JAM Pedals Ripple Bass

The JAM Pedals Ripple Bass is a bass phaser pedal from Greek maker JAM Pedals. It is the bass version of the company's Ripple, a one-knob, two-stage phaser, and JAM describes the bass version as recalibrated so the modulation's focus provides rich, wet textures for the bass frequency range¹. Like other pedals in the company's bass line, such as the Rattler Bass and LucyDreamer Bass, it takes an existing JAM circuit and voices it for the low end.

The Ripple itself is an homage to two-stage phasing, an uncommon topology. JAM says the two-stage circuit gives the Ripple "a sincere, characterful sound that stands apart from more familiar phase" designs, with a deep, mellow and distinctly vibey voice that adds movement without overwhelming the instrument². The Ripple Bass carries that character over to bass.

A phaser recalibrated for bass

A phaser splits the signal and shifts one part out of phase across a sweep of frequencies, then recombines the two, producing the moving, notched character players know from funk and psychedelic records. Most phasers on the market use four or more stages; the Ripple uses two, which JAM positions as the source of its distinct, characterful voice⁴.

The recalibration for bass is the core of what separates this pedal from the standard Ripple. JAM's own wording on the bass version¹⁵:

For a bassist, that means the sweep is centered where the instrument lives rather than where a guitar lives, so the effect reads as movement and texture in the low register instead of thinning out or getting lost under the fundamental¹⁵.

One practical note from the maker: vintage-style two-stage phasers like the Ripple are designed to work best with passive pickups and electronics, and hot-output active instruments might clip the pedal's input stage depending on your settings⁵. If you play an active bass with a strong output, that is worth knowing before you set the pedal up.

JAM also notes, on the Ripple family, that the pedal performs well before or after overdrive pedals, offering different levels of integration and prominence in the chain². That placement choice applies equally to the bass version: before dirt the phaser sweeps a cleaner signal, after dirt the modulation rides the distorted texture.

Artwork versions: Achenbach, Relic and Bat Race

The Ripple Bass is sold in limited artwork versions, listed by JAM under its Ripple Bass Limited Artwork collection³. The named finishes include the "Achenbach" Ripple Bass, the "Relic" Ripple Bass and the "Bat Race" Ripple Bass⁵⁶.

Each of these is a one-of-a-kind hand-painted piece, and JAM states plainly that the pedal you receive will differ in detail from the photos shown¹⁶. The artwork is applied by hand, so no two enclosures match exactly.

The same artwork program runs across JAM's guitar Ripple line, with finishes such as "Blue Dragon", "Concentric", "Moon Soup", "Achenbach" and "Relic" offered on the standard Ripple²⁴. JAM's position on all of them is the same: same sound, different artwork²⁷⁸.

How the artwork versions compare

Across both the guitar Ripple and the Ripple Bass, JAM treats the artwork finishes as cosmetic variants rather than separate products. The "Bat Race" Ripple Bass page states it outright: custom artwork versions, same sound, different artwork⁶. The Achenbach Ripple Bass page lists the "Bat Race" and "Relic" Ripple Bass as its custom artwork versions⁵, and the Relic Ripple Bass is itself a limited artwork pedal¹.

So a player choosing between an Achenbach, Relic or Bat Race Ripple Bass is choosing a painting, not a voicing. The circuit, the recalibrated bass frequency focus and the behavior with passive versus active instruments are the same in each finish⁵⁶.

For UK buyers, JAM lists the Bat Race Ripple Bass as shipping free, DDP, with 20% UK VAT and all duties included and no extra charges on delivery⁶.

Where it sits in the JAM Pedals line

The Ripple Bass belongs to JAM's bass pedal family, which also includes the Wahcko Bass, the Ripply Fall Bass, the Red Muck Bass and the Dyna-ssoR Bass compressor. Within that range it is the modulation option, sitting alongside the filter-based Wahcko rather than competing with the company's dirt pedals.

Players coming from the guitar side of the catalog will recognize the pattern: the Ripple Bass is the bass version of the Ripple, offered in the same kind of limited-artwork presentation⁵³.

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