Total respect for staying true to your convictions; your integrity is appreciated. 👍

@IvanBassist

Жыл бұрын

I appreciate that!

Kudos for sticking to your core values.

I respect and agree with your decision and your reasoning behind it.

well said. Bravo!

100% good choice those looks like really good amps/light weight :) i need to upgrade my amp i use a yorkville bass master/tech21 bass flyrig v2.

Values are important. It’s always interesting to hear your thoughts Ivan. I have the tone hammer 500 and it is awesome. love the vintage tones

@IvanBassist

Жыл бұрын

Glad to hear you enjoy the challenge

I’m glad you made this video, I was wondering the same thing. I own all of Subway 800 series heads, and have been an even longer owner of Aguilar AG and TH heads and DB cabs. With the addition to Gibson for Mesa, their support wait times are now awesome! Great response from Gibson on this last Christmas holiday on repairing one of my pre-Gibson owned Subway heads. On the other hand, make sure you go buy a spare Aguilar head. The service and support department is now awful from Korg. You’ll need the spare head for parts since they are struggling to get them… and that’s if you can even get a hold of them. I still love my Aguilar stuff, and am happy I got them pre sell off to new company. With that said, I can understand your decision. Great video as always!

@IvanBassist

Жыл бұрын

I can’t speak for how it is in the US, but my reps here in Germany are very responsive and helpful.

@scottm7720

Жыл бұрын

@@IvanBassist that’s good to hear, has that been within the last year? I hope things get better here in the states.

Hi, Ivan, Thanks for the video. I have a DB751, and I love the tone. But it's heavy, not as heavy as an all tube SVT, but heavy. I used to try and tote it around, but now I pretty much use my TH700 all the time.

@IvanBassist

Жыл бұрын

If I ever get one, it will live in a rack and will be stored with the rest of the band’s equipment. I won’t travel with it on my own 😄

Recently I sold everything I had from Yamaha and Ampeg (acquired by Yamaha Group) due a moral conflict as well. So, total respect Ivan!

Very noble (and logical) of you. 👍🏻

@IvanBassist

Жыл бұрын

thanks. I Appreciate it!

Love the TH700 all around. Started using the Neve RNDI, amazing.

@IvanBassist

Жыл бұрын

Great devices! :)

Thanks for sharing this, Ivan. And thank you for making that connection for me. I play Mike Lull basses. They were also threatened by Gibson because of the Mike Lull T-bird style basses. I hadn't made that connection after Gibson bought Mesa. Not sure I'll make the switch. My Mesa Subway amps (D800+ and WD-800) are both "pre-Gibson". 🙂 I recently pulled out my D800+ because I have been playing some fly-in shows. I thought the D800+ would travel best since it is solid state. I'd forgotten how much I love that amp. I'm glad I kept it as a backup to my WD-800! I know that Mike Lull, himself, preferred Aguilar for his own playing. Looks like I have some research to do. Thanks again, I always like hearing your opinions.

@IvanBassist

Жыл бұрын

Hey Mark! Glad to hear you’re enjoying those amps! If i had not had any endorsement/artist relationship with them it wouldn’t be an issue for me and I would most likely keep playing the products, though. As I said in the video, the products themselves are definitely good :)

@craigmoran893

Жыл бұрын

I just managed to find the last D800 in Australia - pre gibson of course

i use a svt 7 pro and a 4x10 neo cab on wheels. (detachable casters) that will handle the 7 pro. at 4 ohms the cab handles 1,200 watts.

Awesome thank 😮

How does the Aggie Tone Hammer head sound with the Noble in front of it?

WOW all credit to you for keeping high moral values Ivan. Not many players would do this. Huge respect sir. Altho Gibson owns Mesa these days, Mesa are still their own company albeit a subsidiary of Gibson so i'm not sure the conflict is Mesa V Dingwall but i can appreciate how you feel about this. Has Dingwall or Mesa said anything to you about using the others equipment ? Loving your vids as always. Currently looking at another lightweight amp and the Tonehammer was on my list. I had ordered and paid for a TT800 approx 2yrs ago but the order was cancelled when Mesa stopped selling outside US and i went for a Handbox WB-100 all valve head (weight 13Kg) but i'd still like a TT800 if they ever sell in UK again. Thanks for all the advice you give us, it helps a lot.

@IvanBassist

Жыл бұрын

No. They haven’t mentioned anything about it and i doubt they would, but I felt that was the right move to make. I know Mesa still makes great products and I would love to at least try a TT-800 at some point, too

Nice video! Interestingly, I think the sound you describe has more to do with Tone Hammer specifically than with Aguilar in general; I have the TH pedal and the AG 700 amp, and they definitely sound different, with TH being more "vintagy" (like you said) and the AG amp being more modern (its response is crazy fast, and the treble is very clear without being harsh). Previously I had a GK 800RB, which sounded really warm and pleasant to my ears (I miss that tone a lot), but I figured the AG lets me cut through the mix a bit better and makes it easier for me to get out of the muddiness when the mids in a band get busy.

@IvanBassist

2 ай бұрын

Thanks for watching! Yeah. I like the vintagey sound the TH provides. It’s got something rich in the mids

Mad respect for sticking to your convictions dude. What was the main difference between the AG700 and the TH700 is there much between them?

@IvanBassist

Жыл бұрын

Thanks! This video shows a comparison between the two and also some other amps: kzread.info/dash/bejne/maGA1s-HqK7Ne84.html To me the AG has a slightly extended top/bottom end, making it sound more modern. If I remember correctly, it also responds quicker to your right hand attack. The TH, specially when using the Drive knob, has a “warmer” sound and “pillowy” tube-esque response.

@Cap683

Жыл бұрын

I can only speak owning the Aguilar AG 700 which I have had for about one year. I also wrestled with choosing between the Tone Hammer 700 and the AG 700 heads. I would describe the AG 700 as being very neutral and transparent without a baked in sonic signature. It manages to be detailed but is not scooped of demonstrates any peaks across the sonic spectrum. It will not produce the midrange warmth that the TH has however. While detailed it is not "modern" sounding in the negative sense with excessive presence in the high midrange or treble. I have several Fender passive basses but also an Ernie Ball Stingray Special HH. After talking with sales at Sweetwater, I was steered toward the AG 700 as they thought that the AG 700 would handle the Stingray a bit better. If I had only passive Fenders, I probably would have gone for the Tone Hammer. I think that the midrange signature is perfect for my Fender Jazz Bass and Fender Precision Basses. The Fenders do sound great though the AG 700 across the whole sonic spectrum but because the amp is quite neutral, the bit of extra midrange warmth is not present as would be the case with the Tone Hammer. Both amps are really good but just different flavors. You could by either and not be unhappy. Sweetwater has a very liberal return policy. Hope that this helped. BTW, both amps have a ton of head room.

@IvanBassist

Жыл бұрын

Great description!

Have you ever tried di boxes which target SVT folks like Ampeg’s new STG-DI or Bass Rig Super Vintage? Are they a good alternative for quick plug and play setup on your view? (Or maybe grounds your experience on mesa di)

@IvanBassist

4 ай бұрын

Hey there: check out this video kzread.info/dash/bejne/doifmtmJhdaYgMY.htmlfeature=shared

Que paso cuñado?

Mesa fired my rep a few years ago and that left a sour taste in my mouth as well. After Gibson bought them I really haven’t used their gear at all. Neve Rndi into a L.R baggs stadium D.I. And I’m all set. Majority of the tone comes from the fingers ✊🏽

@IvanBassist

Жыл бұрын

According to AgedHorse on talkbass, who is the man designing the bass amps, now they have much better options at how they run things and do R&D. Mesa amps are great, no complaints from me there. It’s just the parent company that makes me feel uncomfortable 😅

At 6:15 you talk about the two companies you looked at. I understood Darkglass but when you said the second one I did not understand the name; it sounded like "Eyeler" which means nothing to me. What was the second company name you mentioned? TIA.

@IvanBassist

Жыл бұрын

Aguilar

@merbuckify

Жыл бұрын

@@IvanBassist Thanks.

Go with what works

In terms of size and Weight. Is the Aguilar smaller?

@IvanBassist

Жыл бұрын

Depends on the model, but for the most part they are smaller.

El TH ya trae un poco de saturación aun utilizas el noble pre antes del amp? Se pierde o se gana el efecto de noble? He contemplado poner el noble pre hacia el ag700 dado a que este tiene no trae la saturacion. Que crees que tiene mas sentido para P bass noble y aguilar amps?

@IvanBassist

10 ай бұрын

El Noble siempre aporta cosas buenas 😄 Pero he usado tambien el AG700 para tocar cuando he estado de gira. Ambos suenan muy bien! El TH suena un poco mas “vintage”. Le va muy bien a un P-bass.

@jrdPalacios

10 ай бұрын

@@IvanBassist Gracias Ivan! Pero mi pregunta es mas sobre la combinacion del Noble en la señal antes de ir al amplificador. Entiendase, si tengo un Noble y lo conecto al TH no estoy sobre saturando o haciendo "undo" al effecto del noble? Quizas es una pregunta sobre la combinacion de un tube preamp + class D amplifier y saber si se pierde el "tube-ness" cuando la señal llega al amp class D.

@IvanBassist

10 ай бұрын

@@jrdPalacios No se pierde el efecto. El ampli responde de una manera distinta con el Noble al frente. Yo siempre lo uso asi 🙌🏽

@jrdPalacios

10 ай бұрын

@@IvanBassist Gracias por siempre contestar las preguntas!

I’m surprised you didn’t at least try a Markbass amp, in particular the Tube800.

@IvanBassist

Жыл бұрын

Not really into Markbass

@marcelchaloupka

Жыл бұрын

@@IvanBassist why? Is it the colour?

@IvanBassist

Жыл бұрын

@@marcelchaloupka Their sound and look are not what I look for in an amp.

@marcelchaloupka

Жыл бұрын

@@IvanBassist fascinating, the Markbass and Aguilar are both D class amps built around the same electronic topology. Sure the preamps are tuned slightly differently but would suggest in a blind test you’d be hard put to tell the difference until you turn them up. At high volumes the Aguilar flubbs out

@craigmoran893

Жыл бұрын

@@marcelchaloupka Ive come across a fair few stories of Mark Bass heads dying on gigs, on my search for a new amp. Not encouraging. I had a Ninja for a while, and the quality is not great. Sounds pretty good though. The Tube 800 sounded good in the shop though as well. I had a Darkglass 800 as well, and that sounded great but it seemed it had some sort of roll off down low, and made a thump when i changed channels.

Frivolous lawsuits happen all the time, so it doesn’t automatically mean the company getting sued is wrong. Just as often the company doing the suing is wrong, so I’m not sure about your stance :)

@IvanBassist

Жыл бұрын

We can agree to disagree then :)

I find it surprising you made these conclusions tone wise…..I’ve toured and endorsed Aggie and Mesa over the years. My 3 fave heads are SVT, DB 751 and Mess 400 plus. I have played all the Class D including Tone Hammer and for me the WD nails the closest to SVT tone by FAR. Randall Smith is a genius and hit it out of the park. The SVT setting in the manual along with a couple pedals and you are so close with some 10s it’s a no brainer. Now the Gibson thing I really wouldn’t hold against Mesa. Companies diversify and merge. Randall and Ashow are still in charge at Mesa. Interesting takes but as a pure product the WD > Tone Hammer any day. The DB 751 through an 8x10 is the best modern rig but man -you are back to weight again which is the reason for class D ha ha ……I think Gibson is in a weird place due to a lot of things but all corporations have a lot of things you can pick apart. I play the best product that I conclude is best for me and F the rest. Cheers

@groovaholic80222

Жыл бұрын

Randall Smith is still running Mesa, but the entire Subway line (including the WD800) was designed by Andy Fields. Andy is on TalkBass regularly, answering questions with patience and MASSIVE knowledge.

@WhiteWizzard

Жыл бұрын

@@groovaholic80222 interesting….did not know that. The WD 800 is a winner.

I’m confused.. Dingwall used a Gibson design without authorization and got busted. And you’re siding with Dingwall who were in the wrong.

@IvanBassist

Жыл бұрын

How many builders make Les Paul/thunderbird/stratocaster/telecaster/P-bass/Jazz bass (i could go on) designs? Instead of spending money on lawyers one could improve the quality control of instruments if your sales are lacking 👌🏽

@bflathead

Жыл бұрын

@@IvanBassist Agree 100%. Gibson is running a business and they have every right to protect their copyrights. I know for a fact that Fender also behaves in this same manner. They went after a small builder I know and were relentless It’s the ugly side of the business.

I understand your reasoning but what it they ARE copying the design??? Well, in the USA I think that is prohibited by commerce laws