Albion Musical Instruments Unveils ABH Series of Amplification
Albion Musical Instruments has just released details of their upcoming ABH line of bass amplification products, including 2 heads, 2 combos, and 4 new cabinets. Albion is the brainchild of Steve Grinrod, who besides being a musician, held chief engineer and chief designer positions at Marshall Amplification and VOX.
At the forefront of the series is the ABH300H, a 300 watt hybrid bass head with two 12AX7 tubes in the preamp and a solid state power amp. The input section of the head includes a –10dB pad, a tuner mute and a gain boost for “more aggressive Rock playing.” The EQ section has four switches (low cut, low boost, high boost, EQ depth) in addition to Bass, Middle, and Treble knobs, which each have “range” knobs, allowing for three adjustable frequencies per band.
The ABH180H is a 180-watt hybrid head, featuring one 12AX7 tube in the preamp. The 180H is a bit more stripped down, without all the input switches, but retains similar EQ controls via a semi parametric style Middle circuit.
The combos mimic the head units, but vary by wattage. The ABH120C has all the same controls as the ABH180, but is a 120-watt hybrid coupled with a 12” custom designed large magnet bass driver. The design boasts an angled baffle format for improved near field dispersion. Similarly, the ABH200C has the same controls as the ABH300, except it is a 200-watt hybrid designated to two 10” drivers and an angular HF horn. The 200C also includes a built in Sub-woofer cross-over output, so you can connect to an external speaker to increase your low frequency output.
Albion will be releasing four new cabs, all made from Birch Ply with strategic interior braces and metal grills. The BLS series of cabs include the 2×10 and 4×10, with 200 and 400 watts respectively. Both include a HF horn for improved high end. The BLS115 is a single 15” driver rated for 300 watts at 8 ohm operation, and finally the BLS1215 combines a 12” and 15” for 300 watts at 4 ohms. Albion designed the 1215 to have a smaller footprint, making it convenient for smaller stage areas. They also suggest pairing the 1215 with the ABH180.
The line is set to debut in January at the NAMM trade show in Anaheim, California. For more details on the ABH series, visit Albion’s website.
