JHS Crayon

JHS Pedals had a slam dunk with their innovative Colour Box, which models the highly sought-after sound of a vintage Neve preamp – hey, that’s what The Beatles used for the solo in ‘Revolution 1’! The company now offers the classic distortion aspect of that unit in a more affordable and streamlined stompbox format.

Designed to provide the sound of a guitar plugged directly into a recording console, the Crayon is a simple 3-knob idea. ‘Master’, ‘Pre-volume’ and ‘Tilt’ controls provide the tonal options. ‘Master’ handles output volume, ‘Pre-volume’ can be thought of as an input gain control, and ‘Tilt’ is an active equalization knob. When set to 50%, the EQ is considered ‘flat’ adding little coloration to your sound. The ‘Hi-pass’ switch toggles between a filter of 200Hz or 750Hz.

Many classic tones are available from the Crayon, from edge-of-dirty classic rock sounds to heavy fuzz. The pedal also has a lot to offer in the recording studio, although integrating this unit isn’t quite as easy as with the XLR-friendly Colour Box.

For the player who is looking for an overdrive that’s a little old-school but with modern versatility, the JHS Pedals Crayon offers an intriguing option.

JHS and the Crayon will be part of our upcoming Brooklyn Stompbox Exhibit 2016. – Brandon Stoner