Ashly SC-55 blue vs. black

[crunchy]

What is the difference between Ashly SC-55 blueface and blackface? Which is more desirable?

[Dakota]

To put it simply (and actually oversimplified), the blueface version has a thing going on that's flattering to guitars and keys, flatters mids somehow. It's also a bit dirtier and noisier sounding overall than the blackface version, but in a good way if you go for that sort of thing. The blueface has more unique personality, the black one is more general-purpose in comparison.

To complexify the issue, there is transition era Ashly stuff that has the black outer frame but the inner circuitry of the earlier blue iterations. Likely at the time it didn't occur to them that anyone would later care.

The blue ones are generally more sought after and tend to go for a higher price. Not to say the black versions aren't cool as well - they are.

High likelihood any version SC-55 will need recapped and calibrated if it hasn't already been.

[joel hamilton]

I have owned both, and they both do good things in the right circumstances, but for sure the above is true to an extent... you may LOVE the more "open" edge of the black faced stuff on snare or room mic, and you may like the more frequency-morphing-obvious-filtery-tone-shaping of the older ones.
They are like two different compressors altogether.
The black ones are like the Dbx 160a (in super general terms) and the blue ones are more like a gain brain or some other slightly esoteric, but liked, compressor. They are both cool, though.
its like the difference between a symetrix 501 and symetrix 150 or 100...

[tonewoods]

High likelihood any version SC-55 will need recapped and calibrated if it hasn't already been.

Will Ashley do the work these days??