The Ashdown James LoMenzo KegaDrive Bass Distortion is an Ashdown distortion pedal, currently around $121.68. Close alternatives include the Ashdown James LoMenzo Mega Drive and the Aguilar - OBP-1TK On-Board Bass Preamp. It pairs well with the Ampeg Rocket Bass RB-115 Combo Bass Amp and the Traynor YBA100 Tube Bass Head.
Ashdown James LoMenzo KegaDrive Bass Distortion
Ashdown · pedal
The Ashdown James LoMenzo signature bass distortion, part of Ashdown's LoMenzo drive line, is built for bass players who want aggressive overdrive without losing their low end. It applies distortion to a selectable midrange band while leaving the deep bass and high treble largely untouched, and a blend control mixes the distorted signal back with the clean dry bass so the tone stays full and punchy. Voiced from a mild grind to full saturated distortion, it suits hard rock and metal bass tones in the style of James LoMenzo of Megadeth and White Lion. Running into a clean bass amp, it adds growling mid presence that helps bass cut through a dense band mix.
- bass
- distortion
- metal
- aggressive
- mid
- growl
- dry
- grind
Price updated Aug 27, 2026
Genres the Ashdown James LoMenzo KegaDrive Bass Distortion is commonly used in
- Rock
- Hard Rock
- Metal
- Punk
cited
Inferred from shared tonal signals, not a stated genre tag. - Alternative
cited
Inferred from shared tonal signals, not a stated genre tag. - Heavy Metal
cited
Inferred from shared tonal signals, not a stated genre tag.
Amps that pair well with the Ashdown James LoMenzo KegaDrive Bass Distortion
Ampeg Rocket Bass RB-115 Combo Bass Amp
Ampeg
30% matchInto the RB-115's massive, vintage-voiced preamp, the KegaDrive's aggressive metal distortion gives the amp real weight.
Traynor YBA100 Tube Bass Head
Traynor
28% matchTraynor YBA100 Tube Bass Head's warm balances out the bright tone
Orange Little Bass Thing
Orange
tonal matchOrange Little Bass Thing leans warm right where the bright tone needs it
Fuchs ODS II Custom 25/50 Combo
Fuchs
tonal matchFuchs ODS II Custom 25/50 Combo leans warm right where the bright tone needs it
Dumble Steel String Singer
Dumble
tonal matchDumble Steel String Singer leans smooth right where the bright tone needs it
Fender Prosonic
amplifier
tonal matchFender Prosonic leans warm right where the bright tone needs it
Gibson GA-50
Gibson
tonal matchRun Gibson GA-50 after it and the bright edge settles into something more warm
Orange BT1000H Terror Bass 1000-Watt Bass Amp
Orange
tonal matchRun Orange BT1000H Terror Bass 1000-Watt Bass Amp after it and the bright edge settles into something more warm
Pedals that stack with the Ashdown James LoMenzo KegaDrive Bass Distortion
Hughes & Kettner Tube Rotosphere MKII The Analog Leslie Simulator
pedal
15% matchKeep Hughes & Kettner Tube Rotosphere MKII The Analog Leslie Simulator after Ashdown James LoMenzo KegaDrive Bass Distortion in the signal chain, clear of Ashdown James LoMenzo KegaDrive Bass Distortion's own gain stage
Catalinbread SFT
Catalinbread
15% matchWhere this leans bright, Catalinbread SFT answers back warm
ZVEX Fuzz Factory
Zvex
15% matchZVEX Fuzz Factory leans smooth right where the bright tone needs it
Ashdown Velvet Compressor
Ashdown
13% matchWhat Ashdown Velvet Compressor brings here leans toward compressed — that's worth building a pairing around
Boss DD-3 Digital Delay
Boss
9% matchPut Boss DD-3 Digital Delay after Ashdown James LoMenzo KegaDrive Bass Distortion in the signal chain, clear of Ashdown James LoMenzo KegaDrive Bass Distortion's own gain stage — goes in the amp's FX loop (or last, into a clean amp)
Caroline Guitar Company Kilobyte
Caroline Guitar Company
9% matchKeep Caroline Guitar Company Kilobyte after Ashdown James LoMenzo KegaDrive Bass Distortion in the signal chain, clear of Ashdown James LoMenzo KegaDrive Bass Distortion's own gain stage — goes in the amp's FX loop (or last, into a clean amp)
Tone City King of Blues
Tone City
tonal matchTone City King of Blues's own voicing points at a clean amp's front end, and Ashdown James LoMenzo KegaDrive Bass Distortion delivers it
Suhr Eclipse
Suhr
tonal matchSuhr Eclipse's own voicing points at a clean amp's front end, and Ashdown James LoMenzo KegaDrive Bass Distortion delivers it
Cheaper alternatives
Ashdown Pro-FX Two-Band Boost
Ashdown
72% similarityShared character: high_end, articulation, full
Electro-Harmonix Nano Operation Overlord
Electro-Harmonix
72% similarityShared character: full, treble, hard_rock
Behringer BOD400 Bass Overdrive
Behringer
70% similarityShared character: blend, grit, aggressive_playing
Boss ODB-3
Boss
96% similaritysimilar tone character
Boutique & premium upgrades
Dunlop MXR M85 Bass Distortion
Dunlop
74% similarityShared character: blend, grit, full
Ashdown Jmy-dd
Ashdown
70% similarityShared character: grit, aggressive_playing, distortion
Electronic Audio Experiments Greathammer
Electronic Audio Experiments
66% similarityShared character: hard_rock, transparent, bass
Similar charactersee all similar tone character →
Ashdown James LoMenzo Mega Drive
Ashdown
74% similarityShared character: high_end, grit, full
Aguilar - OBP-1TK On-Board Bass Preamp
Aguilar
73% similarityShared character: high_end, articulation, full
Boss BB-1X
Boss
71% similarityShared character: blend, high_end, full
Fender Trapper
Fender
71% similarityShared character: blend, bass, hard_rock
Ashdown James LoMenzo HyperDrive
Ashdown
71% similarityShared character: high_end, full, treble
Behringer BDI21
Behringer
71% similarityShared character: blend, presence, treble
See all alternatives to the Ashdown James LoMenzo KegaDrive Bass Distortion (cheaper + boutique) →
Questions people ask
What are good alternatives to the Ashdown James LoMenzo KegaDrive Bass Distortion?+
The closest matches in character are the Ashdown James LoMenzo Mega Drive, the Aguilar - OBP-1TK On-Board Bass Preamp, the Boss BB-1X. Budget picks: Ashdown Pro-FX Two-Band Boost, Electro-Harmonix Nano Operation Overlord, Behringer BOD400 Bass Overdrive. Boutique upgrades: Dunlop MXR M85 Bass Distortion, Ashdown Jmy-dd, Electronic Audio Experiments Greathammer.
What pairs well with the Ashdown James LoMenzo KegaDrive Bass Distortion?+
Strong matches from rig and tone-complementarity evidence: Ampeg Rocket Bass RB-115 Combo Bass Amp, Traynor YBA100 Tube Bass Head, Orange Little Bass Thing — Into the RB-115's massive, vintage-voiced preamp, the KegaDrive's aggressive metal distortion gives the amp real weight..
How much does the Ashdown James LoMenzo KegaDrive Bass Distortion cost?+
Around $121.68 (live listing price, updated Aug 27, 2026).