The Tech 21 Street Driver 48 is Frank Bello's signature SansAmp: an all-analog bass preamp, drive and DI pedal built by Tech 21. Tech 21 says the all-analog SansAmp Tube Amplifier Emulation technology inside it covers the entire signal chain, from preamp to power amp to speaker simulation, so it can stand in for an amp in several situations1. Guitar World classifies it as a bass preamp/DI and drive pedal, and reviewer Joel McIver found it delivers "a huge range of clean and driven tones, from friendly to fiendish"2.
It was announced in September 2023 with anticipated availability in mid-October of that year, at a list price of $24932. A major priority in the design, alongside the specific tones Bello wanted, was to make the pedal simple to operate3.
A SansAmp bass preamp in a stompbox
SansAmp is Tech 21's analog tube-amp emulation circuit, and the Street Driver 48 is the version voiced to Frank Bello's specs. Like other Tech 21 Signature SansAmps, it offers his core sounds plus the versatility to cover many different styles, whether that is metal, R&B or prog rock3. Tech 21 says Bello wanted players to get a great sound right out of the box, whether novice or expert1.
Guitar World's Joel McIver found the range lives up to that, and that you can also land on excellent copies of the bass tones associated with Bello's heroes, Steve Harris and Geddy Lee2. Tech 21 builds its own signature SansAmps for both players, including the Steve Harris SH1 Signature SansAmp and the Geddy Lee DI-2112 Signature SansAmp.
The name has a story behind it: it comes from the music stores on New York's 48th Street where Bello hung out as a teenager2.
Controls
The control set is deliberately small. Drive and Level handle gain/overdrive and output, an active two-band EQ cuts and boosts Low and High frequencies, and two footswitchable buttons stack extra grit on top23.
| Control | What it does |
|---|---|
| Drive | Sets the gain and overdrive amount23 |
| Level | Sets the output level23 |
| Low | Active EQ, cuts or boosts low frequencies from the 12 o'clock position12 |
| High | Active EQ, cuts or boosts high frequencies from the 12 o'clock position12 |
| Dirt button | Adds extra gain and overdrive; McIver describes it as "a genuinely violent, hollow-sounding distortion"32 |
| Filth button | A second drive option McIver calls "the rather more sane Filth option, which is more toppy and less evil"2 |
The pedal uses silent-switching custom footswitch actuators, so engaging it does not pop through the PA1.
Inputs, outputs and ways to use it
The Street Driver 48 has a 1/4-inch 1megOhm instrument level input, a 1/4-inch unbalanced low Z output, and a balanced low Z XLR output with a ground connect switch1. Guitar World describes the connections as a standard input, a standard output, and a balanced XLR output with an earthing switch2. The XLR output means you can go straight to a mixing desk without a separate DI box.
Tech 21 lists four ways to use it1:
- As a stompbox with an amp
- As a preamp driving a power amp
- Direct into a mixer or PA
- Recording direct into computer applications
Guitar World's McIver sums up the same idea: "you can use it as a regular stompbox, direct into a mixer or as a preamp before a power amp"2.
Power: 9V DC, 250mA
The pedal runs on 9V DC and draws 250mA1. It ships with the Tech 21 Model #DC9 power supply, a 100-240V universal auto-switching unit with a heavy-duty braided cord and interchangeable international plugs for use anywhere in the world14.
The Street Driver 48 has no battery option in the facts Tech 21 publishes; it relies on the included 9V DC supply. At 250mA it draws more current than many analog drive pedals, which is worth knowing if you plan to power it from a shared pedalboard supply rather than the included adapter1.
Frank Bello's signature model
Frank Bello is the pedal's signature artist, and he developed it with the Tech 21 team12. The launch press release describes the moment plainly:
The design brief was twofold: capture the specific tones Frank wanted, and keep the pedal simple to operate3. The result is the compact control set described above, in a rugged all-metal housing that McIver found "built to last"12.
What reviewers said
Guitar World's Joel McIver reviewed the pedal and found a huge range of clean and driven tones, from friendly to fiendish, with the Dirt button supplying genuinely violent, hollow-sounding distortion and the Filth option a more toppy, less extreme alternative2. On price, he wrote:
"At only $249, it should be accessible for anybody who can afford a bass guitar"
Videos
Tech21nyc
Tech21nyc
The Bass Channel
Questions
Is the Tech 21 Street Driver 48 analog or digital?
It is all-analog. Tech 21 says the SansAmp Tube Amplifier Emulation technology inside it is all-analog and covers the entire signal chain, from preamp to power amp to speaker simulation. There is no digital processing in the pedal.
Does the Street Driver 48 have an XLR output?
Yes. Alongside a 1/4-inch unbalanced low Z output it has a balanced low Z XLR output with a ground connect switch, so you can plug straight into a mixing desk or recording interface without a separate DI box.
Does the Street Driver 48 come with a power supply?
Yes. It ships with a Tech 21 Model #DC9 9V DC power supply, a 100-240V universal auto-switching unit with a heavy-duty braided cord and interchangeable international plugs for use anywhere in the world.
Who is Frank Bello?
Frank Bello is the signature artist the pedal was built for. He developed the Street Driver 48 with the Tech 21 team, and the pedal is named after the music stores on New York's 48th Street where he hung out as a teenager. Guitar World notes his heroes include Steve Harris and Geddy Lee.
Where is the Tech 21 Street Driver 48 made?
It is designed and manufactured in the USA by Tech 21 USA, Inc., according to the launch press release. Guitar World's review also lists the pedal's origin as USA.
Sources (4)
- Frank Bello FB48, Tech 21 NYC, 2025-07-07
- Tech 21 SansAmp Street Driver 48 review, Guitar World, 2023-12-30
- New Gear: Tech 21 Introduces the Frank Bello Street Driver 48 Signature SansAmp, Bass Musician Magazine, 2023-09-20
- Tech 21 Launches Frank Bello SansAmp Street Driver, Premier Guitar, 2023-09-28
Frank Bello
