Down to 2 choices: Aggie vs GB

[KJung]

Originally Posted by gustobassman

Here's the pic! I know the rules around here (and yes, it's the "obligatory crappy cell phone pic")

I've only been playing it about 30 minutes and i can say i'm stoked to this point! Just some basic knob twiddling so far but the amp just sounds sweet! Nice and robust. I get the "chewiness" of the mids... but to me that's a good thing. I'm going to have to get used to the interaction between the Gain and the Drive, so let the fun begin!!

Very nice! I would think the fat, full tone of the TH500 would match up wonderfully with those 'tight and bright' Schroe's. Wonderful 'mix and match'. Have fun!

[Munjibunga]

Originally Posted by KJung

I've owned and gigged both. Both fantastic, both quite different.

Put VERY simply, if you like 'tight and bright', the Shuttlemax 9.2 is awesome. Of course, you can fatten it up a bit and smooth the top end with the very powerful EQ, but it always stays very punchy down low, and very articulate/bright up top.

The TH500 is much darker, fatter, chewier sounding to me. Not particularly 'articulate' in the sense of really hearing the upper frequency character of the lower notes. It is all about 'supportive bass' down low. That doesn't mean it doesn't extend up into the treble region, but the upper mid response is a bit blurry, versus the very present up front top end of the Shuttle Max.

Of course, the TH500 is smaller and lighter, but the Max is still very lightweight.

So different, and knob turning doesn't really ever get those two to sound the same.

Put another way, the TH500 kind of has an inherent tone of a bass plucked close to the neck with the neck pickup favored. The Genz Max has an inherent tone of a bass plucked closer to the bridge, with the bridge pickup favored.

If you are really unsure, the Max is probably the safer choice, since there is SO much EQ power, and you can dial in the Max to get a little closer to the TH500 versus the other way around.

Both great heads, both very loud at 4ohms. At 8ohms, the Max seems to have a bit more going on power-wise.

Quality and service are great with both companies.

As usual, this sums it up very well. I'm a Shuttle kind of guy, but right now I've got the TH500 running into an AE410 in my practice room, and I think that cab likes the TH500 just fine. It's not my typical clean tone, but doesn't sound bad at all.

I had a sub gig in which we played a bunch of Beatles and Beach Boys tunes, and the TH500 worked perfectly for that. Even going into an AE210 it got that thick, vintagey tone the gig required.

Simply put, if you like a more modern, crisp tone, the Shuttle is for you. If you favor a more vintage tone, go with the TH500.

[Holdsg]

Just wondering if adding the TH pedal to a GB rig would get you 95 percent of the way to having the best of both worlds?

[KJung]

Originally Posted by Holdsg

Just wondering if adding the TH pedal to a GB rig would get you 95 percent of the way to having the best of both worlds?

I think so. Interestingly, I think TBer Hasbeen (who used to be the GB marketing rep who posted on this site) used the Aguilar pedal for just this purpose with his GB rig.

However, if you are looking for the TH500, fat, Aguilar tone as your 'main tone platform', the variable drive control on the head gives you a bit more control of both the nature of the overdrive and, more importantly, the entire voicing of the head (from wide to more compressed and vintage) versus the 'on/off' drive button on the pedal.

[bugbass]

I just like to add that IMO/IME the TH500 is one of those amps that sounds good or even really good in the office, but might not cut though enough at the gig. This is my experience with this amp, pairing it with a TC RS210 and GB U410. The Streamliner900 and G-K MB800 stays, the TH500 goes.
Man, that MB800 is a hammer!!

[Jeff Scott]

Originally Posted by bugbass

I just like to add that IMO/IME the TH500 is one of those amps that sounds good or even really good in the office, but might not cut though enough at the gig. This is my experience with this amp, pairing it with a TC RS210 and GB U410. The Streamliner900 and G-K MB800 stays, the TH500 goes.
Man, that MB800 is a hammer!!

You must be using the wrong speakers with the Aguilar, as that is not my experience at all.

[gustobassman]

Wow.. i forgot about having this discussion! Roughly 2 months after i bought the amp my house was burglarized and my amp and basses were taken. Since then i have gotten a Streamliner 900, and for MY ears and tonal requirements, it takes the cake! To be honest i never got to gig the TH500, but i never got "what i was looking for" with it, even at rehearsals.

It's kinda neat though.. they are two REALLY light and powerful animals. Very different from one another, but the GB really seems to work better with my cabs than the TH500 did.

[JLY]

I have a Streamliner 900 with Uber 115 and Uber 210. Incredible!

[bugbass]

Originally Posted by Jeff Scott

You must be using the wrong speakers with the Aguilar, as that is not my experience at all.

My speakers sounds good with every other heads I have tried with them, but might still be a bad match with the TH500.

[rodl2005]

Originally Posted by bugbass

My speakers sounds good with every other heads I have tried with them, but might still be a bad match with the TH500.

TH500 cuts thru superbly with any cab I've used it with.
I'm the complete opposite- which is cool, we all hear/play differently.
Me & the STL couldn't cut thru ANY band mix I tried it with, with a wide variety of cabs. Sounded great at home tho

[KJung]

Originally Posted by gustobassman

Wow.. i forgot about having this discussion! Roughly 2 months after i bought the amp my house was burglarized and my amp and basses were taken. Since then i have gotten a Streamliner 900, and for MY ears and tonal requirements, it takes the cake! To be honest i never got to gig the TH500, but i never got "what i was looking for" with it, even at rehearsals.

It's kinda neat though.. they are two REALLY light and powerful animals. Very different from one another, but the GB really seems to work better with my cabs than the TH500 did.

Sorry about the theft, but it sounds like it all worked out. The Streamliner and the TH500 are quite different, even though they sit in a similar 'tubey/vintage' sort of space. I love both of them, and never had any issue on the gig with either, although the Streamliner benefits from the same sort of cab design that an all tube amp enjoys. Glad it all worked out.

[Lublin]

I get my sound through Aguilar products. I <3 them.

[velalv]

I thought the TH 500 sounded great with a Berg cab. With a GK...not so much

Originally Posted by SilkyStrings

"If you are using Aguilar DB cabs, the TH500 is just magnificent. With some other cabs, not so much." - KJung.

I am still working on getting the sound I like with my TH500 and my Accugroove Tri 1-15. as much as I like the sound at home on the gig at high volume there is a lack of clarity. I also feel that this amp is not ideal for my 5 string basses, my Eden head seems to have more presence in the B string.

I was able to A-B the TH500 with a GB shuttle 6.2 through a single STL 12 inch cab. The TH500 sounded really nice and punchy, the GB was clearer and more transparent in the lower mids. The pre-shape buttons on the GB allowed me to boost bass that fattened up the B string on my bass. I find that boosting bass on the TH500 seems to boost the E string more than than the B string, therefore I end up running the TH500 flat on the gig. I beginning to think that the TH500 is aimed at a four string bassist.

I'm wondering if a GB 9.2 might have been a better choice for me at this point. I suppose I could always try different cabs with the TH500 but I'm reluctant to get rid of the Accugroove Tri-115. I had a GK MB Fusion which sounded great through that Tri 1-15 but it had a problem and I switched it out for the TH500.

I did hear a long time ago that a Thunderfunk amp was nice with Accugroove cabinets, I was hoping to stick with lightweight gear though. Perhaps I need a head recommendation for that Tri-115.

I'm debating trying my old Eden d210t and d115t with the TH500 on this weekend's gig just to see what that sounds like, too bad they are so heavy!