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NAD - Aguilar Tone Hammer 350

discreet

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discreet Grand Master

discreet

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[b]NAD - Aguilar Tone Hammer 350[/b][list]
[*][b]Power Output:[/b] 350 watts into 4 ohms, 175 watts into 8 ohms
[*][b]Preamp Section:[/b] Solid State
[*][b]Power Section:[/b] Class 'D'
[*][b]Transformer:[/b] Switching mode power supply (SMPS)
[*][b]EQ Section:[/b]
[*][b]Bass:[/b] +/- 17 dB @ 40 Hz
[*][b]Mid Level:[/b] +/- 16 dB
[*][b]Mid Frequency:[/b] 180 Hz - 1 kHz
[*][b]Treble:[/b] +/- 14 dB @ 4 kHz
[*][b]Drive Control:[/b] Fully adjustable, featuring Aguilar’s proprietary AGS (Adaptive Gain Shaping) circuit.
[*][b]Inputs:[/b] One 1/4" input jack, compatible with all active and passive basses (-10dB input pad)
[*][b]Speaker Output:[/b] Neutrik Speakon
[*][b]Balanced Output:[/b] XLR balanced output with pre/post EQ and ground lift switch
[*][b]Tuner output[/b]
[*][b]Cooling:[/b] High quality whisper fan with thermal speed control
[*][b]Dimensions:[/b] 21 X 19 X 7 cm (8.25 x 7.5 x 2.75 in)
[*][b]Weight:[/b] 1.36kg (3lb)
[/list]
[left][/left]

[size=4]In the time-honoured discreet tradition of reviewing gear several years after it's been generally available, I have finally acquired a Tone Hammer 350! First off, I plugged my 76 P Bass into it and thence into a Schroeder 1212L. The Tone Hammer is rated at 350 watts @ 4ohms and the Schroeder is a 2X12 cab rated at 800 watts @ 4ohms so I knew I could really ramp up the beans if necessary. With everything set at 12 o’clock, I hit the 'Operate' switch (a Mute button) and so it began. First impressions; solid, warm, tight bass, very punchy, articulate mids and a clear and present (but not strident) top end. Definitely leaning towards 'vintage' rather than 'modern'. But that's not the whole story.

Everyone knows the Schroeder 1212L is not a reference cab and it [i]will[/i] colour your sound - specifically, it has a low-mid push or bump that gives it a definite advantage in a live situation, but is not particularly representative in an at-home scenario - so I can only give my impressions of the TH350 through this specific cab - bear this in mind and accept that your mileage may vary. :) Now read on...

The EQ section has some very nice hot-button sweet spots: Bass at 40Hz, Treble at 4kHz, and a parametric-type sweepable midrange from 80Hz-1kHz. This makes the amp extremely versatile. Bringing up the Bass even slightly really rattles the windows and shakes the floor. The highs are crisp, yet even at maximum are never harsh or strident, but incisive and articulate. It is the midrange where the most flexibility lies and is possibly what makes this amp so universally well-regarded. Again, even extreme settings are musical and useful. Boosting the lower mids quickly makes everything [i]very [/i]much in your face, and would cut through ANY mix, even a twelve-piece function band - or possibly an orchestra... or a small war... but how much of this is due to the cab I'm not sure. If you cut the higher mids you can get a very nice scoop if you're into slapping or metal and such-like (I'm not).[/size]

[size=4]I would also say that very small movements of the controls make a BIG difference. And the controls seem to be interactive - for example, the Drive control and the EQ settings differ according to where you have the Gain - and the Gain works as an input gain usually does, [i]but [/i]you can have it in the 'off' position and use the Master control for volume. Which is a bit weird. Gain and Drive very much work with each other in a particular way, too.

Now, the Drive control... this is a bit of a strange beast if you ask me, and is obviously different things to different people. It ostensibly gives as much growl as you could possibly want, from a very slight break-up to near full-on fuzz city. It’s relatively subtle until about half-way about its travel, then the effect becomes more obvious. With the Drive control in the 'off' position, the amp is very clean; and as you turn it up, the Drive and Gain control become more symbiotic, creating varied textures of distortion across the range of both controls. I also noticed a gradual cut in both bottom and top end as the Drive is advanced - as well as adding grit, it seems to operate in a similar way to Markbass's VLE (Vintage Loudspeaker Emulator) control, while making the mids a little more grainy in texture.[/size]

[size=4]This amp can get very loud indeed. But never harsh - the tone seems to remain the same at high levels, unlike some other amps I could mention. Having said that, with the extreme low-end and gain available on the Tone Hammer, it was easy to push the amp into clipping (there is a decent clip light), but compensating slightly with the Gain or Bass controls restored the status quo. Other features include: a front-mounted DI with a pre/post EQ button, a ground-lift button, a rear-mounted tuner output, a 10dB pad on the input and a cooling fan that rather disappointingly makes a quiet (but audible) 'pop' when activated. The fan would be slightly intrusive for recording purposes, but at a gig you wouldn't notice it.[/size]

[size=4]As far as lightweight Class 'D' amps go (and they go a long way) I'd say this amp covers a lot of ground sonically. More so than the GK MB500 I had for a while and certainly on a par with the superb GK MB500 Fusion, another amp I've been lucky enough to own, which is also extremely versatile and with a killer EQ and extensive mid-facilities. I'd say get both, but given Aguilar's excellent reliability and customer service rep, you probably won't need a Fusion as a back-up - but you could certainly use that excuse to justify buying both. :D

In short then, a LOT of very nice tones and loud enough for practically any genre or gig (dependent on cab), in a 3lb package that’s not much larger than a (small) biscuit tin. In short, it is very easy to see why Aguilar is seeing so much success with both this amp and its bigger brother, the TH500. [/size]I've said 'this one is definitely a keeper' before and have had cause to eat my words, so I'm not going to say that. But I will say that the Tone Hammer is definitely a positive step towards that sweet tone heaven that exists in our minds. I like it - a lot. :)

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discreet Grand Master

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[quote name='Mykesbass' timestamp='1451144760' post='2938542']
Funny that a while back you were extolling the virtues of Carvin, and this was the amp I A/B'ed with the Carvin BX500, choosing the latter. Still very happy with my choice three years later!
[/quote]

Don't quite see what's funny about it. That was the Carvin B2000 monoblock. A good amp, but circumstances change and I've owned and used (and reviewed) quite a few amps since then. I wouldn't much fancy hauling that Carvin around in a rack case now to be honest - and it wouldn't suit my current needs. Just because I find one amp that I like several years ago doesn't mean I'm not going to try others and change if I think it necessary. And where else would I post my findings if not in the Amps and Cabs section of a bass guitar forum?

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Mykesbass Grand Master

Mykesbass

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[quote name='discreet' timestamp='1451146006' post='2938549']
Don't quite see what's funny about it. That was the Carvin B2000 monoblock. A good amp, but circumstances change and I've owned and used (and reviewed) quite a few amps since then. I wouldn't much fancy hauling that Carvin around in a rack case now to be honest - and it wouldn't suit my current needs. Just because I find one amp that I like several years ago doesn't mean I'm not going to try others and change if I think it necessary. And where else would I post my findings if not in the Amps and Cabs section of a bass guitar forum?
[/quote]

Sorry, didn't mean to get your back up, just speaking figuratively. Was just making conversation, based on remembering that you and I were both staunch supporters of the Carvin brand back then.

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Bigwan Veteran

Bigwan

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[quote name='discreet' timestamp='1451150572' post='2938582']


No apology necessary... but I'm not loyal to brands, I just like good amps. :)
[/quote]

As a man with recent ABM experience, how does the Tonehammer compare? My ABM is the standard by which all other amps are measured and it's yet to be bettered!

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discreet Grand Master

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[quote name='Bigwan' timestamp='1451157828' post='2938620']
As a man with recent ABM experience, how does the Tonehammer compare? My ABM is the standard by which all other amps are measured and it's yet to be bettered!
[/quote]

The ABM is a great amp - warm, punchy and with the heft you'd expect from a power stage with a heavy iron thing in it. The Tone Hammer has a lot of low end available too and is also warm and punchy. I would say the ABM sounds just a little darker overall and the Tone Hammer's top end is possibly a little smoother, but there's not a lot in it. The ABM has a valve in the input stage, but the TH somehow has an old-school feel about it. Both amps are full, fat and loud. But the ABM weighs 12kg and the Tone Hammer is 1.36kg. For me that's a definite advantage.

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Bigwan Veteran

Bigwan

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[quote name='discreet' timestamp='1451159672' post='2938634']


The ABM is a great amp - warm, punchy and with the heft you'd expect from a power stage with a heavy iron thing in it. The Tone Hammer has a lot of low end available too and is also warm and punchy. I would say the ABM sounds just a little darker overall and the Tone Hammer's top end is possibly a little smoother, but there's not a lot in it. The ABM has a valve in the input stage, but the TH somehow has an old-school feel about it. Both amps are full, fat and loud. But the ABM weighs 12kg and the Tone Hammer is 1.36kg. For me that's a definite advantage.
[/quote]

Sounds like I'd like it a lot! Everything I've read says so. Only concern is the Aguilar vintage vibe mixing well with the coloured nature of my Barefaced Retro... Might have to (as my sister-in-law says quite a bit) "risk it for a biscuit"!

One thing I found interesting while researching these is that the clip light doesn't indicate that the power section is clipping, it's a preamp clip indicator. A little out of the ordinary!

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discreet Grand Master

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[quote name='Bigwan' timestamp='1451165936' post='2938663']
Only concern is the Aguilar vintage vibe mixing well with the coloured nature of my Barefaced Retro...
[/quote]

The Retro doesn't have that big low-mid push that the 1212L has, so if it sounds good through that (and it does) then logically it should sound perfectly fine with the Barefaced... but be aware I've yet to hear a Retro Two10. You could buy a TH online and return it if it's not doing it for you. Or just drop Alex an email about it. :)

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karlfer Veteran

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Great review discreet.
I tried a 500 last year in a shop. I didn't like it.

It seemed to me that you only got decent volume by having the Drive way up, and pushing the mids.
The reality is, I always struggle with this sort of Semi parametric????? equipment.
Possibly because I have (frequently) been called 40 watts (dim :rolleyes: ).

Your review is great in that in relatively simple terms you've explained how it all ties together, great bit of future reference.

Now you can possibly see why I like the TecAmp PUMA range. Flat, twiddle TASTE, left for Jazz, right for Precision.
As a certain meerkat might say, simples. Or son of a mongoose :lol:

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Lozz196 Grand Master

Lozz196

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Yes the Drive and Gain on the Tonehammers are very interactive. As I also use the Tonehammer pre-amp/DI pedal, on which there isn`t a Drive control - it`s either on or off - I have Drive on the amp maxed, then add in the required Gain to get break-up if hit hard (which is pretty much all the time). As Mark says, adding in the Drive does reduce lows and highs, you get a much more old-school sound which suits me, reaaly sounds like an old valve amp being pushed, just without the backache.

If however still wanting break-up but with a more modern sound, take Drive all the way off, and just bring Gain up to the required amount. You can still get fuzzy noticeable overdrive this way by maxing the Gain, and this way the lows are more present as are the highs. You then still have the Mid Frequency and Level to get whatever Mids are required/not required.

Great little amps these, out of all the amps I`ve had I like these the most.

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