Aguilar Tone Hammer 700 User Manual [en, es, de, fr]

English

Thank you for purchasing the Tone Hammer® 700
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 700 watts of power in a 4.9 lb. (2.22 kg.)
package. The Tone Hammer® 700 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. This solid state amplifier
provides 700 continuous watts at either 4 or 2.67 ohms,
boasts an incredibly flexible EQ section, and also
features a series effects loop, XLR balanced output, and
two rear panel speakon outputs.

Table of Contents

I. Important Safety Instructions page 2

II. Getting Started page 3

A. Manual Conventions

III. Features and Functions page 4
A. Front Panel

B. Rear Panel

IV. Warranty Information page 6
V. Environmental Protection page 6

B. Basic Setup
C. Protection Features

Page 1

I. Important Safety Instructions

1. Read these instructions.

2. Keep these instructions.

3. Heed all warnings.

4. Follow all instructions.

5. Do not use this apparatus near water.

6. Clean only with dry cloth.

7. Do not block any ventilation openings. Install in accordance with the manufacturer’s

8. Do not install near any heat sources such as radiators, heat registers, stoves, or other

9. Do not defeat the safety purpose of the polarized or grounding-type plug. A

10. Protect the power cord from being walked on or pinched particularly at plugs,

11. Only use attachments/accessories specified by the manufacturer.

12. Unplug this apparatus during lightning storms or when unused for long periods of time.

13. Refer all servicing to qualified service personnel. Servicing is required when the

14. Vents are provided for heat dissipation on the sides, and at the rear of the amplifier.

15. Make sure that the power cord is intact before plugging it into the unit. Do not use a

16. The equipment shall be connected to a MAINS socket outlet with a protective

17. Use only accessories listed in this manual, or in other way specified by the

18. Do not install this amplifier on carts or other moving objects.

19. Where the MAINS plug or an appliance coupler is used as the disconnect device, the

20. Do not use this device with wall/ceiling mounts not specified by the manufacturer.

and (2) this device must accept any interference received, including interference that
may cause undesirable operation.

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.

instructions.
apparatus (including amplifiers) that produce heat.
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.

convenience receptacles, and the point where they exit from the apparatus.

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.

Maintain at least a 2” (5cm) space around these vents to provide sufficient

ventilation.
cord with visible damage to its insulation, or connectors.
earthing connection. This is a Class I device, equipped with a safety feature that

requires the use of the three-pin grounding power plug.
manufacturer.

disconnect device shall remain readily operable. To completely disconnect the
equipment from the AC mains, remove the power cord from the AC receptacle.

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,

Page 2

II. Getting Started

A. Manual Conventions:

B. Basic Setup:

In this manual, words that appear in italics represent
actual physical controls on the Tone Hammer® 700.

Input Voltage: 100-240~VAC 50/60 Hz
Mains Fuse: Internal T 6.3 A H/250 V
Maximum power consumption: 835 W

The Tone Hammer® 700 features a universal AC mains input,
allowing it to operate on any standard AC mains voltage ranging
from 100 to 240 Volts with frequency of either 50 or 60 Hz.

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® 700 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® 700.
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 12-gauge 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) – 350 W
4 Ω (one 4 Ω or two 8 Ω cabinets) – 700 W

2.67 Ω (one 8 Ω and one 4 Ω or three 8 Ω cabinet) – 700 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:

1. Turn the Gain up while playing.

Page 3

2. 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

3. Turn up the Master control until you reach desired volume.

C. Protection Features
The Tone Hammer® 700 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.

III. Features & Functions

A. Front Panel Features

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 of these things, including the
output level of your bass, affect how often the light will go off. Clipping the
Tone Hammer® 700 will not cause any shutdowns or damage to your
amplifier.

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

Page 4

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® 700 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® 700 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 2.67 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.

Page 5

IV. Warranty Information

The Tone Hammer® 700 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
([e-mail]). 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.

V. 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 Amplification LLC

599 Broadway, 7th fl.

NY, NY 10012

Page 6

Español

Gracias por adquirir el amplificador Tone Hammer®
700!

Incorporando el preamplificador del famoso pedal
preamplificador/DI Tone Hammer® este cabezal
superligero de bajo combina tres bandas flexibles de
ecualización, un control de saturación “Drive” y 700 W
de potencia en una unidad de solo 2,22 kg. El Tone
Hammer® 700 le ofrecerá el legendario “Sonido
Aguilar” con la comodidad de poder ser
transportado en una bolsa estándar de accesorios
para todos sus conciertos – la opción perfecta para
los bajistas de gira. Este amplificador de estado sólido
proporciona 700 vatios continuos a 4 ó 2,67 ohmios,
cuenta con una sección de EQ increíblemente
flexible y también cuenta con un loop de efectos en
serie, salida balanceada XLR, y dos salidas speakon
en panel trasero.

Contenido

I. Instrucciones de seguridad importantes pág. 8
II. Primeros pasos pág. 9

A. Convenciones del manual

III. Características y funciones pág. 10

IV. Información sobre la garantía pág. 12
V. Protección del Medio Ambiente pág. 12

B. Configuración básica
C. Funciones de protección

A. Panel frontal
B. Panel trasero

Page 7