The Damnation Audio MBD 10th Anniversary is a bass overdrive and distortion pedal built around a parallel clean blend: a distorted MOSFET distortion channel runs alongside a contoured clean channel that keeps the low end while pulling back the mids and highs that fight the distortion. Damnation Audio describes the MBD as one of the best bass overdrive and distortion pedals on the market1.
What it does for a bass player
The MBD's design centers on the clean blend. The Clean (Blend) control sets the output level of the parallel contoured clean channel, which Damnation Audio describes as your clean tone with an emphasis on low end and a de-emphasis on disruptive mids and highs. The distortion channel has its own Volume control for output level and a tilt-style Tone control centered around 600Hz1.
The Boost footswitch is the other headline feature. It adds additional boosted signal into the gain stages, with a boost control providing over 30dB of additional gain. Damnation Audio notes that it does not affect the clean blend circuitry, and that with the help of the depth control it can take the MBD from distortion to close to fuzz territory1.
Power requirements
The MBD 10th Anniversary does not accept a 9V battery. Use only a 9VDC 2.1mm center negative (boss-style) adapter. Damnation Audio warns that going above 9VDC may damage your pedal and void any warranties1.
From the MBD-1 and MBD2 to the 10th Anniversary edition
The 10th Anniversary edition is the long awaited follow up to the original Damnation Audio MBD-1 and MBD2 bass overdrive and distortion pedals1. The MBD-1 was the original MOSFET Bass Distortion, and it is long discontinued, with the maker posting its page for posterity2. The MBD2 MOSFET Bass Distortion 2 followed it, bringing a smaller enclosure with top jacks, an external 20dB boost switch, silent bypass switching and a new look3.
| MBD-1 | MBD2 | MBD 10th Anniversary | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Status | Long discontinued2 | Follow-up to the MBD-13 | Limited batch, current1 |
| Boost | External 20dB boost switch3 | Boost footswitch, over 30dB of additional gain1 | |
| Tone | Tilt-style, centered at 300Hz or 600Hz via Shift switch3 | Tilt-style, centered around 600Hz1 | |
| Battery | No 9V battery1 | No 9V battery1 |
The heart of the MBD remains the same bass-loving distortion as the original1. To celebrate ten years of building MBDs, Damnation Audio made a limited batch of 10th Anniversary Editions with V3 specs and V1 aesthetics1.
Damnation Audio's other bass pedals cover neighboring ground: the Curmudgeon 2 is a solid-state power amp distortion, the Retro Bass Distortion was a limited Black Friday 2024 run, and the Pet Symmetry BIG Pedal is a Muff-inspired fuzz with a switchable clean boost. For the wider field, see the site's pages on bass pedals, overdrive pedals, distortion pedals and fuzz pedals.
Videos
Damnation Audio
Questions
Does the Damnation Audio MBD 10th Anniversary take a 9V battery?
No. Damnation Audio states that its pedals do not accept 9V batteries, and the MBD 10th Anniversary is no exception. Power it with a 9VDC, 2.1mm center negative (boss-style) adapter, and keep it off any supply set above 9 volts, since the maker warns that going above 9VDC may damage the pedal and void any warranties.
What is different about the MBD 10th Anniversary compared with the original MBD?
The heart of the circuit is the same bass-loving distortion as the original MBD. The 10th Anniversary edition pairs V3 specs with V1 aesthetics, and it was built as a limited batch to celebrate ten years of Damnation Audio building MBDs. It also carries the boost footswitch with a boost control providing over 30dB of additional gain.
What does the Boost footswitch do on the MBD?
The Boost footswitch adds additional boosted signal into the gain stages, with a boost control providing over 30dB of additional gain. Damnation Audio notes that it does not affect the clean blend circuitry, and that with the help of the depth control it can take the MBD from distortion to close to fuzz territory.
Is the MBD 10th Anniversary a limited edition?
Yes. Damnation Audio made a limited batch of MBD 10th Anniversary Editions to celebrate ten years of building MBDs, combining V3 specs with V1 aesthetics.
Where is the Tone control centered on the MBD?
On the MBD 10th Anniversary, the Tone control is a tilt-style control for the distortion channel centered around 600Hz. Earlier versions differed: on the MBD2, a Shift switch let you center the Tone at 300Hz or 600Hz.
Can I run the MBD above 9V?
No. Damnation Audio says to use only 9VDC 2.1mm center negative (boss-style) power adapters, and warns that going above 9VDC may damage your pedal and void any warranties.
Sources (3)
- MBD 10th Anniversary, Damnation Audio
- MBD-1 MOSFET Bass Distortion, Damnation Audio
- MBD2 MOSFET Bass Distortion 2, Damnation Audio
