aguilar TH500 Tone Hammer 500 Instruction Manual

: June 12, 2024
: aguilar

Table of Contents

Important Safety Instructions
Getting Started
Features & Functions
Warranty Information
Environmental Protection
Documents / Resources
- Read User Manual Online (PDF format)
- Download This Manual (PDF format)

Thank you for purchasing the Tone Hammer® 500 amplifier!
Incorporating the preamp from the popular Tone Hammer® preamp/DI pedal this superlight bass head combines three bands of flexible EQ, a colorful “Drive” control, and 500 watts of power in a 4 lb. (1.81 kg.) package. The Tone Hammer® 500 will give you the
legendary “Aguilar Sound” while still fitting into the accessory pouch of most gig bags – the perfect choice for bass players on the go.

Important Safety Instructions

WARNING: To reduce the risk of fire or electric shock, do not expose equipment to rain or moisture. Aguilar Amplification assumes no responsibility for any damage or injury that results from improper use or service.
CAUTION: RISK OF ELECTRIC SHOCK! DO NOT OPEN! There are no user serviceable parts inside of this product. This is a high voltage device, and internal voltages can be lethal. Any and all work should be performed by qualified personnel only.

Read these instructions.
Keep these instructions.
Heed all warnings.
Follow all instructions.
Do not use this apparatus near water.
Clean only with dry cloth.
Do not block any ventilation openings. Install in accordance with the manufacturer’s instructions.
Do not install near any heat sources such as radiators, heat registers, stoves, or other apparatus (including amplifiers) that produce heat.
Do not defeat the safety purpose of the polarized or grounding-type plug. A polarized plug has two blades with one wider than the other. A grounding type plug has two blades and a third grounding prong. The wide blade or the third prong are provided for your safety. If the provided plug does not fit into your outlet, consult an electrician for replacement of the obsolete outlet.
Protect the power cord from being walked on or pinched particularly at plugs, convenience receptacles, and the point where they exit from the apparatus.
Only use attachments/accessories specified by the manufacturer.
Unplug this apparatus during lightning storms or when unused for long periods of time.
Refer all servicing to qualified service personnel. Servicing is required when the apparatus has been damaged in any way, such as power-supply cord or plug is damaged, liquid has been spilled or objects have fallen into the apparatus, the apparatus has been exposed to rain or moisture, does not operate normally, or has been dropped.
Vents are provided for heat dissipation on the sides, and at the rear of the amplifier. Maintain at least a 2” (5cm) space around these vents to provide sufficient ventilation.
Make sure that the power cord is intact before plugging it into the unit. Do not use a cord with visible damage to its insulation, or connectors.
The equipment shall be connected to a MAINS socket outlet with a protective earthing connection. This is a Class I device, equipped with a safety feature that requires the use of the three-pin grounding power plug.
Use only accessories listed in this manual, or in other way specified by the manufacturer.
Do not install this amplifier on carts or other moving objects.
Where the MAINS plug or an appliance coupler is used as the disconnect device, the disconnect device shall remain readily operable. To completely disconnect the equipment from the AC mains, remove the power cord from the AC receptacle.
Do not use this device with wall/ceiling mounts not specified by the manufacturer.
**** This device complies with part 15 of the FCC Rules. Operation is subject to the following two conditions: (1) This device may not cause harmful interference, and (2) this device must accept any interference received, including interference that may cause undesirable operation.

Getting Started

A. Manual Conventions: In this manual, words that appear in italics represent actual physical controls on the Tone Hammer® 500.
B. Basic Setup: Input Voltage: 100-120/200-240 ~VAC 50/60 Hz Mains Fuse: Internal T 6.3 A H/250 V Maximum power consumption: 670 W Select the proper voltage for your country’s operating voltage via the Input Voltage switch on the back of the amplifier. Select 115V for 100-120V or 230V for 220, 230 or 240V. Connect your speaker cabinet(s) to the amplifier’s speaker output(s) using only cable(s) with Speakon to Speakon connections, or Speakon to ¼” connections with an insulated barrel. The Tone Hammer® 500 amplifier uses a bridge-tied load topology. This means that both speaker output terminals are connected to hazardous voltage. Thus, using a ¼” plug with nonisolated barrel could present a risk of an electric shock. Speaker outputs are wired to pins 1+ and 1- on provided 4 pole Speakon connectors on the back panel of Tone Hammer® 500. These connectors will mate with any standard 2 pole or 4 pole Speakon plugs and will work with any standard 2 or 4 wire Speakon to Speakon speaker cable. Use AWG 12 or larger speaker cable to prevent temperature rise in the cable. Increased temperature could compromise the electrical insulation in the cable and increase the risk of fire and electric shock. The amount of power this amplifier will produce varies with the impedance rating of your cabinets. 8 Ω (one 8 Ω cabinet) – 250 W 4 Ω (one 4 Ω or two 8 Ω cabinets) – 500 W Connect the amplifier to the AC power outlet using provided power cord. Plug in your instrument. With the Master volume and Drive down, turn on your amplifier. Adjust as follows:

Turn the Gain up while playing.
If you have a particularly high output instrument, it may be necessary to push the –10 dB button in to prevent clipping of the input circuit. This button is located above the Input jack
Turn up the Master control until you reach desired volume.

C. Protection Features
The Tone Hammer® 500 is equipped with several protection circuits designed to prevent any damage to the amplifier in cases where the limits of the normal operating range are breached. Protections include an over current, an over temperature, DC, and HF detectors. If any of these circuits are triggered, the amplifier will either limit its output power or shut down. In case of a shutdown the amplifier will rapidly try to restart, checking if the faulty condition is still present. During this time, both Operate and Status lights will turn off.

Features & Functions

A. Front Panel Features
Input Pad: -10 dB
EQ Section:
Treble: +/- 14 dB @ 4 kHz
Mid Level: +/- 16 dB
Mid Frequency: 180 Hz – 1 kHz
Bass: +/- 17 dB @ 40 Hz
The Drive control changes the gain structure and EQ interactively with the Gain control position. By modifying the circuit structure, Drive gives a “vintage voiced” EQ and gain structure that adapts to how you set the Gain control. The lower the Gain control setting, the “flatter” the EQ applied. The higher you set the Gain control, the more saturated the gain structure becomes, and the more the bass is tightened and the treble smoothed. The Drive circuitry surrounds the midrange controls, enabling you to get a huge variety of tonal characteristics by simply adjusting the Gain, Mid Level, and Mid Freq controls.
Clip Light: When the Clip light turns red it indicates that the preamp is being driven into clipping. Clipping can be a desirable characteristic, depending on your taste. If you would like a cleaner sound you can experiment with the input pad, Gain, Drive, and Tone Controls. All these things, including the output level of your bass, affect how often the light will go off. Clipping the Tone Hammer® 500 will not cause any shutdowns or damage to youramplifier.
Effects Loop Section: The effects loop section is intended to be used with professional rack gear with a nominal input level of 4 dBu. The effects loop is wired for series operation. Effects pedals should be used in front of the amp.
D.I. Section:
D.I. Nominal Output Level: -20 dBu
D.I. Pre/Post Button:
Pre – Your signal goes to the D.I. XLR output jack before your Gain and EQ settings, but after the –10 dB input pad.
Post – Gain, Drive, EQ and effects will be sent to the D.I. XLR output jack.
In this setting, adjustments to the Master control will only affect the output to your speaker cabinets, not the signal going to the D.I.
Lift/Ground: If there is a hum when using the D.I. there may be a ground loop. In many cases pushing in the Lift/Ground button can fix this problem.
The Tone Hammer® 500 can be run safely without a speaker load attached to the amplifier for recording through the XLR output. Simply remove the speaker cables from the rear panel speakon jacks and then run a cable from the XLR output to your recording device/interface.

Note: The Tone Hammer® 500 will not be harmed by phantom power through the DI. D.I. Phantom power is a power supply that can be switched on at the channel input of some mixing consoles and is used to power some types of microphones. Use of phantom power (usually labeled as 48V) will have no effect on the D.I. or the amplifier in general.
B. Rear Panel Features
Speaker Outputs:
Two speakon outputs are provided. Any combination may be used as long as the load does not go below 4 ohms. The speakon jacks are wired +1, -1.
Tuner Output: One ¼” Tuner output is provided. When the amplifier is muted your signal will still reach the tuner.
Input Voltage Selector: The Input Voltage switch allows you to change the operating voltage if you travel with your Tone Hammer 500. You can select between 115V for 100-120V and 230V for 220, 230 or 240V.

Warranty Information

The Tone Hammer® 500 is covered under limited warranty against defects in materials and workmanship for a period of 3 years. This warranty is nontransferable. The warranty period starts from the date of purchase from an authorized Aguilar dealer. Please retain your sales receipt, as it is necessary to obtain warranty service.
Before sending your unit to Aguilar for repair, you must receive a return authorization number from us. Please contact us via email (techsupport@aguilaramp.com). Do not send any products to us without first receiving a return authorization from Aguilar.
You are responsible for all shipping charges. You must ship the unit to us freight prepaid. We will return the unit to you freight collect. Aguilar Amplification LLC is not responsible for shipping damage, either to or from our service center. Claims must be filed with the carrier. The only company in the US authorized to perform work under this warranty is Aguilar Amplification LLC of New York, NY.
Warranty service outside the USA:
Warranty Service may be different in your country. Please contact the Aguilar distributor in your country for terms and procedures.

Environmental Protection

This symbol means that used electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE) should not be disposed of with household waste.
Please contact your local authority or retailer for further information on nearest WEEE collection center and recycling advice.

Aguilar Musical Instruments LLC
316 South Service Road
Melville, NY 11747