Ashdown and Reverb.com have teamed up for the ultimate limited edition second hand bass amp sale, with 15 of Geezer Butler’s Head Of Doom heads from Black Sabbath’s final show being sold exclusively via the online gear retail giant.
This was Butler’s backline from the Back To The Beginning show on 5 July at Villa Park, and he has signed each of the control panels in silver marker pen, with each amp shipping with a certificate of authenticity from Ashdown’s managing director Dan Gooday.
“This is your chance to own the sound that defined heavy metal,” says Reverb. “Don’t wait, once they’re gone, they’re gone.”
They Reverb marketing bumf couldn’t say it any plainer; this is a unique opportunity to own a piece of heavy metal history, and, y’know, an amp that should make your intro to N.I.B. really come alive.
And the chances are you have already heard them in action when Black Sabbath bowed out with a four-song set, War Pigs, N.I.B., Iron Man and Paranoid bringing down the curtain on the career of a band that invented heavy metal from the ground up, closing what was arguably the biggest metal all-day of all time.
This was Villa Park at capacity, with the show streamed online to more than five million people. Metallica, Slayer, Guns N’ Roses, Tool, Pantera, Gojira, Alice In Chains, plus various supergroups assembled by the musical director for the day, Tom Morello, rolled in. Sabbath frontman Ozzy Osbourne played a solo set. It was all going on.
The estimates as to how much was raised for charity vary. Sharon Osbourne scotched rumours that circa $190mn was raised but a number of millions was raised for local children’s hospitals, Parkinson’s research and other causes.
As for the Head Of Doom itself, this is a built-to-order, UK made Custom Shop build, priced ordinarily at £1,499. It has a 9-band EQ, a Sub-Harmonic Generator, and (this is too cool) a Doom control.
Butler’s tech, Terry Welty was closely involved in the design, and upon its unveiling in 2018, Gooday said it was a proud day in his career.
“What a moment for me personally. Having grown up playing Sabbath with a band in school and learning all the bass lines with my mate Phil, who could play any guitar lick back after hearing it once,” he said. “Geezer’s sound and tone was part of my bass upbringing and has stayed with me until this very day.”
There are 600-watts under the hood. The pre-amp is driven by a 12AX7 for that old analogue grit. And those VU meters on the front panel always makes Ashdown amps look the part, too.
You will need something to play it through. Ashdown has the thing, and will be taking orders for the 2×15” and 2×12” ‘Cabinets of Doom’, the COD-212-8 and COD-215-8.
These are rated at 300 watts RMS at 8 Ohms and look the exactly the same as Butler’s originals because they are built the same, made to order in the UK, and featuring the custom medal grille that comes screen-printed with Butler’s artwork.
And if all of this is a little steep for your budget, remember, Ashdown does the Hand Of Doom pedal.
For more details, head over to Reverb.