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Aguilar AG 500 vs GK 700RB II

BioDriver

BioDriver

A Cinderella story
Supporting Member
Aug 29, 2008
5,045
3,362
Richmond, VA
#1
I did a search and nothing came up, so....

Right now I'm playing a GK 700RB II into an SWR Goliath Jr. It does indeed sound good and the biamping does give a nice growl, but I'm noticing more and more that I really want something clearer and with more control. So I was looking at an Aguilar AG 500 as a replacement.

Now I come to the amp gurus - do you think swapping the GK for the Aggie is worth it? I mostly play jazz, rock, and blues.
 
#3
nitsuj said:
The Bi-amping capability of the GK head only works with the GK cabs that are designed for that. If my homework was done correctly, I think that the SWR cab DOES NOT utilize the Bi-amp capability.
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Thats what I thought too.

Anyway I never played through the 700RBII but I did own a 1001RBII and I currently play through an AG500.

I found the sound to be pretty similar between the two. The AG500 wins for me because its much warmer and IMO a little more balanced than the 1001 (though it couuld be a cab difference as well neo 212 vs. gs112x2)

I will say that GK watts seem to be MUCH louder than the Aggie watt ratings. I ran the GK at 480 watts and the Aggie at 500, but I have to crank the AG500 more than I ever had to on the GK. The Aggie still has plenty of volume though.
 
#6
SoonerMatt said:
Huh. When I adjust the biamp controls I definitely hear something change.
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don't see how thats possible, you have to bee using a four wire cable from the speakon conn on the 700 to a cab wired with the same connector 1+,1- to the driver and 2+,2- to the horn for it to work. have no idea how your cabs wired but don't know of anyone else that does that. every cab i've had i had to remove the crossover and rewire it to work, which could be easily done to any cab to work with it.
 
#7
I would have to peg myself as a GK fan... as least of the 700RB-II. Every time I heard it, it was warm and smooth, and you gotta love the sheer power of the 1001-II as well. Respectable tone from both of them, and they'll both leave you with enough money for other things, like groceries and such :P.
 
#8
rptrsn2 said:
don't see how thats possible, you have to bee using a four wire cable from the speakon conn on the 700 to a cab wired with the same connector 1+,1- to the driver and 2+,2- to the horn for it to work. have no idea how your cabs wired but don't know of anyone else that does that. every cab i've had i had to remove the crossover and rewire it to work, which could be easily done to any cab to work with it.
Click to expand...

I'm using a 1/4" speaker cable.

And I just played with the knobs again. The tweeter knob is worthless but if I turn down the boost or woofer knobs the amp gets quieter; with the woofer knob at 0 there's no sound coming out.
 
#9
The treble knob adjusts the levels going to the tweeter; the bi-amp allows a separate signal to the tweeter for frequencies above 5khz, cutting everything below. The woofer controls what is going to the woofer (or in your case, the entire cabinet). So yes, adjusting the woofer will do something, but it does it to all of the speakers in your cabinet, not just the woofer. The only way to utilize the bi-amp mode of the GK amp is to use a GK head with the bi-amp capabilities.
 
#12
i've played through both and own the AG500, i prefer the AG500 for pretty much the reasons mentioned by thisSNsucks. i was not playing the 700 through a GK cab though when i tested it, and i didn't think it was a bad amp.
 
#13
And a little hint for warming up the 700rbII...... the EBS Multicomp in tubesim mode. It's like they were made for each other! Also, I think most will agree the 700rbII is a warmer sounding head than the 1001rbII.

I love the AG500..... I went through a gas spell a couple of years ago, and played through several (new and used). I just couldn't justify the cash outlay though..... I agree, they are similar sounding amps, but the GK GIVE kept me firmly entrenched in the GK camp.
 
#14
I'm not trying to sound like a smart ass, but you really ought to go to the GK website and download the manual before you do anything else.
You simply can't evaluate the G-K without understanding its unique EQ and its tone shaping options. The G-K philosophy is just different from other amp companies and the manual is definitely worth reading.
There's also an interview with Bob Gallien on the site, which may give you some insight.
It's a very versatile amp, once you learn how it works.
Good luck.
 
#15
nothumb said:
i've played through both and own the AG500, i prefer the AG500 for pretty much the reasons mentioned by thisSNsucks. i was not playing the 700 through a GK cab though when i tested it, and i didn't think it was a bad amp.
Click to expand...

he stated he was comparing to a 1001. the 700 is much warmer than the 1001. GKs are at their best when there pushed a little or as Bob Gallien says " when they hit the rails" the 1001 is just to powerful to get there in most reasonable settings. no need to use GK cabs to get that GK sound out of it either, i've used gk,peavey,avatar and ampeg cabs with mine and i perferred the avatar out of all of them
 

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