The Ashdown James LoMenzo HyperDrive is an Ashdown distortion pedal, currently around $121.68. Close alternatives include the Ashdown James LoMenzo Mega Drive and the Ashdown James LoMenzo KegaDrive Bass Distortion. It pairs well with the Ampeg Rocket Bass RB-115 Combo Bass Amp and the Friedman BE-Mini Head.
Ashdown James LoMenzo HyperDrive
Ashdown · pedal
The Ashdown James LoMenzo HyperDrive is the original signature bass distortion pedal developed with James LoMenzo, whose 30-year career spans Megadeth, Black Label Society, Ozzy Osbourne, and David Lee Roth. Its distinctive approach applies distortion only to a selected mid-frequency band, leaving bass and treble fundamentally clean. A tunable frequency selector adjusts which midrange frequencies are driven, while a mix control blends the dry and distorted signals. This architecture preserves bottom-end punch and high-end clarity while adding aggressive mid distortion that cuts in a band mix.
- bass
- distortion
- frequency
- drive
- mid
- midrange
- mix
- dry
Price updated Aug 27, 2026
Genres the Ashdown James LoMenzo HyperDrive is commonly used in
- Metal
- Rock
- Alternative
cited
Inferred from shared tonal signals, not a stated genre tag. - Punk
cited
Inferred from shared tonal signals, not a stated genre tag. - Hard Rock
cited
Inferred from shared tonal signals, not a stated genre tag. - Blues
cited
Inferred from shared tonal signals, not a stated genre tag.
Amps that pair well with the Ashdown James LoMenzo HyperDrive
Ampeg Rocket Bass RB-115 Combo Bass Amp
Ampeg
23% matchInto the RB-115's massive, vintage-voiced preamp, the HyperDrive's mid-forward bass distortion adds real aggression.
Friedman BE-Mini Head
Friedman
tonal matchFriedman BE-Mini Head stacks high gain on top of the mid-forward already here
Mesa Boogie Triple Crown TC-100 Head
Mesa Boogie
tonal matchPut Mesa Boogie Triple Crown TC-100 Head in front and the mid-forward tone leans further toward high gain
Blackstar St. James 100
Blackstar
tonal matchPut Blackstar St. James 100 in front and the mid-forward tone leans further toward high gain
Blackstar Series One 200
Blackstar
tonal matchBlackstar Series One 200 layers high gain onto an already mid-forward signal
Hughes & Kettner Coreblade
Hughes & Kettner
tonal matchRun mid-forward into Hughes & Kettner Coreblade for more high gain on top
Hughes & Kettner Warp 7
Hughes & Kettner
tonal matchHughes & Kettner Warp 7 stacks high gain on top of the mid-forward already here
Synergy SL2 Module
Synergy
tonal matchSynergy SL2 Module stacks high gain on top of the mid-forward already here
Pedals that stack with the Ashdown James LoMenzo HyperDrive
Greer Black Mountain
Greer
24% matchGreer Black Mountain stacks fuzzy on top of the mid-forward already here
Electro-Harmonix Hot Wax
Electro-Harmonix
22% matchElectro-Harmonix Hot Wax stacks high gain on top of the mid-forward already here
MXR Analog Chorus
MXR
19% matchKeep Ashdown James LoMenzo HyperDrive's mid-forward voice out front: MXR Analog Chorus goes after Ashdown James LoMenzo HyperDrive in the signal chain so its full voice doesn't muddy it
Ashdown Velvet Compressor
Ashdown
16% matchAshdown Velvet Compressor leans toward compressed, and that's a real, usable character to pair with
Caroline Guitar Company Kilobyte
Caroline Guitar Company
11% matchCaroline Guitar Company Kilobyte's pristine voice goes after Ashdown James LoMenzo HyperDrive in the signal chain — it's not there to compete with Ashdown James LoMenzo HyperDrive's own mid-forward character — goes in the amp's FX loop (or last, into a clean amp)
JAM Pedals Delay-Llama
Jam Pedals
11% matchJAM Pedals Delay-Llama's analog warmth voice goes after Ashdown James LoMenzo HyperDrive in the signal chain — it's not there to compete with Ashdown James LoMenzo HyperDrive's own mid-forward character — goes in the amp's FX loop (or last, into a clean amp)
Electro-Harmonix EH-1335/EH-3075 Hot Tubes
Electro-Harmonix
tonal matchElectro-Harmonix EH-1335/EH-3075 Hot Tubes's own voicing points at a clean amp's front end, and Ashdown James LoMenzo HyperDrive delivers it
Behringer SF300 Super Fuzz
Behringer
tonal matchBehringer SF300 Super Fuzz is voiced for a clean amp's front end — Ashdown James LoMenzo HyperDrive gives it exactly that
Cheaper alternatives
Electro-Harmonix Nano Operation Overlord
Electro-Harmonix
71% similarityShared character: full, treble, mix
Ashdown Pro-FX Two-Band Boost
Ashdown
95% similaritysimilar tone character
Electro-Harmonix Nano Battalion
Electro-Harmonix
95% similaritysimilar tone character
Boutique & premium upgrades
Dunlop MXR M85 Bass Distortion
Dunlop
70% similarityShared character: full, mix, middle
Ashdown Triple Shot
Ashdown
97% similaritysimilar tone character
Carl Martin Bass Drive
Carl Martin
95% similaritysimilar tone character
DSM & Humboldt Electronics Sub-Atomic X-Over Cmos Bass Preamp
Dsm Humboldt Electronics
95% similaritysimilar tone character
Similar charactersee all similar tone character →
Ashdown James LoMenzo Mega Drive
Ashdown
74% similarityShared character: high_end, punch, filter
Ashdown James LoMenzo KegaDrive Bass Distortion
Ashdown
71% similarityShared character: high_end, full, treble
Aguilar - OBP-1TK On-Board Bass Preamp
Aguilar
70% similarityShared character: high_end, full, treble
Boss BB-1X
Boss
68% similarityShared character: high_end, full, mix
Aguilar DB 925
Aguilar
67% similarityShared character: treble, mix, bass
MXR DL E MXR M 287
MXR
67% similarityShared character: full, aggressive_playing, mix
See all alternatives to the Ashdown James LoMenzo HyperDrive (cheaper + boutique) →
Questions people ask
What are good alternatives to the Ashdown James LoMenzo HyperDrive?+
The closest matches in character are the Ashdown James LoMenzo Mega Drive, the Ashdown James LoMenzo KegaDrive Bass Distortion, the Aguilar - OBP-1TK On-Board Bass Preamp. Budget picks: Electro-Harmonix Nano Operation Overlord, Ashdown Pro-FX Two-Band Boost, Electro-Harmonix Nano Battalion. Boutique upgrades: Dunlop MXR M85 Bass Distortion, Ashdown Triple Shot, Carl Martin Bass Drive.
What pairs well with the Ashdown James LoMenzo HyperDrive?+
Strong matches from rig and tone-complementarity evidence: Ampeg Rocket Bass RB-115 Combo Bass Amp, Friedman BE-Mini Head, Mesa Boogie Triple Crown TC-100 Head — Into the RB-115's massive, vintage-voiced preamp, the HyperDrive's mid-forward bass distortion adds real aggression..
How much does the Ashdown James LoMenzo HyperDrive cost?+
Around $121.68 (live listing price, updated Aug 27, 2026).