Dunlop JH-2S Jimi Hendix Classic Fuzz

I bought this pedal used so there was no manual but as others have said it has two knobs..Finding a sound is as simple as turning one knob or the other till you hear what you like..Pretty simple ..I think if you can read this you can figure this pedal out..`

Okay here is where things matter...The sound quality is excellent on this little pedal...As long as you keep in mind the fact that the name doesn't always gives what it implies..If you are looking for Jimi Hendrix's tone keep looking this is not the box for you..I new that when i bought this pedal..So i wasn't dissappointed..
With that said this box will give you very different tones depending on where you put it in your pedal line up..It will also give you a different tone if there is a lot of pedals or just a few so experiment with it..
The thing to keep in mind also is until the gain is turned more than three quaters of the way up it is more of an overdrive/distortion until that point..Which i use it for exactly that quite a bit..With the sustain at have way it gives a very nice Johnny Winters tone for Rock n Roll hoochie Chooo..At just under 3 quaters excellent mountain tone and many other classic rock tones..Hit the three quayters mark and it goes into classic fuzz..Very thick but with some strong lows also..Not as thin sounding on the low end as a Bifg muff pi ..Much thicker sound fatter but not as much sustain either..
This is why i like this pedal so much as it is a different warmer Fuzz..It fits well with the Big Muff Pi and The Russian muff..The three of them together with a tubescreamer and a Keeley DS-1 covers just about all of my dirt needs..

I have been using it for awhile now with no problems ..I use it on my board constantly and it gets switched on and off a lot in the two to three hours a day i play..Plus getting bounced around during travels ..It has held up real well...

Never used them

As i said before i use this more for its lower settings than its all out fuzz sound although there is nothing at all wrong with its full blown fuzz tone ..In fact as i said earlier it gives me something my other Fuzz pedals don't give and that is a larger Bass tone then the Big Muff Pi or the Russian Muff that i use..
My pedal board is what i like after 25 plus years of playing so if i have something on there it has been compared to just about every common and some uncommon brands out there and it was what i thought gave me either a different needed tone or the best tone i could find..
I wont go into modulation pedals filters and wahs and just tell you the dirt i run and amps...For dirt pedals i use a Big muff Pi ,Russian Big Muff,Dunlop JH-2S,Ibanez TS9DX Keeley modded,Boss DS-1 Keeley modded with the SEM &Ultra mod..In stuidio i will also use a BYOC BSIAB II and a Boss MT-2..My guitars are 3 strats,Ibanez ART300 which is a magic guitar to use with this pedal..G&L SC-1..Amps Marshall JCM 800 and a Fender Blues JR..
Overall i find this an excellent pedal that people should snap up before they become exspensive.They have a great tone as long as you are not looking to sound like Jimmy.

Easy enough to use but it behaves differently depending on whether it is first in chain or not.

I use with a various old tube amps. I sold my fuzz factory when I got this, as the germanium fuzz tone I wanted was in there, without all the 5 knob twiddle to make it go fut nonsense.

I also have an old DOD orange classic fuzz which is pretty good but not much of the guitar character gets through that one - whereas this still lets the tone through unless you dime everything.

I also can get a great brown tone out of it with guitar tone almost to zero and drive it hard into my amp.

I sometimes like to put a compressor before it and get fuzz tone for days.

Also can be used very successfully at lower settings for crunchy rhythm chords.

All round excellent fuzz pedal.

Well built, don't expect any problems.

I have owned several fuzz pedals and this is exactly the sound I want.

I think Dunlop may have discontinued it - why? Perhaps the germanium transistors are hard to get reliable and repeatable tone from. So maybe best to try before you buy, but I recommend trying one.

volume and fuzz knob, like a fuzzface, what else can be said? :)

i think i found my pedal, i mean, i tried many distorsions: first boss metal zone, after some behringer plasticboxes, a vox bulldog distorsion, next a mxr distortion plus, i played little big muff until now and i thought i found my sound but was too mid scooped, i always play heavy rythmed funk like muted chords so i need to hear perchussive mid sounds...

with this redbox i can do whatever i like, form distortedfunky patterns to higly sustained melodic lines

very good and abrasive fuzz, i have to say it, many people that write reviews about this pedal go to it because they wanna play like hendrix, i just bought it because i needed a good fuzz to do all my business

dunlop does alway good heavy and strong cases for their pedals... i always liked the design

i never needed it..

i play crossover noise alternative funk hardcorepunk rock . . . pretty much styles mixed alltogether, is good to me to have a distinctive distortion

the gear i use nowaday is: aria pro II excel series guitar (pretty much a jackson's imitation), dunlop jh-2s and a old fbt jumbo 202 solid state amplifier, i need to hear squarewaves go out that worn speaker and choke them in muted riffs...

Two knobs, very easy to use. An internal trimmer, don't mess with it.

This fuzz has had some bad reviews and good ones. Old germanium fuzzes are notorious for inconsistency. This is a newer fuzz but it's the only JH-2S I've ever played, so I can't vouch for the quality of other ones out there. Mine is great. For high ouput humbuckers (I'm using a Les Paul Classic w/500T bridge) it's the best fuzz ive ever heard. I run it with both knobs maxed. I run it into the bass channel of my 100 watt plexi and that smooths out the wicked treble this pedal puts out. Roll back the tone knob to zero on your guitar and your there - a slicing singing lead tone (I only use this pedal for lead) reminicent of Live Cream, or Eric Johnson. With my Vox wah I can make it resonate, and create even more sustain. I have two '70s Fuzz Faces that are great, especially with strats and P90s. I also have a newer germanium modded Fuzz Face that loves single coil pickups. However, none are as responsive to pickup changes and volume and tone knob changes as the Dunlop. I've compared it against other great fuzz boxes, and for high ouput humbuckers the Dunlop wins every time.

Seems reliable enough. Hasn't failed yet.

If your a fuzz purist, open the back of this thing and you'll see all kinds of things you won't like. Board mounted jacks, an IC chip, line buffers, etc, everything you hate about Dunlop's manufacturing process is in evidence here. However, in the right setting this is the best fuzz. It interacts with my Les Paul and plexi reissue perfectly. I only use it for leads, and always with my guitar's tone knob rolled all the way back. I should just put my guitar's tone capacitor inside the pedal. If it were stolen I would buy it again because they are so cheap now.

2 knobs, very easy!

this is not an overdrive. this is a fuzz. This unit is a very bassy, fat sounding fuzz that thickens up Strats and Teles...yes, like Hendrix or Ernie Isley, or David Gilmour, or some great fuzzy old yardbirds. I would liken it to the Big Muff Pi. If more contemporary rock n' roll and guitar tones are your thing, do not look here, this is old school dinosaur fuzz. I love it, especially through single coil guitars, and with humbuckers with a bit of volume rolled off...

dunlop is compact and built like a tank.

I play classic rock and r&b, this is the ticket for either the Yardbirds, "Haert Full of Soul," or the Isley Brothers "Who's That Lady?"

Very easy to use, especially on stage. I can use my toe to adjust the fuzz and Volume controls!

Those big knobs are good stuff.

I play pretty much all Hendrix. With the fuzz cranked on 10, I can get Jimi's Purple Haze tone that he typically got when playing live--extremely fuzzy. As for purple haze rhythm tones--nope. Too bright. I play an old MIJ strat, and it's the deepest sounding strat I've ever heard, but it just sounds bright with this pedal.

I play the rhythm to Are You Experienced? by backing the fuzz off a bit. Then I'll either crank up the fuzz for the solo, or back off my other fuzz pedal (Homebrew Electronics UFO), and turn on both of the fuzzes, creating that raunchy, thick, vintage, and overall Hendrixy tone. Put simply, this pedal compliments many of Hendrix's leads, not rhythms.

Overall, it's pretty good. You're not going to get 20 different sounds out of it--it's a fuzz pedal. Classic vintage fuzzes give you one to three tones that you can use.

I've had it for about a month now--it seems like a rock. It's small and compact, so I don't see it breaking down any time soon.

Never dealt with them.

Like I said before, I'm a Hendrix player. My UFO is better than this, but this is still a good pedal. Not all people want to fork out the $120 for a UFO or some other fuzz pedal (for the old Maestro Fuzz Tone's, I've seen $400 prices!). With this good of a sound coming from a pedal that costs less than $100, I'd say it's a bargain.

Only 2 Controls, you cannot go wrong

Amazing, you get an awesome distortion and crunch as well as that classic Fuzz that everyone is looking for.
Way better than a Big Muff, and it is tru bypass.

It's a MXR, so no problems there

Get on if you can, you will not be dissapointed

Two knobs? Volume, Fuzz. Easy-peasy-lemon-squeezsie.

I opened the unit up and found the transistors were indeed pnp germanium but current stock. NTE-102A which do have the typical gains as the AC-128 and NKT-275. Inside are also trimpots to adjust the biasing of the transistors to get the idea voltages, -0.5 on the collector of Q1 and 4.5v on Q2. What does all this egghead stuff mean? It means dunlop did their homework on this one to get you, the customer, the best sounding fuzz available at a decent price. Unfortunately, this product has been discontinued and are beginning to become harder to get. I've seen them for sale at a couple of online stores on Ebay but most have already switched to pushing the new Analogue Hendrix line of fuzz face. If you see one on Ebay at a decent price, snap it up before they're gone for good.

I've tried quite a few of the Dunlop fuzzface reissues and for the most part were all dismal copies of the real thing. You know, flat and farty, and/or bumble-bee buzzing from hell. You get the picture.

But, this is a totally different animal. This is what a real fuzzface is supposed sound like. Nice top end, beautiful mids, and fartless bottom end. And, turning down the volume on the guitar cleans up wonderfully.

I really love what I'm hearing. I was wondering where Jimi was and he was inside this excellent little metal box. So that's where you were!

I typically feed the unit a Stratocaster and output to a tube amp. A touch of wah and it's Hendrixy all the way. I've tried it through both solid state and tube and the results are almost equal in sonic bliss.

This is a definate addition to my rig. I no longer need to look for the holy grail, I've found it.

Yes, this definately gig-able. Like most Dunlop products, they are built like tanks to take the rigors of a gigs.

Hmmm. I don't really have an opinion on this. If something breaks down I usually fix it myself. I did surf their site and found under support that they do carry the parts needed to repair this pedal.

It's a shame that this product has been discontinued. I guess plenty of fuzz face fans got burned by Dunlop in the past and didn't take the plunge on this. It's too bad because the JH-2S is of exceptional build and quality, and also works as it should. If were lost or stolen, I would have to hunt down another fine (soon to be scarce) product. Thank you, Dunlop.

Two knobs.
If you turn the volume-knob accidentally you've got a problem.

This pedal makes my electric violin sing.
Roland jc 60, Yamaha g100 III and Crate acoustic amp make good combinations with it.
Roland cube monitor 30 doesn't like this it.

Good pedal, it's small, it looks great and it's not expensive. If it got lost I'd buy a Dunlop fuzz pedal again.
Don't know wich one exactly. I can't find this one on their website anymore.

My setup: yamaha ev205 electric violin, dunlop classic fuzz,
tc electronic vintage distortion, roland jc60 amp.
Dunlop volume pedal is on the way.

Easy to use. Only (2) knobs. Even a monkey could do it.
No manual comes with it at all. Just Dunlop ads.
I might have bought the last one sold at on-line stores.
They're on backorder at Dunlop with no release date to suppliers.
According to my e-mail from Dunlop tech. support,
they will be stopping products in 2008.
Now I can see why, once you read my review of this crap.

Here's what I mean by crap. It's not a (fuzz) medal).
It's a normal distortion pedal. You are paying for the
Dunlop name (only). With the so called (fuzz) knob at 10
it creates a sound much like just an MXR Distortion + pedal.
Sometimes I think Dunlop uses the very same circuitry in all
their products, but just changes the housing and the name.
I;m rating it just a 1 because it's not what they say it is.

Sturdy like all metal housed stomp boxes.
The footswitch I must say is the best part of the entire pedal.
You don't hear the click in your amp like some pedals I've tried.
For instance...Belcat pedals have an annoying click.

I received back e-mail from their Tech. Support and Customer Service departments and it was a very quick response from both.
They were very helpful. I just wish they told me the truth
about this pedal so I could have saved $80.

I'm 55 and I've been playing since the 1960's.
My style is blues based. I play an American Strat
through a 15 watt Epiphone Valve Standard.
If this were stolen, I would be out $80 and that would bother me.
I would never recommend this pedal and I would have to be drunk to buy another one. This isn't a (fuzz) pedal. I'm still looking at other
fuzz pedals on the market. If anyone has suggestions, please e-mail me and let me know?

This ones a red mxr styled box first off with a red led indicator for on and off with white script logos. It has the optional 9 volt dc input for an accompanying adapter. Two dials one for volume and other for FUZZZZZZZZ.

I'm prone to heavy classic rock like soundgarden, zepplin, deep purple, alice in chains and aerosmith to the bluesiers sides of trower, frank marino, SRV and of course the worlds most influencial guitar innovator Mr. James Marshall Hendrix!

The equipment I use to accompany.

-early 70's 100 watt four input Marshall head with 4 x 12
-1973 fender telecaster deluxe with p90 pickup in bridge and tex mex's single coils in the middle and neck position
-vox v847 wah
-dunlop univibe
-line 6 delay
-The Hendrix System Classic Fuzz JH-2S

I just got this pedal and it sounds organic yet transparent and captures a lot of certain tones in hendrix's voodoo array. Mind you this is a npn germanium transistor so its effectively quieter than the dunlop fuzz face reissue(red saucer) that uses pnp germaniums.

I prefer this JH-2S way more than the fuzzface that i just brought back today after hearing fuzzface and its static like oscillations that seemed to have abducted my amps personality and tone to the point where I was thinking about its problems more than actually playing!!!! Trust me here on this the JH-2S stomps the fuzzface as its a more noise free musical fuzz that is useful and fun to use :)

It will depend on your equipment as well of course to get those tones Im talking about.

I'm waiting acquire and test those silicon based transitor fuzzy tones as well in order to get the "other Hendrix tones" that made his sound honk and rip like you hear on "machine gun on Band of Gypsys tracks. Check out the Roger Mayer axis fuzz and Fulltone 70s pedal sound samples to hear what I mean by what I say.

So far no problems I can see it will last a long time already cause I know how good MXR boxes hold up. Less external parts and a solid box of steel add up to SOLIDNESS so it will probably out last most human existances!

not an issue on my end.

In conclusion this pedal does sound reminiscent of hendrixs tone still getting the warm frequencies that germanium transistors will! The JH-2S is more economically priced and a better sounding fuzz unit for what it does and it does it good.

Very simple - BUT as I read the reviews not the simpliest!!! It takes time to find the right way of using any fuzz.

My setup: Gibson / Fender guitars to Fender amps. The sound quality of this fuzz is extreme (harsh) on clean amps but excellenty pleasant on slightly distorted chanel. Very dynamic, transparent and swet sounding. Try to set your amp on a heavy crunch, you guitar volume back to 7-8 and the JH-S volume knob on 2 o??clock, fuzz knob on 11-12 o??clock. Great dirty germanium flavoured fuzz. Better then Dallas Fuzz Face. Many harmonics, fresh chordfs, vintage grain.

Yes, yes.

No need.

I play blues derivations and older jazz and rock. I paly almost 30 years. I maybe wish it had a tone control but I am not shure about it.

There are two knobs, and in, an out and a power plug. Through detective skills and an unnerving natural ability I was able to work this pedal straight away.

I didn't buy this with Hendrix in mind. The purchase was motivated by a fondness for fuzz and current gear-lust. As expected the variety of sounds is not huge, but it can do dirty fuzz to thick fuzz very well. From humbuckers to Fuzz to a Laney amp means it's dense, powerful and satisfying, like a big sandwich. I have it set to full volume and minimum fuzz, because it's just the right amount of gain for chunky chords and dirty lead work. I bought it on a whim, but it's staying in my set-up because it sounds like someone spilled acid on my guitar.

Seems to be safe enough. I use a few MXR and Dunlop pedals and they've never pooped out on me before.

No idea.

For hard rock, it's perfect. For solo balladeering, give it a miss. Alternative musicians take note: Good. I have several fuzz pedals, so if it were lost I wouldn't be too upset, plus they're easily bought again. It's small, it's red, it's noisy. Dig it.

The simpliest: two knobs. BUT the story about fuzzes is never as stupid simple as it seems. You have to find the right amount of Volume and Fuzz in relation to the amp and guitar you use. JH-2S is in spite of this much more simple than f.e. the Dunkop Fuzz face reissue.

Astonishing! It has harmonics, gain, dynamics, transparency and a magical vintage personality. What else could a classic rocker or bluesman expect from a stompbox? The germanium transistors are really warm and sweet, changing the color of your tone depending on the vlolume knob of the guitar. It has everything the Dunlop Fuzzface lacks: wider range of fuzzing, more cutting edge, less bass response, better clarity (no muddy sound at all) more dynamics and harmonics. The thin border between week drive and extreme psychodelic fuzzzzzzzzzzzzz as you can hear at Dunlop Fuzzface is here smooth and continuous - not so dramatic jump. It gives the humbuckers a little sharpness and agressivity (the broken speaker effect) and to singles a mild, warm "fat" that we can hear on Hendrix??s solos from the late 60??s. The sound is extremly transparent. Soft picking sound perfectly clear and the harder playing is fuzzy but very clear and articulate.

Yes.

Don??t need anymore.

A fantastic box reminding the old genuine Dallas Arbiters. I tried about 20-30 fuzzes, playing almost 40 years - but this is THE winner. Dunlop made a good job.

This is probably one of the most easy-to-use pedals I've ever owned. You can't go wrong with only two knobs: Volume and Fuzz

This stompbox sounds great with almost any guitar. I use it mostly with a tele or a strat. But when you use a guitar with very high output pickups, like a flying V, the fuzz loses its tone and ends up in chaos.

I've bought this pedal about two years ago and have frequently gigged with it. Still no problems...

I play a lot of styles of music and I play in a lot of bands, but this pedal is helpful in all of them. I couldn't do without it, its easy to use, its not expensive and it sounds amazing.
If it were stolen, I would want another one as soon as possible.

extremely simple two knobs volume & fuzz... perfect simplicity!

fender 54 reissue, handmade strat with overwound single coils, greco les paul (79 model), and the best of all!!! aria ta 40 thinline one of the most perfect guitars i have ever own (made in 82 not a single scratch perfect finishing and a maical sound).

vox clyde mccoy wah, jh classic fuzz

fender blues deluxe.


sound of fuzz is BEAUTIFUL!

build like a tank!

no idea!

the sound of the fuzz is magical i play 18 years guitar started as thash then death metal guitarist then i study jazz and now i play late 60s earlie 70s type of hard rock. my favorite sounds are coming from jazz woodwinds (sax, trompets) and i love the improvisational style of hendrix/pink floyd. this pedal gives you 100 percent the feel of the late 60s when plugged into a full tube amp. silently and very polite long sustain .. HIGHLY RECOMENDED

Theres no doubt this is the coolest little Fuzzbox ive heard, defining sound with clarity. Its how i imagine some of the better original Fuzzfaces would have sounded unlike the reissues of which i own two.Took a chance in the shop, run it through a cranked JTM45 and a 4x12 cab and instantly knew this little box was coming home with me to make friends with my Univibe and Wha.

Two knobs...volume and fuzz.

I use this through a Hot Rod Deluxe and a Princeton 65 (ss amp). This thing isn't noisy at all, very quiet. Now, this is the Jimi Hendrix fuzz, and let me tell you, you can definitely get Jimi's tone with this thing. Play it with a MIM Strat with SCN pups and it sounds great; good fuzz, very clear and definitely not muddy, like the Arbiter Fuzz face RI sounds. I really love it! And it's definitely a fuzz, not a distortion; that is, it sounds like a broken speaker. Which is a good thing. =)

I got this second hand, so I guess it must be.

I play a LOT of Hendrix, so this thing does the trick, especially for the solos and stuff. I honestly just got this, but love it so much that I had to go here and let everyone know it's freakin' awesome!

If it were stolen, I'd definitely get another one. Definitely better than a fuzz face reissue!!! I can't wait to record it!!!

This review is for the small red rectangular pedal (same casing as a MXR Phase 90 or Distortion+), not the original Fuzz Face (Dallas Arbiter type).

Two knobs-Volume and Fuzz. It ain't rocket science.

Cute manual. Didn't need it.

Setup--Guitars
1962RI Fender Stratocaster
-OR-
Vintage-styled hecho-en-Mexico Fender Telecaster (modded to be an Esquire. I call it my "Texsquire")
-OR-
1980 G&L F-100 Series II
-OR-
Danelectro DC3

into a Morley ABY,
a/b'd with a 1940's Astatic Harp Mic (used with various Lee Oskar and Hohner harps.

ABY output goes to Boss TU2 tuner-MXR Phase 90-Ibanez TS9RI Tubescreamer-Dunlop Crybaby Wah-Dunlop Jimi Hendrix Classic Fuzz-Danelectro DaddyO-DOD eq-Rocktron Hush, all mounted on a Furman SPB8 pedalboard.

This goes into a 63RI Fender Vibroverb and/or a Line 6 POD (into the PA).

I like the JH2S because of the clarity of sound and tone it gives you--even at high Fuzz settings. You can actually play a full chord with this little box activated and it doesn't turn to a puddle of oatmeal. It's not a full all-out buzzsaw-type distortion pedal; it's a more polite, put-some-hair-on-it fuzzbox.

It especially sounds good with another overdrive pedal engaged at the same time--you get that Billy Gibbons squanky harmonics type of sound. I also at various times have ran my harmonica through this effect, which sounded really sweet.

It's not noisy.

Have never had a problem with it.

I've aske them brain-picking questions, and they were very helpful. I've never had any problems with an effect they sold me, so I'll give them a 9.

I play guitar/slide guitar/harp/vox in a Texas Roadhouse band called the SCREAMIN' ARMADILLOS. (Blues+Rock+Outlaw Country=Texas Roadhouse)

Someone described us as ZZ Top and the Fabulous Thunderbirds going on tour with Waylon Jennings...I see that as a good thing.

If I were to lose this box, I would probably get another one. I really like it.