Frank Bello is the bassist for Anthrax, a band he is known for bringing "his own distinct style and energetic passion" to1. As a player, his longest-running piece of gear is the Tech 21 SansAmp Bass Driver DI, which he used for several decades, both for Anthrax and for his solo efforts23. Tech 21 describes it as having "became the heart of his rig for several decades"1.
Signature SansAmp
After years on the Bass Driver DI, Bello worked with Tech 21 on his own signature unit, the Frank Bello Street Driver 482. Guitar World's Joel McIver reviewed the pedal and called it "the signature SansAmp pedal that he's been developing with the Tech 21 team has turned out to be such a triumph"4.
"Having developed a personal relationship, it was time for Frank to have his own Signature SansAmp, the Frank Bello Street Driver 48."
Zoom B3 patches
Zoom's B3 bass effects and amp simulator pedal, introduced at NAMM in 2012, ships with custom patches designed and used by Bello, alongside patches from Living Color's Doug Wimbish5.
Beyond the bass
Bello is the author of the autobiography Fathers, Brothers, and Sons: Surviving Anguish, Abandonment, and Anthrax, described by Tech 21 as "a candid accounting of childhood challenges, stardom, and personal tragedy"1. He is also an avid supporter of Little Kids Rock and New York City school music programs, donating gear and inspiring students in their classrooms1.
News
Sources (5)
- Frank Bello FB48, Tech 21 NYC, 2025-07-07
- Tech 21 Launches Frank Bello SansAmp Street Driver, Premier Guitar, 2023-09-28
- New Gear: Tech 21 Introduces the Frank Bello Street Driver 48 Signature SansAmp, Bass Musician Magazine, 2023-09-20
- Tech 21 SansAmp Street Driver 48 review, Guitar World, 2023-12-30
- Zoom Debuts New B3 Bass Effects and Amp Simulator Pedal at NAMM, No Treble, 2012-02-11
