Hi brachal,
I'd go with an 8 ohm cab if you intend to add extension cabs later on... Most amps can comfortably handle a 4 ohm load, few are capable of delivering clean tone with an impedance of less than 4 ohms.
That being said, there are some out there... The Glockenklang and Phil Jones heads handle low impedance ratings well, but some others don't despite manufacturer's claims.
The way it works is this... If you have a single 8 ohm cab, you are running an 8 ohm load. But when you add another 8 ohm cab, you have an effective ohm rating of 4 ohms.
At 4 ohms, you are basically doubling the amount of power that the amp is required to put out. Some amps have a hard time "keeping up" with this rapid exit of power in high volume extended gigs.
Again, some heads are capable of going lower than 4, but just because it can do it, doesn't mean you should! Because there is more power being put out by the amp, your amp will tend to run hotter. Over time, your amp will likely have a shorter life cycle due to the wear of the additional heat and will fail far sooner than if you ran it safely at a 4 or 8 ohm load.
There's also a misconception that running at 4 ohms is a great way to add headroom to your volume. While it's true that a single 4 ohm cab may be a little louder than a single 8 ohm cab, it's a marginal difference.
If you really need more volume and you're running a single 8 ohm cab...it's more efficient to add another 8 ohm speaker to accompish your volume goals.
Mixing 4 and 8 ohm cabs is not a partiucularly good idea. Our recommendation is to allways match up your cabs with the same ohm rating and be sure that your amp is rated for the combined ohm load of all your cabs.
If you have a stereo amp and you are running it in stereo mode rather than mono, you can safely run a 4 ohm cab on one side and up to 2 8 ohm cabs on the other. But the AG500SC is not stereo so again, I don't recommend mixing impedances on your cabs with this amp.
Bottom line on impedace...go with 8 ohm cabs if you plan on adding cabs in the future. If you will only play with a single cab and don't intend to add cabs later, you are safe and will get a little more volume out of a 4 ohm cab.
212 Vs 410
Most 212's that we carry are comparable to the 410's that we carry, but might offer just a tad less overall volume. The difference is mainly in the tone. 10's are a little punchier than 12's, but my personal preference is for 12's! Personally I think that 12's are the best compromise between a 10 inch driver's punch and the bottom end of a 15 inch driver.
In most cases, 2 x 212 cabs is an incredibly BIG sound! I love them! To me cabs with 12s are just more natural or something...they just sound "right" to my ear.
That being said, I played a 410 for years that I was completely happy with... I also am a big fan of Phil Jones Bass amps and cabs, which actually utilize 5 inch drivers! Amazing stuff...but very different than the Aguilar product you are interested in.
If you like the Aguilar tone, then that's what I would recommend and my personal preference is the 212...
I encourage you to give us a call anytime if you'd like to talk it over a bit! Our entire staff actually PLAYS Bass and/or guitar and is very knowledable on all of our gear! We can definitely help you with the decision making process from a player's perspective.
The person to call for is Brand Bourque. Brandt is our National Sales Manager and a gigging bass player. I believe he's running an AG500 in his current rig with an Epifani 212! So it's a very similar setup as what you are looking at!
You can reach us toll free at 866.751.3220 or email
Brandt@ThePerfectBass.com.
Hope this helps!
Peace!
