Ashdown John Myung Double Drive - B-Stock

An Ashdown signature designed around John Myung’s sound

The John Myung Double Drive belongs to the Ashdown Signature pedal family, designed and manufactured in the UK in collaboration with international musicians. Its starting point is a practical one: extending John Myung’s sonic work with his ABM-600 amplifiers while taking into account the distinctive character of his 6-string Music Man Bongo bass.

This collaboration focuses on bass-appropriate saturation across its frequency range, rather than simply adapting a guitar effect. The two circuits meet complementary needs: enriching the sound with harmonics or reinforcing its presence in a dense arrangement. Combining them opens up a third sonic territory, with a higher gain level.

For bassists who want to go from grit to huge riffs

This bass distortion pedal is aimed at musicians looking for several degrees of saturation at their feet. Its approach suits rock, hard rock and progressive metal: you can use one sound to thicken a line, then switch to a more pronounced texture for riffs and passages that need to take up more space.

The two switches make changes easy while playing, without requiring any programming. On a pedalboard, allow space for its 180 mm-wide enclosure. For rehearsals as well as live performances, the two VU meters provide a useful reference when adjusting your level after changing basses or settings.

Two independent drives and a DI output for stage and studio

Drive 1 features Gain, Loud and Tone controls: saturation quantity, output level and tonal color. Drive 2 offers Grit for distortion and Burn for its output level. Each circuit has its own footswitch; activate both to combine their saturation.

The connections include an instrument input, an output to the amplifier and a transformer-isolated, balanced XLR DI output. The latter can be connected to a suitable mixing console or recording chain. The Ground Lift switch helps reduce hum caused by ground loops, while the two VU meters display the input and output levels.

The sound

The first channel delivers rich, full-bodied mids and saturation reminiscent of the character of a tube amp. The second uses a thicker vintage fuzz with greater sustain. Together, they can produce a denser, distinctly saturated texture: an approach designed to color the sound, not merely increase its volume.

John Myung has notably used this pedal in a recording environment with a digital audio workstation. He highlights the harmonic richness of Drive 1 and Drive 2’s ability to bring the bass forward without obscuring its presence. It is an interesting option if you want to add depth to your parts while retaining a clearly identifiable role within the band.

Technical specifications

Brand	Ashdown Engineering.	Drive 2 controls	Grit and Burn.
Model	John Myung Double Drive.	Use of both circuits	independent or simultaneous.
Series	John Myung Signature, Dream Theater bassist.	Switching	2 footswitches.
Condition	B-stock.	True bypass	yes.
Stated condition	complete, with light paint chips on the corners.	Metering	2 VU meters, for input and output levels.
Quantity available for this offer	1 unit.	Instrument input	6.35 mm jack.
Format	bass effect pedal.	Output to amplifier or next pedal	6.35 mm jack.
Category	distortion.	Direct output	balanced transformer-isolated XLR DI.
Technology	analog.	Ground Lift switch	yes.
Number of effects	2.	Design and manufacture	United Kingdom.
Drive 1	harmonic distortion.	Color	Black.
Drive 1 controls	Gain, Loud and Tone.	Dimensions, height x width x depth	60 x 180 x 120 mm.
Drive 2	vintage fuzz.	Weight	1.20 kg.