All user reviews of 4/5 for the DigiTech Bass Driver

For a good while playing clean was fine for me, but a recent metal project demanded that I get some meaner sounds out of my bass. I went to Mother's Music in Edmonton, AB, Canada and picked out this bad boy. I originally was seeking a BOSS overdrive pedal, but the Digitech was cheaper and in my opinion, of better quality. As I recall it retailed for about $85 US.

This thing really is MEAN! The ability to tone, blend, and morph your overdrive effects to your heart's content is a dream for me and a minor annoyance to my bandmates. Great for grinding away at thrash metal tunes and filling in the low end (i.e. lead guitar is clean and you need that rumble beneath him). Even suitable for some fuzzy funk. Crank the distortion to the max and you can get some really evil noises with tapping, slapping and plucking.

I have but one complaint, but I feel it is a major one. The pedal is NOT sold with an AC adapter, which I think is just plain dumb. This thing is a power monster; it eats 9V batteries like they're going out of style. If you're going to get the pedal, the AC adapter really is a must. What pissed me off is that I had to return to Mother's Music 3 times before I got the appropriate adapter! Digitech should just sell the damned AC adapter and pedal as a complete package.

It's built like a tank: I've stomped on every part of this thing during shows and it still keeps kicking. As a result the paint is flecking off on the corners - a minor cosmetic worry. The control knobs are durable and have a solid feel to them. The rubber sole of the pedal and its weight do a good job of keeping it from slipping about on stage.

Almost a 5 out of 5. My beef about the AC adapter keeps my final rating at a 4 though. I would definitely recommend this pedal for metal/funk/hardcore applications, as it truly does provide wicked sounds. I play an Ernie Ball MusicMan Stingray (active) and a Fender Deluxe Special P-Bass (passive), and the pedal gives each more personality and power.

This review was originally published on http://www.musicgearreview.com