Long story.....will try to make it short.

I did my own haircolor for years in a medium golden blonde (I am light brown naturally). Five years ago my stylist wanted to get me out of the brassy look into a neutral blonde.  She used Goldwell color and over time it was beautiful.  She used something on my 'base' for literally one minute to brighten the brown, then we did highlights every three months....beautiful neutral blonde.  I kind of had a dirty blonde look but natural.  Loved it.

moved away and found a redken salon nearby.  Let them do the color for the last year and ahalf.  They kept lightening my base color.....lighter and lighter....so it started getting brassy (ICK!).  I kept saying less brassy and then they went even lighter on the base (Ick again and more brassy).  Finally they understood i meant I wanted the base DARKER  so they tried the REdken shades above in ash on my 'base'; and added some lowlights to try to combat the brassy base color.  This helped; but I find that even the redken shades above ash is turning brassy over time.  I use redken colorextend shampoos and condition well.  I can't figure out why I am turning so 'orange'....I never had this problem with the goldwell color.

Someone said that Goldwell colors also TONE when they lighten so you don't get the brassy colors.  My base was only lightened by one shade if that when I was using the goldwell colors.  And I was told REdken colors don't tone as they lighten.  I am having to pay extra for toner every time I go to the salon and it's ridiculous.

My highlights DON'T turn brassy...it's just the base color.  I am told the redken shades above only lightens one shade....so why is it turning brassy?

Should I find another Goldwell salon and start over again?
Everyone says the redken shades are supposed to be great but I am tired of the strawberry blonde (I can do strawberry blonde by myself which I did for years and it was a lot cheaper than what I'm paying these folks!!).

Help!!