JHS Crayon Preamp / Distortion / Fuzz Pedal Reviews
Ever since the Colour Box first came out, customers have been coming to Sweetwater asking how they can get that same iconic console distortion but in a more affordable pedal that's built just for guitar. That's why we're so excited to offer the JHS Crayon. The Crayon beautifully emulates the distressed sound of a classic British recording console pushed to the limit. Between the Master volume control and the Pre drive control, you can dial in anything from a touch of warmth to fuzzy and chaotic overdrive. And while the JHS Crayon doesn't have the full 3-band EQ of the Colour Box, its switchable highpass filter tilt EQ control lets you shift the balance between highs and lows in a way that delivers exceptional tone shaping.
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Highest Rated Reviews
Love this pedal!
Awesomeness! 2 Thumbs up! Goes great with the Morning Glory! :-)
I had to have it
I bought this pedal because I wanted a simpler version of the color box v2, which I own already. I use the color box on everything when I record but I wanted one I could dedicate to my guitar rig for live shows. This more then fills that desire. While it does not do what the color box does it does what it does quite well. It's one of those pedal that makes your rig sound better just being there. I love JHS pedals.
Incredible
This pedal is a game changer. There is a lot of range with this in the overdrive/preamp territory, and when you take it to fuzz-land it cuts through a mix really well instead of muddying the waters. You will never want to turn it off, Highly recommend.
Crayon
Josh makes great stuff. First if you are expecting a clean vintage solid state preamp out of this then you may want to look elsewhere. I think the short description should be Distortion/Fuzz and then Preamp pedal. The range this thing has over distortion is just crazy. Sit back and play and start at noon and work you way up.
You can also shelve the low end if you are using humbuckers and even get a little treble boosting in there with the higher cut frequency.
Gordon
Truly unique
This thing will do everything from Revolver-era Beatles sounds to almost gated fuzz type tones that will make your amp get that "splat" sound. Incredibly responsive to pick dynamics and you can use the volume knob to dial it back to unity gain even with hot humbuckers. A lot of unusual tones in here, no other dirt box I've heard sounds quite like it. If you like really dynamic pedals you'll love this. If you want a tube screamer type dirt box that's a consistent sound at any volume level then this is not for you.
Le Crayon
It's kinda mind bending. It works in clean(ish) mode as a boost. But crank the volume and the pre-volume and it become a sputtering compressed dirt box that sounds like your fuzzbox batteries are in the terminal throes of their demise. Very cool box indeed...
Crayon
I didn't buy this from Sweetwater (sorry, James) but I got it as part of a trade. I have a few points to make. First, the reviews for this pedal don't do it justice. They sounds pretty bad compared to real life. Before anybody buys this pedal, they really should understand what it is. It's a preamp, not a drive. It can drive, but I don't think it's meant to be a main drive. Once that's understood, this pedal takes on a whole new character. It can sound really, really good. I use it to give some umph to my guitar, or to tighten up the bass, and sometimes add some gain. It can be a pretty cool fuzz pedal too. Another thing I noticed is that it sounds better through Vox amps than through Fenders. I haven't tried it out on every Fender or Vox, but that has been the case with the ones I have tried it out on. Definitely a pedal to try and see if you like. Not for everyone, but can be very useful.
Unusual but oddly versatile
Very responsive to slight knob changes and picking dynamics. Does the preamp coloration thing well, and you can go from explosive gated fuzz to funk clean with a twist of your guitar's volume knob. Works great with single coils or vintage output HBs, much less so with with high output pickups (unless you really like bit-crushed Velcro fuzz tones, then by all means go for it). The controls are very interactive. Definitely an oddball, but an interesting one with a lot of character and surprising versatility.
