Teach me about JHS

Ghostman

Ghostman

Ambassador of the SuperNatural
Country flag
For some reason, I have a loathing for the JHS brand of pedals. Never owned one, never heard one live (that I'm aware of), but I've seen a few of his YT videos. I just have this innate hate for the brand and I don't know why.

So what's the take on these pedals? I saw a recent YT video by Rabbea Massad who I absolutely love for what he does, and their new line of Series 3 sound amazing. I'd love to get a good delay pedal around $100 since that and a flanger are really the only two items I don't have on my board yet.

Teach me Obi Wan's, you're my only hopes.
 
Not sure why you'd have a bias if you haven't played them but you've likely actually heard a ton of them, since they are a very popular choice for a lot of pros (and not so pros). They're solid, well-made and have great features that in a lot of cases you can't get anywhere else. Tone is subjective but I find them to be some of the best-sounding pedals out there. Oh, and the guy that runs the company is an excellent player and seems to be really cool; his video blog is excellent.

At the moment I only have the Boss Angry Driver, which is s collaboration they did with JHS. It's one of the best pedals I have ever owned, hands down, with two separate OD's in one box (a Boss Blues Driver and a JHS Angry Charlie) and a lot of switching options to use them separately or stacked or in parallel. The JHS Angry Charlie side of it is a really superb "Marshall-In-a-box" style OD that is very fluid to play. I really want to pick up the Banzai OD, which has a whole bunch of different versions of the Tube Screamer in one box.

No experience with the new pedals but they look like an amazing bargain, especially for a US-made pedal from a "boutique" maker, and I definitely want to check some of them out. Might have to order up that distortion and see how it works.
 
I totally understand. Josh comes off kind of upiddy and he has an odd sense of humor. And there's the accusations of stealing circuit designs from DIY sites. But the entire industry , including DIY, is copying and evolving from a handful of original circuits. At least he doesn't deny it. I do have a couple of pedals though. #1-The BOSS/JHS JB-2 Angry Driver - This one is designed like the BOSS SD-2 Dual Overdrive which has two circuits that can be selected by an external switch. The JB-2 also has some extra settings to combine both of the drives (Angry Charlie and Blues Driver). I will reserve my opinion on this one cause I haven't had it long enough to review it properly. It is built well like all BOSS stuff. #2 JHS Unicorn - ***** 5 stars! It sounds killer! Analog Photocell Univibe with Tap Tempo, yes please. I have been chasing this sound all my life. It is built well and sounds just as I had hoped it would. fin.

In summation: I don't really dig the JHS asthetic (but I have no problem with Unicorns, Narwhals, or other horned beasts), and Josh is kinda weird, but the pedals are made well & made in the USA. GO CHIEFS! In my limited experience they sound very good and that's really the point.

I have 4 BOSS drive pedals that do the dual drive thing now that I have the JB-2. The others are the SD-2, DS-2, and OD-2r. They all do the external switch thing. I am going to put all 4 of them on a common board with the switching then I'll post it here sometime soon. -Cheers
 
gball said:
Not sure why you'd have a bias if you haven't played them but you've likely actually heard a ton of them, since they are a very popular choice for a lot of pros (and not so pros). They're solid, well-made and have great features that in a lot of cases you can't get anywhere else. Tone is subjective but I find them to be some of the best-sounding pedals out there. Oh, and the guy that runs the company is an excellent player and seems to be really cool; his video blog is excellent.

At the moment I only have the Boss Angry Driver, which is s collaboration they did with JHS. It's one of the best pedals I have ever owned, hands down, with two separate OD's in one box (a Boss Blues Driver and a JHS Angry Charlie) and a lot of switching options to use them separately or stacked or in parallel. The JHS Angry Charlie side of it is a really superb "Marshall-In-a-box" style OD that is very fluid to play. I really want to pick up the Banzai OD, which has a whole bunch of different versions of the Tube Screamer in one box.

No experience with the new pedals but they look like an amazing bargain, especially for a US-made pedal from a "boutique" maker, and I definitely want to check some of them out. Might have to order up that distortion and see how it works.
Click to expand...
If it's made in USA, I approve.
 
U1aAmjk.gif
 
Certainly not trying to send any additional views towards his channel because im not a fan of his ( sorry lol) but a great video of what JHS can do is the MusicIsWin video where that guy bought a $5000 Klon Centaur and then played a JHS and Wampler and if you read the comments, the Wampler and JHS are WAY more loved especially for price differences ( not bashing the Klon Centaur, its legendary but the prices today are so insane, its creator has even condemned the hype).
 
Ghostman said:
The creator could fix that with releasing more pedals. It's a pretty simple solution. I thought the creator wasn't alive anymore.
Click to expand...
@SG John schooled me a bit on why Bill Finnegan of Klon ( whos still alive today and still producing pedals) doesnt produce many Centaurs. But he did hand build every single on them on a cheap folding card table, 8000 units in all, over a 15 year span.

Heres what SG John said on the issue :
SG John said:
In Bill's defense, even though I don't know him. He did cover them in goop because he built them all himself at his kitchen table. He was trying not to be prematurely put out of business by someone copying, then mass producing them. I wish that I knew him in the early nineties, as Bill Janovitz from Buffalo Tom and many other local players were asked to try them out and give their feedback. Or, I'd still like to know him now as he's in Somerville, and occasionally builds an actual Centaur. He only does it as an ebay auction to help out some disadvantaged people in his neighborhood. Basically sells them new for top dollar, then donates the money directly to needy people.
Click to expand...
 
Last edited:
Ghostman said:
The creator could fix that with releasing more pedals. It's a pretty simple solution. I thought the creator wasn't alive anymore.
Click to expand...

Clockworkmike said:
@SG John schooled me a bit on why Bill Finnegan of Klom ( whos still alive today and still producing pedals) doesnt produce many Centaurs. But he did hand build every single on them on a cheap folding card table, 8000 units in all, over a 15 year span.

Heres what SG John said on the issue :
Click to expand...


If you don't want to spent the money on a Centaur, you can get a new in box Klon KTR for $269.00. They were $245.00 when I bought mine. I bought a second in case their values also go through the roof. Thought it was a better investment than lottery tickets. They are a bit inconsistent as to when they are in stock at places, but they are available.

Klon KTR Overdrive Pedal - Limit 1 Per Person
 
SG John said:
If you don't want to spent the money on a Centaur, you can get a new in box Klon KTR for $269.00. They were $245.00 when I bought mine. I bought a second in case their values also go through the roof. Thought it was a better investment than lottery tickets. They are a bit inconsistent as to when they are in stock at places, but they are available.

Klon KTR Overdrive Pedal - Limit 1 Per Person
Click to expand...
I love Bill's disclaimer on these KTRs! And the fact that this site limits 1 per customer to keep resellers from hoarding and jacking up the prices
 
@RVA did a Klon CL clip last year & got me hooked. Was looking for a very clear pedal & also one that would just nudge,,i mean nudge a circuit where was adjusted in but wanted a click & then back(mostly on real precise edge of break up)

I got a cheapy for $25 & the Rimrock MO..both function amazing..the Klon circuit really is an enhancer. Use my amps for the dirt tone & not looking to rearrange that at all. The pedals get used in my writing a bunch. Interesting..never recorded a pedal with a Marshall or Mesa(amps are just too darn good n their own) but Fender..need an arsenal come lead time. But a Super Reverb on edge of break with a Rat & that filter knob,, so nice !!
 
Regarding JHS, I decided to change around the pedalboard that I mainly use with my Mark 5 and use the Angry Charlie as the main distortion source for "Marshall" tones on the green/clean channel. So this is the first time I've used it with the gain up quite high (had been using more as an OD) and running into the clean channel of the amp and, like, wow, does it deliver the goods. Anyone thinking about an AC to give themselves some Marshallesque grind, I can very much recommend it - used as an OD it is killer, but used as a distortion it is truly superb. JHS is doing solid work.
 
Last edited:
Clockworkmike said:
I love Bill's disclaimer on these KTRs! And the fact that this site limits 1 per customer to keep resellers from hoarding and jacking up the prices
Click to expand...
Why do I feel I typed this already, but I read somewhere that he was interviewed about that and they asked him "why aren't you making them or maybe building something better?" & his answer "I am, the KTR is available now" (y)
 
I don't get why some people are saying they don't like JHS based on the man (Josh Scott) that owns the company. I watch his youtube channel frequently, and I think he is witty, and seems like a really nice dude. I guess his dry, slightly off beat sense of humor may not be for everyone, but it is right up my ally, so I like the guy.

As far as copying circuits, he will outright admit it when he does that, and other's have copied his designs as well, and he's OK with it. Name one pedal company that doesn't copy other's circuits. An electronic circuit cannot be trademarked or copyrighted.

Also, his pedals are solid, and sound good, and are as good as anything else on the market. And he is a successful small business that produces his products domestically, and provides employment for people in his local area, and I have no problem with that.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top