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Cab pairing for an Aguilar Tone Hammer 500

KingKrabb

KingKrabb

May 9, 2014
295
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Puerto Rico
#1
Hey guys! I'm gonna be purchasing an Aguilar ToneHammer 500 very soon, as I am in desperate need of a powerful, but portable, bass amp.

(I was pretty set on it, though if you guys have suggestions around the 600-800 range for heads, I'm all ears)

The main question of this thread would be, though:
What would be a good cab to pair with this head? I've looked at the Aguilar SL 112, since it seems to always be shown in combination with the head.

However, would this be the best bang for the buck, in this case?

I mostly play Progressive rock, but I dabble in a little of everything from Metal to Jazz.
I'm going for loud, because reasons.

Any, and all, comments would be appreciated.
 
#2
GK's Neo 12's either a pair of 112's or a pair of 212's. You want LOUD go with 2x212. If you are a fan of 10's, then a Fender Bassman Pro 610 Neo (4 ohm) is an excellent choice. Open; Airy, & Natural sound. All of the woofers in all these cabs are Eminence Neos, and they are fabulous!
 
#3
I love my TH500. FWIW, I also have the Ampeg PF-800 and not only do I prefer the TH500's overall sound better, to my ears it sounds like it can get louder easier.

I usually pair it with my DB112NT's (2 of them), which sounds awesome and I consider the rig to be fairly loud. But if you really want loud, you might want a little more speaker surface.
 
#5
I was looking at that head briefly, and would have paired it with the Ampeg SVT 212av. A rating of 600 watts at 4 ohms seems to be a nice match for the Tone Hammer, and that cab gets great reviews as being "musical" and "articulate." But then again, since it's a 4 ohm cab, you'd run only one. At the end of the day, though, if/when I rig up, I'm going to go bigger with the GK MB800, which I'll probably pair with the GK 212 Neo, adding a second 212 down the line. (That Fender Bassman 610 Neo cab is very appealing, but out of my range.)

So my common denominator with some of the earlier comments is to consider a 2 x 212.
 
#6
FerruleCat said:
I was looking at that head briefly, and would have paired it with the Ampeg SVT 212av. A rating of 600 watts at 4 ohms seems to be a nice match for the Tone Hammer, and that cab gets great reviews as being "musical" and "articulate." But then again, since it's a 4 ohm cab, you'd run only one. At the end of the day, though, if/when I rig up, I'm going to go bigger with the GK MB800, which I'll probably pair with the GK 212 Neo, adding a second 212 down the line. (That Fender Bassman 610 Neo cab is very appealing, but out of my range.)

So my common denominator with some of the earlier comments is to consider a 2 x 212.
Click to expand...

Thank you for mentioning the MB800! That's actually the other head I've been looking at.
 
#7
KingKrabb said:
Thank you for mentioning the MB800! That's actually the other head I've been looking at.
Click to expand...

You bet. That head gets a lot of love around here. I don't have firsthand experience playing any of this stuff, but I'm doing a lot of homework on paper right now. The MB800 with the Bassman 610 is my fantasy rig (of the moment); MB800 with GK Neo 212 is a more realistic option that would let me start with one cab and add another later as needed. My general ground rules for planning my own rig (which I should probably get around to buying one day) are (1) get more power than you need, and (2) preserve the option to add a second cab. (Of course, in the Bassman 610 scenario, it would be one and done because that's a 4 ohm cab.)

Keep us posted on which way you go.
 
#8
If you like a thick, vintagey tone, then the Aguilar DB series would be a good choice for cabs with the TH500. The Bergantino NV115 also would be excellent. If you like it cleaner, then something from Aguilar's GS series or Bergantino CN112 or CN212 would hit the spot. The TH500 is voiced with an emphasis on low mids, so selecting a cab with that characteristic enhances or exacerbates it, depending on what you like.

I like the GK MB800 and MB Fusion 800 with a Bergantino CN212 for versatility and cleanliness of sound.
 
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#10
+1 to most of the posts above. I've been using the TH500 and TH350 as my primary gigging heads for a couple of years now. Fantastic product. Uber reliable and high quality, and a voice that for me (I currently use a passive 5 string P bass) really works in the mix. Big, fat, and powerful, with a very natural, non sizzly top end that really makes a two way cab with tweeter sound great. It won't sizzle or do super bright grind (I recommend the GKMB800 for that, which is a TOTALLY different thing, and good in its own way).

The TH500, IMO, benefits from a cab with a bit of midrange punch and upper midrange brightness built in to my ear. I currently use it with a Bergantino CN212, and it is fantastic. Nice organic grind up top(non metallic, papercone, warm top end), and enough low end and volume to handle all but the loudest gig. Sounds great with most basses and styles to me. The only thing it won't do is that 'active 70's J with new stainless steel roundwound' sort of thing. (note per Munji's post above.... I had a Berg NV115 for short while. I though that would be a great match with the TH500, but it REALLY didn't work... very nasal sounding, with a super rolled of low end regardless of EQ).

I really like the TH heads with the DB112's if you want to stay 'all Aguilar'. If you are on a budget, the GK Neo 112(II) cabs sound great also. The CN212 is spendy, but is magnificent. Really makes a P bass articulate and warm, makes a 60's style J sound like the recordings many of us love from the 60's/70's, and takes the 'sterility and edge' of more modern basses with Bartolini or other soapbars.

IMO and IME.
 
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#11
I've been pleased with the TH500 pushing one or two Baer ML112s on gigs. That's a 12/6 design.

In rehearsal, I've pushed a 4 ohm Patterson Audio Systems 12/6/1. Very different voicing to that cab (deeper on the bottom, more relaxed in the mids), but a little knob twisting gets me what I'm needing in this band's mix.


Added: I'm using a Sadowsky Metro in alder/rosewood, JJ pups.
 
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#13
Ewo said:
I've been pleased with the TH500 pushing one or two Baer ML112s.
Click to expand...

Another nice choice if you want it a touch 'brighter and tighter' than the Berg CN cabs. Similar general tonality (punchy, articulate, warm/organic), with, again, a more 'bright' top end (upper midrange) with a bit less lower treble extension and deep bass extension.
 
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#17
I have used my TH500 with my Berg HS410, NV610, and a pair of Aguilar DB112, also a Schroeder 1210, ( the one with the angled 10" ) i can get my so called "tone" with each cabinet, by adjusting the "drive" & "gain", each cabinet has a different voicing ... so you have to experiment with the settings
 
#20
CL400Peavey said:
There is some conflicting info here. I would go with as much cab as you can afford. What is your budget?
Click to expand...

Well, gigs I play are not huge venues, however, the guitarist's amp is a very loud machine. And with my current setup, I just get swallowed up.

Most of these clubs don't have a great PA System, so we've got to make do with what we have.

Even though they're smaller venues, I'd like the ability to play bigger places with this equipment. Also I just like very loud bass. :P

Budget for the cab's around $600-800 at the moment. The GK Neos / Berg CN212 seem to be the most appropriate as of this time.

(BTW, my apologies if what I write sounds confusing, English's not my first language. Haha)
 

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