JHS 3 Series Overdrive

Fantastic pedal! Simple... Practical... Brilliant!The low octave is phenomenal! Put it behind a chorus pedal and it adds the subtle sound of pure magic to your clean tone. There is just something about this sound that inspires you to play.The high octave is... well... it's your typical shimmer and it's done very well. It's bright and it sings when you need it to. I was loving it until the low octave stole the show. Now I can't flip the switch back up without missing the low octave.It is a piece of cake to dial in the sound you are looking for with the simple 3 dial, 1 switch layout.This is really a unique pedal and it's not just a one trick pony. For the price, this pedal is great and the build quality is solid.The only thing that could make this pedal better would be the ability to use both octaves simultaneously. That being said, JHS has made something special with this Octave Reverb pedal... and they did it at a super price point.

In a market full of classic fuzz concepts and extreme fuzz-stortion, this pedal finds a remarkable balance. I've been using it in recording along with the Dunlop JHW1 fuzz-face style pedal, and what can I say, it's been a pleasure to compare the two. I'll do that here so you have a better sense of my take on this lovely pedal. I'm not yet an a-fuzz-ionado (see what I did there?) but I definitely hear the differences between these pedals. The Series 3 sounds rich, full, and has an air of precision. There are no harmonics out of place. It's tight, even in the lower mids. It's a well-dressed sound so to speak, and it creates a load of excitement and energy in riffs or leads. Its added gate feature is a serious advantage giving you much more than a single fuzz, but a spectrum of fuzz sound. Yes, it's a sputtery lead tool. But it also tapers off some lower midrange frequencies to tighten up the tone, and can be used to cut out some of the low mids without reaching the sputter point. In re-amping, this knob is a dream, as the pot is dead silent and can be used to modify the tone as you record it! I sent JHS an email wondering why the FAT switch wasn't working - but it was my mistake, sorry JHS! The UP position is the fat position, which is counter-intuitive to the labeling. Anyway. I still can't tell if FAT is just "normal," and the off switch is a low cut. That's probably wrong, but that's how the pedal actually feels. Withe BIAS wide open, the FAT Switch lets you push the thickness of your leads or riffs. So think about it: BISA lets you thin out, and FAT lets you full up. On a fuzz with no tone knob, you have some really lovely tonal shaping and I prefer this actually. Now to compare it to the JHW1. The JHW1 does not have as much bite (attack) as the Series 3, which comes across clear and crisp without being harsh. The JHW1 comes with a germanium switch, and I have found the germanium sits really nicely in the mix for fuzz sounds that you want to kind of "flatten" into the track a little, so they can appear with more subtlety while still being distorted. That's just a high frequency roll-off, but hell if it isn't perfectly dialed in. The germanium is also a little squishy. I could say its more watercolor while the silicon is oil or acrylic. I hate to admit that the JHW1 does have a little more emotional character, which comes out in the midrange harmonics around 400-1000hz. If I had to make up a word I would say the Series 3 is less "bloomy." On the other hand, the JHW1, a silicon pedal as well, simply cannot do what the Series 3 fuzz does, which is create crystal clear, discrete, thrilling fuzz that happens to be beautiful in its own strident, firm way. Of course, either pedal can be made to work toward other emotional expressions. But this is generally how I hear them; one a little sad and melancholic, the other strong and confident - and both soaring. For $99, this fuzz is an absolute steal, especially if you're looking to play some energized stuff!

For those who don't have experience with the 3 series pedals from JHS, these are meant to be good sounding pedals for a value price. I highly recommend them in this regard. This Fuzz has 3 knobs and a "fat" switch for increasing bass presence. I have been impressed by the JHS brand and this one only reinforces my thinking on them. I suppose JHS is going to rock other pedal manufacturers by providing a simple, no-frills pedal at an excellent price point. An excellent value indeed. His videos demonstrating his products are also very entertaining. A person building a pedal board could buy several good sounding pedals for the price of one of another brand.

Can't say this enough, quality of build and sound... AwesomeIts been around a month now... opinion still hasn't changed. They are rock solid and use them all of the time. Never have I had a problem and the sounds and features are just great. They are worth every penny.