Aguilar - Official 'Tone Hammer 500' 3.8lbs 500w Thread #3

[rodl2005]

Go for it. It'll kill! I use it with a Berg 412 (no experience w/the DB sorry) & it's VERY nice.
Loud, proud & so damn tube amp like it's freaky

[sunbeast]

I am also very curious about the useable headroom of the TH500. I've been kinda sitting on the fence about just buying one for a little while to give it a shot, but I just moved down to LA to rejoin my old bandmates and now stuff's getting real again and I need to figure out my amp situation ASAP!
Right now my tonal goals are defined by a Mesa Walkabout (though I may go back to all tubes eventually if things pan out well here). I have now used it successfully for a couple rehearsals with my new band through my NV610 and it keeps up fine, but I have to use it cranked pretty high just for rehearsal (loud drummer, keys, one or two guitars depending on song- heavy 70s influenced rock music). I am a little worried that I might find situations where the Walkabout just doesn't quite cut it. I also have a ShuttleMax 9.2 that seems to work great on the headroom front, but tonally just doesn't have the right feel next to the Walkabout- I can EQ it similarly, but it lacks that dirty mid character and dynamic roundness of the Mesa.

Since I moved to LA, I have been able to try out a TH500 in a store fairly extensively and really like what I hear vs. the ShuttleMax, but as I can't try it through my cab at huge volumes I am a little worried about whether it would give me similar headroom to the ShuttleMax- or at least a noticeable advantage over the Walkabout. It seems like the TH's middier voicings would cut through in a similar fashion to the Walkabout as long as I was careful to keep the low end in check (as I have to do with the Mesa as well).

Any opinions regarding headroom comparisons between the TH500 and Walkabout/ShuttleMax 9.2? I will add that I am still a little wary about the dynamic response of Class D amps at higher volumes, especially with a fair amount of low end content. The ShuttleMax seems to stay very punchy at high volumes set relatively flat, but definitely compresses more as you bring in more low end to bring its voicing a little more into the Walkabout/ToneHammer realm. Was also something I noticed with the Streamliner I had before- though I have never been able to push either amp to the point where it's limiter circuitry was triggered consistently. Is compression in the lows a noticeable issue with the TH500 at high volume? Definitely not something I recall with my Mesa M6 or most of the tube amps I owned prior to that (or the Walkabout either, at least within its reasonable range of clean headroom- I like it's compression at higher volumes, but it seems rounder to me than the Max if that makes sense).

[Session1969]

Originally Posted by jumblemind

Doesn't compete with the matching SLs, but it's a significant little upgrade for me. Sounds great just in my unfinished basement, can't wait to hear it onstage. Technically, these cabs are only rated at 200w each. I'm pretty sure they could handle the full load, but I'm wondering if a HPF like fdeck's or the microthumpinator might be a necessary investment. Since I bumped up that bass knob to 1 o'clock, this thing is rattling the ductwork, and I can feel the air push with the volume still fairly low.

Mmmmm. Looks good.

[Kazoo_Legend]

Originally Posted by rodl2005

Go for it. It'll kill! I use it with a Berg 412 (no experience w/the DB sorry) & it's VERY nice.
Loud, proud & so damn tube amp like it's freaky

Have you cranked the TH in the clipping realm? I'm looking for slightly obscene and am curious of the volume/tone threshold like sunbeast so eloquently stated.

[rodl2005]

Originally Posted by Kazoo_Legend

Have you cranked the TH in the clipping realm? I'm looking for slightly obscene and am curious of the volume/tone threshold like sunbeast so eloquently stated.

Not thru the NV412, I haven't needed to. Thru 2 AE112's I have & we were getting real loud. I needed more speakers that nite, amp handled it fine. Even tho it clipped, it was more that I hadn't adjusted it right. & it didn't sound bad or even run out of steam really. I just needed more cab.
Thru the NV412 I've not come close to it's limits. Loud li'l devil.

[Kazoo_Legend]

Originally Posted by rodl2005

Not thru the NV412, I haven't needed to. Thru 2 AE112's I have & we were getting real loud. I needed more speakers that nite, amp handled it fine. Even tho it clipped, it was more that I hadn't adjusted it right. & it didn't sound bad or even run out of steam really. I just needed more cab.
Thru the NV412 I've not come close to it's limits. Loud li'l devil.

That's comforting to know. Well if it wouldn't put you out, with my potential GS/DB412 purchase and sundbeast's NV610, your cab falls somewhere in between and we would greatly benefit from your neighbors hatred of you from this experiment and your returned conclusions

[rodl2005]

You want me to run the TH500 into the red thru my NV412? Can do I s'pose

[rizzo9247]

We might hear that stateside

[Kazoo_Legend]

Originally Posted by rodl2005

You want me to run the TH500 into the red thru my NV412? Can do I s'pose

I just wish I had a better way to find out what those limits of the headroom are, since I have no way of finding what it even sounds like while being clipped, on a actual in-person sound level. Clipping is often broadsided as the worst no-no possible, but all units have a different way (and level) of handling and alerting for what the noise floor/clipping signal is. I can't imagine that you could get past 75% on the master +/- gain, even for a passive bass, before the lil tattle-tale starts poking at you. Don't go frying an egg, but any creative adjectives you got to describe the murder of nearby overhead birds or paralysis of small children might tilt my confidence into the Aguilar beyond.

[gustobassman]

Originally Posted by Kazoo_Legend

I just wish I had a better way to find out what those limits of the headroom are, since I have no way of finding what it even sounds like while being clipped, on a actual in-person sound level. Clipping is often broadsided as the worst no-no possible, but all units have a different way (and level) of handling and alerting for what the noise floor/clipping signal is. I can't imagine that you could get past 75% on the master +/- gain, even for a passive bass, before the lil tattle-tale starts poking at you. Don't go frying an egg, but any creative adjectives you got to describe the murder of nearby overhead birds or paralysis of small children might tilt my confidence into the Aguilar beyond.

posts #386 & 389... from Dave B himself..

Aguilar - Official 'Tone Hammer 500' 3.8lbs 500w Thread #2

[Kazoo_Legend]

Originally Posted by gustobassman

posts #386 & 389... from Dave B himself..

Aguilar - Official 'Tone Hammer 500' 3.8lbs 500w Thread #2

That. Is. Awesome. Exactly what was asking but obviously didn't do my research well enough.

Thanks a bunch GUSTO!!

[rodl2005]

Ime, there wasn't any negative sounds, actions from when I ran mine into the red.
Slight compression is all I noticed, very slight. I didn't back off any volume,bass etc, but did play a li'l softer. The red light was flickering on about 1/2 to 2/3 of the time.
I knew I was at the limits (with these cabs) but it didn't cut out, sound stressed etc...
We were too bl**dy loud that night. Could only just hear the drums & he was bashing em.(they were going thru FOH, but none in monitors)

[ric426]

Quick question about the effects loop on the TH500. Since it's a series type loop is the preamp signal cut when a plug is inserted in the return jack? I'm just wondering about using it for practicing with a drum machine or other external signals and I don't always have separate amplification available for that.

[Kazoo_Legend]

Originally Posted by rodl2005

Ime, there wasn't any negative sounds, actions from when I ran mine into the red.
Slight compression is all I noticed, very slight. I didn't back off any volume,bass etc, but did play a li'l softer. The red light was flickering on about 1/2 to 2/3 of the time.
I knew I was at the limits (with these cabs) but it didn't cut out, sound stressed etc...
We were too bl**dy loud that night. Could only just hear the drums & he was bashing em.(they were going thru FOH, but none in monitors)

Thanks bro, you've been a big help with my questions. Sounds exactly like what I'm looking for in the perfect value/power head.

ALL YOU GUYS ARE AMAZING!

[speyer]

I just purchased a TH500 from TBer Mr. Majestic and I should have it in a couple weeks. Subscribed!

Currently using a Mesa Boogie Walkabout for my main amp... and I have been A/Bing 500 watt micros for use as backup and/or main amp when I need more headroom or a different flavour. I'm using two TC RS210 cabs, and I love them as much as my Bergs and have really come to enjoy their modern meets vintage tone and form factor.

My trouble is; I always fall in love with new gear when I get it... so, I'm going to really try keeping a cap on this one until the love affair subsides I'm interested to see if the TH500 floats my boat and ends this 'MICRO-merry-go-round'

[Jeff Scott]

Originally Posted by ric426

Quick question about the effects loop on the TH500. Since it's a series type loop is the preamp signal cut when a plug is inserted in the return jack?

That's how series loops work, no way around that.

[ric426]

Thanks for verifying that. All things considered, I'll probably go for a TH350 instead. From everything I can tell, the preamps are the same, that's all the power I need and I can almost afford a new one.
Too bad I just missed out on any of the used Tone Hammer amps that were in the TB classifieds. Ya snooze, ya lose...

On a side note, I was once told by Dave Funk that with the effects loop in the Thunderfunk amp I had, there was a series resistor on the effects send so I could safely feed an external signal in on the effects send jack and it would mix with the signal from the preamp. Worked great. Trying it on the effects return would, as expected, break the direct path from the preamp.

[speyer]

Originally Posted by ric426

Thanks for verifying that. All things considered, I'll probably go for a TH350 instead. That's all the power I need and from everything I can tell, the preamps are the same and I can almost afford a new one.
Too bad I just missed out on any of the used Tone Hammer amps that were in the TB classifieds. Ya snooze, ya lose...

They have been coming up just about every week in the classifieds... it would be worth the wait IMO.

[ric426]

Originally Posted by speyer

They have been coming up just about every week in the classifieds... it would be worth the wait IMO.

Yeah, I'm just debating whether to get a new 350 or a used 500. I don't really need the extra power or the effects loop and with a coupon from an online dealer a new 350 is about $100 less than the going price for a used 500. I'd be glad to send some business to Aguilar too. I like to buy US made products when I can. It's that Detroit mentality, I guess. I also wouldn't mind having a warranty on a Class D amp that I couldn't service myself, though Aguilars reputation for reliability would hopefully make a warranty a moot point. But ya never know...

[rust_preacher]

Originally Posted by ric426

... I like to buy US made products when I can. It's that Detroit mentality, I guess.
...

"I put that motherboard in myself..."