The JHS Bender is our attempt to recreate the most prized Tonebender* in my collection: my 1973 MK3 Silver/Orange “Onomatopoeia” version. This version has three very special germanium transistors, tons of mojo, and fifty-plus years of experience, but it is finicky and it doesn’t always do what you want it to do. I had to ask: could we replicate this pedal sonically?

Could we capture what it's all about, but in a way that is more consistent, dependable, and easy to manufacture? Yes. The end result is a pedal that gives you the touch, feel, and response of the vintage germanium fuzz but with the accuracy and consistency of carefully chosen modern silicon transistors. The controls are Volume, Tone, and Attack. Volume sets the overall output level of the effect; turn it up and things get louder.

Tone lets you sweep between bright and dark tones so that the Bender works well with a range of different amplifiers and guitars. The attack is the distortion control; the more you turn it clockwise, the more fuzz you create. On the side, you will see a “Mode” button that lets you access a never-before-heard “JHS Mode”. Push that button for more gain and a mid-frequency boost to send your leads soaring through the mix.