JHS PedalsBonsai 9-Way Screamer Overdrive Guitar Effects Pedal, Green

I stopped buying overdrive pedals quite some time ago...im perfectly satisfied with the gain on my amps and with the pedals I already own. Also, ive never really been a Tube Screamer fan. I own a TS9 and its in a drawer...which is not to say they are not good pedals, but i have boost options that preserve my original frequency response and i prefer that. I like what Josh did with the Angry Charlie and that is always on my board, so i thought this pedal was innovative and would allow learning more about the tube screamer options....i am really enjoying this pedal and I am pleased I bought it.I A/B against my TS9 and in my short test, I felt the Bonsai was in the ballpark...but not the same with similar knob setting. Thats not a complete test, but i think it could be very close if i fiddled with the settings...its a dont care for me because all the Bonsai sounds are good as far as I am concerned...there is very little difference between some of the presets, but that may track very well with the original pedals....Ive found useable and enjoyable settings on each preset and enjoyed the heck out of myself....I like the JHS mode the best becasue it exhibits the least amount of clean-mix with overdrive which is the hallmark of the tube screamer and what I hate about it...however, thats good for pushing an amp front end...i prefer a full clean boost though.In closing, as a standalone overdrive, I am using it off board at home to learn new songs and i really like it....i want to hear the drive and tone of the pedal on its own without being relegated as a front end boost....while i really dislike the standard TS method of having less gain on some frequencies or actually mixing some of the clean with the overdrive, I am enjoying this pedal...i knew what it would be and im learning to like it while I learn about all the TS variants.Recommended

I never expected this pedal to b so versatile. Sometimes I use it as a gain pedal, if I dial back the distortion to zero there are a few of the screamers that have a really nice clean tone with just a touch of compression. Otherwise I can select all the lead sounds and harmonically rich overdrives my heart desires. TBH it has taken me a while to delve into all the different TS versions and compare them and I am still getting to know them after many months of playing with it. The only thing I do not like is that the tone not behaves differently on a couple of the screamers, but I have gotten used to that too, and as there is a lot to learn and play with in this pedal, it has helped to be patient and have the pedal within reach so that I can adjust and compare options while I am playing. This really is a desert island pedal if there ever was one.

The JHS Tube Screamer is my favorite versions of all the tube screamer pedals I love.*** Truthfully, You could just buy the real “Tube Screamer” pedal you love most if there was one in particular that you liked and it would be fine ..... After all, some TS pedals are so negligibly close in sound .... The 808 & TS9 are almost the same.... Yet all the others on this pedal seem a little more noticeably different.The Tube Screamer is my Top 3 favorite distortion pedals of all time, so for me to have a few varieties of them in one pedal is great.I’ve seen the reissue 808 sell for about $200, and the TS9 sell for about $100.... To me ... I felt it was worth it because it’s exactly what I wanted. I paid slightly over $200 for my JHS Bonsai.*** Remember this will not be 9 radically different distortion pedals in one, rather a collection of variations on a particular one..... The Tube Screamer. It does it AWESOMELY. I had an Ibanez TS9 on hand and did a quick A/B comparison and felt it was a perfect match off a quick listen.*** If you love the gentle warm distortion of a Tube Screamer and can’t settle on having just one ..... Then you’ll want this pedal.

JHS Bonsai .... I purchased this item to replace my (Japan) TS10s and (Analogman modified) TS808 on my board. I have a huge Tube Screamer collection ( 4 TS10s a TS5 and Analogman modified TS808 , TS9DX , TS7 and Maxon 808.) I use The Screamers for boosting solos as my amps ... (Marshall , Soldano , Carvin) have plenty of gain so I don’t need an always on overdrive ..... I have A/B the Bonsai against all my Tube Screamers... IMHO the sound is 85 to 90% .The knobs of the Bonsai may have to be adjusted to different positions from the Tube Screamers to achieve the same tone....In a live situation no one could ( except my self) feel or hear the difference. But to my ear and recorded thru Logic Pro X there’s a slight sound and silky feeling missing. I took the back off ... and the board is all SMT Surface Mount Technology. I realize that the manufacturer uses this to speed up production and save money. There is a difference In sound between SMT and old school electrical components in the Tube Screamers...IMHO. Dose the Bonsai replace my Tube Screamers ... No ...Will I put this on my board and uses this live.... Hell Yes. ( my TS10s are to fragile and worth too much money to use live...thanks John Mayer) .... But I will still use my old Tube Screamers for Recording and practice... one more thing Gary Moore used TS10s from 1987 till 2006 as his main overdrive. This pedal gives a lot or sound and value for the money and I would recommend it..but not to replace any Ibanez TS pedals.