Aguilar Advice Please

[Thor]

Hi All,

I'm in the market for a new amp and have been seriously tempted by an Aguilar head, simply because I've heard they're ultra reliable and are unfussy, in terms of setting up. I really fancy a DB750 or, if my budget allows, a DB751, but thought I'd ask for opinions/feedback from those that have experience using them?

I've done a bit of research and the only negative I've read is that the DB750 has a noisier cooling fan than the 751, I can't imagine this causing me too much concern (although I've not heard one yet), as i'd only use the head for gigging (and possibly some recording).

I've just purchased a Barefaced Super 12T rated at 4 Ohms (no Hi-Jacks please ) and was thinking about buying a Midget (8 Ohms) to stack on top for larger/outdoor gigs, I guess this was where the pondering about an amp suitable to power both cabs came in, as with the cabs running in parallel the total impedance would be 2.7 Ohms.

I've read that the DB750/1 is happy at 2,4 & 8 Ohm loads, so guess the first thing I should clarify is whether the amp would run without risk of damage at 2.7 Ohms? My thinking is that it wouldn't quite run at it's full potential? But I would appreciate feedback from those in the know to help clear this up for me?

Any comments, good or bad regarding the amps (not the cabs please! ) would be greatly welcomed and appreciated!

Cheers Guys!

Pete

Edited December 24, 2013 by Thor

[JapanAxe]

If it will run at 2 ohms, you won't get much less in terms of volume from a 2.7ohm load.

[Thor]

That what I was thinking tbh, but I had also thought that as the load was slightly greater than 2 Ohms the amp may run a bit hotter (and get the cooling fan working a bit harder)? I guess my thought process was that it may have caused/lead to some resulting damage?

[0175westwood29]

Had the db750, awesome amp, only got rid of it as i needed the money.

Tbh at 4ohms through my old 610hlf ampeg it was scary loud never needed to go above 11 on the volume, so u may be surprised and not need the midget.

Also dnt worry about the cooling fan, yes its not quiet but it never bothers me as it def cant be heard when playing and i recorded with it and you couldnt hear it on the mic so i never saw it as a problem.

I might of grabbed another next year but looks like im gonna go down the orange ad200 route but these are awesome amps.

They also take overdrive / dist pedals really well and the effects loop on the 750 is really handy.

Andy

[PauBass]

Excelente Amp choice!
I've had both, DB751 and 750. I now own the 750 and fan noise it's never been a problem, when playing or recording, it's about the same as any other big amp I've owned. For some reason I much preferred the DB750 over the 751.
If it helps, I've played mine for a few weeks with one of the new Super Twin cabs, similar in a way to your Super Twelve, and it was loud, very,very loud...it was enough for me on my two loud guitars band.

[0175westwood29]

[quote name='PauBass' timestamp='1387898506' post='2317032']
Excelente Amp choice!
I've had both, DB751 and 750. I now own the 750 and fan noise it's never been a problem, when playing or recording, it's about the same as any other big amp I've owned. For some reason I much preferred the DB750 over the 751.
If it helps, I've played mine for a few weeks with one of the new Super Twin cabs, similar in a way to your Super Twelve, and it was loud, very,very loud...it was enough for me on my two loud guitars band.
[/quote]

i believe thats my old 750 isnt it?

i think i rem when getting the 750 the guy in the shop did say that the 750 is better made than the new 751 i must admit i prefer the look of the 750.

andy

[PauBass]

[quote name='0175westwood29' timestamp='1387908027' post='2317145']


i believe thats my old 750 isnt it?

i think i rem when getting the 750 the guy in the shop did say that the 750 is better made than the new 751 i must admit i prefer the look of the 750.

andy
[/quote]

Yes Andy, true, I bought it from you.

Look wise, the DB750 wins and it was still wired point to point whereas the 751 it's not.
Tone wise the 750 has a different tone which I like better over the 751 I had.

[Thor]

That's interesting feedback - thank you guys. I have to agree about the 750 looking more aesthetically pleasing, I prefer the uncluttered look of the 750 front panel, although I certainly wouldn't rule out a 751 on looks alone, horses for courses and all that. I'm planning a visit to a shop to try a couple out and let my ears decide.

Forgive my ignorance but what do you mean when you say the 750 is wired point to point?

Edited for typo

Edited December 25, 2013 by Thor

[0175westwood29]

[quote name='PauBass' timestamp='1387909217' post='2317162']
Yes Andy, true, I bought it from you.

Look wise, the DB750 wins and it was still wired point to point whereas the 751 it's not.
Tone wise the 750 has a different tone which I like better over the 751 I had.
[/quote]

nice to know the girls being looked after!

andy

[molan]

I've played through both a fair few times. I definitely prefer the look and feel of the 750 with the chunkier knobs and nice metal flick switches.

I know two pretty high end pro players who use the DB heads exclusively for live work on very large stages. Both had the 750 but both swapped to a 751 because they preferred how it sounded flat and because the tonal range of the controls worked better for them on the newer model.

The tech guys at Aguilar are a very smart bunch and their principal aim when hey bring out new models is always improvement in core tone and usability. Great as the 750 is I think the 751 is definitely a notch up in terms of core sound (even if it loses a little in aesthetics).

[PauBass]

[quote name='Thor' timestamp='1388012160' post='2317919']
That's interesting feedback - thank you guys. I have to agree about the 750 looking more aesthetically pleasing, I prefer the uncluttered look of the 750 front panel, although I certainly wouldn't rule out a 751 on looks alone, horses for courses and all that. I'm planning a visit to a shop to try a couple out and let my ears decide.

Forgive my ignorance but what do you mean when you say the 750 is wired point to point?

Edited for typo
[/quote]

I'm sure it gets more complex and someone could explain it better but, If I'm not mistaken it means hand wired, where each component is wired to the next by using leads rather than using an etched PCB boards.

[quote name='molan' timestamp='1388064351' post='2318207']
I've played through both a fair few times. I definitely prefer the look and feel of the 750 with the chunkier knobs and nice metal flick switches.

I know two pretty high end pro players who use the DB heads exclusively for live work on very large stages. Both had the 750 but both swapped to a 751 because they preferred how it sounded flat and because the tonal range of the controls worked better for them on the newer model.

The tech guys at Aguilar are a very smart bunch and their principal aim when hey bring out new models is always improvement in core tone and usability. Great as the 750 is I think the 751 is definitely a notch up in terms of core sound (even if it loses a little in aesthetics).
[/quote]

I have no doubts Aguilar tried to improved the core tone of the 750, but it has been mentioned before they also had to cut some corners to make the amp more affordable...Anyway both are great amps and I'd be happy with any of them...in my case, I kept the 750, it worked better for me but, I'd also be more than pleased with the 751.

Edited December 27, 2013 by PauBass

[mildmanofrock]

[quote name='PauBass' timestamp='1388165734' post='2319056']
but it has been mentioned before they also had to cut some corners to make the amp more affordable
[/quote]

Mentioned where? Both are great amps but, for me, the 751 has the edge - plus much better in the mids.

Edited December 28, 2013 by mildmanofrock

[PauBass]

[quote name='mildmanofrock' timestamp='1388200504' post='2319470']


Mentioned where? Both are great amps but, for me, the 751 has the edge - plus much better in the mids.
[/quote]

That's what I said, both are great amps and I'd be happy with either of them!
My comment wasn't meant in a bad way. There was lots of talk when the DB751 came onto the market on another forum, TalkBass.
Aguilar themselves, at some point mentioned they changed the way it was built to make it more affordable, no more point to point wiring, different front panel...as an example they mentioned the older knobs and also the chrome switches were way more expensive. In the end Dave said "Taking out some costs and adding a more efficient build proceedure translated into $300 reduction in retail cost"

[ebenezer]

I tend to agree,the 751 has a slight edge tone wise....both fantastic amps though!.....the 750 had on off switch on the back,
which could break if rested down on it(if in flight case,not a problem)





























t
a
s

[Thor]

Update - I tried the two amp heads through my Barefaced Cab today.....I'm now the owner of a DB750.

Have to say there were pros and cons to both heads, the 750 seemed a bit cleaner to me tonally, a bit less coloured than the 751, although interestingly I had to have the gain/master volume increased by a fair amount on the 750 when AB/ing the amps? Once I'd got the gain & volume controls sorted/level, I thought the 751 definitely seemed to have a little bit of mid boost in the flat EQ (if that makes sense?).

I definitely prefer the aesthetics/feel of the 750's controls compared with the 751, although I do really like the thought of all controls being on the front panel, particularly the main power on/off and I certainly wouldn't rule out having a 751 in the future.

On the whole I'm really pleased with the amp, first proper outing will be Jan 4th - can't wait to see how it sits in the band mix.

Thanks for the all the feedback!

Pete

[PauBass]

[quote name='Thor' timestamp='1388277351' post='2320442']
Update - I tried the two amp heads through my Barefaced Cab today.....I'm now the owner of a DB750.

Have to say there were pros and cons to both heads, the 750 seemed a bit cleaner to me tonally, a bit less coloured than the 751, although interestingly I had to have the gain/master volume increased by a fair amount on the 750 when AB/ing the amps? Once I'd got the gain & volume controls sorted/level, I thought the 751 definitely seemed to have a little bit of mid boost in the flat EQ (if that makes sense?).

I definitely prefer the aesthetics/feel of the 750's controls compared with the 751, although I do really like the thought of all controls being on the front panel, particularly the main power on/off and I certainly wouldn't rule out having a 751 in the future.

On the whole I'm really pleased with the amp, first proper outing will be Jan 4th - can't wait to see how it sits in the band mix.

Thanks for the all the feedback!

Pete
[/quote]

If you liked the tone of the amps on their own, wait until you hear it in the mix. I've played my 750 through a new Super Twelve and it was a monster of a rig...You're going to be a very happy man

Edited December 29, 2013 by PauBass

[molan]

[quote name='PauBass' timestamp='1388306029' post='2320515']


If you liked the tone of the amps on their own, wait until you hear it in the mix.
[/quote]

Couldn't agree more - the DB heads are very much live gigging amps. I never find they really come alive in a demo room (and I've played both many times through all sorts of cabs).

Stick one in a room with a drummer and some loud guitar and they totally come alive. No need to touch the tone controls, just flick the low or high boost if required and you're away.

It'll be interesting to hear how it sounds with a BF cab. It's not something I'd automatically recommend (mid focus of BF cabs is very different to any of Aggie's cabs to my ears) but hopefully it'll work well. I love the DB or GS 410's with the 750's, just sounds huge. A pair of DB112's seems to work particularly well with he DB heads as well. Aggie obviously spend a lot of time thinking about amp/cab matching

[Thor]

Hi Barrie,

I tried an Aggie 4x10 yesterday and even in the demo room it sounded just immense, very tight with plenty of low end too, I hadn't played through a 4x10 for around 5 years since my back gave a load of trouble, would love to pair it with a couple of DB112's in the future when funds allow. I think that's the only way my back could cope with the weight of the Ag cabs. What are the SL cabs like performance wise?

[Thor]

Meant to add I was suitably impressed with the BF super 12T, liked it particularly with a bit of tweeter added to (although that could change at gig volume).

[JTUK]

DB750 and DB212 is a GREAT matchup. I'd be thinking 2xDB112 would sound as good...if they try and keep those cab goals close.

I agree with Barrie, Aguilar have a tone goal in mind and they build their range to compliment and achieve it..
It sounds obvious ..........but Aguilar cut their teeth as a studio pre amp solution and I think they seem to retain that core
ethic...

[Guest]

Ever so slightly Off Topic but I gigged the TH500 with a pair of DB112's for the first time last night.
Fabulous !!! A tip of the hat to Barrie for sending me down this road, cheers mate.

[molan]

[quote name='kennyrodg' timestamp='1388324619' post='2320731']
Ever so slightly Off Topic but I gigged the TH500 with a pair of DB112's for the first time last night.
Fabulous !!! A tip of the hat to Barrie for sending me down this road, cheers mate.

[/quote]

Happy to help - I know there's an association with the shop but I only recommend stuff I personally think will do the job and the TH plus a pair of 1x12's is a great compact, and powerful, combo

Edited December 29, 2013 by molan

[molan]

[quote name='Thor' timestamp='1388320029' post='2320666']
Hi Barrie,

I tried an Aggie 4x10 yesterday and even in the demo room it sounded just immense, very tight with plenty of low end too, I hadn't played through a 4x10 for around 5 years since my back gave a load of trouble, would love to pair it with a couple of DB112's in the future when funds allow. I think that's the only way my back could cope with the weight of the Ag cabs. What are the SL cabs like performance wise?
[/quote]

The SL's are my favourite of the lightweight 1x12's (although the Berg 2x12 is a cracking cab for less money than a pair of 1x12's).

Most people tend to pair the SL's with the TH500 head simply because it creates a complete lightweight rig. However, the TH is, in many ways, a 'baby' DB750/751 so they should work well together.

We'll have to give them a try, I don't remember doing this before - mostly because we tend to demo the DB heads through the DB cabs. The Glock 410 sounds great with a DB head as well. It's another heavy unit though

[Thor]

Hmm, I plan to keep my Mark Bass F1 as a back up and for smaller gigs, and I also use a PJB Briefcase for when we do 'acoustic' gigs.

As much as I loved the Aggie Cabs yesterday I'll have to see how the back copes with hauling the 750 around first, on paper it doesn't sound too bad but in reality (flightcased) it's a heavy beast! I'm sure at this point the sound will more than make up for the effort of lifting it from the van to the venue, I was really impressed by the 4x10 though and clearly there's a lot of love for the other cabs too. I reckon I'll see how the BF fares and then maybe, once funds allow, I'll potentially be back to try some of the DB cabs with my ears (and my back).

There's nowt like getting old!

[PauBass]

[quote name='Thor' timestamp='1388330538' post='2320803']
Hmm, I plan to keep my Mark Bass F1 as a back up and for smaller gigs, and I also use a PJB Briefcase for when we do 'acoustic' gigs.

As much as I loved the Aggie Cabs yesterday I'll have to see how the back copes with hauling the 750 around first, on paper it doesn't sound too bad but in reality (flightcased) it's a heavy beast! I'm sure at this point the sound will more than make up for the effort of lifting it from the van to the venue, I was really impressed by the 4x10 though and clearly there's a lot of love for the other cabs too. I reckon I'll see how the BF fares and then maybe, once funds allow, I'll potentially be back to try some of the DB cabs with my ears (and my back).

There's nowt like getting old!
[/quote]

I have mine on an Aguilar rack and it's a bit heavy but worth the effort

For some reason I didn't like the mids of the DB410 I had, I sold it and kept a Bergantino NV610, I much preferred the mid punch on that cab, I thought the Aggie sounded too nasal ( if that makes any sense)