, it measures in at 21x21x15.5 inches and weighs 80 pounds – it does come with sturdy handles either side, on top, and with wheels beneath so it is easy to move around when traveling and gigging.
The pedigree of the Ampeg brand is impressive to say the least. The quality of their instruments and gear is recognised by some of the best and most popular musicians in the world. Ampeg bass amps have been used by The Clash, Fleetwood Mac, AD/DC, The Rolling Stones, Pink Floyd and many, many more. I don’t know about you but that list is one of the best brand testimonials I have ever read!
TC Electronic are known for their quality of gear and instruments. Out of the three companies looked at in this blog post, they have been in the bass amp game for the shortest period of time. This does not mean they are the most inexperienced though, they have had time to create and tweak their technology and take pointers from the competition. Their first bass amp came out only a few years ago, the TC Electronic RH450 was released in 2009 to much acclaim. They have only recently released their first bass amp combo, lets take a look at it.
TC Electronics first foray into the bass amp business was a huge success. Bass purists really enjoyed the quality of the build and sound of the RH450, this coupled with its technical ability made it a great mid to high end bass amp. TC Electronic built on the success of the RH450 and integrated it into their first bass amp combo, the ComboClassic. The TC Electronic ComboClassic combines the RH450 with 2 Eminence Drivers, a tweeter and a feature called Active Power Management. All of this is powered by 450 watts. Active Power Management is a feature by TC Electronic that allows the player to really send the ComboClassic into overdrive – it makes the ComboClassic sound like a tube amp.
Whichever bass amp combo you decide to go with, you – the player, really are the winner. When it comes to buying a mid to high end bass amp combo you can not go wrong with any TC Electronic, Ashdown or Ampeg bass amp combo. This may be a bold statement but it is one I stand by. Each of these brands make varying sizes of bass amp combos, so choose a bass amp according to the size of venues you play.
Filed by neville1way at 3:00 pm under Uncategorized
Comments Off on Which bass amp combo is best for you? Ashdown vs Ampeg vs TC Electronic