Visual Sound Jekyl & Hyde Ultimate Overdrive Red

I???ve used the red J&H pedal for over three years but held off reviewing it because I couldn???t decide how I truly felt about it. Originally purchased for open stage nights and a yearly tribute gig where we???re forced to play through house amps, I needed something that would both give me distortion and the ability to boost my volume for leads. Couldn???t list all the pedals I tried but the J&H was the only one I found that approached what I wanted.

Theoretically easy enough : one pedal, two foot-controlled effects.
Jekyll Channel (green LED) = Overdrive with controls for Drive, Tone, Volume and a Bass Boost switch.
Hyde Channel (red LED) = Distortion = with controls for Drive, Tone, EQ, Volume and a Sharp/Blunt switch.

A settings sheet provided points you in the right general direction to obtain various sounds (rock, blues, jazz, metal) which is useful as a starting point. The controls themselves are highly sensitive; the slightest tweak makes a noticeable difference, the two switches making an especially distinct change. This means finding the tone you want requires some patient experimentation to sift the usable settings from the duds. Definitely not plug and play: you really need to spend some time finding the right tone (for each instrument and amp its hooked up to). Balancing the levels of each channel to each other, the amp, room and the band can take a while too???

I???ve used this pedal through an assortment of instruments and amps (Burns, Godin, Ibanez/Marshall, Traynor, Fender, Carvin, Line 6, Crate). Although not a true bypass, it???s acceptably transparent when off and fairly quiet when on unless each channels' Drive and Volume are set too high.

As for the sound quality itself, I can???t fully recommend this pedal as an overdrive/distortion unit. IMO, the J&H is capable of some ???okay??? sounds but you have to dial your way though some very ???plastic??? (meaning brittle, thin and noticeably artificial) sounding overdrive and a rather underwhleming distortion to get them. Even when you???ve dialed in an acceptable sound it???s nothing to get too excited about. It???s okay, occasionally good, never great. I sigh when ever I know I???ve got to use this pedal because I know I???m going to have to compromise on the sound I really want.

That being said, the J&H isn???t without its uses. Generally, I???ll set the amp up for my clean sounds, use the Hyde's distortion as my rhythm sound then turn the drive down and crank the volume on the Jekyll channel for soloing. This way when I need a clean sound I bypass the pedal and go through the amp, stomp on the Hyde for dirt and use the Jekyll-Hyde combined for leads. In this role the J&H is actually pretty good as a volume booster.

Another place the pedal seems to shine is when used with a bass; really makes it roar while maintaining definition. If sounded as well for the guitar it wouldn???t have taken three years to post a review???

Three years of regular use, no problems. A few paint chips but otherwise good as new.

Haven't used them; hear they're responsive.

Been playing rock and its offshoots for over 15 years and owned a fair amount of gear. To my ears, the J&H is a mediocre as an overdrive-distortion unit; there are plenty of worse pedals but it's the innate artificiality of tone that prevents it from ranking among the best. I'd up the rating to 7 for distortion/lead boost purposes and give it a 8 as a bass distortion unit.

Pros:
- Looks good
- dependable/rugged
- Distortion acceptable to early '80s level of heaviness (nothing
beyond the Maiden to Priest range)although lacking in sizzle

Cons:
- a challenge dialing in a usable sound
- Jekyll channel pretty unsatisfactory for my musical needs

Nearly sold this unit off a few times but always hung on to it for those house-amp gigs where the only alternative is going straight into the amp...spends more time hooked to a bass these days; will probably keep it although if lost I think I'd look for something else...

With any pedal, it takes time to tweek. It is initially 2 pedals in 1 so you need to spend some time with it. I have owned it for about a year and a half and just recently found some new settings that I love!

My signal chain: Guitar > Fender Tuner Pedal > J&H > Line 6 DL-4 > into Fender Hot Rod Deluxe.

This pedal is amazing. The Jekyll side is like a way fatter and smoother TS808. I never use this thing without the bass boost on. I dont know why anyone would turn it off. Best tube screamer sound I have heard.

The Hyde side is a little more tricky. It is a scooped, buzzy distortion. I think this side was designed to saturate and boost the Jekyll side, because it sounds horrible on its own. Lots of lowend. The sharp/blunt switch is one thing I would change. The blunt setting is way too dark and muddy and the sharp setting makes the top end buzzy. I wish there was a middle ground to the two. It has so much gain. I usually put the gain around 12:00. If you have it lower than 10:00 I feel that you lose a lot of sustain and over 3:00 it gets way over saturated. The volume on the Jekyll side is much louder as well, but that is not a huge deal though. I generally keep the EQ knob all the way to the left(which is no mids taken out).

Now both together...Thats what this pedal is all about. It sounds so great. Somewhere in the realm of a Soldano mixed with a Mesa mark series(not saying it sounds like those amps, just in that realm). Fairly smooth, fat, saturated lead sound. The Jekyll side comes out a little more since the Hyde side is running into it and very scooped.

I bought it used for $50 used (best $50 ever spent). Only problem I have had was the Hyde side LED hasn't come on a few times. After turning it off and then back on it was back on (maybe touchy soldering joint). Haven't had a problem with it for a long time. Everything else is great, built like a rock.

No experience with the company, but I have heard great things about Visual Sound. I also use their OneSpot and it is simply amazing.

I play a bunch of styles from rock to worship. This is an awesome pedal that covers any base you would need short of metal. It isn't my ideal sound, but it is the closest thing to my ideal tone that I have found. No equipment will make you a better player, but an inspiring tone will help you stay excited about playing.

3 changes I would like to see:
1) Middle ground setting for Sharp/Blunt switch
2) Less scooped sound on the Hyde side
3) Less gain on Hyde side and more sustain at lower gain settings

If it were stolen, I would check out the Fulltone GT-500, which I am still planning on trying out.

I have played every tube screamer and clone out, BOSS, Digitech, DOD, MXR and everything else you would see at a major guitar shop. This is on a different level than BOSS and Digitech stuff. Not quite boutique level, but still really good.

If you don't buy this, buy their OneSpot and you will never buy another wallwart again.

Very simple. There's lots of options, but if you've ever used a stomp box before - and even if you haven't - it's all pretty self-explanitory, with no "cute" names for any of the knobs.

I love this pedal because: 1) It provides a wonderful overdrive on the Jeckyl side that propels a good tube amp (say, a Twin Reverb) into a warm, gritty state of grace; 2) The Hyde side kinda takes that warm, tasteful overdrive and sends it into BigMuff land, complete with searing feedback when you're not playing; 3) There's a million sounds you can get out of this pedal. I used to play through a "real" TS808 tubescreamer and I really can't tell the difference between it and the Jeckyl side of this pedal (what led me to this pedal is that the manufacturer says its guts are the same as a TS808). However, now I have the option of adding a whole new dimension of boost/distortion/whatever to the mix.

FYI: If you're into playing fuzz bass, this thing sounds mean as hell.

This is one tough pedal. I recently used it at a gig where people were jumping onstage to dance, spilling beer all over the place and generally creating chaos. After getting kicked around a little and taking a splash or two of beer, it's still going strong. I'd imagine it probably hurt whoever kicked it worse than they hurt the pedal. Visual Sound did an incredible job of making a tough piece of equipment that sounds great. I simply love it when you can take a piece of gear anywhere and don't have to worry about it getting damaged if things turn unruly. Plus, it sounds great for recording.

Probably won't ever need it. Hope not, anyway.

I play power pop that, at times, needs to get really fuzzy and loud for lead parts. In my 15 years of playing, this pedal has probably served me the best. It only wins out over the tube screamer because this one has the added "nasty" channel. I would definitely replace it if it was stolen. I really have no complaints. I just wanted to weigh in on this thing because I notice a lot of the users who discuss the pedal on this page surprisingly use it for praise music, which I don't imagine puts anyone's equipment in too much danger (just a guess). It's important to know this thing is built to withstand just about any abuse, but also built to sound great for rockers of all kinds.

This pedal is very easy to use and the multiple options for tone adjustment are great. It's capable of a wide spectrum of rock sounds. It's hard to imagine any musician, save for a death metal guy or something, not being able to dial in an acceptable tone. It's highly intuitive, and the manual has some great suggestions for starting points on tone.

The sound quality - especially on the Jeckyll side - is fantastic. I used an AnalogMan TS9 modded into a TS808 for about three years before it became severly damaged, and this is a more than adequate replacement. The Jeckyll side sounds almost exactly like my last pedal, but with the added option of a bass boost, which comes in very handy. The Hyde side is fun to play around with at home, but in a purely practical scenario (such as a gig) I just use it for a boost for leads. Careful how you balance the volume of the two, though, in relation to your amp's volume. Can result in feedback hell if the Hyde is too loud, which you may like. Sometimes I do. In any case, it's nice to have the option. My advice:

So far, so good. I've owned it three months and there have been no problems so far. It seems tough as nails, and the knobs seem way more durable than those on my Tube Screamer were.

Haven't had to deal with them.

I like to play power-pop, surf, garage and rockabilly-flavored stuff. I love using my Tele (outfillted with a Seymour Duncan Little 59 in the bridge) with this thing. I tend to just leave the Jeckyll side on at all times, which pushes my Fender Champ to a perfect point of breakup. It's great having the option of fuzz on the other side, too. I really have no complaints. As a poor working musician who can't afford to drop money on gear that's not going to last, I have to say this is worth the money, especially when you consider what you'll drop on a Tube Screamer. I'd certainly replace it with another J/H if this one was stolen. Basically if you like to keep your rig simple and dependable, this is a worthy acquisition. To all "utility rockers" out there: it's worth giving this thing its day in court. I don't anticipate ever needing another o/d or fuzz pedal.

Very easy to use. No elaborate knob-naming, just drive-tone-volume (and EQ for the Hyde). Although it would have been nice to also see two groups of knobs, one group per section, instead of the knobs being lined-up side by side and a bit more space between them as well. But this is a minor issue.

This is the sound i was looking for. I previously owned a Boss metal zone (MT-2)(amongst others), but that pedal only produced one type of very distinctive cheap metal-sound. I am not after that mid-cut sound, but a sound with a ballsy low-end AND good low and high mids, enough to palm mute chords and also a nice rich tone in which low mid and high are IN BALANCE! Upto now, this pedal does the job well. The "Hyde" side produces a brutal metal/overdrive but with enough transparancy to hear the characteristics of your guitar. The "Jeckyll"-side produces a warm and rich overdrive sound.

The metal casing is very solid and the connector-sockets also feel very reliable.

I've been playing for 14 years, mostly in a band. We write our own music, which is alternative rock with a hint of metal. Normally, i use a Fender american standard Strat or an american standard tele through a Marshall JCM2000 TSL100 head on top of a 1960A cabinet. Effect order: guitar --> pedal --> input (clean channel). I also considered buying the T-REX Bloody Mary, also a kick #ss pedal. But the J&H was ???90 cheaper and featured 2 overdrive sections.

Easy to use. Uncomplicated.

LP-J&H-TSL100-1960a(gt-75s)

I am after a fat, tight, and highly saturated distortion- not an overdrive sound.

Unfortunately,this is just another stomp box that won't cut it. Maybe I have been spoiled by my old Mesa, but my Line6 PodXTL can produce several tones which are leap & bounds over this pedal.

Not a fair comparison, you say? Well, I am only after one single distortion tone and was iunder the impression that this was a distortion pedal. I thought the Jekyl side would b elike aTS9 and the Hyde would be more saturated, but it is not so. I have no use for this piece of well made gear.

The Jekyl side is very muddy and midrangey through this amp- even with an EQ in the loop. The drive control adds nothing after 12-o'clock in it's sweep.

The Hyde side of the pedal has more gain, but even with the 498t in the bridge position of the LP, lacks the ability to lay down the thick and nasty. Palm mutes sound thin and piercing.

The tone is very bright with the Sharp switch engaged and the tone control does nothing for this. With the Blunt switch engaged, the tone is very muddy and again, uneffected by the tone cotrol, which has little use overall.

The overall feel of this pedal is very stiff and sterile. You know how a certain amp can make the strings of your guitar seem stiffer than they really are? Well, that's what this does. A bit more saturation would give me the springy feel I love.

When using both channels in tandem, the damn things runs the signal from Hyde into Jeckyl, making this thing just about as useless as can be.

Listen, I want a fat, medium-gained tone- not AC/DC tone. This pedal actually sounds great for light rock and blues. I'm sure it would kill as a clean boost through the front end of a Marshall, but this is not what the Doctor ordered for me!

Do not buy this if you are after a hard rock tone in a box!

Seems well made.

I play modern rock and the name, marketing and dual channel format of the pedal led me way astray. I've been playing for 12 years and love tube amps and modern rock.

Great little box. I had been searching for a drive unit for about six months when I finally found this one. Not really a need for a manual, if you know what to do with a dirt box, it's really easy to set up well. You just need to spend a little time with it, as the controls have a wide dynamic range and are very responsive. A very small adjustment can make a huge difference in the tone, so it could be a little hard to dial in for folks who are used to far less dynamic and responsive effects like the Boss units.

I play a Fender American Series Strat (Stock), a custom built chambered mahogany tele copy, and a Gibson Les Paul Special w/P-90's. I use .12 gauge strings, and a medium action, and the tones are thumping. My signal chain runs: Guitar- Jekyll and Hyde- MXR Micro Amp- Visual Sound H2o Liquid Chorus/Echo- Electro Harmonix Pulsar Tremolo- into either my Traynor or Marshall tube amps. I play the strat most of the time, and I love the J&H because I can crank out a wide range of very responsive and largely transparent OD and distortion tones. It's really easy to dial in the SRV or Clapton thing, but it's also really nice to be able to actually play my strat, and get a wide pallette of fat, greasy, and happenin' tones that don't sound like either one of them. It'll sing, it'll scream, it'll do the dirty jangle, and everything in between. A lot of reviewers here mention that the pedal is noisy, not so with my unit. The stock strat hums like mad, but this pedal is FAR quieter with it than my MXR Distortion Plus, Boss SD-1, or my TS-9's. My tele and my Paul are nearly dead quiet through it. The Jekyll side does the TS-808 thing very well, but with more available headroom, and the bass boost switch. Personally, I dig what the bass boost does on the high strings, but it makes the lows a little convoluted when used in a full band setting. The Hyde side reminds me very much of my old MXR Distortion Plus, but with very useable and wide ranging EQ and Tone knobs. I set the volumes and gains on both channels at about ten or eleven o'clock, and then adjust the tone knobs to taste. With the Micro-amp as a clean boost after this pedal, the tone is nothing short of flat out spectacular. Using both channels at once is one of the fattest, greasiest, and see-through lead tones I have ever heard. Loads of attitude, and gobs of sustain. For everything I play, (Roots-rock, alt. country, 70' style honky-tonk, folk-rock, etc.) I can't imagine a better unit.

Seems OK so far. I've been using it for several weeks without incident. The casing seems sturdy enough, and the switches are the same ones that are on some of the pedals I've had for years. Metal jacks shouldn't break loose too easily. My only complaint is the loud-ass POP that comes through the amp when I switch the bass boost on and off. I'll give it a seven for now, and bump it up after it holds up for a year.

N/A. Haven't talked to them. I like the way their stuff sounds though, and it was nice to get free stickers with the effects.

For what I do, I can't imagine a better drive unit. Used as a low gain, overdrive/boost to kick the amp hard, or just add a little color and dirt, it's amazing. I have been playing for twenty two years, sixteen of them professionally, and I have tried just about every dirt box ever made. This one gives me some of the best attributes of a couple of my favorites, but with more headroom and improved EQ capabilites. Some have complained that it may be a bit expensive, but I don't think so. A new TS-808 is $169 bucks at Guitar Center, and a new Distortion Plus is $60-$70. Buy them both, and you'll spend alot more, and not have nearly the tonal possibilities allowed by the J&H's tone shaping. I would defnitely buy this again, unless it proves un-reliable down the road, which doesn't seem likely.

Very easy to use like all pedal of it???s type. I usually run the Jekyl at output=1:00 tone=3:00 vol=2:00 and the Hyde at drive=11:00 tone=2:00 eq=7:00 vol=12:00. I usually set the bass boost ???on??? so that the mid-hump is less as the low???s and high???s are brought up to meet the mid???s. I also set the high boost to ???blunt???. With all the control of this pedal, it???s the most versatile drive I have on my pedal board. Here???s my line-up Guitar --> 535Q -> S-DynaComp -> Keeley BD-2 -> J & H -> BF-2 -> TU-2 -> CS-9Pro -> DD-3 -> DD-3 -> Volume -> GE-7 -> Tube Amps

This is a high quality product which produces a high quality sound output. The versatility of this pedal never stops amazing me. Just when I think I can???t find a tone I???m looking for, there it is, right under my toes. I want to point out that like any overdrive or distortion, the second most important pedal in the line-up is a good Graphic EQ. Without the EQ, I found that the Hyde was not as usable (when used standalone) as I would have liked. I hope this is read by Visual Sound. Change the ???EQ??? control so that passive (unity) is at 12:00 noon and not all the way to the left (7:00). The ???EQ??? controls a mid???s trap circuit, so all the way to the left is passive mids and as you rotate this control to the right, results in taking mids away (trap). An active EQ control would make the Hyde more versatile and allow a mid boost if needed in addition to the trap. With a mid-boosted EQ pedal (GE-7), I???m able to dial in that JCM-800 tone nicely. The Jekyl side as many have mentioned is your typical TS808 tone but with the addition of the bass boost makes this more versatile and usable than a TS808. Now, when you stack both Jekyl and Hyde together??? stand back.. some really nice (desirable) smooth singing rectifier like tones appear especially when used with a tube amp. I was also amazed as to how transparent this tone is and allows me to roll back the volume and still maintain my original guitar tones. Nice..

I???ve had mine Jekly and Hyde for a year+ now. It appears that it's built to last.

Very friendly folks??? They are always willing to listen and provide good information and suggestions

I???ve owned a lot of overdrives (28 years as a player) and this one is tops with its uncanny versatility. Not sure if you notice, but I have used the word ???versatile??? a lot in this review. That word sums it up. This is a very high quality pedal and delivers nicely. Put an active ???EQ??? control on the Hyde side (in the next version), and you have the frosting (with ice cream on the side) on the most delicious cake you have ever eaten. We???re just about to release a CD that will be used for ???Focus on the Family??? ministries. This is the pedal I used the most on that CD and I am very pleased with the guitar tones that I was able to accomplish with it. Great tool??? Koodo???s to Visual Sound.

Pretty easy, only the many sounds and many combinations you can get with both channels on takes a little more time to fool around with. you're dealing with 7 knobs and 2 switches...

Amazing sound. so many options, yet within 2 minutes i nailed the sound from this new pornographer's song i'd been listening to on the way to the studio. the tones are great. i wont ever need another dirty pedal. i had an boss od-2r, im gonna sell it (what would i get for that? haha). i use a tele into the j&h into a peavy classic 30, and a dano fish'n chips eq in the effects loop (to smooth down the highest tele frequencies). the sound is amazing.

Just got it, seems sturdy.

Haven't had to.

This unit is fairly easy . Take the time to adjust the tone your looking for. That is most of the problem with some people giving a reveiw. I messed with this unit for four hrs to get the od & tone I like.

I am a STRAT man, all the way. Nothing else. My setup consist of a crybaby classic wah- Visual sound Jekyl&Hyde- MXR Van Halen Phase 90-Ibanez FL9 flanger- Visual Sound H2O Chorus-Echo into a Marshall MG 100 amp. Straight up rock sound and this unit sounds great.

Metal case. Had it for a few years with no probs.

Never had to all them.

Great straight up rock sound. I play rock from 60's to today (If you want to call todays crap rock) and I have no problems with this unit. Like I said take the time to adjust it, use your ear. I use the hyde side as a booster for lead work and it sounds great.