Shop Keyboard Deals, Financing, and More

Sorry, all demos of this item have been sold.

Since demo items are such a great deal, they often sell within hours of showing up on our web site. Order a new one below, or browse every currently available demo item here.

JHS 3 Series Distortion Pedal

Distortion Pedal with Volume, Filter, and Distort Controls and Gain Switch
22 Write review Item ID: JHS3DIST
$99.00

Earn $5 back in Bonus Bucks† OR pay $5/month with 24 month financing*

Find it used on Sweetwater's Gear Exchange
listed for
$65.00

Free
Shipping
Tech Support

Free Sweetwater
Support

Free 2-year
Warranty
In Stock!

Add to Cart
Notify me about deals

Buy a bundle and save!

Product Photo

3 Series Distortion Pedal with Patch Cables

$113.99 $107.00
Product Photo

3 Series Beginner Pedalboard Bundle

$868.90 $829.00

Ask An Expert

Our expertly trained Sales Engineers are ready to help!

(800) 222-4700
What is a Sales Engineer?

Most Popular Accessories & Related Items

JHS 3 Series Distortion Pedal
In Stock!
$99.00
Add to Cart
Add to list
Back to navigation

Written By

Our Product Research Team

Get to know them!

Minimal Controls, Maximum Distortion

The 3 Series Distortion pedal from JHS chucks all the nonessentials out the window, leaving you with nothing but sweet, speaker-cone-melting distortion. With just three knobs — Volume, Filter, and Distort — you can craft a slew of distorted tones, from punky and dirty to blistering high-gain howl and sputtering fuzz sounds. For even more sonic versatility, the 3 Series Distortion pedal is equipped with a Gain toggle that lets you select between compressed, saturated distortion or wide-open crunch that is extremely touch responsive. Guitarists at Sweetwater were impressed by the sonic heft of the 3 Series Distortion — especially at its comfortable price. Whether you’re looking for your first distortion pedal or another color for your tone palette, the JHS 3 Series Distortion is a rock-solid choice!

Related Videos: 3 Series Distortion Pedal

JHS 3 Series Distortion Pedal Features:

  • Affordable, streamlined distortion pedal
  • Simple 3-knob design: Volume, Filter, and Distort
  • Select between compressed distortion or dynamic crunch with the Gain toggle
  • Provides myriad tones — from medium gain to heavy distortion and fuzz
  • Runs on 9-volt DC negative center power (power adapter not included)

Warranty Info

Sweetwater's FREE 2-Year Total Confidence Coverage Warranty

Extra peace of mind at no extra cost.

  • Save money with FREE parts and labor
  • Get back to making music with the industry's fastest turnaround time
  • Fix it the first time with our award-winning, factory-certified Service Department
Learn More about Total Confidence Coverage
2 Year Total Confidence Coverage
$9.00
FREE!

Free 2-year Warranty

Sweetwater's 2-year Total Confidence Coverage™ Warranty gives you extra peace of mind at no extra cost.

Learn More about Total Confidence Coverage
Tools Icon

Save money with free parts & labor!

Fast Icon

Get back to making music with the industry's fastest turnaround time.

Award Icon

Fix it the first time with our award-winning, factory-certified Service Department.

Back to navigation

Tech Specs

  • Pedal Type: Distortion
  • Analog/Digital: Analog
  • Inputs: 1 x 1/4"
  • Outputs: 1 x 1/4"
  • True Bypass: Yes
  • EQ: Filter Control
  • Power Source: 9V DC power supply (sold separately)
  • Power Usage: 9mA
  • Height: 1.22"
  • Width: 2.38"
  • Depth: 4.42"
  • Manufacturer Part Number: DISTORTION

What Makes Our Sales Engineers Great?

Sweetwater Sales Engineers are a world-class team of experts dedicated to you. Hand selected from across the globe, each brings a wealth of experience and expertise in the world of music gear to provide you with unparalleled service completely free of charge. Friendly relationships, real trust, and the right gear are only a call or a click away!

(800) 222-4700
Contact Your Sales Engineer
Back to navigation

Customer Reviews

4.4 out of 5

Customer Added Media

Write your review

Rat + in a smaller footprint box

Great sounding Rat pedal! It's the quintessential distortion sound. Set your amp at just slight break up and the distortion on the pedal between the 10-1 position and it's perfection. I would refer to it as a Rat plus. Simple, great sounding, set it and forget it. On a personal note not related to its operation: I like the fact it is all white, you can get creative and paint it or throw stickers on it to make it your design.
by MV from Chicago on

Budget All American Pedal

I missed the boat on the All American pedal when JHS built it, and as soon as I saw the "Filter" control on here I knew there had to be some Rat-type thing going on with the 3 Series Distortion (The JHS All American was basicallya modified Rat). I love Rat pedals, and this thing is like a Rat with a clipping option. Definitely worth the price of admission. Seriously considering the Fuzz from this series as well.
by Dave from WI on

A Fantastic Pedal

I decided to give the JHS Series 3 Distortion pedal a try after reading other great reviews. Wow It's fantastic!!!! A great Rat pedal by JHS and well worth buying too. I plugged in my 2012 Fender American Standard Stratocaster which has a Duncan SSL-5 in the bridge and un-loaded some blues riffs. So if your thinking about getting this pedal definitely buy it! You'l be glad you did too. I might need to get a second one for my other pedalboard.
by Donald M Whitesel Jr from Lancaster, PA on

wow great deal

I was very pleased with how it sounds with my fender guitar and amp!
by Thomas from TX on
Music background: been playing since my teenage years till now I am 56 now!

Wolf in Sheep’s Clothing

I purchased this to serve as a backup to some more expensive drive pedals. As such, I didn't expect to really use it much. I knew it was based on the Rat, which is one of my favorite pedal circuits of all time. In short, once I tried it I was blown away. Seriously, this pedal is a "sleeper" and much better than appearance or price would indicate.

So why not just use a Rat? For starters, this pedal sounds like a Rat, but it hits the ears a little bit better and feels better under the fingers. I have the Proco Fat Rat, Dirty Rat, and also have the JHS Pack Rat. I actually prefer the 3 Series Distortion over all of them. The mids feel slightly smoother, and the bass response feels a little different to me (maybe just a tad more bass). The differences are slight, but enough to make me prefer the 3 Series Distortion over the others. Like I said earlier, it just hits my ears in a more pleasing way and responds a little differently. The 3 Series Distortion also stacks incredibly well with my Mini Ego Compressor and my Fulldrive 2v2. This pedal is also very quiet, even when being pushed with other drive pedals.

In summary, this is a great pedal. Don't let the plain looks fool you - it's a steal at $. It has the toothy and gnarly Rat tone I love but with some improved feel and response. The build quality is excellent, the pots and switches feel great. I emailed JHS and they confirmed this pedal is based on the JHS All American. A wolf in sheep's clothing for sure.
by Sweetwater Customer on
See also: Distortion/Overdrive, JHS, JHS Distortion, Overdrive, Boost & Fuzz Pedals
Close Close $2,000 Pick Your PRS Giveaway -- input your email address below to enter or click here to learn more.

See giveaway details & rules or check out our past winners!

Enter Now

Success!

Your email, has been entered to win this giveaway. Good Luck!