The Free The Tone PA-1QA Programmable 10 Band EQ is a Free The Tone eq pedal, currently around $350. Close alternatives include the Free The Tone PA-1QG 10 Band Analog EQ and the DigiTech DSP 256XL. It pairs well with the Dumble Steel String Singer and the Fender Prosonic.
Free The Tone PA-1QA Programmable 10 Band EQ
Free The Tone · pedal
The Free The Tone PA-1QA is a programmable analog 10-band EQ specifically tuned for acoustic guitar, with frequency bands at 31, 62, 125, 250, 500 Hz, 1, 2, 4, 8, and 16 kHz, each offering ±12dB of boost or cut. It uses a hybrid architecture: fully analog signal processing paired with a digital control section that can precisely store and recall EQ presets and process parameters digitally, including real-time control via MIDI, while keeping the actual audio path analog.
- eq
- analog
- frequency
- digital
- midi
- hybrid
- precise preset recallable tone
- boost
Price updated Aug 27, 2026
Genres the Free The Tone PA-1QA Programmable 10 Band EQ is commonly used in
- Alternative Rock
Amps that pair well with the Free The Tone PA-1QA Programmable 10 Band EQ
Dumble Steel String Singer
Dumble
31% matchInto the Steel String Singer's liquid, organic Dumble tone, the PA-1QA's hybrid, programmable EQ has real headroom to shape precisely.
Fender Prosonic
amplifier
29% matchThe Prosonic's warm, professional Fender overdrive gives the PA-1QA's precise digital EQ shaping something real to sculpt.
Gibson GA-50
Gibson
tonal matchWhere this leans bright, Gibson GA-50 answers back warm
Orange BT1000H Terror Bass 1000-Watt Bass Amp
Orange
tonal matchOrange BT1000H Terror Bass 1000-Watt Bass Amp leans warm right where the bright tone needs it
Orange Terror Bass
Orange
tonal matchOrange Terror Bass leans warm right where the bright tone needs it
Orange Little Bass Thing
Orange
tonal matchRun Orange Little Bass Thing after it and the bright edge settles into something more warm
Fuchs ODS II Custom 25/50 Combo
Fuchs
tonal matchRun Fuchs ODS II Custom 25/50 Combo after it and the bright edge settles into something more warm
Blackstar Artisan 15H Handwired 15W Tube
Blackstar
tonal matchWhere this leans bright, Blackstar Artisan 15H Handwired 15W Tube answers back warm
Pedals that stack with the Free The Tone PA-1QA Programmable 10 Band EQ
Catalinbread SFT
Catalinbread
23% matchThe PA-1QA's hybrid, programmable EQ shapes the SFT's thick, compressed British drive with real precision instead of guesswork.
One Control Lingonberry Overdrive
One Control
20% matchThe Lingonberry's musical, responsive overdrive gives the PA-1QA's precise EQ shaping something real to sculpt.
Line 6 DL4 Delay Modeler
pedal
15% matchKeep the DL4 after the PA-1QA — the precise digital EQ shaping stays intact and the delay's warm, vintage-to-modern repeats trail behind it. — goes in the amp's FX loop (or last, into a clean amp)
Eventide Modulated Delay
Eventide
14% matchRun the Modulated Delay's warm, pitch-wobbled repeats after the PA-1QA's precise band EQ so the echoes trail a signal that's already tonally balanced. — goes in the amp's FX loop (or last, into a clean amp)
Orange - Vintage Distortion
Orange
tonal matchWhere this leans bright, Orange - Vintage Distortion answers back warm
SolidGoldFX Commodore Breaker Overdrive
Solidgoldfx
tonal matchSolidGoldFX Commodore Breaker Overdrive leans smooth right where the bright tone needs it
Behringer Chorus Symphony
Behringer
tonal matchWhere this leans bright, Behringer Chorus Symphony answers back smooth
Dunlop Blue Hippo Optical Tremolo
Dunlop
tonal matchRun Dunlop Blue Hippo Optical Tremolo after it and the bright edge settles into something more warm
Cheaper alternatives
Similar charactersee all similar tone character →
Free The Tone PA-1QG 10 Band Analog EQ
Free The Tone
72% similarity“a genuine, deliberate distinction from the guitar-focused PA-1QG”
DigiTech DSP 256XL
Digitech
60% similarityShared character: guitar, digital
Source Audio Spectrum
Source Audio
91% similaritysimilar tone character
GFI System Enieqma Equalizer
Gfi System
91% similaritysimilar tone character
Source Audio Programmable EQ 2
Source Audio
90% similaritysimilar tone character
See all alternatives to the Free The Tone PA-1QA Programmable 10 Band EQ (cheaper + boutique) →
Questions people ask
What are good alternatives to the Free The Tone PA-1QA Programmable 10 Band EQ?+
The closest matches in character are the Free The Tone PA-1QG 10 Band Analog EQ, the DigiTech DSP 256XL, the Source Audio Spectrum. Budget picks: Dr. Scientist Dusk.
What pairs well with the Free The Tone PA-1QA Programmable 10 Band EQ?+
Strong matches from rig and tone-complementarity evidence: Dumble Steel String Singer, Fender Prosonic, Gibson GA-50 — Into the Steel String Singer's liquid, organic Dumble tone, the PA-1QA's hybrid, programmable EQ has real headroom to shape precisely..
How much does the Free The Tone PA-1QA Programmable 10 Band EQ cost?+
Around $350 (live listing price, updated Aug 27, 2026).