JHS Legends of Fuzz SMILEY Inspired by First-Era Silicon Model Arbiter Pedal

Our Take:

Part of the Legends of Fuzz series, the JHS SMILEY takes its cues from a pedal that - even if you didn't know its name - you've certainly heard its sound a million times before. That's right, the SMILEY is based on the legendary Fuzz Face that Jimi Hendrix (and many others) integrated into his arsenal, helping to solidify the fuzz tone as a staple of rock and roll. The brain child of salesman Ivor Arbiter, the first Fuzz Faces used Germanium transistors, but gets its truly iconic tone from Silicon; the SMILEY does the same, delivering an insane amount of low-to-mid range sustain and bite with a click of the footswitch. Plus, the SMILEY cleans up like butter as soon as you roll back on the guitar's volume, making the JHS SMILEY incredibly useful for live playing situations. If you've been looking to faithfully - and consistently - recreate the sound that made greats like Hendrix, Clapton, and Johnson famous, look no further than this pedal.

JHS' Take:

The "Legends Of Fuzz'' series is a collection of the world's most historic, rare, and sought after circuits.

At JHS, fuzz pedals have been in our lineup for over a decade. We have designed original circuits, replicated classics, and we have seen the trend of fuzz popularity come and go. The "Legends Of Fuzz'' series is our tribute to the most important fuzz circuits ever made. It is our way of ensuring that the stories of these effects live on in the music that you are going to make. From the earliest days of fuzz in the mid-60's London scene to the 1990's ex-Soviet military factories that brought the Big Muff back to life, fuzz tells a story, and that story includes guitarists just like you. There is nothing more primitive than plugging your guitar into a vintage fuzz circuit; it is raw, untamed, and so pure that it pushes the boundaries of what your instrument can accomplish. Plug into a fuzz and plug into sixty years of beautifully broken sound.

The Smiley is clear and defined, straddling the line between distortion pedal and a searing sustain, sustaining low end and crisp mid-range bite that you expect from a vintage Arbiter unit. One of the most revered characteristics of a good Fuzz Face* is its ability to clean up when the guitar's volume is rolled back, and the Smiley does this effortlessly.

The controls are Volume and Fuzz. Volume sets the overall output level of the effect; turn it up and it gets louder. Fuzz is the distortion control; the more you turn it clockwise, the more fuzz you create. On the side you will see a “Mode” control. Push this button to access our own unique “JHS Mode”. This mode sends the Smiley into high gain / gated fuzz territory that you may never want to come back from.

If you want a fuzz that covers coveted classic tones, look no further. Legends like Jimi Hendrix, Jack White, Eric Clapton, David Gilmour, and Eric Johnson have used this circuit on countless albums. Now it's your turn.