Macchiato Comp Guy Pratt Signature Compressor Bass legend and long-standing Ashdown artist, Guy Pratt has performed with some of the biggest acts in the world to say the very least… from David Gilmour, to Madonna, to Michael Jackson, so when it comes to product development, Guy is usually our ‘go-to’. Just as Guy was getting ready to go out on the road with his new band ‘A Saucerful of Secrets’, we had a chat about the prospect of producing a compression pedal. After lengthy, coffee fuelled discussion… we come to the rather obvious yet overlooked conclusion that with compression, there’s no ‘one size fits all’… that’s why we decided to create three-new and unique bass compression pedals in our new range – one that Guy put his name to and two others that were inspired by Guy. Fine-tuned to Guy’s every demand, the Macchiato Compressor uses a personalised compression ratio (Guy’s ‘special blend’) with 3-bands of available EQ: Dark, Medium and Light – or Bass, Middle and Treble, if you want. The Macchiato retains the expression you put into the playing but simply compacts the dynamic range by a set ratio, irrespective of the overall level. The Macchiato Compressor also contains a Subsonic Filter switch that reduces specific frequencies which can sometimes interfere with elements of the stage and can damage speakers in ported cabinets through over excursion. The compression that’s available from Guy’s Signature pedal actually works as a boosted EQ, which really makes the bass sing. It’s one of the tightest compressors available. Dave Green, Chief Electronics Engineer at Ashdown explains: “Because extreme lows contain more energy than higher frequencies, The Macchiato compressor enhances the harmonics and the overall sound becomes refocused. The bass guitar’s overall frequency spectrum overlaps other instruments considerably and it is often preferable to reduce the amount of low end from the instrument, this helps keep definition and clarity and enables you to stand out from the general low-end “mush” so often present. The perceived tonal deficiency in extreme bottom end is magically corrected as soon as the other band members start to play.” SPECIFICATIONS Rotary 3-band EQ: Dark, Medium and Light (Bass, Middle and Treble) Subsonic Filter switch - Reduces specific (unwanted) frequencies 18 volt – Power Supply Required
So, it's 1997, and armed with a wealth of experience and headful of new ideas, Gooday kickstarts Ashdown Engineering to life with a simple vision – to build and 'engineer' a better bass amp.
With a nous for innovation and a flair for design, many would've jumped straight in, but Gooday was smart enough to first court feedback from some of the world's most respected bass players, including John Entwistle (The Who), Mark King (Level 42) and JJ Burnel (The Stranglers).
Inspired by the comments from these trusted advisors, Gooday focused his efforts on designing a new kind of bass amp, where superior tone was matched by unrivalled power and tour-grade performance in a truly engineered, uniquely-styled package.
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