Can anyone please recommend a good replacement fan for Aguilar TH500? and possibly where to purchase them online, aside from Aguilar,.. Thanks!!
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Fan replacement Aguilar TH500
- Thread starter mickenstein
- Start date
It needs to be an exact match in ALL of its specs, Aguilar is the best place for this.
I just came across this fan kit for Tone Hammer amps:
Link Removed
TH custom effects Tonehammer 500/700 Silent Mod | Reverb
TH custom effects Tonehammer 350 Silent Mod | Reverb
The kit looks very interesting and appears to be well thought out. It might be worth a try. Of course the amp will still make a lout pop through the speaker when it decides to run the fans, but maybe this will help while still providing sufficient airflow for cooling.
Link Removed
TH custom effects Tonehammer 500/700 Silent Mod | Reverb
TH custom effects Tonehammer 350 Silent Mod | Reverb
The kit looks very interesting and appears to be well thought out. It might be worth a try. Of course the amp will still make a lout pop through the speaker when it decides to run the fans, but maybe this will help while still providing sufficient airflow for cooling.
- Feb 12, 2006
- 60,951
- 5
- 220,594
- Disclosures
- Development Engineer-Mesa Boogie, Development Engineer-Genzler (pedals), Product Support-Genz Benz
I would not recommend a third party replacement without verifying that it’s not going to cause you other issues. There is not enough information on the kit to be able to verify that it’s a real solution and not some guy’s hack with unintended consequences.
"Of course the amp will still make a loud pop through the speaker when it decides to run the fans..."
I had a TH500 for a little while (one of a few amps I wish I'd spent a little more time with before letting it go). I recall the fan being loud, but I don't recall a pop through the speaker when it came on. Does yours do this? That would concern me. Do they all do this -- is this a common Tonehammer thing? That would
As far as switching out the fan and assorted components for something quieter, I'd consider:
- whether the amp is still in warranty and whether you're willing to void the warranty if so
- How much quieter -- enough to make a material difference to me?
- whether the airflow/cooling effect is comparable to that of the original design
- other effects (including compatibility with the fan controller, wiring, etc.)
As for noisy fans in general, there is the fan itself, but my impression is that it's often made significantly worse by mechanical coupling with/lack of isolation from the chassis (fan transferring vibration to the amp's casing) and/or poorly thought-out airflow through the amp (which I imagine would matter more in a crowded, small chassis).
It's possible to make compact amps with nearly silent fans -- of those I've played, the Glockenklang Blue Rock and Eich T-900 both have super-quiet (practically inaudible) fans under home practice conditions. Genzler Magellan is nearly as quiet. All are an order of magnitude quieter than my Kustom KXB-500, which is a great little amp but similar to the Tonehammer when it comes to fan noise.
Anyway, I'm not saying not to mod the amp (if I had a TH500 and could make it effectively silent for home practice/recording without compromising it, I'd be interested), but to make sure you look into it carefully before going ahead.
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- Feb 12, 2006
- 60,951
- 5
- 220,594
- Disclosures
- Development Engineer-Mesa Boogie, Development Engineer-Genzler (pedals), Product Support-Genz Benz
Quiet fan operation goes back to the choice of the fan, and every other parameter (including mechanical mounting, turbulence control, proportional speed control, integration ramp rate, thermal transfer characteristics of the components) that goes along with the design of the amp.
Yeah, sure, that stuff, too.
You would be better acquainted with the details than I!
- Feb 12, 2006
- 60,951
- 5
- 220,594
- Disclosures
- Development Engineer-Mesa Boogie, Development Engineer-Genzler (pedals), Product Support-Genz Benz
Some of the stuff I have seen would make you throw up a little in your mouth... really goofy (and DANGEROUS) upgrades sold to the gullible.Yeah, sure, that stuff, too.
"DANGEROUS" in all caps intrigues me, but maybe I'd better not ask.
Obliquely related (on-topic insofar as it relates to "dangerous mods"): learned a bit about steamboat (and steamboat racing) history, recently, while listening to an audiobook on another topic. Coincidentally visited an old shipyard/maritime museum with my parents (Dad, now retired, was an accomplished engineer in more than one field.) and got to see several of the old steam engines up close.
In the pursuit of honor and glory, riverboat captains of days bygone would sometimes have the safety pressure-release valves on the engines (the boilers, I think) welded shut (more pressure = more speed). Sometimes they would explode catastrophically, with loss of life and limb for crew and passengers both.
Coming back to amps, I am struck by two things: 1) It's good that they're not steam-powered -- who knows what we -- or guitar players -- might do in pursuit of more power. 2) I might contact Aguilar tech-support about the pop through the speaker when the fan comes on, if nothing else -- that sounds like it shouldn't happen.
As for swapping out the fan, I imagine Aguilar tech support might not feel that they can prudently offer advice or assurance to someone seeking to modify their amp with third-party components, but perhaps they can advise as to things to look for/avoid where safety is concerned. Or perhaps not -- I don't think it can hurt to ask them, though.
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