Aguilar Amplification

What Aguilar Amplification does

Aguilar Amplification is a New York-based manufacturer of professional bass amplification equipment, founded in 1991 and operating as a product brand under Korg USA Inc. (the US distributor, headquartered in Melville, NY). The company builds a complete bass-player ecosystem comprising three amplifier series (AG — transparent hi-fi; Tone Hammer — tube-inspired solid-state/Class D hybrid; DB — tube-driven professional touring), two cabinet series (SL lightweight neodymium; DB road-worthy ceramic), a bass-specific effects pedal line (Chorusaurus, Filter Twin, Octamizer/Octamizer DLX, Fuzzistor, TLC Compressor, Storm King, Grape Phaser, Agro, DB 316 Mid-EQ), replacement pickups (Jazz Bass, P-Bass, Soapbar, Music Man-style) for 4-, 5-, and 6-string instruments, onboard preamps (OBP-1/2/3), the Aguilar Cabinet Suite (free IR-loading software) and Aguilar Plugin Suite (paid DAW plugin in VST3/AU/AAX), plus cables, cases, replacement parts, and a certified refurbished program.

The technical foundation rests on proprietary analog circuits — including AGS (Adaptive Gain Shaping) drive control and TLC (Trans Linear Control) compression — paired with hybrid amplifier architectures that combine solid-state or tube preamps with Class D power sections; the DB 751 flagship uses three 12AX7 tubes in a hybrid tube/MOSFET design delivering 975W at 2 ohms. Software products extend the hardware into DAW environments via a KORG-modeled plugin suite supporting VST3, AU, and AAX formats, while the free Cabinet Suite enables impulse-response loading on Aguilar amplifiers themselves via dual XLR outputs.

Commercially, Aguilar generates revenue primarily through one-time hardware unit sales ranging from $54.99 (instrument cables) and $69.99 (amPlug3 headphone amp) up to $3,499.99 (DB 751), with the bulk of revenue-weighted SKUs in the $999.99–$1,499.99 band. Distribution combines a direct e-commerce storefront with 179+ authorized US dealers, international distributors for ex-US markets, and third-party online retailers including Sweetwater, Musician's Friend, and Fat Bass Tone. Primary customers are professional touring bassists and serious amateurs seeking reliable, great-sounding amplification gear with consistent tone across live, studio, and rehearsal contexts.

Name

Aguilar Amplification

Legal name

Aguilar Shop

Website

https://aguilaramp.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1991

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Aguilar Amplification is a New York-based manufacturer of bass amplification, speaker cabinets, effects pedals, replacement pickups, and software, distributed by Korg USA Inc., serving professional touring bassists and serious amateurs via dealer networks and direct e-commerce.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Bass Amplification Equipment

NAICS

Audio and Video Equipment Manufacturing (33431)

SIC

Musical Instruments (3931)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYMPAIAJAB

Pro Audio Equipment (Mics, Interfaces, Mixers, Studio Monitors)

Media, Entertainment & Sports/Music & Audio (Recording, Publishing, Streaming)/Music Hardware & Instruments (Instruments, Pro Audio, DJ Gear)

SECONDARYMPAIAIAB

Audio Plugins & Virtual Instruments (VST/AU/AAX)

Media, Entertainment & Sports/Music & Audio (Recording, Publishing, Streaming)/Music Technology & Software (DAWs, Plugins, Music Apps)

SECONDARYMPAIAJAC

DJ & Performance Gear (Controllers, Turntables, CDJs, Mixers)

Media, Entertainment & Sports/Music & Audio (Recording, Publishing, Streaming)/Music Hardware & Instruments (Instruments, Pro Audio, DJ Gear)

Keywords

• Bass amplifiers
• Bass guitar amplification
• Bass effects pedals
• Bass guitar pickups
• Bass speaker cabinets

Headquarters

HQ city

New York

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Supply Chain, Personnel, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Operations

Revenue model

1. Bass Amplifiers: Sale of bass guitar amplifiers across three series: AG Series (transparent, hi-fi tone), Tone Hammer Series (tube-inspired warmth), and DB Series (professional touring-grade). Revenue from head-only units and combo configurations.
2. Bass Cabinets: Sale of passive bass guitar speaker cabinets in SL Series (lightweight) and DB Series (road-worthy) configurations, available in various sizes (10", 12", 15") and impedance options.
3. Bass Effects Pedals: Sale of bass-specific effects pedals including chorus, envelope filter, octave, fuzz, compressor, distortion, phaser, and overdrive pedals with proprietary analog circuits.
4. Bass Pickups: Sale of replacement bass guitar pickups including Jazz Bass, P-Bass, Soapbar, and Musicman-style configurations for 4, 5, and 6-string instruments.
5. Preamps: Sale of onboard bass preamps (OBP series) for bass guitar electronics upgrades.
6. Software - Plugin Suite: Digital plugin suite modeling Aguilar amplifiers, cabinets, and pedals for DAW and standalone use, available for macOS and Windows.
7. Software - Cabinet Suite: Free desktop application providing cabinet impulse responses, with premium features for Tone Hammer and AG amplifier users.
8. Accessories: Sale of instrument cables, speaker cables, amplifier carry bags, and cabinet covers.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Aguilar Amplification designs and manufactures a focused line of bass amplification equipment, including amplifier heads, speaker cabinets, effects pedals, on-board preamps, bass pickups, and instrument and speaker cables. The company also extends its hardware expertise into software through the Aguilar Cabinet Suite (cabinet impulse response plug-in) and the Aguilar Plugin Suite, targeting working bassists seeking a complete, bass-first tone ecosystem.

Product overview

Aguilar Amplification is a specialized manufacturer of professional bass amplification equipment, distribution of which is managed by Korg USA. The product portfolio centers on three amplifier sub-brands: the Tone Hammer series (lightweight tube-inspired amplifiers with solid-state design), the AG series (high-fidelity transparent amplifiers with 4-band EQ), and the DB series (tube-driven professional amplifiers). These are complemented by SL Series and DB Series cabinet lines featuring Neodymium and ceramic drivers respectively. The ecosystem extends to bass pickups (Jazz Bass, P-Bass, Soapbar, Musicman styles), comprehensive effects pedals including Chorusaurus, Filter Twin, Octamizer DLX, Fuzzistor, TLC Compressor, Storm King, Grape Phaser, and Agro, preamp modules (OBP series), the amPlug3 portable headphone amp, software products (Cabinet Suite for IR loading and Plugin Suite for DAW integration), cables, cases, replacement parts, and a certified refurbished program. The company targets professional and working bassists seeking reliable, great-sounding amplification gear.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Aguilar Cabinet Suite: Free software featuring custom impulse responses of SL and DB cabinet range, allowing users to upload IRs to Tone Hammer or AG amps
• Aguilar Plugin Suite

Products and services

• AG Series Amplifier Heads Bass amplifier heads built around Aguilar's proprietary AGS preamp topology, designed for professional and prosumer bassists needing articulate, punchy tone with high headroom.
• Tone Hammer Series Amplifier Heads Compact bass amplifier heads incorporating Aguilar's TLC (True Low Compression) analog circuit, marketed for players wanting light weight, tube-emulated warmth, and natural dynamic compression.
• DB Series Amplifier Heads Tube-driven bass amplifier heads built around three 12AX7 preamp tubes, designed for bassists seeking tube-driven warmth with high headroom and Aguilar's signature voicing.
• SL Series Bass Cabinets Lightweight neodymium-driver bass speaker cabinets engineered for portability, designed to pair with Aguilar amplifier heads and aimed at touring and gigging bassists.
• DB Series Bass Cabinets Traditional bass speaker cabinets engineered to deliver Aguilar's voicing for stage and studio applications, designed to pair with Aguilar amplifier heads.
• Aguilar Bass Effects Pedals A curated line of bass-tuned analog effects pedals (Chorusaurus, Filter Twin, Octamizer, Octabass, Fuzzistor, TLC Compressor, Storm King, Grape Phaser, Agro, DB 316) designed specifically for bass guitar's frequency range and playing dynamics.
• Aguilar Bass Pickups Proprietary replacement bass pickups available in Jazz Bass (4-string J-style), P-Bass (split-coil P-style), Soapbar, and Musicman (MM-style) configurations for upgrading popular bass guitar platforms.
• OBP On-Board Preamps On-board preamps (OBP-1, OBP-2, OBP-3) engineered for installation into bass guitars, providing Aguilar's signature EQ voicing and active tone shaping in a passive-bass form factor.
• amPlug3 Tone Hammer A compact, plug-in headphone practice amplifier carrying Aguilar's Tone Hammer voicing, designed for portable practice and silent playing sessions.
• Aguilar Instrument and Speaker Cables Aguilar-branded instrument and speaker cables sold alongside amplifiers and cabinets, completing the brand's signal-chain offering.
• Aguilar Cabinet Suite Software A cabinet impulse-response (IR) plug-in capturing Aguilar's cabinet sound character for use inside DAWs, offered as a free download and targeted at recording bassists and producers.
• Aguilar Plugin Suite Software A paid DAW plug-in collection delivering Aguilar's signature preamp, EQ, and compression tones in software form for studio and home-recording bassists.

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Korg USA InccoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorKorg USA Inc serves as the official US distributor for Aguilar Amplification products, handling US shipping, customer service, warranty repairs, and order fulfillment. Located at 316 S Service Rd, Melville, NY 11747.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Ampeg: Heritage bass amplification brand (SVT series, Micro CL, Rocket Bass) with the most direct overlap to Aguilar's amplifier and cabinet lineup; competes for the same professional and touring bassist customer segment.
• Markbass: Italian manufacturer of lightweight bass amplifiers and cabinets (Little Mark, CMD, Traveler) targeting professional bassists with similar compact, high-power Class D designs to Aguilar's Tone Hammer series.
• Darkglass Electronics: Modern boutique brand offering bass amps, cabinets, and signature distortion/overdrive pedals (Microtubes, Alpha·Omega), competing directly with Aguilar's amp and pedal SKUs among progressive and metal bassists.
• Gallien-Krueger: Long-established bass amp and cabinet maker (MB series, Neo series, RB series) with comparable lightweight Class D bass amplification targeting gigging bassists — a direct substitute in Aguilar's core category.
• Eden Amplification: Boutique bass amplifier company (E-Series, World Tour, Nemesis) with similar pro-bassist focus and premium price points, competing in the same touring-grade amplification segment as the Aguilar DB series.
• Hartke: Iconic bass amp brand known for aluminum-cone speakers (XL, Hydrive, LH series) targeting gigging and recording bassists with comparable combo and head/cabinet configurations to Aguilar.

Broad incumbents

• Boss: Roland-owned effects pedal and amp powerhouse whose bass pedals (BB-1X, ODB-3) and Katana bass amp directly compete with Aguilar's pedal line and entry-level amplification products.
• Mesa/Boogie: High-end amplifier manufacturer (Subway, Prodigy, M-Pulse) entering bass with premium tube/hybrid designs that overlap with Aguilar's DB and AG series at the top of the bass amplification market.
• Fender: Mass-market musical instrument giant whose bass amps (Rumble series), bass guitars, and pickups represent the mass-market alternative to Aguilar's professional-focused offerings and share retailers like Sweetwater and Musician's Friend.

Emerging players

• TC Electronic: Music Tribe-owned bass pedals (SpectraComp, BH800 amp, Sub'n'Up Octaver) and software (Iron Ether, TonePrint app) competing with both Aguilar's pedal hardware and the Aguilar Plugin Suite in the digital modeling space.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/AguilarAmplification
• Facebookfacebook.com/aguilaramp
• Instagraminstagram.com/aguilaramp
• Xx.com/aguilaramp
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/8303182

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Aguilar Amplification