TC Electronic or Aguilar

[Jeff Scott]

To be fair to TCE, they do make superb effects (rack and pedals), I have not tried a TCE amp (none around here to do so) but from what I have read over the past couple of years, they probably wished they never made those amps.

I have a Tone Hammer 500 and can heartily recommend it!

 

[bluesdogblues]

I only ever tried TC Electronics RH450 and staccato (essentially are the same amp with different high resp. or 'this over that' and higher price), but never try the BH series asked by NimrodHunter ..
IMHO they're good amps, but I also have been tried Aguilar Tone Hammer 350. I prefer the Aguilar.
Never tried them with the cabs the OP mentioned tho.

 

[NimrodHunter]

My only concern for you in this post is to attempt to give you some assurance that TC Electronics is good gear

I'm not looking for assurance that's its good gear because any gear is good gear ... It's a matter of opinion.

I am looking for those who have played both or one or the other and get their opinion simply because I don't have access to any TC Electronic gear without have to drive 3+ hours. So before I commit to driving extended distance and to find out it wasn't worth it is why I ask other opinions.

As far as features, I'm not one to look for a head with lots of feature built-in such as a tuner. IMO this only take away from available space, power, and could degrade the actual sound or quality in an "amp" that could've been used to make better gear, not more features.

I appreciate all opinions and lime you said you sold yours based on opinions here, and that's why I ask. People love GK stuff but I don't, or they like hartke or ampeg (which I was an ampeg fan until they changed)

 

[srcTW]

Good luck with your choice. I wish you the very best.

 

[4-string]

To be fair to TCE, they do make superb effects (rack and pedals), I have not tried a TCE amp (none around here to do so) but from what I have read over the past couple of years, they probably wished they never made those amps

I think the folks at TC don't care that much what people on TB are saying - they seem to sell very well, so my guess is that they are quite happy.

To the OP - since you tried and liked the Aguilar I say go for it! No need to risk anything since you've already found what you like.

 

[blindrabbit]

I tried out many different heads during my last quest for new amplification, and the TC was one of them. It was a nice amp with nice features, and I probably wouldn't have minded owning one. However, I then ended up trying a Tone Hammer, and that was that. My TH350 is the best amp I've ever heard or owned, period. The lightweight/small form factor and low price are amazing bonuses, but this amp wins even without those in play. IMO, of course.

 

[catgut]

Yeah, poor TC. This question pops up here a lot.
"Should I get TC or ____?"
The consensus is never TC.
And I feel bad for them, kind of...
I gave them a fair shot when I went on my own personal head quest.
They sound like...toys, plastic toys.

They make great effects. But I surely don't need an amp who's effect is to sound like a real amp. Enough emulation already.

 

[/\/\3phist0]

My only concern for you in this post is to attempt to give you some assurance that TC Electronics is good gear. I'm aware of pros that use it and love it. The RH450 is the one that I use. KJung's descriptions of its tone are spot on. To me, it's voiced perfectly. There are other reasons to consider TCE, by the way:

• It has a built in tuner
• It has a built in compressor that is very usable
• It has built in dirt (subtle to very growly) in the tube tone (should you get the RH450)
• The DI is dead quiet (note the TH500 is as well)
• It has memories that store settings so the knobs moving in your gig bag matter not (should you get the RH450)
• It also has a tweeter tone that emulates the pot on the back of your cab (should you get the RH750)

So to me, it's everything you need in one box with outstanding tone.

I will tell you that the opinions on this board that were so strongly against TC Electronics gear that they actually lead me to sell my first RH450 and venture down the rabbit hole of buying and selling amps (I figured people knew much better than me). I went to the Aguilar TH500, the Genz Benz Shuttle 6.2 and finally I came back to the RH450 and realized it was my ears that matter vs pleasing the TalkBass monster.

I will say that if you land on the Aguilar TH500, you can't go wrong there either - awesome amp.

Take it for what it's worth - I'm not a pro - I play in Church. I value convenience (integration) and I look for a supportive tone that cuts through. RH450 has it in spades.

I have a tc rh450 and a genz benz shuttle 9. Used to have a gk mb800 all good amps! I find that "massive lows" sound great soloed but in band situation med sized clubs etc .. too overwhelming for a good band mix. Outdoor, well different story. Good lows are also highly a function of the cabinet. I understand what Jimmy m is saying although I disagree.
The tc has a 4 band fully parametric (as in you can change the frequency centers for each band) the "tube tone" I'm not a fan of... but I do find the spectra comp useful and musical. Having 3 preset eq and input volume presets (esp with the footboard) very handy.. the on board tuner also very nice. The footboard also has a Window showing the tuner and the 4th button on the footboard is a mute.... All useful features... sound and volume nice also.. that said, the rh450 does not have the "push" that the GB OR GK have... i actually like the GB shuttle 9.0 the best tonally but use the TC far more often for the flexibility and utility. . Gotta love the tuner onboard. And makes bass switches easier as I have baked in presets to enhance/or even out the difference between the basses as always your mileage may vary.


As to the aguilar. I was not happy with the head with my cabs. It has a "warm fuzzy" clean without being able to get a glassy hifi clean. (The same thing i felt about the markbass amps i owned) The para mids were very nice but it is for all intents and purposes a tone hammer pedal with a power amp. In other words I can get its tone in a pedal to use as I see fit.

The DI on all of these amps really comes in handy and remember at larger gigs your amp will be a stage monitor. Play nice on the stage volume and mix. If the guitar and bass stage levels are even with the drums the singer will be happier.....

 

[Webtroll]

Nothing pompous about opinions.

Your tone was condescending

 

[adi77]

i use a tc rs210 extensively (with a warwick 5.2 pro fet head) and its almost exactly the sound i want and i would never trade that cab..
i have no issues with it not having enough low-end or whatever..
i have another fender bassman 135 head if i want a diff sound.. i didn't like the tc amps too much though..
any particular reason why you want to buy a cab and head of the same company/brand?
sorry for further confusing you bro but bottom line is.. trust your ears, heart, and fingers.. i have hardly ever bought things based on their reviews or what other people say after seeing too many instances of the same rig sounding totally different when different people play 'em

 

[mglinski]

OP, if you don't have access to try a TC, just forget it. If you love the Aggie, go for it. I love my TC, despite what anyone else may think or say, but if you can't try one, it's not worth the risk. As stated, they aren't for everyone. Go with something you have the opportunity to try (and love) first.

 

[4-string]

Your tone was condescending

And a bit compressed.

 

[JimmyM]

Dude asked for opinions, and he got them. Whether or not they line up with your opinion or whether you agree with them or not is tough toenails. But I will say this...I almost bought a Spark Mini when I needed a clean boost. It isn't a bad boost at all, but I ended up getting something else instead. So I'm not against TC in general (anymore). I just don't like their bass amps.

 

[Brio]

Since we're tossing around opinions like frisbees, here's mine: I own a BH500 that I run through a PF210 and the only drawback I can find in it is the size. It's bulky compared to a lot of the usual suspects and even TCE's own RH series. I absolutely love everything else; the voicing, the built-in compressor, "tube tone" and the 3 programmable settings. Does it sound digital? Sure. Are there better options? Could be.

The bottom line for me is that it sounds the way I ask it to sound and it's loud/low enough for all of my gigging needs. The only reason I'd even think about switching to something else would be the size/weight as mentioned before. I get all twitchy and green when I see other guys slide their micro-heads into a gigbag pocket.

 

[rsm]

I've had my RH450 since the RH750 was released and the price was reduced on the RH450. I use mine direct - DI into FRFR, sounds great to me, I dig the tones I get. YMMV

 

[vin*tone]

As a standalone cab I would not recommend an Aguilar 112. They're very short and deep - basically exactly the opposite of what you want in a 1 cab solution.... unless you have ears on your ankles. Which I don't.

 

[IPYF]

I've recently acquired the BH250. I'd suggest that those who are calling it a toy are completely correct. It's a fun amp that is an absolute joy to use over and over again. That I think matches up with my definition of a toy. It's easily the simplest, lightest, most addictive bass amp I've ever used. I play in a 10 piece band and my current cab is an Ashdown MAG 210t, arguably one of the less good cabs around. I am still by far the loudest dude in the room with the master set at noon and my tone is plenty nice for an amp in that price-range.

Every cat is entitled to their own opinion on this one, but I'm firmly pro-BH250. There are some negatives: chiefly the disparity in output volume between some toneprint patches (some are louder than others), the usual Class D midrange mush is certainly present (not helped by my ugly Ashdown Blueline drivers), and you do really need to invest further in a Switch 3 to access all the features which is a bit irritating, but other than that it's an amp I'd recommend to anyone, and I've owned a few.

If you're in need of a workhorse and you feel that the BH doesn't qualify in that category you could argue that case really well. I just think it does exactly what it sets out to do and shouldn't be bagged out for achieving it's own goals. It's like picking on an apple for being an apple just because you need an orange.

EDIT: I just read the last post by the OP and noticed that he is more interested in power and basic functionality than features (eg. tuner, toneprint). In this case you're probably best off with the Aggie. The BH shines because of its features. The tuner is exceptional and tracks better than most foot-based units I've seen. The toneprint is super fun but is definitely a non-conventional feature. If this kind of stuff is of no interest to the OP then I wouldn't recommend he go out of his way to try it. It's an amp that is very much 'made' because of how much cool it shoves into a small package.

 

[NimrodHunter]

Thanks all for you comments and opinions ... I didn't mean for this to be a "boxing" match and apologize for it turning into one on my irts posts here. From the suggestions in have read I think I've made up my mind, but things can change between now and when I actually shell out the dough.

 

[mtb777]

They sound fine to me, guess it's safe to ignore pompous "they're toys" comments

Ditto. I like my RH450, it's well built in a heavy duty aluminum case, not thin sheet metal. The tuner is great as is the 3 presets and yes it has it's tone , which I happen to like, the cabs are great and best of all I can squeeze an RS212, RS210, my bag with the head and cables, my PT-3 HC and 2 basses in cases, music stand, 2 bass stands and a folding hand truck easily in the back of my Prius. I've never run it really past 11 o'clock volume wise with 2 guitars and keys. FOH does the deep bass with its 18's and it has a world class DI Out built in. Different strokes. I've run it with the RS210 on a Hartke 15 as well and that sounded great as well.

 

[Fun Size Nick]

The tc has a 4 band fully parametric (as in you can change the frequency centers for each band)

Slight pedant alert: what you've just described is actually called a 'semi-parametric' EQ - a fully parametric EQ is one where you can also adjust the width of each band (3 parameters for each band in total - frequency centre, bandwidth and level). These are usually discrete units and not found on amps.