The new series of Ashdown ORIGINal bass amps includes a 1-12 combo that is a lightweight heavy-duty monster of a bass amp.

The Ashdown ORIGINal C112T is a 300 watt combo, and not like a lot of other amps where you need to connect an extension cabinet to get the full 300 watts; this combo is 300 watts by itself, which is a welcome relief from having to carry an extension cab around just to get that additional wattage. I used it on a few gigs, in particular an outside gig and an inside gig. It didn’t let me down at all.

What I like about the ORIGINal C112T is that it is a very basic amp, in my terms, being that it does exactly what it needs to do with no frills or anything added to complicate things. It sounds great and can be used in a variety of positions, my favorite being the tilt back position, or it can also be used in the upright position, and on it’s side. Rubber feet are there for all positions that the combo can be placed in.

This bass amp does the job it needs to do, providing quick access to a wide range of tones with the easy to use five band EQ, which provides controls for bass, lo-mids, mids, hi-mids, and treble. There is an input level control, which works in harmony with the VU Meter, which makes it great for getting the most of the input from your bass, whether it be with passive or active electronics. There is a control for the output volume of the amp, and I think of this more as a master volume control. The other connections on the front panel are the effects send and return, shape, and the low impedance DI connection.  The shape control is just a push button style and when it is engaged it really seems to give that extra EQ type bump, kind of like with a graphic band EQ, which I found really stands out and adds more to the basic 5 band EQ.

The back panel has an extra output connection for an additional speaker if you wish to connect one, along with a headphone jack, and of course the power connection and on/off power switch.

The Ashdown ORIGINal C112T is a great bass amp for practically any gig, and Ashdown also offers the ORIGINal series in a 2-10 combo and also as a stand-alone amp head.

VIDEO: Ashdown ORIGINal C112T-300 Combo Bass Amp

Check out the Ashdown ORIGINal C112T and other great bass amps from Ashdown at a music retailer near you!