I'd try another or talk to Aguilar to see if there was something funky with the one you got. When I A/B'd the 500 and the 700 they sounded pretty identical at lower volumes. When I pushed them you could tell where the 500 ran out of gas and the 700 kept humming along. IME the 700 is just more of a great thing! If the 500 fills your needs then your all good but it's strange that you'd find that much difference between the two.
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Aguilar TH 700
- Thread starter sprag
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I'd try another or talk to Aguilar to see if there was something funky with the one you got. When I A/B'd the 500 and the 700 they sounded pretty identical at lower volumes. When I pushed them you could tell where the 500 ran out of gas and the 700 kept humming along. IME the 700 is just more of a great thing! If the 500 fills your needs then your all good but it's strange that you'd find that much difference between the two.
Just for the heck of it and sake of R&D I plugged in today and played with the bass rolled up to 3 after starting at noon and man that was a LOT of low end! The surprising thing was is that it was totally usable warm and gooey low end. Granted this was just at home and didn't try it in a group setting but man it was thick with the NV212. Twisting the knobs a bunch on these amps is a lot of fun!
Noon-1 o'clock is still the sweet spot for me but I definitely feel like after that test if I was ever in a spot where I felt the low-end was lacking or wasn't carrying I could dial it up to 3 and have a deep and rich sound that wasn't full of mud. I do think the Broughton HPF+LPF really helps when boosting the bass by having everything under 40hz cut out.
I think finding the right cab will make a big difference for sure.
Last night I was dreaming about the TH.
I got a TH350 very early on - just as a back up incase my tube head ever went down (especially out on the road). The size + watts seemed pretty hard to pass up. It really just sat in my gig case for a LONG time unused though. Then I actually started using it, and found out I loved it. So I upgraded to a TH500. Used that amp for a LONG time, on a LOT of gigs.
A few years back, I moved, and my gigs changed, and got a lot louder. I was still using the TH500 with my CN212, but felt I was running out of clean headroom... or just not liking some things in my tone when I really pushed that set up. Played a lot with the EQ to try make it work, and not wanting to change up cabs, went on the hunt for a different amp (I think we all know that song). Anyway, now I'm kind of missing my TH.
Well, I moved again recently... new band, new sounds, and I now have a 2xCN210 cab set up... I really got to thinking about it, and I think I might go back to the TH, and I'm thinking the TH700 might just really do it for me.
The TH was just so rock solid and just sounded good. Especially after really learning how to use all the controls. (much thanks to @Eublet and his graphs). The term "drive" is really a pretty horrible descriptor for that control.
I got a TH350 very early on - just as a back up incase my tube head ever went down (especially out on the road). The size + watts seemed pretty hard to pass up. It really just sat in my gig case for a LONG time unused though. Then I actually started using it, and found out I loved it. So I upgraded to a TH500. Used that amp for a LONG time, on a LOT of gigs.
A few years back, I moved, and my gigs changed, and got a lot louder. I was still using the TH500 with my CN212, but felt I was running out of clean headroom... or just not liking some things in my tone when I really pushed that set up. Played a lot with the EQ to try make it work, and not wanting to change up cabs, went on the hunt for a different amp (I think we all know that song). Anyway, now I'm kind of missing my TH.
Well, I moved again recently... new band, new sounds, and I now have a 2xCN210 cab set up... I really got to thinking about it, and I think I might go back to the TH, and I'm thinking the TH700 might just really do it for me.
The TH was just so rock solid and just sounded good. Especially after really learning how to use all the controls. (much thanks to @Eublet and his graphs). The term "drive" is really a pretty horrible descriptor for that control.
If on TH you dont go with bass over 1 o'clock ( I leave it at 12) AG may sound to you even more deep and low mid heavy,with flat Eq.
Al Kraft
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I have always wished I could see a video of that fateful moment when a room full of engineers and musicians looking at list of candidate names for that control decided that "drive" was the clear winner...I mean I can't even begin to imagine what the losing names might have been...
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HAHAHAHAHA. Totally agree. Reminds me of a Mitch Hedberg joke about Double Tree hotels coming up with their name!
The only difference I've noticed is headroom. Tonally they are the same to me when A/B'd side by side especially at low volumes. Maybe some perceived heft to the TH700 due to that headroom. The main thing for me is that the TH500 often seemed pushed right up to it's limit a lot of times when at volume with a full band and the TH700 just hums along comfortably with plenty of room to spare. TH700 just gives you more of a good thing. Basically if you haven't run into headroom problems with a TH500 there probably isn't any reason to get the TH700. If you want the headroom and want to be able to keep a cleaner tone in tact at louder volumes then the TH700 is the way to go.
Al Kraft
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I'm intrigued by your observations and do not question your finding at all. What I am curious about is whether or not the level you typically run the TH500 at is giving you some meat from the head already being pushed and the TH700 is still idling at that same level and therefore feeling a bit thinner. Please accept that as me trying to understand what could be contributing to a difference I would not have expected versus challenging what you obviously experienced.
Al Kraft
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So I take it from your question that the TH700 has to be run much louder to sound good? I ran a 1200 watt Walter Woods for years and never had that problem. The TH500 is PLENTY loud for anything I do and sounds great at any volume I need. I was very much planning on selling it and replacing it with the TH700, but after I spent some time with it the TH700 went back.
This was my thought as well and curious of the same thing and whether or not that's the case.
Interested in your comparison for the same reasons Al mentioned as well as if you were A/B ing them in a band situation or a home situation. I'm contemplating picking up a Th350 for home practice and acoustic rehearsals for the very reason that I can push it at lower volumes and still get that TH magic going.
Al Kraft
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Actually I have never even seen (other than pictures), let alone played or heard a TH700. I own a TH500 and like most everyone else just assumed it would sound very similar and simply have a lot more clean headroom. In my case the TH500 has been more than sufficient to handle my volume needs without becoming unruly and is one of the best sounding SS heads I've ever used.
While I liked the AG700, I had its sound/voicing covered with other gear that is working fine for me. To me the TH is unique among its peers in terms of having a lot of tube warmth and richness. I was just curious if you had an idea why you found the 500 and 700 so different - and once again I am not questioning what you've said or intimating I know something you don't. Thanks!
I'm new to this party... long time SVT/810 and Vintage PBass with flats kinda guy playing a mix of southern fried blues, kicked up country and Americana.
I was looking for a rig that would be used for three things:
1. Be a great sounding rig I could use for practice at home - we have a small house and the SVT consumes our entire living room
2. As a small head that I could use as a backup to the SVT on a gig - I've never had a problem, but you know - just in case
3. Be a smaller rig that I could use for gigs where my family tags along and I can transport everybody in one vehicle
So, I bought a TH700 and SL115 cabinet, with the hopes that, if it sounded good, I would add a second SL115 to use for #3 above. It arrived today.
My initial observations - holy crap, what a great "vintage-meets-modern tone" I was able to get with this rig. By that, I mean it wasn't as soft and "pillow-y" as my SVT, but was fat and warm yet really clear. As good as it sounds in my living room, I have to believe it will sound even better in a live mix. I had to set aside any pre-conceived notions about how to use the gain, drive and EQ controls - where I found the best tone was by twisting knobs and landing in a completely non-intuitive place. Weird to me, but, there you have it.
I have to think it is only going to get better over time as the speaker breaks in (I could tell a distinct difference over the couple hours I played it). I also have new flats on my PBass (gross) that will break in over the next decade or so. And I know how adding a second cab takes it to another level, so getting that thing ordered now.
And, gulp, as much as I hate to admit it.. this is so light and so compact. I don't mind moving the SVT around on gigs given how much of a blast it is to play, but yeah. It is also super quiet and has great features. Very happy with my purchase.
I was looking for a rig that would be used for three things:
1. Be a great sounding rig I could use for practice at home - we have a small house and the SVT consumes our entire living room
2. As a small head that I could use as a backup to the SVT on a gig - I've never had a problem, but you know - just in case
3. Be a smaller rig that I could use for gigs where my family tags along and I can transport everybody in one vehicle
So, I bought a TH700 and SL115 cabinet, with the hopes that, if it sounded good, I would add a second SL115 to use for #3 above. It arrived today.
My initial observations - holy crap, what a great "vintage-meets-modern tone" I was able to get with this rig. By that, I mean it wasn't as soft and "pillow-y" as my SVT, but was fat and warm yet really clear. As good as it sounds in my living room, I have to believe it will sound even better in a live mix. I had to set aside any pre-conceived notions about how to use the gain, drive and EQ controls - where I found the best tone was by twisting knobs and landing in a completely non-intuitive place. Weird to me, but, there you have it.
I have to think it is only going to get better over time as the speaker breaks in (I could tell a distinct difference over the couple hours I played it). I also have new flats on my PBass (gross) that will break in over the next decade or so. And I know how adding a second cab takes it to another level, so getting that thing ordered now.
And, gulp, as much as I hate to admit it.. this is so light and so compact. I don't mind moving the SVT around on gigs given how much of a blast it is to play, but yeah. It is also super quiet and has great features. Very happy with my purchase.
I own both the TH500 and TH700. Have been gigging the 500 for the last 8 or so years, so I know its characteristics. I really don't hear any more fullness from the 500 and did a direct comparison myself. Will be gigging the new 700 tomorrow night without PA support as usual and will give my thoughts on how it compares if there is any interest.
Killer! Glad to see you picked one up and twisted the knobs. I was sure you'd dig it. I'd say it has that tube aspect to it with a more immediate attack. And looks like from the photo you took to the TH's ability to dime the master if you want and adjust from there. It's a killer little amp and my guess is that like me you're going to love it even more when you use it with a band and get to see how impressively it sits in the mix.
Indeed - I tried what I thought would work based on my previous experience with other amps, then tried cranking the gain. Once I tried cranking the master and using the gain to control the volume I was done for. Thanks for all the help - super happy!
Of course! Happy to offer input. It was only because of other TB'ers kindly explaining the controls to me that I was able to discover the magic everyone always raved about in the TH. I bet that's going to be a SWEET rig with the second SL115 and pulling the full load from the TH. I love it the TH700 with the Ampeg 810 as well!!!!!
