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Aguilar Tone Hammer Pedal
- Thread starter CTC564
- Start date
Just got a Tone Hammer and not sure I need it. I have a Lightwave Bass that has a very powerful output, much more power than my Washburn Active. It has a sweepable mid control.
Found that I had the Tone Hammer pretty much set to "0" for the tone controls. So don't need that.
Have plenty of output already, so don't need to crank up the volume.
Do not understand the AGS even though I watched the instructional video. This just seems like a poor design to me. There needs to be a secondary volume cut that engages when the AGS is in. Otherwise, there is no way to obtain unity between AGS on and AGS off., the last thing I want is to have a 20 DB imediate jump in volume when pushing the AGS button. Either you run the AGS all the time, or not at all, or kneel down to tweek the volume every time you kick in the AGS. I just don't get the AGS.
I have yet to try the pedal with my old Rick 4001, or my Squire5. I know the Rick doesn't have much output compared to the Lightwave, so the pedal may be excellent for a passive bass.
Kirk
Found that I had the Tone Hammer pretty much set to "0" for the tone controls. So don't need that.
Have plenty of output already, so don't need to crank up the volume.
Do not understand the AGS even though I watched the instructional video. This just seems like a poor design to me. There needs to be a secondary volume cut that engages when the AGS is in. Otherwise, there is no way to obtain unity between AGS on and AGS off., the last thing I want is to have a 20 DB imediate jump in volume when pushing the AGS button. Either you run the AGS all the time, or not at all, or kneel down to tweek the volume every time you kick in the AGS. I just don't get the AGS.
I have yet to try the pedal with my old Rick 4001, or my Squire5. I know the Rick doesn't have much output compared to the Lightwave, so the pedal may be excellent for a passive bass.
Kirk
bongomania
Commercial User
I have not opened this pedal up and have never modded a pedal, but how difficult would it be to change the AGS switch to also reroute the output signal through an additional volume pot and add an additional volume pot?
This mod would make the AGS switch on this pedal much more functional.
Kirk
This mod would make the AGS switch on this pedal much more functional.
Kirk
After playing with this for about a month now...I'll agree that the AGS feature is almost useless (for me)...but I still love the sound and other features of the pedal...
One practical question about Tone Hammer:
Can you press "AGS" directly? Or always first step on "Engage" and after "AGS"?
So, my point is to go from clean bass signal to driven "AGS", which I like. I tried Tone Hammer one day, I liked it but I forgot options of pushing this two possibilties.
So.... can anyone tell me.
Thanx
Can you press "AGS" directly? Or always first step on "Engage" and after "AGS"?
So, my point is to go from clean bass signal to driven "AGS", which I like. I tried Tone Hammer one day, I liked it but I forgot options of pushing this two possibilties.
So.... can anyone tell me.
Thanx
Big fan of the TH. I recently downsized my gear and switched from an Aguilar AG-500 & Schroeder 410R to Markbass CMD121p and New York 12. While I love the portability and power of Markbass gear I missed the warm Aguilar tone. This was solved by adding the Tone Hammer and running the Markbass amp flat. I really love the flexibility of the sweepable mids.
For my "always on" tone, I run a Way Huge Pork Loin with a very mild OD setting before the TH with the AGS set to about 9 o'clock. Works great to give me a nice vintage styled sound in my classic rock power trio.
I bet a lot more people would build a similar board to if this thing wasn't sucha bitch to power... I did not find a single 9->18V adapter for daisy chain use in EU that wasn't >60. Batteries suck!
The pedal must first be "engaged" to activate the AGS channel. Hitting the AGS alone will not effect your signal.
As mentioned above, the AGS does not really work as a gain stage - you have to either have its tone dialed in and left alone (meaning AGS on or off), or it's probably not going to work for you due to the volume difference between the two channels. If you like your clean channel (with the Tone Hammer off) but prefer the drive of an AGS engaged signal, you're looking at three options:
1. Be prepared to hit both switches of the TH on the fly
2. Buy an A/B switch and run your clean channel on one and your AGS engaged Tone Hammer on the other
3. Look at buying a different pedal to accomplish your gain stage needs
just got mine from a fellow TBer...will gig with it this weekend. I'm hoping it warms up the tone of my passive Explorer bass, and gives my new American Deluxe Jazz more headroom, which I feel is lacking in the 9v circuit in the onboard pre.
any links to the 'tone settings' page on the Aguilar site? I can't find them...
any links to the 'tone settings' page on the Aguilar site? I can't find them...
Thanks Man ... that is exactly what I wanted to know
.We will se what we gonna do it.
So, I like the sound, all of it ; but maybe it is better to use just for a preamp and then go to some drive.
How is your experience to go in one preamp for clean - which is "on" all the time and then go to other "preamp drive" , let's say sansamp ... so you are runnig 2 preamps at the same time, is it this good for signal? Or it is ok and it is the same if you have onboard preamp, so active electronics?
just finished 1st set using the TH on my Explorer bass...thanks to the pedal, I can actually cut through and play with some nuance thanks to the mid controls.
and it's 100 degrees, no clouds
and it's 100 degrees, no clouds
I bet a lot more people would build a similar board to if this thing wasn't sucha bitch to power... I did not find a single 9->18V adapter for daisy chain use in EU that wasn't >60. Batteries suck!
Just grab a Godlyke ISO Pump on ebay, it's like $30 and $8 shipping worldwide. I'm from EU too and I'll order one for my Nova Repeater (12V).
Yeah powering the TH is a bit of an issue. IME phantom power is definitely the way to go but depending on your board (or if you're using the TH as a preamp but not a DI), you may not have that option.
I'm using mine as a DI, running direct to board with a 78 P-Bass and IEMs. I haven't really found a musical application for the AGS, but engaging the TH minus the AGS gives me exactly the subtle coloring and tone shaping ability I've been looking for. Agreed that the footprint presents a challenge for certain pedalboard configurations (as do the top-mounted jacks for everything), but I have been able to use a right-angle patch cable to the input of mine without trouble even given the slight "lip".
- Mar 8, 2011
- 12,232
- 51,187
- Disclosures
- Authorized greenboy designs builder/Owner of BNA Audio
This is an odd duck pedal...I think the basic tonal thing is really good, the AGS is completely worthless (for me) unless I opt to get it modded...overall I think it's worth the money
Yeah I just went over to a ToneHammer from a SansAmp BDDI and I like every single aspect of the ToneHammer better than the SansAmp EXCEPT for the form factor. The footprint and jack placement on the BDDI is MUCH more pedalboard friendly.
As for the AGS, I was kinda hoping that would give me a little extra drive for the one or two solo sections I do over the course of the show... but it really hasn't worked out that way. Maybe I just need to spend a little more time with it but then the non-AGS sound may not be what I want. Seems to me the AGS either has to be always on or always off but even if I never use the AGS the thing sounds good enough without it that it's not a deal breaker for me.
As for the AGS, I was kinda hoping that would give me a little extra drive for the one or two solo sections I do over the course of the show... but it really hasn't worked out that way. Maybe I just need to spend a little more time with it but then the non-AGS sound may not be what I want. Seems to me the AGS either has to be always on or always off but even if I never use the AGS the thing sounds good enough without it that it's not a deal breaker for me.
Thanks Man ... that is exactly what I wanted to know
We will se what we gonna do it.
So, I like the sound, all of it ; but maybe it is better to use just for a preamp and then go to some drive.
How is your experience to go in one preamp for clean - which is "on" all the time and then go to other "preamp drive" , let's say sansamp ... so you are runnig 2 preamps at the same time, is it this good for signal? Or it is ok and it is the same if you have onboard preamp, so active electronics?
It's completely fine to do this, IF it sounds good to your ears. However (taking the SansAmp for example), the tonal change may be very drastic and not to your liking. It's all personal preference.
