Ashdown Takes the Stage with Great Bass and Guitar PlayersJohn Entwistle, Colin Greenwood, Mike Jeffers, Derrick Taylor, Nick Fyffe, and Dave Swift Performing with Ashdown Products July 21, 2000The Who take to the road later this year with Guitar Magazine's "Bass Player of the Millennium," John Entwistle, armed with three new Ashdown ABM preamps, and three PM1000 power amps. His massive new Ashdown rack system feeds 3000 watts to 4 custom bass cabinets, built for the legendary bass player by Ashdown, some time ago. "In four decades of bass playing, I’ve never heard anything quite like it," said John Entwistle.
Meanwhile, at the other end of the power spectrum, Radiohead bass player Colin Greenwood has been using his tiny Ashdown ABM C110 300 combo on sessions for the band's eagerly awaited new album. Reportedly, very happy with its performance, Colin is checking out larger Ashdown rigs for a tour later in the year.
Word reaches us that the U.K.'s fretless bass supremo Pino Palladino made his first acquaintance with an Ashdown amplifier when he stopped off at Dan Lakin Bass Workshop in Chicago, while on tour with R&B star D'Angelo. Dan, an owner of two Ashdown heads himself, organized an ABM900 for Pino to try. Love at first listen was the happy outcome and Pino's been using his new Ashdown on the tour ever since.
Down in Nashville, session man Michael Jeffers has added more muscle to his Ashdown rig, with a new ABM 500 head. With fellow Nashville bass-masters Michael Rhodes and Mike Brignadello also committed fans, the Ashdown sound is probably evident on a large proportion of Music City's current recorded output, a theory given further credence by the popular Nashville rehearsal studio owner 'Norten,' "The Ashdown sound and style seems to be very popular with our rental department these days."
Back in the UK, bassist Derrick Taylor is preparing for a tour with British soul diva Gabrielle. For large venues, he's chosen the mighty Ashdown King Combo, a 500 watt, 8x10" powerhouse originally designed for Mark King. For smaller gigs, Derrick was "blown away" by the sound of the MAG Monitor 12, the wedge-style Ashdown combo
with its new, BlueLine 12" speaker. "The size and sound are perfect for our acoustic sets and TV work," comments Taylor.
Another convert to the unique charms of the MAG Monitor 12 is Jamiroquai bassist Nick Fyffe. Following a string of highly successful, Ashdown-powered live dates, Nick is currently at work in his new studio with the MAG Monitor.
Finally, staying in the U.K., Eric Clapton's recent appearance on the highly respected 'Later with Jools Holland' saw the show's regular bass player, Dave Swift, make his first appearance with an Ashdown ABM C115 500 combo and 210H cabinet. Next day, Dave called to report that, "the tone and flexibility of the system make it perfect for playing with the wide range of bands appearing on 'Later'. What’s more, it's portable and powerful enough to use on my West End show gig 'Les Miserables'". For more information, visit the Ashdown web site at www.ashdownmusic.co.uk. |
