All user reviews for the Aguilar Tone Hammer 500

Low transistor amp, 500 watts.
Super light, no gas plant for a penny.

UTILIZATION

Is lit, you plug a bass and it sounds live.
Whether it is for rock, blues or a little vintage soul, it is rather impressive.
Personally, I set the bass and treble, then I eliminate the "wrong frequency" with the mids.

SOUNDS

Fits with all that extra found in Aguilar, a round, warm and well defined.
I was playing in an orchestral ensemble of 25 musicians in rehearsal with one or sl112 live via the console, the sound you want is there.
If you want to add a bit of "dirt", the drive and the other button is mid formidable Jazzbass equipped with good microphones, it rocks grave.

OVERALL OPINION

I used it for three months, after which I had to leave the ensemble for reasons of schedule but after some testing (rumble, ampeg, peavey) I have only one word is class!
Coupled with a sl112 the same brand, it is extra but it should work with both, just to enjoy 500 watts even better.

Previous reviews for the technical aspects, not much to add more

UTILIZATION

the use of the heads is (too) simple, parametric mids are quite confusing, but it's pretty easy to find a good sound.
not tons of knobs to grind, it's simple, powerful and strong

SOUNDS

Well ... this is where it goes bad for me, I said that this is just my feeling, necessarily subjective.
While it sounds very very well, fairly typical and vintage rock, full of fat and lower midrange and has a nice sound ... but hyper:

- I think it colors the sound too much (from markbass, the transition is violent) and I feel that whatever the bass plugged (I currently one hepcat PJ pickups, a BB1600 and L 2000 U.S.) found that color Aguilar, for my part, it's nice at first, but it made me quickly inflated.
- I do not me to equalization, too simple for my taste.

OVERALL OPINION

Big flaw in my opinion on this head no independent volume on the DI (and I have not found the top quality DI), for me this is unacceptable.

I have kept barely a month not have too much trouble selling it elsewhere (good point is searched these small animals)

In my opinion a fairly typical head that goes very well in a lot of style, but not my came.Je am soon ironed on a Little Mark head tube ... no picture for me

I do not have that choice and if one day I reveux Aguilar sound, I'd stick a pedal tone Hammer in my head ... MB

Amp transistor 500 watts into 4 ohms, 250 watts into 8 ohms
: Class D

EQ Section:
Bass: + / - 17 dB @ 40 Hz
Mid Level: + / - 16 dB
Mid Frequency: 180 Hz - 1 kHz
Treble: + / - 14 dB @ 4 kHz

UTILIZATION

Simple setup ... the particularity ... the speakers plug into 2 Speakon outputs positioned at the back of the head.

Level knobs is pretty self explanatory ... they even thought the button to pause ...

Buttons bass adjustments, Mids and Treble are very accurate ... I plug my head on a cabinet Ampeg 410 ... it there's a very good bass ... well rounded ... which affects not acute ... made in all frequency ranges can be heard again ... with big bass (which is surprising given the size of the head)

By tale 500 w really have ...

SOUNDS

I play mostly blues rock ... my peculiarity is that I love the warm and round sound in the bass with up against a good offense in the treble ...

I play a Jazz bass Martines (micro CreI) and a Fender JB.

I only use very little drive ...

OVERALL OPINION

I use it for 1 month.

Before buying it I went for a head Ampeg SVT Pro 3 ... The same day I tried an Ampeg SVT classic head ... there are no photo ... of huge bass .. a big power. surely .. the top ... but at 2000 €.

Then I tried the head mpeg svt Pro 3 also ... good stuff ... but in fact I was not impressed ... I was expecting a bigger difference with my head Ampeg SVT 450 ( transistor) ... serte pre lamp brings a little more ... then honestly I was afraid settings.

Finally the seller, given the way I play, I was asked to try the Aguilar 500 head ... and there ... big surprise .. its good attack ... simple and effective.

I think this is THE head of the transistor time ... not to mention the weight .... for the price ... at a given quality at a price point ...

Head amp transistor D, 500 watts into 4 ohms. Complete connectivity: Di with pre and post EQ, effects loop, 2 Speakon outputs hp + 1 jack. Knobs: gain, drive, medium parametric trebble, bass, pad -10 decibels (for active basses), mute. The format is mini mini, ridiculous weight, and we do not expect such power from a head that looks like a toy!

UTILIZATION

The equalizer is very effective and gain knobs drive and allow a wide range of sounds. Any flat that already sounds great. Parametric allows to unravel the mix at all times. The manual is annecdotique.

SOUNDS

This amp is quite versatile, but do not expect to make a sound hifi, or modern. The bass is defined hot, they may be pushing the fat gain and drive. Mediums are beautiful and the parametric setting allows the highlighting to easily break into a mix loaded. Acute remain felted, felted accurate but useless to seek and dry crystalline highs. This helps to give the tone a little hammer vintage tint. The drive and gain are correlated and can add grain and thickness to the sound, to go to the drive remains compelling, even if I prefer the drive of a good OD. It is easy to find a good sound, but I had some difficulties to break acute depending on the cabinet used.

OVERALL OPINION

Used a few months, this is a great product but it is not the sound I'm looking for (this is not the ideal amp to play metal). In contrast to the rock or other is at the top, and delivers the core with great energy. If we do not look for a hyper modern sound, but the warmth and dynamics at all levels, with a grain that is not invasive, it is a very good option.

Excellent amp Class D lightweight and portable (2.2Kg) Its features are limited to the minimum necessary (which is more than enough considering the quality of the preamp)

So we have a little monster 500W (@ 4Ohm) offering connectivity simple but effective:
- Rear: 2 Speakon outputs for (s) speaker (s), an output jack for the tuner
- Front: input jack (with a-10db switch instruments for high output level, eg assets) and return to send an effects loop (apparently intended for rack effects, the manual recommends connect the pedals so traditional series between the bass and the amp) and a DI of excellent quality with 2 switches (pre / post EQ and ground connection or not)

The controls on the front panel:

Gain - Drive - Bass - Mid level - Mid Frequency - Treble - Master

Brief simple in simple (over time I started to get tired of fighter that takes hours to set). This being said, the TH500 has settings very reactive and, despite its simplicity to explore a wide range of different sounds!

So why 8/10 while everything seems pretty cool? Well, simply because the send return should, I believe, be found to the rear. But mainly because the head is not rackable as natively MarkBass could be the same size. it does not eat bread predict what set ears racker 19 "but good. it's still anecdotal because with a little imagination, a drawer for pedals and velcro, it can be held in a rack!

UTILIZATION

The config is very simple but effective! Each knob used to something and does its job!

The manual provides some information on the use of the amp and especially on good practices to use on it (clipping, effects loop, etc.).

The preamp is so huge that it's almost hard not to have a good sound! You can go anywhere (crystalline, fat, round, dynamic, brutal ... This is awesome)

SOUNDS

Definitely a nice big 10/10. The preamp of the head is simply magical ...

The gain works hand in hand with the drive to push the preamp and do cruncher (then no, there is no lamp but YES saturation is extremely good and versatile) By working with these two controls you can get more saturations styles with semi-parametric Eq. If you set the EQ so as to have a round and mellow (like pushing the high mids, bass and cut the treble a bit) we'll get a fuzzy sound pretty deep. If you pass on a more metal / nag (bass boost / cut the mids and trebles) we will obtain a more typical overdrive and there, it really is the big mistake!

Personally, I use it for two styles that are relatively opposed metal and stoner rock. (The 2 types described above)

Lowering the drive for more clarity, you can get a huge sound from crystalline to slap at her very hot jazz.

Another point that really put me on the ground, it is the dynamics and precision of sound (the "mids" of Eq is huge) and regardless of the type of sound you search, we will hard to go unnoticed in the mix! It is quite impressive. This amp has even managed to sound fairly evenly all the strings of my Stingray without compressor before.

I tested on a Trace Elliot 1x15, 2x15 Fender Bassman, an Aguilar GS410 and a Ashdown MAG 414T sounds of hell on 4!

In short, this is for me one of the best amps I've owned (I prefer even my Aguilar DB750 is to say!)

OVERALL OPINION

I use this head for one short month and I think to keep it for a few long years! I really fell in love with the preamp versatile and effective all at great maneuverability and transportability (Class D, thank you!)

Before have I played a lot on the Trace Elliot (very clear and focused set) I also have tested the Ampeg, EBS, Markbass, Aguilar, etc.. and I must say it is really THE head I needed! So yes, it is a bit expensive given the size and that it's full transistor but do not forget that it's handmade in NY. It's exemplary work and support is pretty good at Aguilar. In addition it has nothing to envy to many amps at full lights sounds.