The Aguilar AG 500 V2 is an Aguilar amplifier. Close alternatives include the Aguilar Tone Hammer 350 LTD Chocolate Brown and the Fender Rumble 800. It pairs well with the Ashdown Geezer Butler Signature and the Mesa Boogie Flux-Drive.
Aguilar AG 500 V2
Aguilar · amplifier
The Aguilar AG 500 V2 is a 500-watt solid-state bass amplifier head that is the second generation of the AG 500, offering the same transparent, hi-fi tonal philosophy with improved transient response and dynamic range. It features four-band EQ with independent treble, high mid, low mid, and bass controls, Deep and Bright switches for broadband tonal adjustment, and a built-in cabinet IR suite with preloaded Aguilar SL and DB cabinet impulse responses plus support for custom user IRs. Made in the USA, it targets jazz, funk, and studio bassists who want uncolored, accurate amplification with modern studio-ready direct output capability.
What stands out
“and studio bassists who want uncolored”
— from the listing
“It features four-band EQ with independent treble, high mid, low mid, and bass controls, Deep and Bright switches for broadband tonal adjustment, and a built-in cabinet IR suite with preloaded Aguilar SL and DB cabinet impulse responses plus…”
— from the listing
“Transient response is notably tighter and faster in the V2 compared to the original AG 500, with greater dynamic range and cleaner headroom under demanding playing conditions”
— from the reviews
“the aguilar ag 500 v2 is a 500-watt solid-state bass amplifier head that is the second generation of the ag 500”
— from the listing
“Players use it in jazz, gospel, funk, and studio recording contexts where tonal accuracy and transparency are the primary requirements”
— from the community notes
- studio
- mid
- eq
- transient response
- jazz
- funk
- solid state
- treble
Good for
- Live
- Silent Recording
Genres the Aguilar AG 500 V2 is commonly used in
- Jazz
- Gospel
- Funk
- Alternative
cited
Inferred from shared tonal signals, not a stated genre tag. - Rock
cited
Inferred from shared tonal signals, not a stated genre tag. - Acoustic
cited
Inferred from shared tonal signals, not a stated genre tag.
Pedals that stack with the Aguilar AG 500 V2
Ashdown Geezer Butler Signature
Ashdown
21% matchclean platform takes the driveA clean, high-headroom stage takes on dirt it can't generate by itself. (high headroom → low gain)
Run Ashdown Geezer Butler Signature into that high headroom platform and it finally leans toward low gain
Goes in front of the amp
Mesa Boogie Flux-Drive
Mesa Boogie
20% matchclean platform takes the driveA clean, high-headroom stage takes on dirt it can't generate by itself. (high headroom → crunchy)
Mesa Boogie Flux-Drive leans this high headroom tone toward crunchy, which it doesn't make on its own
Goes in front of the amp
Walrus Audio Eons
Walrus Audio
20% matchclean platform takes the driveA clean, high-headroom stage takes on dirt it can't generate by itself. (high headroom → fuzzy)
Walrus Audio Eons leans this high headroom tone toward fuzzy, which it doesn't make on its own
Goes in front of the amp
MXR Flanger
MXR
12% matchsits in the right chain slotPlaced for where it does its job cleanly in the chain, not for a tonal interaction with the anchor.
Run MXR Flanger after Aguilar AG 500 V2 in the signal chain, clear of Aguilar AG 500 V2's own gain stage
Goes in front of the amp
Lab Ratz 3D Boum Warming Unit
Lab Ratz 3d
11% matchshapes the dynamic responseShapes how the tone responds to picking dynamics rather than its frequency or gain.
What Aguilar AG 500 V2 brings here leans toward mid-forward — that's worth building a pairing around
Goes in front of the amp
Eventide Modulated Delay
Eventide
7% matchsits in the right chain slotPlaced for where it does its job cleanly in the chain, not for a tonal interaction with the anchor.
Keep Eventide Modulated Delay in Aguilar AG 500 V2's effects loop, clear of Aguilar AG 500 V2's own gain stage — goes in the amp's FX loop (or last, into a clean amp)
Sits in the amp's effects loop
Caroline Guitar Company Kilobyte
Caroline Guitar Company
7% matchsits in the right chain slotPlaced for where it does its job cleanly in the chain, not for a tonal interaction with the anchor.
Caroline Guitar Company Kilobyte's pristine voice goes in Aguilar AG 500 V2's effects loop — it's not there to compete with Aguilar AG 500 V2's own mid-forward character — goes in the amp's FX loop (or last, into a clean amp)
Sits in the amp's effects loop
Electro-Harmonix EH-1335/EH-3075 Hot Tubes
Electro-Harmonix
tonal matchGoes in front of the amp
Into Aguilar AG 500 V2, Electro-Harmonix EH-1335/EH-3075 Hot Tubes is right at home: it's built around a clean amp's front end
Alternatives
Aguilar Tone Hammer 350 LTD Chocolate Brown
Aguilar
62% similarityShared character: jazz, solid state, treble
Fender Rumble 800
Fender
53% similarityShared character: warm, solid state, headroom
Blackstar 700H
Blackstar
45% similarityShared character: solid state, headroom, transparent
Blackstar Unity Bass 700 Head
Blackstar
44% similarityShared character: jazz, solid state, headroom
Mesa Boogie Subway D-800
Mesa Boogie
43% similarityShared character: solid state, headroom, bright
See all alternatives to the Aguilar AG 500 V2 (cheaper + boutique) →
Questions people ask
What are good alternatives to the Aguilar AG 500 V2?+
The closest matches in character are the Aguilar Tone Hammer 350 LTD Chocolate Brown, the Fender Rumble 800, the Blackstar 700H.
What pairs well with the Aguilar AG 500 V2?+
Strong matches from rig and tone-complementarity evidence: Ashdown Geezer Butler Signature, Mesa Boogie Flux-Drive, Walrus Audio Eons — Run Ashdown Geezer Butler Signature into that high headroom platform and it finally leans toward low gain.