The Aguilar DB316 is an Aguilar eq pedal, currently around $79.99. Close alternatives include the Chaos Custom Shop Blender and the Cry Baby Dunlop 105Q CB Bass. It pairs well with the Swart Star-Base 1 and the Blackstar Series One 200.
Aguilar DB316
Aguilar · pedal
The Aguilar DB316 is a dedicated midrange EQ micro-pedal for bass guitar released in January 2025 and inspired by the Tone Hammer series sweepable mid circuit. Two controls — FREQ sweeping 180Hz to 1kHz and LEVEL providing up to 17dB boost or cut — target the fundamental mid-band that defines bass presence and punch. It complements 2-band onboard preamps or passive instruments by adding an external mid control in a compact steel chassis powered by 9V.
What stands out
“The DB316 single frequency sweep control covering 180Hz to 1kHz is well-positioned for the mid frequencies that most affect bass punch and vocal presence in a mix derived directly from the Tone Hammer well-regarded midrange circuit”
— from the reviews
“TalkBass users pair it with active 3-band basses to effectively gain a fourth EQ band for complex tone shaping”
— from the reviews
“Simple surgical midrange shaping that addresses the most common limitation of 2-band bass EQ systems — the ability to independently adjust the mid frequencies that define punch and presence”
— from the community notes
“the aguilar db316 is a dedicated midrange eq micro-pedal for bass guitar released in january 2025 and inspired by the tone hammer series sweepable mid circuit”
— from the listing
“the frequency sweep ceiling at 1khz is the most cited limitation as some players note this misses the upper-mid presence range around 1”
— from the community notes
- presence
- punch
- bass
- midrange
- mid
- frequency
- fundamental
- cut
Price updated Oct 23, 2026
Genres the Aguilar DB316 is commonly used in
- Funk
- Metal
- Rock
- Alternative
cited
Inferred from shared tonal signals, not a stated genre tag. - Punk
cited
Inferred from shared tonal signals, not a stated genre tag.
Amps that pair well with the Aguilar DB316
Swart Star-Base 1
Swart
12% matchfills a frequency gapFills in a frequency range the other side doesn't cover, instead of piling more onto what's already there. (bright → warm)
Run Swart Star-Base 1 after it and the bright edge settles into something more warm
Comes later in the signal chain
Blackstar Series One 200
Blackstar
tonal matchComes later in the signal chain
Run mid-forward into Blackstar Series One 200 for more high gain on top
Blackstar HT Stage 100H MK III Snakeskin
Blackstar
tonal matchComes later in the signal chain
Blackstar HT Stage 100H MK III Snakeskin stacks high gain on top of the mid-forward already here
Mesa/Boogie JP-2C John Petrucci Signature 60/100-Watt
Mesa Boogie
tonal matchComes later in the signal chain
Mesa/Boogie JP-2C John Petrucci Signature 60/100-Watt stacks high gain on top of the mid-forward already here
Soldano Astro-20 Combo
Soldano
tonal matchComes later in the signal chain
Soldano Astro-20 Combo leans smooth right where the bright tone needs it
Hughes & Kettner Coreblade
Hughes & Kettner
tonal matchComes later in the signal chain
Hughes & Kettner Coreblade stacks high gain on top of the mid-forward already here
Marshall Studio JCM900 SN20H
Marshall
tonal matchComes later in the signal chain
Marshall Studio JCM900 SN20H stacks high gain on top of the mid-forward already here
Hiwatt Park P18LH 'Little 45' Handwired18W
Hiwatt
tonal matchComes later in the signal chain
Hiwatt Park P18LH 'Little 45' Handwired18W's warm balances out the bright tone
Pedals that stack with the Aguilar DB316
Greer Black Mountain
Greer
23% matchPut Greer Black Mountain in front and the mid-forward tone leans further toward fuzzy
Comes earlier in the signal chain
ZVEX Fuzz Factory
Zvex
20% matchfills a frequency gapFills in a frequency range the other side doesn't cover, instead of piling more onto what's already there. (bright → smooth)
Run ZVEX Fuzz Factory after it and the bright edge settles into something more smooth
Comes earlier in the signal chain
T-Rex Junior Roomate
T Rex
14% 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 T-Rex Junior Roomate after Aguilar DB316 in the signal chain, where it won't crowd Aguilar DB316 — goes in the amp's FX loop (or last, into a clean amp)
Comes later in the signal chain
Line 6 DL4 Delay Modeler
pedal
14% 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 the DL4 after the DB316 — the punchy, midrange EQ boost stays clean and the delay's warm repeats trail behind it. — goes in the amp's FX loop (or last, into a clean amp)
Comes later in the signal chain
Caline CP-31 Hot Spice (Black)
Caline
tonal matchComes earlier in the signal chain
Caline CP-31 Hot Spice (Black) goes in front of Aguilar DB316 — a wah tracks picking dynamics best on the raw signal
Tone City Hot Mama Overdrive
Tone City
tonal matchComes earlier in the signal chain
Tone City Hot Mama Overdrive stacks high gain on top of the mid-forward already here
Strymon Iridium
Strymon
tonal matchComes later in the signal chain
Strymon Iridium leans warm right where the bright tone needs it
SolidGoldFX Commodore Breaker Overdrive
Solidgoldfx
tonal matchComes earlier in the signal chain
Where this leans bright, SolidGoldFX Commodore Breaker Overdrive answers back smooth
Cheaper alternatives
Effects Bakery Maritozzo Bass EQ
Effects Bakery
62% similarityShared character: middle, bass
Behringer BEQ700 Bass Graphic Equalizer Effetto
Behringer
54% similarityShared character: bass, punch, middle
Electro-Harmonix Steel Leather Attack Expander
Electro-Harmonix
49% similarityShared character: punch, mix, bass
Similar character
Chaos Custom Shop Blender
Chaos Custom Shop
56% similarityShared character: punch, presence, mix
Cry Baby Dunlop 105Q CB Bass
Cry Baby
55% similarityShared character: bass, punch, middle
Creation Audio Labs Funkulator
Creation Audio Labs
55% similarityShared character: bass, presence, mix
Seymour Duncan Paranormal
Seymour Duncan
43% similarityShared character: middle, bass
See all alternatives to the Aguilar DB316 (cheaper + boutique) →
Questions people ask
What are good alternatives to the Aguilar DB316?+
The closest matches in character are the Chaos Custom Shop Blender, the Cry Baby Dunlop 105Q CB Bass, the Creation Audio Labs Funkulator. Budget picks: Effects Bakery Maritozzo Bass EQ, Behringer BEQ700 Bass Graphic Equalizer Effetto, Electro-Harmonix Steel Leather Attack Expander.
What pairs well with the Aguilar DB316?+
Strong matches from rig and tone-complementarity evidence: Swart Star-Base 1, Blackstar Series One 200, Blackstar HT Stage 100H MK III Snakeskin — Run Swart Star-Base 1 after it and the bright edge settles into something more warm.
How much does the Aguilar DB316 cost?+
Around $79.99 (live listing price, updated Oct 23, 2026).