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Amp decision: TH500 or Puma 500
- Thread starter sammywalk
- Start date
+1 Just reinforcing that the 'drive' knob really isn't an 'overdrive' knob... more of a tone control. The overdrive really comes primarily from the gain, with the drive changing the character of the overdrive from big and fat to midrange snarly. Nice stuff.
The nice thing with the drive control is that with the gain set low, the drive acts as kind of a lo pass/hi pass combo filter, getting you quickly into 'old school' land, no matter what cab you are using.
Man... I was really sure i wanted the Puma for a minute there. But now all this positive talk about the drive control on the TH500 is making me confused again!
Interesting. Ive never looked into ashdown a whole lot. I will gladly do my own research but... Tell me why you think their better.
Only 100 watts though? I'm looking for around 500.
Thanks again and I appreciate the tips! I really do enjoy this head, I was playing through an Eden WT-400 which is a nice in itself but to my ears the Tonehammer has a richness the eden doesnt.
Interesting. Ive never looked into ashdown a whole lot. I will gladly do my own research but... Tell me why you think their better.
Only 100 watts though? I'm looking for around 500.
Sorry you'll have to get one of these other guru's around here to explain the whole "100 Watts of tube isn't really "100 watts" when compared to solid state amps. It's like the SVT-CL (300w) kicking any of those 500w Class D amps. Whole other discussion. I would think though, that the 100W Ashdown should be able to hold it's own pretty well against anyone of these Class Ds. But until they are released to the GP we'll just have to wait and see.
I see what you're saying. But why are you telling me to give up on my options for an amp you dont even know much about?
Have you tried any of their other amps? they seem interesting. How about you KJung?
I am surprised no one has mentioned the Genz Benz ShuttleMax 9.2. I picked one up a couple of weeks ago and am very happy with it so far. The switchable, mixable tube/s.s. preamp section makes it a real chameleon. Ed Friedland has a very good video review on this amp in youtube. Also kudos to KJung for recommending this amp to us Fearful owners.
I see what you're saying. But why are you telling me to give up on my options for an amp you dont even know much about?
Have you tried any of their other amps? they seem interesting. How about you KJung?
Yeah, that 'all tube amp' recommendation was 'interesting'
Of course, there are lots of other micro's out there that are good in their own way. They all sound different.
Since you seem to have done a bit of homework prior to posting to narrow down to a couple of heads, I would HIGHLY recommend ordering an Aguilar TH500 from Musician's Friend and play with it for a week. Then you will know. If you don't dig it and want something 'crisper and cleaner' (like the Puma500), you can return with no questions asked, and you will only be out the shipping, which is trivial.
Quite frankly, I see that you are 17 (and seem quite mature for that age with your posts, coming from an old guy here!). At your age, even though you might be a relatively accomplished player, your development of what I call 'the tone in your head' (i.e., that kind of tonal profile that you enjoy from your bass sound, and that you will spend your entire life developing, primarily through gigging and woodshedding) is most likely not very developed yet. It took me about a decade to really get a handle on it when I started playing professionally, when I was a bit younger than you. So, that was a long winded way of saying to get the Aguilar. It is highly reliable, service is easy, since IF something goes wrong, you can send it right to New York to the manufacturer to get fied, and it won't break the bank.
Sorry for the 'old guy speak'. I think you will be quite happy with the Aguilar (ESPECIALLY if your primary instrument is the PBass you list in your profile), and again, it is the 'smart choice' for your first pro quality rig. You should be able to get pretty much every tone you could want out of that amp, except that total, uber clean, upper treble extension of a Marcus Miller type tone (not that you can't get a decent clean slap tone out of it).
Go Aguilar at this point, and focus on really developing your technique, and listen, listen, listen to a wide variety of players.
Well thanks for the compliment on my maturity (coming from your posts you dont seem like too much of an old guy
). The thing is, I've been playing for over 4 years now and I'm tired of not being satisfied with my tone. So as far as 'tone in my head', I believe I have one. I'm not saying that It wont change or be refined, but not just any decent amp is going to fulfill my needs. I luckily dont have to order the Aguilar since my church just purchased one (I now get to play through it weekly). I will certainly mess around with it more and see if it can get close enough to what I want.
I own both the Aguilar and Markbass heads. Both excellent as already stated. However, I might lean you toward the Mark bass LMlll for a neutral platform that you can color with any stomp box you like. I use a Sadowsky outboard preamp when I'm using the LMlll and I really dig it! As mentioned you might use a vt pedal or even a tone hammer preamp.
If money was no object, hard to recommend the Markbass heads over the Puma500. If money is an object, you will get 80% there with the Big Bang (by 'there' I mean relatively neutral, transparent tone) for about half the price if you purchase during one of Musician Friend's sales.
If money is a factor, you could always get the Big Bang and a stomp box bass eq to run in front of the amp input. That "might" get you 90% of the way there. So THERE!
I like that idea, adding sounds to a neutral platform. Would you say that it is more difficult to add effects to the TH500? or are you just saying that your tone is more restrained?
You can add effects to the tone hammer but there will always be the underlying personality of that head. That could be a good thing, or bad depending on your tone goals. It sounds to me like you want to start from a more transparent platform. Be great if you could try both!
Well luckily I CAN try the TH500 (I just dont have the effects I want yet). I should be able to find a fairly transparent amp at GC to try out; They typically stock a few Markbass amps.
I was looking at that Ashdown stuff. The ABM Evo II/III looks really nice too...
I was looking at that Ashdown stuff. The ABM Evo II/III looks really nice too...
I like it alright. It's a very basic amp with a quality, simple EQ. I recently purchased a Creation Audio Labs Holy Fire, so the drive section of the TH500 that was enticing me before is no longer a factor. Overall, I think I've decided that this is not the amp for me. The clarity is just not there.
I have yet to thoroughly test out a MarkBass amp, as I was told that would give me more of a feel for the Puma 500, but I have a feeling I will enjoy that quite a bit more.
I think it will really come down to my cabinet for the real warmth and punch. Trying to find those qualities in a head is too hard to do while also keeping clarity (for a decent price anyways).
- Jan 12, 2011
- 4,578
- 2,460
- Disclosures
- Artist, Trickfish Amplification Bartolini Emerging Artist, MTD Kingston Emerging Artist. Artist, Tsunami Cables
After spending 13 years in the Army where we all dressed alike, spoke alike, and did just about everthing in unison, dressed right dressed I chose the Puma500. I wanted to be different. Everyone and their brother is getting an Aggie TH500. I'm not saying anything against the Aggie. I just don't want to look, act, and sound like everyone else ever again. Having said that, this does not mean I won't play through one. When I had the funds for a new head, I just chose the road less travelled. Crazy I know, but I'm happy with my choice.
I don't think 'best' is the right description. They are obviously very different price points, and I don't feel that the Puma500 is 'better' than, for example, the Markbass LMIII. It is a touch different, and if you are willing to pay double for the much smaller size and a bit more 'clean clarity' it is probably worth the money.
The GK stuff is amazing for what it does... bright, aggessive, grindy tone, the Markbass stuff is wonderful for its warm, relatively neutral tone. The Genz Shuttle Max 9.2 is the king of EQ power and tight, controlled slam.
I own a Glock Blue Soul, which is significantly more expensive than the Puma900, and it sounds different also (unique combination of super powerful, warm, round low end with massive slam, and a crystal clear, hi fi top end).
Lots of stuff out there. I do think the TH500 is one of the best values out there, but as you found out, only if you enjoy the Aguilar tone profile that is a bit less clean than some amps, and a bit less bright than others... more 'fat, warm and punchy'.
As we discussed above, given you've found a pedal that you like for the dirt, IF you want to have your 'base bass tone' (I should trademark that!) to be clean and relatively neutral, it is hard to beat the Puma stuff, and the Markbass Big Bang comes close if you are on a bit more of a budget!
