Tone Hammer, TC Electronic RH450, or Mesa Subway?

[Brio]

I've been very happy with my RH450. It sounds great. I have 3 settings saved that I recall for different basses and needs and it has a built in tuner. Not sure what's not to like. And aside from the weight I liked my BH500 before it.

¯\_(ツ)_/¯

 

[chris_b]

It wasn't plucked.

"Plucked" meaning more dissimilar than I'd have expected in a short list.

 

[Green Lantern]

I choose Aguilar because I left a heavy Boogie tubeamp and I wanted that warmer character still. The Aguilar meets my needs 85 percent of the time. Sometimes I want a clearer tone with a EQ that can provide more options.

My secret weapon; the Mesa Boogie Tone Burst. It adds more life and sparkle in a way the Aguilar can't while not changing the tone of your bass. Thinking the Subway pedal may also be a good option as well. If you get the Subway amp, get a Aguilar Tone Hammer pedal for more of that vibe it provides as well

 

[UpwardGroove]

If this helps:



And this gig was with just that setup and no bass in the FOH. Recorder was in front of the stage:

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Great demo! Thank you for taking the time to do this. When are you going to start posting lessons?

 

[nostatic]

Great demo! Thank you for taking the time to do this. When are you going to start posting lessons?

Hmm, hadn't thought of that, though I did some "explained..." videos on acoustic guitar some years back. I usually think that my strength is serving as a bad example

 

[Al Kraft]

Of those three I think the Mesa gets top honors for covering the most bases in terms of tone/voicing. It can do smooth or it can hammer. I like the Aguilar, but it is not as flexible in voicing as the Mesa, albeit it does great vintage and typical Aguilar tones (i.e. warmer/darker). I have no experience owning or using the TC, but don't consider it in the same class as the other two - YMMV.

 

[Munjibunga]

It seems to me that the OP's list has been plucked out of the air. These amps are all over the place in terms of tone, facilities and volume.

I've had several TC amps (both sold) and a Mesa D800 (selling) but the one amp that has been my go-to for several years is the Aguilar TH500.

I recognise that the TH500 isn't the most flexible but IMO that doesn't matter if it gets the sound you want. Fantastic through my Bergs and now Barefaced cabs.

But . . . . . if the OP is looking for a better sound I'd start with a different cab.

Exactly. The Tone Hammer does the Tone Hammer sound better than anything out there. But not much else.

 

[shlinder]

I ordered an 8oo+ today... I personally am a big fan of the terror bass I was able to cut really well with that head. I play orange for guitar so I am biased though with that.

What made you move away from the Terror Bass then? Not able to get one used? I'm in the exact same predicament: I'm trying to decide between the Tonehammer 500 and the D800. Both are originally beyond my budget, but I can't get a new Terror Bass (not allowed to buy a used instrument for my school).

 

[jcerio]

Why not an Ampeg PF800? You already have the Ampeg cab to go with it. I use a TH500 and 2 SL112 cabs. I ran a PF500 with my 2 cabs and it sounded great and was very versatile. It just didn't have as much guts as the Tone Hammer 500 for some reason. If I don't pick up an Aguilar AG700 I plan on finding a used PF800 for a backup/alternative to my Tone Hammer.

 

[Grahams Groove]

What made you move away from the Terror Bass then? Not able to get one used? I'm in the exact same predicament: I'm trying to decide between the Tonehammer 500 and the D800. Both are originally beyond my budget, but I can't get a new Terror Bass (not allowed to buy a used instrument for my school).

It's been said, but it really depends what you're going for. I agree that the TH does the TH thing extremely well, but you have to wrestle with the EQ/Gain/Master if you want to clean things up. Even with the Gain & Drive down and the Master cranked, it is still very 'colored'.

After having the Tone Hammer for a few months, I sort of forgot what clean/crisp amplification sounded like. My ears became accustomed to that wool and compression that is inherent in the TH preamp. Not necessarily a bad thing if that's exactly what you're going for and don't have the need for more clarity/transparency. That said, I experimented by running my 3Leaf Enabler at the end of my pedal board and plugging that into the effects return on the TH500, effectively bypassing the preamp. It was a revelation in terms of the clarity I generally prefer, so I sold my TH within a few weeks and picked up the D-800+. No regrets thus far. I can get the grit and dynamically responsive OD from a pedal, and the Voicing knob on the Mesa can go a long way in rounding/fattening.

It boiled down preferring the clarity of the Mesa with the option to add wool with a pedal, versus needing to switch between the input and effects return of the TH to access similar options.

 

[kpc]

I've done a decent amount of research for a new head, and I've come up with three that I'm interested in: Aguilar Tone Hammer, TC Electronic RH450, or Mesa Subway D800+. Right now I'm playing a GK Backline 600 into a 4ohm Ampeg 4x10. I've had the same setup for almost ten years and I'm no longer happy with it.

I play a lot of different styles, so versatility is a must.

Which head do you recommend and why?

Thanks.

It's all according to what kind of music your playing what your style is and what your looking for. Try as many heads as you can and decide.