The JAM Pedals "Achenbach" Lucydreamer Bass is a bass overdrive pedal with a clean blend. JAM Pedals describes it as a touch-sensitive clean-blend overdrive that takes bass from dynamic tube-amp-style breakup to full, saturated drive without losing note definition1. The idea behind the design is simple and bass-specific: the drive circuit does its work on one path while your original signal travels another, and a Mix knob sets how much of each you hear.
The pedal comes out of the Achenbach Series, a collaboration between JAM Pedals and John Achenbach that the maker describes as the result of a friendship built over years of mutual respect2. The guitar version of the Lucydreamer, the JAM Pedals LucyDreamer Bass's six-string sibling, is listed as used by Mick Thomson of Slipknot2.
JAM Pedals lists the Lucydreamer Bass as sold out in its limited artwork collection3. The price shown on the maker's product page is in pounds sterling; no US dollar price is given.
A clean-blend overdrive for bass
The core of the pedal is the dry/wet Mix control. JAM Pedals says it keeps the fundamental, attack and playing nuance intact even when the driven path is pushed hard1. In practice that means you can dial in a saturated drive sound on the wet side while your clean low end carries the weight underneath, which is the classic solution to the problem of overdrive thinning out a bass signal.
The maker also positions the pedal as touch-sensitive, meaning the drive responds to how hard you play: lighter picking stays cleaner, harder digging pushes into breakup1. The company says the equivalent Mix control on the guitar version restores natural attack and definition, making it equally effective into a clean platform or an already driven valve amp2.
For comparison with other bass pedals in the JAM Pedals line, the Lucydreamer Bass sits alongside drive options like the JAM Pedals Rattler Bass and JAM Pedals Red Muck Bass, which are distortion and fuzz designs rather than overdrives.
The controls and footswitches
Four knobs shape the sound, and two footswitches handle switching.
| Control | What it does |
|---|---|
| Level | Sets master output1 |
| Tone | Shapes the overdrive1 |
| Gain | Sets saturation1 |
| Mix | Sets the dry/driven ratio, preserving low-end foundation and articulation while adding harmonic content1 |
The right footswitch engages the main effect. The left footswitch activates the high-gain stage without changing the dry level1, so a hotter drive character is available on demand while the clean blend you set stays constant. That arrangement gives you three usable states: bypass, normal drive, and boosted drive.
Limited artwork versions
JAM Pedals offers the Lucydreamer in custom artwork versions, and states plainly that they are the same sound with different artwork2. Named versions include:
- Curious Eye
- Still
- Superior
- Campfire
- Relic
- Turquoise Gold2
Every limited artwork pedal is a one-of-a-kind hand-painted piece, and the maker notes the pedal you receive will differ in detail from the photos shown1. So the artwork choice is purely cosmetic: two pedals with different paint jobs sound identical.
JAM Pedals backs the pedal with a 30-day money-back guarantee, refunding you if you are not satisfied and wish to return it1.
Videos
BassTheWorld.com
Patrick Hunter
Zachary Rizer
Questions
Is the JAM Pedals Achenbach Lucydreamer Bass true bypass?
Yes. JAM Pedals lists the Lucydreamer Bass as true bypass, so with the effect disengaged your signal passes through without buffering or coloration. The guitar version of the Lucydreamer carries the same true bypass specification.
What power does the Achenbach Lucydreamer Bass need?
It runs on 9V DC with a center-negative plug and draws 18 mA. That is low enough to share an isolated output on most pedalboard power supplies, and it is the same standard polarity arrangement as the rest of the JAM Pedals line.
What does the Mix knob do on the Lucydreamer Bass?
Mix sets the ratio between your dry signal and the driven signal. Because the clean path is never touched by the drive circuit, you can push the overdrive hard while keeping the low-end foundation, attack and playing nuance intact, adding harmonic content on top.
Who designed the Achenbach Lucydreamer?
The Lucydreamer comes out of the Achenbach Series, a collaboration between JAM Pedals and John Achenbach that grew out of a long friendship and mutual respect. The Bass version carries the same circuit adapted for bass.
What does the left footswitch do on the Lucydreamer Bass?
The left footswitch activates the high-gain stage without changing the dry level, so you can jump to a hotter drive setting while your clean blend stays where you set it. The right footswitch engages and disengages the main effect.
Are the limited artwork versions different in sound?
No. JAM Pedals offers the Lucydreamer in custom artwork versions such as Curious Eye, Still, Superior, Campfire, Relic and Turquoise Gold, and states they are the same sound with different artwork. Each limited artwork pedal is a one-of-a-kind hand-painted piece.
Sources (3)
- “Achenbach” Lucydreamer Bass, JAM Pedals (www.jampedals.com)
- “Achenbach” Lucydreamer, JAM Pedals (www.jampedals.com)
- LucyDreamer Bass Limited Artwork, www.jampedals.com
