Ashdown traces its lineage back to 1997 and Mark Gooday. He spent 12 years as the managing director of Trace Elliot, one of the heavy hitters in the bass world. When he formed Ashdown, Mark’s natural eye for design helped the company garner a loyal following of customers and artists. And with his passion for bass and decades of experience, Mark has established Ashdown as one of the world’s leading amplifier companies.
Mark Gooday started Ashdown Engineering with a simple vision: to build and engineer a better bass amp. With his natural inclination to innovation and flair for design, Gooday consulted bass players of all stripes to determine what sort of bass amp the world needed. Those players included John Entwistle (the Who), Mark King (Level 42), and JJ Burnel (the Stranglers), among many others. After hearing their feedback, Gooday began work on his own original designs. The rest is history. Ashdown amps are known for their power and tour-tough performance in uniquely styled packages.
After Ashdown’s founding, it didn’t take long for the first amplifier to appear. Dubbed ABM, these early amplifiers combined flexibility, power, and reliability. ABM stands for Ashdown Bass Magnifier, an homage to a scene from Flash Gordon where Doctor Zarkov says, “Turn up the Klystron Magnifier.” The huge images of power depicted in the movie sat perfectly with the image and sound Ashdown wanted to portray. Early units were built by hand in the evenings in the Gooday living room by the entire family, so Mr. Gooday could visit dealers and bassists in the daytime to spread the word.
The first ABMs were positively received and found favor among professional bassists. Chief among them was the Who’s John Entwistle. He was impressed with what he heard and became an early Ashdown advocate. This early support helped kick-start Ashdown and develop it into the global name that it is today. And from there, Ashdown’s trademark VU meter began appearing on major world tours.
Ashdown remains true to its core vision as the company continues to broaden its range of products. From beginners to gigging weekend warriors to professionals, players of all stripes have access to formidable amplification through Ashdown. Their designs flaunt an unwavering dedication to quality and value throughout a product collection that covers tube and hybrid amps, combos, practice amps, pedals, and reference monitors. Yet Ashdown continues to innovate, launching Meters Music in 2014. Meters manufactures headphones and other audio products with the iconic VU meters Ashdown is known for. The brand combines audiophile performance with a unique visual appeal that artists like Jimmy Page, Johnny Depp, and Stevie Wonder rave about.
Company founder Mark Gooday’s son, Dan, now leads Ashdown in product development with support from electronics engineer Dave Green. Dan grew up in the bass industry, which has given him incredible insight into the lives of working bass players. He grew up watching his father at Trace Elliot, spending time in their factory after school, and learning everything he could from their engineers and woodshop workers. With bass in his blood, a background in the industry, and exceptional knowledge, Dan has a range of exciting new products planned for Ashdown.
One of the leading minds behind Ashdown and Meters is Dan Gooday. The son of company founder Mark Gooday, Dan’s influence permeates just about every corner of the company, from their website to product design and visual media. He’s supported by Joe Branton, Ashdown’s in-house marketing guru, and Georgina Tanswell-Lowe for all required coordination. Whatever they’re working on, Ashdown’s tight-knit team goes from strength to strength.
Despite being a global brand, Ashdown operates just as it did at the beginning — as a family. Just eight people operate the entire brand! This small team handles the design and R&D process, builds all their products, markets them, and even performs service. No matter what they’re working on, every operation at Ashdown is performed with love, care, and devotion. Everyone in the Ashdown family loves what they do and works hard to remain true to the company’s roots. After all, bass is in their blood.
