Has your opinion of JHS pedals changed?

FullTime Tim

FullTime Tim

Feb 4, 2003
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#1
Over the last few months I've seen more and more people reference Josh Scott's JHS Show videos when talking about the use of pedals and effects. I don't know that I've seen more JHS pedals showing up on this forum, but then there have never been a lot of Boss, Wampler, Keely, JHS as we tend to skew more boutique around these parts.

Once upon a time in the FX forum the mere mention of JHS was asking for a fight and there a lot of debate over Josh Scott and how evil he was or wasn't.

I'm not really looking to renew any old fights or get in trouble for siring things up, but I feel there really does seem to be a different opinion about JHS these days, now that Josh Scott is doing these videos and showing he really knows his stuff about the history of effects and circuits and that he is pretty generous with using his huge channel reach to promote a lot of great pedal companies.

So. What do you think of JHS these days?

(Mods feel free to shut this thing down if I just stoked a flame war or I guess this could be in the off topic forum, but really this is on the topic of effects that we all love)
 
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#2
FullTime Tim said:
Over the last few months I've seen more and more people reference Josh Scott's JHS Show videos when talking about the use of pedals and effects. I don't know that I've seen more JHS pedals showing up on this forum, but then there have never been a lot of Boss, Wampler, Keely, JHS as we tend to skew more boutique around these parts.

Once upon a time in the FX forum the mere mention of JHS was asking for a fight and there a lot of debate over Josh Scott and how evil he was or wasn't.

I'm not really looking to renew any old fights or get in trouble for siring things up, but I feel there really does seem to be a different opinion about JHS these days, now that Josh Scott is doing these videos and showing he really knows his stuff about the history of effects and circuits and that he is pretty generous with using his huge channel reach to promote a lot of great pedal companies.

So. What do you think of JHS these days?

(Mods feel free to shut this thing down if I just stoked a flame war or I guess this could be in the off topic forum, but really this is on the topic of effects that we all love)
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I actually didn't follow the fights but I really enjoy his YouTube videos? :) I don't even play guitar and I find the videos interesting. :) He seems like a nice fellow. I've even thought of picking up a Pulp N' Peel compressor or Mufaletta at some point.
Best wishes,
Brent
 
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#5
BrentSimons said:
I actually didn't follow the fights but I really enjoy his YouTube videos? :) I dont even play guitar and I find the video interesting. :) He seems like a nice fellow. I've even though of picking up a Pulp N' Peel compressor at some point.
Best wishes,
Brent
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I'm in your camp. Those videos are some of the best things about YouTube currently. I've only ever played bass, but love understanding where sounds come from and what makes different effects great. I just find it really interesting and entertaining beyond the demos that the gear world normally revolve around.

I was skeptical of the hate that has existed for the brand, but think that the videos are showing he's not some hack that "steals" circuits, he's got a genuine love for the pedal (and music) industry and that shows and (I think) builds what he thinks people want to have or that he wants to have.
 
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#6
FullTime Tim said:
I'm in your camp. Those videos are some of the best things about YouTube currently. I've only ever played bass, but love understanding where sounds come from and what makes different effects great. I just find it really interesting and entertaining beyond the demos that the gear world normally revolve around.

I was skeptical of the hate that has existed for the brand, but think that the videos are showing he's not some hack that "steals" circuits, he's got a genuine love for the pedal (and music) industry and that shows and (I think) builds what he thinks people want to have or that he wants to have.
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Well put! I agree.
Brent
 
#9
I know the arguments against JHS from just kind of seeing them in the periphery a few years back, though I've never really dug into the pedals themselves. QuadraPog is nice.

Anyhow, I saw his booth at NAMM this winter and I have to say, his use of the icon of "tighty-whitey" underwear for his tiny white compressor pedal made me laugh out loud, and in person and on youtube he doesn't seem at all like the douche people had made him out to be.

Maybe he mellowed out, maybe he's putting on an act, either way I don't have much of an issue with him myself. But I understand the sentiment based on the original arguments.
 
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#10
FullTime Tim said:
I'm in your camp. Those videos are some of the best things about YouTube currently. I've only ever played bass, but love understanding where sounds come from and what makes different effects great. I just find it really interesting and entertaining beyond the demos that the gear world normally revolve around.

I was skeptical of the hate that has existed for the brand, but think that the videos are showing he's not some hack that "steals" circuits, he's got a genuine love for the pedal (and music) industry and that shows and (I think) builds what he thinks people want to have or that he wants to have.
Click to expand...

Or it shows he’s getting paid by BBE and Behringer to create demand where there isn’t any.
 
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#14
FullTime Tim said:
Over the last few months I've seen more and more people reference Josh Scott's JHS Show videos when talking about the use of pedals and effects. I don't know that I've seen more JHS pedals showing up on this forum, but then there have never been a lot of Boss, Wampler, Keely, JHS as we tend to skew more boutique around these parts.

Once upon a time in the FX forum the mere mention of JHS was asking for a fight and there a lot of debate over Josh Scott and how evil he was or wasn't.

I'm not really looking to renew any old fights or get in trouble for siring things up, but I feel there really does seem to be a different opinion about JHS these days, now that Josh Scott is doing these videos and showing he really knows his stuff about the history of effects and circuits and that he is pretty generous with using his huge channel reach to promote a lot of great pedal companies.

So. What do you think of JHS these days?

(Mods feel free to shut this thing down if I just stoked a flame war or I guess this could be in the off topic forum, but really this is on the topic of effects that we all love)
Click to expand...
I don’t have any beef. I can’t say I’ve tried his pedals. But I haven’t tried a G&L bass either. I have nothing against either brand. Just isn’t anywhere around here to try them. I do like his show. I like his enthusiasm for pedals. He promotes pedals in general not just his own brand. I think that’s not only very likable but it’s a good way to learn about pedal history and pedals that might have been overlooked when they came out that now with newer trends could be more useful now. His art explanations are pretty funny also. Like having a compressor with tighty whiteys that he explains as “well if tightens things up and keeps them in place” lol
 
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#15
I absolutely love the jhs channel and as others have mentioned, there is so much there. I am not too familiar w the hate but these days it diesnt take much to piss people off.

I checked out his lineup at the brooklyn stomp box exhibit and have been GASing for a bonsai ever since. I dont own any of his work but have tremendous respect for his knowledge, the fact that he shares it, and collaborates on other channels and seems to be a part of the general builder community. The episode of that pedal show thats a history on distortion is pretty fantastic.
 
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#18
In the fuzz world, JHS has done some dirty stuff. So, for those that don’t know...

It is one thing to clone older circuits and quite another to clone circuits from newer pedals still in production (like when Spencer ripped off Darkglass).
JHS took Devi Ever’s Hyperion circuit, and made not one single change or improvement (there are actually mistakes in the way she designed the circuit) and called it the Astro Mess. It’s marketing said he designed it specifically for the band Seitchfoot and they were endorsing the pedal. When it was discovered that JHS had ripped off Devi and duped Switchfoot he didn’t apologize and in fact,Josh tried to convince retailers to drop Devi.

There are other examples of Josh using DIY circuits that the designers released for the DIY community via Creative Commons or something - in fact he has actually used a Madbean PCB in his own pedal and called it original.

Here is an older list of pedals JHS has called their own but in fact are other’s designs:
Angry Charlie - MI Audio Crunch Box
Astro Mess - Devi Ever Hyperion
Bunrunner - Devi Ever Hyperion / Tone Bender
Charlie Brown - BSIAB diy circuit from general guitar gadgets
Mini Foot - Bazz Fuss diy circuit
Mr. Magic - Zvex Super Hard On
4 Wheeler Bass Fuzz - Zvex Wooly Mammoth

I have no respect for that guy/company.
 
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#19
A long while back when I was looking up info on the Colour Box and Pulp n' Peel V4, I saw a few posts in various threads that eluded to either quirky personality issues or questionable business practices...something along those lines. I never really followed up on any of that though. Instead, I bought the Pulp n' Peel and it was a great compressor. I also enjoy some of the JHS vids on Yatube.
 
#20
40Hz said:
Ok. Any actual reason for that conjecture?

Or just idle speculation on your part?
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He's building a brand and making a greater name for himself than he did before. There's certainly nothing wrong with that. But there's no reason for him to shill for other companies on a pro bono basis. I happen to like some of the things he's done, like the history of op-amp distortion. But a few of them, like the ones mentioned, raise an eyebrow.

OTOH, there's no reason for Josh to care one bit what I think. His sales should be through the roof and he sold out of his recent handmade run of pedals in minutes. Just because I don't like some of it means nothing.
 
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