Tech 21 SansAmp Street Driver 48 review – a new Frank Bello signature amp pedal that delivers the full range of the Anthrax bassist’s tones, and then some

Complete openness: Frank Bello of Anthrax is a buddy of mine and we dealt with his autobiography, Daddies, Brothers, And Sonstogether. I’m two times as delighted, then, that the signature SansAmp pedal that he’s been establishing with the Tech 21 group has actually ended up being such a victory. At just $249, it ought to be available for any person who can manage a bass guitar

The objective with the Street Driver 48– called after the music shops on New York’s 48th Street where Bello hung out as a teen– was to make a simple-to-use amp emulation pedal that gets you the complete variety of tidy and driven tones. This objective has actually been attained thanks to a four-knob user interface that could not be much easier to handle, with Drive and Level managing the gain/overdrive and output. An active two-band EQ cuts and increases Low and High frequencies, and 2 push buttons– labelled Dirt and Filth– include various sort of distortion.

Let’s get directly to the great things. The controls are all very delicate, so roll them on with care. A rightwards spin of Drive and Level benefits you with a smooth however energetic overdrive: this can be drastically regulated with the EQ pots, which supply a lots of bass and leading end. If that isn’t enough, you can mess things up still even more with the Dirt button, which tosses a really violent, hollow-sounding distortion on top, or the rather more sane Filth alternative, which is more toppy and less wicked.

When you’ve got all that out of your system (or your better half has actually chewed out you to turn the sound down) you’re complimentary to check out the more civilized noises that the Street Driver 48 makes. Bello’s own noises– whether the toppy tones from Anthrax’s mid-’80s age, or the later on, more crispy tones– are quickly findable, and you can likewise arrive on exceptional facsimiles of the bass sounds we connect with his heroes Steve Harris and Geddy Lee.

What I enjoy about this pedal is that it likewise works completely well as a tidy increase, as a technique of a little warming up your tone, or as a subtle grind that will cut through the guitars: it’s not just about unhinged distortion that will frighten your neighbour’s feline.

The Street Driver is developed to last, with a metal real estate, knobs and switches, and includes an XLR out and ground link switch if needed. A power supply with interchangeable worldwide plugs is provided– yes, you ‘d marvel how hardly ever this takes place– and you can utilize it as a routine stompbox, direct into a mixer or as a preamp before a power amp. You even get sticker labels and a choice included. Provide this pedal a test-drive with our complete suggestion.

Specifications

• COST: $249/ ₤ 195
• ORIGIN: USA
• TYPE: Bass preamp/DI and drive pedal
• CONTROLS: Drive, Low, High, Level pots, Filth and Dirt in/out buttons
• CONNECTIONS: Standard input, basic output, plus well balanced XLR output with earthing switch
• WEIGHT: 11 oz/ 412g
• POWER: 9V DC
• MEASUREMENTS: 51 (w) x 121 (d) x 95mm (h)
• Contact: Tech 21

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Joel McIver was the Editor of Bass Player publication from 2018 to 2022, having actually invested 6 years before that modifying Bass Guitar publication. A reporter with 25 years’ experience in the music field, he’s likewise the author of 35 books, a number of bestsellers amongst them. He routinely appears on podcasts, radio and television.