Aguilar GS410, preliminary report

I got my new Aguilar GS410 the other day from New York. I purchased it through Rik's Music (www.Riksmusic.com) which was the best price I had found. Rik didn't have an 8 ohm cab in stock so he called Aguilar and had it shipped from there.

I had auditioned this cab on several occasions against the Eden 410xlt, SWR Goliath III, Bag End Q10X-D, several Ampegs and both the Bergantino 3x10 and the Epifani 3x10. The new 4x10 was to replace my old Goliath II and my Eden 210xlt/115t combo.

I had absolutely no real issues against any of the cabs that I auditioned. They were all great sounding. But the two cabs that stuck in my mind during and after the auditions were the Berg 3x10 and the Ag. They just did things more "right" to my ears. I'm a very big fan of the Bag End cabs and the company but the Bag just didn't have quite the lows that the other two cabs had. But when you look at the price and the power handling of the Aguilar there just isn't any contest.

I've only used my Eden WT-800 so far to break in the Ag. I've been using my Sadowsky vintage J, my '72 P-bass and my '69 Jazz. The one thing that I've noticed is that I can really tell the difference in tone between the three basses. Even when I try and emulate the tone of each other. The character of each bass comes through. I've found that I like the tone better with the tweeter on about a third of a turn. I've always turned the tweeters off on other cabs but this sounds so seamless and smooth. The overall tone is very smooth with no apparent peaks or valleys throughout the range. It sounds so big. Totally unlike a box. I sure wouldn't call it Hifi.

Now using my Sadowsky for that wonderful B string is a new adventure in LOWS. Yowsers it is there. No flub just sweet lows. It just rattles my fillings.

I've been communicating with Rickbass1 about the Aguilar cab. I said that it was old school without the mud and he said kinda like a fist with a silk glove smacking you in the chest. This is the way this cab is. It's my kinda tone.

I haven't played it out yet and haven't hooked it up to the PLX2402/Navigator setup yet so I'm not sure how it's going to sound played out or with tons of power. But I'm feeling really certain that it is going to be THE cab.

I'm not saying that this is the cab that is going to make everyone happy and it may not be the cab that get you all the girls but if you like big low notes with punch and just enough accuracy then this may be the cab for you.

 

Hi Coyoteboy,

I'm lovin' that GS410 more every day. I've been real happy with it.

I did compare it to the new Bag End (deeper cab) and the Ag just sounded a bit smoother and deeper. Don't get me wrong, that Bag End Q10 is one sweet speaker but the GS410 just always caught my attention, in a good way. If it hadn't of been for the Aguilar cab it would have been the Bag End.

I had a Bag End D12D for several months. I gave it back to the original owner just after I got the GS410.(Now I'm saving for a new one). But I had a chance to put it next to the GS410. That D12 sure doesn't lack any highs in my book. The reason I ended up with it in the first place was because my bass instructor went through a period where he wanted to do the Marcus Miller "M2" thing. I play finger style and don't slap so it didn't bother me that it didn't have the tweeter/coax. He got my old Goliath II which is for sale, incidently.

Bag End is a real super company. Very responsive to warrenty issues and it's tough to beat that 6 year coverage. I don't think that any other speaker cab manufacturer offer that level of coverage. I have a Bag D12X-D and the S15X-D and just love both cabs. Like I said I'm also saving for a new D12.

But bottom line was, in the 4x10 category it was the Aguilar that floated my boat.

Oh and Jock, I'm very sorry for missing your question. I didn't get the chance to try out the GS112. Last week when I was up at BassNW I spoke to Aaron about the Aguilar 12 and he said it along the same lines, tonewise, as the other Aguilar speaker cab. That sounds like they'd be pretty good.