SOUNDROOM

B A S S P L A Y E R | M A R C H 2 0 0 5

SAY YOU GOT SO GOOD AT PLAYING IN A CERTAINstyle that you gained a reputation for it. How audaciouswould it be for you to completely change your approach?

That’s what Aguilar Amplification is doing with theirnew AG 500 head, a lightweight solid-state amplifierthat marks a new direction for the Manhattan-basedamp maker. Amp-wise, Aguilar built its reputation onwarm-sounding tube-filled amps and preamps. The AG500 is not only the company’s first tube-less head, it’salso its first head to utilize a switching power amp. The

result is a cool running, beefy sounding, two-rack spacehead that weighs only 18 pounds.

Aiming to reach gigging rock players who need flex-ibility and power, Aguilar also offers the AG 500 as astandalone head or in a 1x12 or 2x12 combo that incor-porates GS-series speaker cabinets. Chief among thehead’s features is a second preamp channel for over-drive, which runs parallel to the clean preamp channeland is selectable via footswitch and front-panel switch.Aguilar offers a single-channel AG 500SC for a lower

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AGUILAR AG 500 Dual Channel Head and AG 500SC-112C ComboB Y B I L L L E I G H

AGUILAR AG 500 DUAL-CHANNEL HEAD List Price $1,595;Approx. streetprice $1,199

Pros Strong tone andquick response withplenty of headroom;beefy distortionchannel; light-weight; many gig-ready features

Cons HIGH- and LOW-MID EQ are limitedand too narrow

AGUILAR AG 500SC-112C COMBOList Price $1,895Approx. street price$1,399

Pros Strong tone andquick response withplenty of headroom;great-sounding cab-inet; extension cabmakes a potent rig

Cons No casters;cumbersome tocarry; high- andlow-mid EQ are lim-ited and too narrow

METHODOLOGYSoundroom Fender

American Standard Jazz,

Ernie Ball/MusicMan

StingRay, Lakland 44-94,

and flatwound-strung

Lakland Skyline Darryl

Jones Signature with

Aguilar GS 410 and Ampeg

SVT

Gigs/rehearsals AG 500

head with Fender American

Standard Jazz, F Bass BN5,

and Aguilar GS 112 1x12;

AG 500SC-112C Combo with

Washburn Taurus T14 and

Line 6 Bass Variax 700

It’s nice to have back-panel regulars like the D.I. controls, footswitch jack, and effects loop up front and at hand. Pulling the

effect RETURN knob switches from series to parallel—dropping out your dry, unaffected signal—while pulling effect SEND boosts the

effects signal up to line-level.

M A R C H 2 0 0 5 | B A S S P L A Y E R

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TECH SPECSAG 500 & AG 500SC

HEADSPower rating 500 watts

RMS into 4Ω minimum

load

Front panel jacks q"

input with –10dB input

pad, effects send, effects

return, footswitch, D.I.

Back Panel jacks Two

Speakon speaker out-

puts, two q" speaker

outputs, q" tuner out-

put

Tone Controls Channel 1

BRIGHT (+5dB@4kHz

shelving), TREBLE

(±13db@4kHz shelving),

HIGH MID (±14db@800Hz

peaking), LOW MID

(±14db@400Hz peak-

ing), BASS (±18db@40Hz

shelving), DEEP

(+6db@100Hz shelving)

Tone Controls Channel 2

(AG 500 dual-channel

only) CONTOUR (broad

range mid scoop@1kHz

(clockwise flat, counter-

clockwise approx. 20dB),

TREBLE (+6dB/–10db@

4kHz shelving),

MID (+4db/–10db@

600Hz peaking),

BASS (+8dB/–6db@

40Hz shelving),

DEEP (+6db@

100Hz shelving),

PRESENCE (+6db/–20db@

4kHz shelving)

Other controls EFFECTS SEND

level with push-pull

series/parallel, EFFECTS

RETURN level with push-

pull for instrument

level/line level, D.I.

PRE/POST, D.I. GROUND LIFT

Other models Aguilar AG

500SC single-channel

head (list price $1,295;

approx. street price

$970), Aguilar AG 500-

112C dual-channel

combo (list price $2,195;

approx. street price

$1,649), Aguilar GS 112

NT tweeterless extension

cabinet (list price $479;

approx. street price

$359)

price. I checked out the AG 500 dual-channel head andthe AG 500SC-112C, a single-channel head in a 1x12combo.

D E S I G N & C O N S T R U C T I O NIn terms of construction, the only difference betweenthe standalone and combo-based heads is six top-posi-tioned hex screws that hold the combo’s head in thecabinet; a couple minutes with an allen wrench and it’spossible to slide out the combo head and use it on itsown. The chassis is a solid welded box with a separatetop plate, resulting in much more rigid constructionthan chassis designs that have two perpendicularlyopposed U-shaped panels. The amp’s internal layout isexcellent. A beefy toroidal transformer supplies amplepower to all components, as well as the bulk of the head’s

weight. Also under the hood are four huge power-sup-ply capacitors, which provide a substantial power reser-voir for enhanced dynamic punch and impact.

In addition to its light weight, and quiet, fan-freeoperation, the AG 500 offers several gigging-pro fea-tures, like reliability-enhancing protection modes, a full-featured DI, a side-mounted carrying handle, and afront-panel effects loop and footswitch jack. I did wishthe head had feet on the side opposite the carry handle,as I tended to set it down on its side when loading. TheAG 500SC-112C combo is essentially the company’seasy-tote GS 112 cabinet with an AG 500 head tackedon. But the short-depth head and added height makethe cubular combo awkwardly front-heavy and cum-bersome. The combo doesn’t accommodate casters, soI used a dolly to roll into a rehearsal space, but that

The conventional class AB power amplifier is a tried-and-true design, but one that operates relatively inefficiently, producing enough

excess heat to require noisy fans and large heat sinks, which add to an amplifier’s bulk. Class D amps are far more efficient. They

produce power by switching transistors on and off at a high frequency using a process called Pulse Width Modulation. The AG 500 is

like a Class D amp, but it utilizes switching technology developed by the Tripath Corporation. The Tripath power amp topology, named

Class T, modulates the output using a proprietary module that purports to eliminate some of the weaknesses of Class D amps while

maintaining the efficiency that’s a hallmark of the technology. Aguilar’s AG 500 uses a Class T output stage and a conventional linear

power transformer.

SOUNDROOM

B A S S P L A Y E R | M A R C H 2 0 0 5

didn’t help me heft it into my hatchback or grunt upstairsto a second-floor practice room. For my next practiceI carried the AG 500 head by it’s side-handle in onehand and a separate GS 112 in the other—a breeze bycomparison.

S O U N D & A P P L I C A T I O NWith the EQ set flat, the AG 500’s clean channel soundsstrong, with a full, warm bottom and crisp, articulatetop end. Turning up GAIN reveals a logarithmic slopethat gets real loud real quick once the knob passes noon.Backed up by the power amp’s quick, immediate feel,the clean channel has a huge dynamic response with apunchy, percussive attack and dryish texture that’s greatfor aggressive playing styles. CHANNEL 1 also has a nat-urally strong, deep bottom, but its powerful BASS EQ hasenough boost to tackle any reasonable situation. Addingin the DEEP switch’s musical boom helps extend cover-age to unreasonable situations. The TREBLE control addsa nice top-end sweetness that never gets harsh evenwhen fully cranked. Nearly all the knobs were like this—even at their extremes, there were useable tones; yousimply couldn’t mess yourself up too much. That said,the HIGH MID and LOW MID knobs aren’t voiced as wellas the others; their comparatively narrow bandwidthtended to add honk or notch the tone, rather than offera more universally useable application. Overall, I foundthe AG 500’s clean channel to be very musical, both inthe head and combo contexts. With a band, I cut throughclearly with a round fundamental that didn’t get lost,

even with ludicrously loud bands practicing in adjacentrooms.

CHANNEL 2 is the dual-channel AG 500’s overdrivecircuit. A SATURATION knob sits where CHANNEL 1’s GAIN

knob resides, but internally its followed by a compen-sating gain stage, which ensures the output volumeremains constant and the channel free of overload regard-less of how much saturation is dialed in. From a grittysnarl at the SATURATION knob’s lowest reaches, to a pow-erful growl with the knob at noon, CHANNEL 2 is like theugly-and-loving-it Mr. Hyde to CHANNEL 1’s clean-liv-ing Dr. Jekyll. CONTOUR and PRESENCE have the mostdirect effect on the overdrive quality, with the formeradding a broad-range scoop in the upper mids and thelatter enhancing top-end fuzz. Through bigger rigs it’sclear that the AG 500’s overdrive is not like a traditionaloverdriven tube fuzz, but a thick sound all it’s own.Some may prefer a favorite fuzz pedal or find no needfor distortion at all, but I loved having both sounds ofthe AG 500’s two channels at my toe tips, especiallywhen it came time to play big unison riffs. With CHAN-NEL 2 engaged, CONTOUR around 10 o’clock, and PRES-ENCE at 2 P.M., the AG ripped my bandmates’ heads offmost pleasantly.

The real fun of the AG 500, though, is in its killerdynamic sensitivity. Clean or dirty, it always feels likeyou’ve got more power available. It’s notable that theAG 500’s underlying technology makes the playing expe-rience completely different than that of the company’sflagship high-powered head, the DB 750. Rather thanplushy and finger sensitive, the AG 500 has a quick,more immediately responsive feel. And it’s loud. Throughbig cabs, small cabs, or in the combo, the AG is indeeda full-figured head. No doubt, this puppy barks big. Butyou can use that power responsibly, digging into thatextra headroom to make accented notes and fills reallymean something.

The AG 500SC-112C combo exhibits all of the qual-ities of the standalone head’s clean channel in a warm-sounding one-piece combo with plenty of bottom. Usingan additional GS 112 as an extension cab, and turningoff one of the tweeters made for a compact but potent4Ω rig.

Playing through the Aguilar’s AG 500 is like work-ing with a specially crafted tool, with lots of options,thoughtful conveniences, and a good, solid sounds.Backed up by its big power section, the AG feels like amuscle car, with ample reserve to deliver more whennecessary. Aguilar has produced a great product for bassplayers, and that’s why the AG 500 head deserves a BASS

PLAYER Editor’s Award. BP

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Aguilar continued

Options Rack ears are

included with all stand-

alone heads; a two-

button channel-select

and mute/operate

footswitch are included

with the dual-channel

AG 500, whether stand-

alone or in a combo. A

footswitch for the AG

500SC is also available

(price unavailable at

press time).

AG 500SC-112CSPEAKER CABINETSpeakers Custom cast-

frame Eminence speaker

with 56 oz. Magnet,

P.Audio compression

driver tweeter

Impedance 8Ω

Frequency response

42Hz–16kHz

Power handling 300

watts RMS

Sensitivity 102dB spl

Dimensions AG 500:

17e" x 10w" x 3k";

AG 500SC-112C: 20" x

18w" x 20w"

Weight AG 500: 17 lbs;

AG 500SC-112C: 69 lbs

Made in U.S.A.

Warranty Three years

limited

Note the two preamp boards, large power supply capacitors,

and the Tripath output module. The small passive heatsink is

due to the AG 500’s efficient switching power amp.

SECOND OPINIONUsing the AG 500 with a separate Aguilar GS 112: Nice warm sound on the gig with a strong fundamental that didn’t dominate.

Plenty of headroom. EQ knobs seemed reversed. Channel 1’s HIGH and LOW MID EQs a bit peaky; couldn’t get the Jaco sound using MID

knobs. Appreciate mute both on footswitch and push-button. Lights seem mighty bright. — J O N A T H A N H E R R E R A

TECH SPECS cont.