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Tone Hammer DI appreciation thread
- Thread starter dwagner
- Start date
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- Tags
- aguilar bethel tone hammer
There’s a thread about that. From what I recall, the new one sounds pretty identical. Maybe more range of lower gain sounds with drive engaged. Still has the volume bump when engaging drive. No phantom power option in the new version.
Is anybody using the TH pedal with Musicman bass featuring 3-band EQ preamp?
I love my Stingray Special 5H, but only as a fully clean tone. I use my TH pedal with AGS for some saturation with my P and J basses. But for whatever reason, my ears don’t like anything other than clean tone for my Stingray.
So I am not alone! I love Tone Hammer with AGS always on for my other basses but not for my Musicman Sterling. On the other hand, the Sterling sounds great with other overdrives like Jive and TC Spark…
Do you have any theory what is the reason for this? My guess is that it is caused by the specific EQ profile of the Musicman 3-band EQ preamp and its interaction with AGS.
The 3-band EQ preamp attenuates lows below 70Hz. The TH pedal with AGS on is similar in this respect-only the slope is not that steep. As a result, there is probably too much lows attenuation going on...
The other characteristic of the Musicman 3-band EQ preamp is the peak at approx. 4kHz. Since the TH pedal with AGS on cuts everything above 3kHz, the typical peak gets eliminated...
That's probably why I prefer to use overdrives with more flat EQ profiles for my Musicman bass...
Al Kraft
Supporting Member
- May 2, 2016
- 10,768
- 40,440
- Disclosures
- Mesa Boogie beta product tester and player support
My Sterling 4H doesn't sound as good with THDI AGS as some other bases do. I always wondered why.
I am usually the Cali76-->HX Stomp-->Capo kind of guy. However, I have always my Tone Hammer for backup. Yesterday I just went HX-->Tone hammer. And it was the first time in years someone from the crowd approaches me to compliment my tone hahaha. I have mixed feeling now
The only effects I use, other than an always-on compressor, are overdrive and octave. I have a few variations of each. Anytime I use any of them with my Stingray, I immediately want to disengage them and keep the clean tone. It’s something about the interaction I don’t like, plus I just love how the bass sounds clean.
I have this same reaction to my Lakland 55-94 with active LH3 preamp. Its wants to be played clean. My passive basses all work delightfully well with my pedals. But something about the active, that I do not understand, doesn't work as well.
I did what I always do.....got bored and tried some other stuff. When I do this to myself I usually have to sell something s I sold my THDI maybe 8 or 9 months ago.
Tried the BDDI v2, Programmable BDDI (which I still highly rate for THAT sound and 3 presets), Two Notes Opus and an EBS Microbass II. All great, different sounding preamps.
None of them really hit me as being any better (although at some stage I think my ideal set up would be THDI into Programmable BDDI with blend very low).....so this week I grabbed an anniversary silver THDI and it just sounds great.
P bass (EMG GZR), rounds, into EBS Comp into THDI and then into Hartke LH500 just sounds big and tough.
AGS - on
Gain - 9 o'clock
Bass - 1 o'clock
Treble - 10 o'clock
Mid frequency - 10 o'clock
Mid level - 2 o'clock
Tried the BDDI v2, Programmable BDDI (which I still highly rate for THAT sound and 3 presets), Two Notes Opus and an EBS Microbass II. All great, different sounding preamps.
None of them really hit me as being any better (although at some stage I think my ideal set up would be THDI into Programmable BDDI with blend very low).....so this week I grabbed an anniversary silver THDI and it just sounds great.
P bass (EMG GZR), rounds, into EBS Comp into THDI and then into Hartke LH500 just sounds big and tough.
AGS - on
Gain - 9 o'clock
Bass - 1 o'clock
Treble - 10 o'clock
Mid frequency - 10 o'clock
Mid level - 2 o'clock
What a coincidence! I have just spent an hour or so reading through this thread and listening to youtube videos featuring Tone hammer!
I dig this guy's "clean tone":
it's part of this longer video:
I dig this guy's "clean tone":
it's part of this longer video:
My Tone Hammer DI, (v1) started making a noisy crackle on the DI when engaged. Noise is not there when in pre mode or with the pedal disengaged, only present when activated. Noise happens regardless or power source, battery, psu or phantom. AGS Off or on, doesn’t change it. Has anyone else had this? Hopefully it can be repaired. I really don’t want to get a version 2 model, the lack of battery and phantom power on the new model is a deal breaker for me.
Al Kraft
Supporting Member
- May 2, 2016
- 10,768
- 40,440
- Disclosures
- Mesa Boogie beta product tester and player support
I've not experienced or heard of this, but I'm certain that Aguilar or an authorized Aguilar repair shop could handle the repair. Best of luck.
Got my THDI back from repair at McPherson Stompboxes here in NZ. There was a poor ground somewhere in the circuit which they fixed. Happy to have it back. Great service, NZ$85 for the repair including return shipping. McPherson Stompboxes NZ
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