Aguilar AG 500 User manual

guilar is an American company
based in New York that makes top-
notch amps, preamps, cabinets and
combos. Aguilar also makes
electronics which are used by several
big-name custom builders of
instruments and equipment. Aguilar’s
gear is held in high regard in the
industry and by those who use it,
including the likes of Jason Newstead,
Tom Hamilton and Neil Dorfsman.
AG500basshead
The AG 500 is a very versatile and
portable amplifier, chock-full of
practical functions. The unit weighs
barely over 8kg and is the size of a
(large) briefcase, yet it can still blow
out 500W into 4 Ohms or 250W into 8
Ohms. The AG 500 has two channels
that can be changed using a footswitch;
there is a single 1/4in jack input with a
button allowing you to cut the signal of
a high-output instrument by 10dB.
Channel 1 has a crystalline tone, with
the input signal controlled by a gain pot
in addition to the master volume. There
are four bands of active EQ, with knobs
for treble, high-mid, low-mid and bass. If
that’s not enough, there are also two
pushbutton boost controls: ‘bright’,
giving you a 5dB shelf above 4kHz, and
‘deep’, a 6dB shelf below 100Hz.
Channel 2 has an adjustable, warmer,
tube-like sound that you can push to
downright dirty overdrive. There is no
gain control, output level is controlled by
the master volume. The level of
overdrive is controlled by the ‘saturation’
pot: when it’s on minimum you get an
ever-so-slight fuzz. The more you give it
the dirtier it gets, just like a good
groupie. The sound of channel 2 is
controlled by three-band passive
shelving EQ, and also has a boost control
(‘deep’, as above), plus two additional
pots – contour and presence.
The FX loop consists of 1/4in send
and return jacks with adjustable send
output and an adjustable return. There
is also a return boost which increases
the level by 8dB if using line/instrument
level equipment. With the push or pull
of a pot you also have the option to run
the loop in series or parallel.
There is a cool DI setup that gives you
the choice of sending pre or post signal
to the XLR output jack by simply
pushing a button – basically you can
send your instrument sound directly out
with only the -10dB input pad coming
into play, or send the amp’s sounds and
EQ out. There is also a lift/ground button
that may help get rid of any excessive
hums when using the DI output.
There is a choice of 2 x 1/4in jacks or
2 x Speakon outputs available on the
back of the unit. They are wired in
parallel so any combination is possible
to use providing the load does not
exceed 4 ohms. There is also a single
1/4in tuner output that remains active
when the amp is muted.
The footswitch enables you to change
from channel to channel and also allows
you to mute the amplifier. Each switch
has a clearly visible LED indicator to let
you know what channel you’re using
and when you’re muted.
SOUNDS: I tried the Aguilar rig out in
next to my trusty 2 x 12 JBL cabinet and
Peavey MkIV head. I also interchanged
the equipment for a better comparison.
The JBL bin found a new lease of life
when run with the AG 500 head and
similarly, the GS 410 sounded great with
the Mk IV. But when played side by side;
Top end hardware to make your bottom end sting by Claude S Fonseca
AG 500 & GS 410 TEST RESULTS
■WE LIKED A match made in heaven:
huge power, stacks of control, and of course
the sound is divine
■WE DISLIKED The weight of the cabinet
A
AguilarAG500&
GS410$2999&$2699
AGUILAR AG 500 & GS 410 $2999 & $2699
BASS AMPS
126 APRIL /MAY 2005
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The Aguilar rig together was like a
perfect match and really came into its
own: this rig sounds every bit as
professional as it looks.
The tonal quality is outstanding: the
AG 500 has more beef than cattle yard.
The sound is crystal clear, with
definition in the low bottom without the
slightest interference or distortion.
Even when cranked to 11 it has a nice
sharp punch with clear tone for the
high end stuff. Plus there is always the
tweeter control to add a little more
venom if you want to slap and pop…
but more on that later.
Verdict
The AG 500 much has all the features
you would expect an amp of this quality
to have, except something to keep your
beer cold in. The sounds are fabulous,
both in terms of the range available and
the quality of each possibility. Basically
it made my rig sound old and tired…
AguilarGS410quadbox
The GS 410 is a relatively large quad
box, mainly because of its depth and
height, not to mention the weight –
thank the gods it comes with wheels! It
is a solidly built, well finished beast.
Aguilar employs seven-ply void-free
Philippine mahogany in the
construction. It is carpeted in good-
quality black felt that covers all, with
each corner in an interlocking plastic
cap. Plus there are two good-sized
handles on either side, one for each
roadie. The cabinet has 65mm
channelled ports above and below
the speakers, while the speakers
themselves are protected by a
heavy steel grill. The box is braced
and the inside is lined with fibreglass
insulation to reduce sound reflections
within the unit.
The GS 410 has four 10in cast-frame
drivers – custom made to Aguilar specs
by Eminance – and one phenolic
tweeter. The cab features an integral
phase plug variable tweeter control
marked ‘high control’ – this allows you
to increase or decrease the top-end
sound by adjusting the tweeter. It’s
located in the back of the box with the
inputs. The inputs consist of standard
parallel 1/4in jack plugs plus the option
of parallel Neutrik speakon inputs. Both
inputs are rated at 8 ohms so when
running both you get 4 ohms and max
power. And the GS 410 can handle up
to 700W watts of pure, thumping,
knock-you-on-your-arse bass thrust.
SOUNDS: The GS 410 is just huge
when used with the AG 500; it handled
both the channels really well. Channel 2
with the saturation control cranked
into overdrive did not cause a problem
with the box’s sound reproduction. The
GS 410 projected clearly with the
distortion being heard on the bass itself
and not in the speakers, while the clean
sound on a more traditional bass setting
had a wonderful evenness to it. The
unit coped with a settings aimed at
producing big bottom end, and the four
10s were able to produce booming
warm waves that would make most
inferior quality speakers break apart.
The ‘high’ control, which adjusts the
tweeter, is an effective way to cut or
boost the top end sound of the
amplified signal. The GS 410 still
maintained overall integrity and the
control simply gave pops and hammer-
ons more bite when increased. The
control also just about allows the
bottom end purist to remove the
tweeter all together. I also liked how
The ports above and below also assist
greatly in the smooth sound
distribution from the front of the box.
Verdict
The GS 410 is an extremely well built
cabinet. It’s quite bulky and really
heavy, which makes it awkward to lift by
yourself; you’ll need the guitarist to help
you out and the only thing they’re good
for is turning up their own volume!
All the components are well fitted
and easily handled all the AG 500 could
give it. Overall, this is a big meaty
cabinet with a big meaty sound – one of
the best soundwise on the market.
The footswitch toggles
between clean and overdrive,
and gives you a ‘mute’ function
AGUILAR AG500
PRICE: $2999
ORIGIN: USA
TYPE: Two-channel
solid state bass head
OUTPUT: 500W
into 4 Ohms, 250
watts into 8 Ohms
DIMENSIONS: 432 x
89 x 250mm
WEIGHT: 8.2kg
CONTROLS: Input pad,
mute; Channel 1: 4-band
EQ plus high and low
shelf boost; Channel 2,
3-band EQ plus contour,
presence and saturation
CONNECTIONS: 1/4in
input, two Neutrik
Speakon and two 1⁄4in
speaker outputs, XLR
balanced DI out, tuner
out, FX send and return
FOOTSWITCH: Channel
1/2, mute on/off
ADDITIONAL
FEATURES: Includes
rack mounting kit
AGUILAR GS 410
PRICE: $2699
ORIGIN: USA
TYPE: 700W
bass cabinet
INPUTS: 1 X Speakon
and 2 x 1/4in jacks
DIMENSIONS: 718 x
572 x 423mm
WEIGHT: 45kg
SPEAKERS: 4 x 10in
cast-frame Eminance
woofers, 1 x phenolic
tweeter
Dominant
[phone]
www.aguilaramp.com
PHOTOGRAPHY CIRI ARVIDSSEN
Thetonalqualityisoutstanding:theAG500has
morebeefthanacattleyard
AGUILAR AG 500 & GS 410 $2999 & $2699
BASS AMPS
Control freaks will love the
tweakability of this amp
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