EarthQuaker Devices Scrolls Bass Odyssey Takes Bass Tone From Motown to Metal
Earthquaker Devices has announced the Scrolls Bass Odyssey, a pedal they call a “bass rig in a box that takes your tone from Motown to metal with the click of a button.” The design came after bassist Kentaro Nakao of the 90s Japanese rock band Number Girl challenged the company to capture the history of bass tones in a compact design.
“I am constantly playing shows in every type of venue you can imagine, so having my sound in a portable rig is a must—that’s why I’ve been a big believer in preamps for a long time,” Nakao explained. “I’ve realized that what’s most important to me is a wide range of EQ control and the ability to shape overdriven tones.”
The drive section on the Scrolls is a tube amp-like distortion inspired by a rare pedal from Nakao’s personal collection. Alongside Level, Drive, and Tone controls, the channel has Blend and Bandwidth controls to ensure the low end stays intact. The pedal’s EQ channel features a Variable Frequency control that lets you cut or boost frequencies all the way from 20 Hz to 10 kHz.
“When we were working on Scrolls, I wanted the EQ channel to be totally transparent when the knobs are set at 12 o’clock, so the output sounds exactly like the clean signal coming in,” Nakao says. “This keeps my bass sounding like my bass, while giving me the ability to enhance its natural tonal qualities and make adjustments across a full frequency spectrum.”
The 3-band EQ is complemented by three push buttons for quick tone sculpting: Deep (80Hz boost), Process (mid scoop), and Bright (5 kHz boost).
Hear Nakao play the pedal in Earthquaker’s introduction video:
Earthquaker says the Scrolls is ideal for complex setups with multiple signal paths. It has three outputs: a standard 1/4-inch out, a buffered parallel out, and a balanced XLR out. It also has an effects loop that is situated between the Drive and EQ channels.
“The effects loop is really designed so that Scrolls can function as the brains of your pedalboard,” EarthQuaker Devices Founder & President Jamie Stillman explained. “Bassists can place modulation, time-based, or any other effects that they’d normally place after their dirt pedals (including more dirt pedals) after the Drive channel, while still retaining all the tone-shaping benefits the EQ channel offers.”
The Earthquaker Devices Scrolls Bass Odyssey is all-analog, true bypass, and built one-at-a-time in Akron, Ohio. It’s available now for $349.
Earthquaker Devices Scrolls Bass Odyssey Photos:
Earthquaker Devices Scrolls Bass Odyssey Features:
| Active EQ Channel |
| Drive Channel |
| Effects Loop |
| Balanced XLR Direct Out (With Ground Lift & Analog Speaker Cab Simulation) |
| True Bypass Switching |
| Lifetime Warranty |
| Drive Input Impedance: 500 kΩ |
| Drive Output Impedance: 100 Ω |
| EQ Input Impedance: 10 MΩ |
| EQ Output Impedance: Less than 1 kΩ |
| Parallel Input Impedance: 10 MΩ |
| Parallel Output Impedance: 100 Ω |
| Direct Out Impedance: 100 Ω |
| Current Draw: 70 mA |
In his time with No Treble, Kevin has met hundreds of amazing bassists and interviewed icons like Jack Casady, Victor Wooten, Les Claypool, Marcus Miller, and more. He's a gigging bassist performing jazz in Northern Virginia and bluegrass with The Plate Scrapers up and down the East Coast. Kevin appreciates all genres of music, from R&B to metal and everything in between. Connect with Kevin on Facebook and check his performance schedule on his website.
