The Aguilar Storm King is a micro distortion and fuzz pedal for bass, made in the USA by Aguilar, the Long Island-based bass amplification manufacturer1. It is an all-analog pedal built from the drive circuit of Aguilar's Tone Hammer amp, and it was announced in October 2022 at a US MAP price of $179.992.
What makes the Storm King unusual for a pedal this small is its range. Aguilar says it covers "a wide range of tones from warm, tube-like saturation to aggressive, dirty ripped-speaker tones, and everything in-between"3. Premier Guitar's launch coverage described it the same way: a wide sweep from light tube-like saturation to an aggressive, dirty ripped-speaker tone2. In practice it works as both a distortion and a fuzz box, with a single knob doing the work of moving between them.
The controls: Shape knob and Kick button
The Storm King keeps its control set to two elements, which is how Aguilar fits a distortion and fuzz circuit into a micro enclosure342.
| Control | What it does |
|---|---|
| SHAPE knob | Sets the character of the distorted signal, sweeping from lightly saturated tube-like tones to heavily distorted, fuzzed-out textures34 |
| KICK button | Adds a tailored midrange bump, giving presence and punch to the distorted tone34 |
| Engage footswitch | Turns the effect on and off, with a blue LED to show it is engaged5 |
The Shape knob is the heart of the pedal. Bass Gear Mag's reviewer, Dan Veall, found that it "sweeps from lightly saturated tube-like tones to heavily distorted and fuzzed-out textures," which is what lets one knob cover ground that would normally take separate distortion and fuzz pedals4. The Kick button is a preset midrange push rather than a variable control: press it and the distorted tone gets a presence and boost bump in the mids, the frequency range where a distorted bass can either cut through a mix or disappear4.
Built from the Tone Hammer amp's drive circuit
The Storm King's circuit is not a fresh design. Aguilar says it is "born out of the Drive circuit of our Tone Hammer amp"3, and the company's launch messaging pointed to the same origin, drawing inspiration from the Tone Hammer amp and in particular its drive circuit2. The Tone Hammer is Aguilar's amp with fully sweepable midrange frequencies alongside bass and treble controls, so the Storm King carries a piece of that preamp's overdriven character into pedal form6.
For a player who already knows the Tone Hammer's drive sound, that lineage is the pitch: the pedal's circuit is based on the "Drive" circuit of the Tone Hammer amp, in a micro pedal format that takes up very little pedalboard space. For everyone else, it means the pedal's saturation comes from an amp circuit rather than a guitar distortion circuit32.
Build, size and power
The Storm King is genuinely micro. Bass Gear Mag lists its dimensions as 93mm x 38mm x 45mm including the knobs, in a 2mm (.080") thick 5052 aluminum alloy housing4.
No battery will fit inside this enclosure. The pedal requires a 9V DC power supply, which is not included, and it accepts a standard 9V center-negative supply45.
The true bypass switching keeps the bypassed signal clean when the pedal is off4. The analog circuit topology, one-in/one-out 1/4" jacks and a DC power input round out the rear panel4.
What reviewers said
Bass Gear Mag's Dan Veall reviewed the Storm King in March 2024 and found it "incredibly versatile as both a distortion and fuzz box"4. On its character:
"the Storm King delivered rich, musical distortion textures that enhanced the upper mids until things went too far and subdued the fundamental notes a little."
That matches the pedal's design brief: the upper-mid enhancement helps a bass sit forward in a band mix, while the heaviest Shape settings trade away some low-end fundamental, which is common behavior for distortion on bass and something a player can manage with the blend of their amp or other pedals4.
Where the name comes from
The pedal takes its name from Storm King Mountain, the imposing peak on the west bank of New York's Hudson River45. Aguilar is a Long Island, New York company, so the name is a local landmark rather than a marketing invention1.
Videos
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Aguilar Amplification
Bass Bonedo
Questions
Does the Aguilar Storm King take a battery?
No. The enclosure is too small for one, so the pedal requires a 9V DC power supply to run. A supply is not included in the box, so plan on a standard pedalboard power brick or a dedicated adapter.
Is the Aguilar Storm King true bypass?
Yes. Bass Gear Mag's review notes that the true bypass switching keeps signal integrity pristine when the pedal is bypassed, so it stays out of the way of your clean signal when it is off.
What does the Kick button do on the Storm King?
The Kick button provides a tailored midrange bump that adds presence and boost to your distorted tone. Aguilar describes it as adding presence and punch, which helps a distorted bass cut through a mix.
What power supply does the Aguilar Storm King need?
It takes a standard 9V DC center-negative power supply, which is not included. Because there is no battery option, you will need a pedalboard power supply or a dedicated 9V adapter to use it.
Where does the name Storm King come from?
It is named after Storm King Mountain, the imposing peak on the west bank of the Hudson River in New York. Both Guitar World and Bass Gear Mag note the mountain as the pedal's namesake.
How big is the Aguilar Storm King?
It measures 93mm x 38mm x 45mm including the knobs, in a 2mm (.080 inch) thick 5052 aluminum alloy enclosure. That micro footprint is why no battery fits inside.
Sources (6)
- New Gear: Aguilar Musical Instruments Storm King Distortion/Fuzz Pedal, Bass Musician Magazine, 2022-10-24
- Aguilar Musical Instruments Introduces Storm King Pedal, Premier Guitar, 2022-10-26
- Storm King Distortion Bass Pedal, Aguilar Shop (aguilaramp.com)
- Bassic Review, Bass Gear Mag (bassgearmag.com), 2024-03-01
- Aguilar debuts new micro drive pedal, the long-awaited Storm King, Guitar World, 2022-10-26
- Tone Hammer by Aguilar, RockBoard PedalPedia, 2026
