Aguilar DB659 Preamp

Same as previous reviewers. Both in what it has, and what I wish it had.

I started off with tube amps in the 70's and early 80's, then SWR came along and I moved to hybrids. Then I found out about Glockenklang and have used all solid-state for the last few years. Those amps are amazing for getting the most natural sounding, color-free tone. But I missed the good ol' days and my back can't handle carrying around an old SVT rig anymore so I tried out this preamp.

It's definitely different than the old Ampegs and anything else I've played. But it's got a real sweet tone. The midrange and lowrange punch is phenomenal and the highrange is smooth as can be. I play a '64 jazz, a '72 Rick, a '69 P-bass, an old Alembic copy, and a Lakland. All of them sound great through this pre.

Bomb-proof

Never talked to them but they do got a great website.

Been playing for too long, I own too much other junk (probably could put a down-payment on a house if I sold it all), yeah I'd buy it again for sure, I've compared it to other stuff I've owned and each piece has its own unique place in the world but I really like this one, just another mid-EQ and a DI output level and it would be perfect.

Made in '03 I think. High-end preamp albeit a cheaper alternative to the Aguilar DB680. The EQ is somewhat limited in function but fairly useful. The only things I think it's are a DI output level and at least one more band of midrange EQ level.

I've played a Lakland DD P-bass, a Fender Jazz, and a Warwick Thumb through this preamp. The best setting for all have been to leave the EQ flat, flip the bass boost switch on and adjust the gain and volume to get a decent level. As a previous reviewer said, the mids are pretty noticeable in the overall sound. And twisting the midrange control knob isn't going to get rid of them. So if you're a bedroom practice hero-type, I can see why you'd find that to be an annoyance.

HOWEVER...if you're recording or up on a stage, this preamp is an absolute must have! When you're playing with a bunch of other instruments, you'll need that midrange to punch through the noise. Ever hear a record or a live band where the bass sounded muddy and boomy or just wasn't very noticeable at all? Lack of any midrange is part of the reason.

And the controls are set at such frequencies that actually force you to sound better in a live situation. The 40Hz brings the low end and the bass boost switch really brings the "bump". Boosting the mids (which are set at 400Hz) actually will give you a lot of punch to the sound. And the 4kHz gives ya some really smooth top end so that it's a warmer and rounded off kind of sound. Flipping the bright switch on throws some definition and clarity into the mix.

4 years without a hiccup. Aguilar quality and reliability is top notch all around.

These guys are one of the best in the biz.

I'd give it a 10 if it had one more midrange EQ control...say around 800Hz? I'd definitely buy it again although if I had the money, I'd splurge for the DB680 which gives you a lot more control over the sound. This amp is almost perfect for what it is.

Simple to use, with only bass, mid and treble controls, eq return and send levels, deep and bright switch, DI output and rear-mounted power switch.

Used with a 1975 Fender Jazz and an Overwater J series custom bass, the amp sounded very middly. The midrange sound was ever present, even with the mid control turned all the way down. I found it very hard to get a warm sound out of this preamp.

I used it with a Peavey DPC1400X digital power amp and found the sound to be punchy but not warm enough. The top end was nice and smooth. I played the unit through a Carvin DCM1000 power amp and results were better, for my needs. Warmer but the bottom wasn't as tight.

I couldn't believe how disappointed I was when I first plugged the amp in. I was expecting more warmth punch, woodiness and clarity from it than I get with my Eden Navigator and Carvin DCM1000 but it wasn't to be. I don't know if this the fault of the Aguilar or my ears. I think I already had the sound I needed but was looking for something better! The Aguilar preampwith the Peavey amp just doesn't suit my playing or the sound of my current gig. It was too thin and middly, it cut through enough but didn't have the warmth I feel bass needs on stage.

I was told the sound blossomed when you dig in but I couldn't hear that at all. All I heard was midrange. I used to own a trace Elliot rig that was midrangey all the time, and to my ears it sounded like a nicer version of that.

The amp is very clean, with no noise or hiss.

I bought the amp used last Friday. It's now the following Tuesday and someone has already toild me they want to buy it from me. They can have it.

I use an Eden Navigator preamp, Carvin DCM1000 power amp, Eden Traveler 550, Eden 410XLT and 210XLT cabinets. I play a Fender 75 Jazz, Overwater J series custom, Pensa J bass fretless.

Nothing so far has compared to my Eden rig. I have enjoyed using an Ampeg SVT and 8x10 on festival stages and that has always been a satisfying experience. As far as I am concerned they are both standards for what they are attempting to achieve.

I would still like to try the Aguilar all in one heads. I hope the rest of their products inspire me because I hoped they might have the sound between Eden and Ampeg that I was looking for.

I got this used on ebay and couldn't be happier. With only 5 knobs (volume, treble, mid, bass and master) plus two switches for treble and bass boost, this little box has far superior tone to my eden WT800 with a lot less tweaking.

Great tube tone, makes my '62 P-bass sound like I've always imagined it should sound. I also have a Squier fretless Jazz bass with stock pickups which sounds surpisingly alive through this pre-amp. I have it paired with a Carvin DCM 1000 (solid state power amp) and a 310UL cab from Epifani. The fat, tube sound of the aguilar is undeniable. Any sound I need. I play indie-rock and switch between fingerstyle and a pick (and occasional slapping). My favorite tone is just fat and beefy with a bit of mid and more highs on the picked songs. I can mess with the DB 659 between songs and get just the sounds I need without causing any unnecessary delays.

Aguilar has a 10 year warranty. Even though I got this used (and hence, have no warranty access) I have no reason to doubt it's reliability. Aguilar has a solid reputation for great stuff.

I called them a time or two with questions before buying their product, and they were always helpful and quick to return my e mails.

Aguilar is great. If anything, I would pair it with a more reliable, bass-specific power amp (like the aguilar DB 728) but I don't have access to that kind of cash. The DB 659 has basically brought me the sound I have always tried to get without a lot of hassle.

First off I play a DB 680, The bigger brother of the 659. The reason that I am writing this review is to say that the 659 has AS GOOD A SOUND AS THE DB 680. It has the same beautiful ringing-singing sound that the 680 has. With the 659 you don't have the sweet parametric EQ. The P-EQ is for people like me who can't stop touching there amp every few minutes. I don't know the center frequency and sweep bandwidth of the 659's mid section but it is in a good spot.

One if the great thing about the 659 and it's fewer knobs is that you can't get a bad sound out of it and fewer knobs means fewer things to screw up.

Also I would like to say I am an ALL TUBE guy, all tube power and preamps. When I played the 659 it was through a mid-quality solid state power and I would have never known it if I was blindfolded. I played several active and passive basses through this and they all sounded beautiful...just to check to see if my ears were going I did a couple of A/B comparisons and this preamp made the difference.

So if you want the great aguilar tone, but don't have the cash, buy the 659 used on ebay and plug it into any power amp you can find ...and you will great tone.

In closing...I have two amps the Aggie 680 to 728 and my Ampeg SVT 2 Pro. For a clean powerful sound it is the Aguilar all the way, for a dirty to distorted sound it is the Ampeg all the way.

So far all of my Aguilar gear is still in great shape.

Simple yet effective controls. Passive and active input jacks. Your standard bass, mid, and treble EQ knobs as well as bright and deep switches. Pre/post EQ switch on the DI is nice. Effects loop. 2 1/4" outputs. If you are a knob twiddler this may not be your cup of tea but the EQ is easy to use and works well.

Amazing sound from this box. Punchie, woody growl yet hi-fi and articulate. Very clear and fat-but not too fat. Low end is perfect- not muddy- rounded and controlled. Recorded sound is to die for and my main bass is not that fancy (Yamaha BBN5). The DB680 with its parametric EQ is more versatile but if I had that pre I think that I would end up EQing it to sound like this one anyway.

10 year warantee from Aguilar!!! nuf said.

I have called Aguilar with questions and they were always very helpful. I had an aguilar GS112 speaker cab that I thought had a bad tweeter (it was actually a problem with the GK amp I was using) and they offered to fix it no charge. From all other accounts that I have heard about customer support is 1st class.

Since the price increase last year these preamps have got expensive. Given the 10 year warantee they would make a great buy used. In my opinion there is really nothing else like it out there. Look at other high end preamps. Kern and Alembics pres use that weird scooped mid EQ scheme and some say they have too much bottom (if that is possible). Demeter is nice but lacks the fattness of Aguilar and has been described as "brittle". Don't get me wrong- I would be happy with any of these preamps and the above comments involve a little hair splitting but I think the Aggie pre's have just the right combo of fatness, woody growl and hi-fi clarity.