The E.W.S Stormy Bass Drive is a bass overdrive pedal and, according to RockBoard's PedalPedia, the first bass overdrive E.W.S has produced1. It is an analog circuit in an ultra-compact enclosure, and RockBoard's PedalPedia describes its range broadly: "A wide range of gain settings is possible, covering from clean boost sounds to fat crunch sounds, even deep high gain sounds"1. That span puts it in territory shared by overdrive pedals and, at the top of its gain range, distortion pedals, while at the low end it can act like a boost pedal.
Controls and the three mid EQ modes
Everything sits on the top of the pedal: three knobs and one toggle switch1.
| Control | What it does |
|---|---|
| Volume | Output level1 |
| Tone | Tone shaping1 |
| Gain | Drive amount, from clean boost to high gain1 |
| Mid EQ toggle | Selects one of three EQ modes1 |
The toggle switch sets three EQ modes: Mid Boost, Normal, and Mid Cut1.
- Mid Boost: boosts 6dB around 750Hz1
- Normal: the pedal's standard voicing1
- Mid Cut: cuts 6dB around 400Hz1
Circuit and power
The maker says the amplification circuit combines a MOS FET and a low-noise operational amplifier, and that it always mixes two gain stages with different frequency characteristics. By this account, "A tube-like and touch-sensitive drive sound can be obtained"1.
A DC-DC converter is built into the power circuit and converts the 9V DC input to 16VDC internally. RockBoard's PedalPedia says this realizes a fat, cored low range and a firm high range even at high gain1.
The pedal draws 16mA and can run on a built-in 006P battery or a 9V DC external power supply1.
Videos
BassTheWorld.com
The Bass Channel
Sources (1)
- Stormy Bass Drive by E.W.S, RockBoard PedalPedia, 2026