Josh Scott, the mad scientist behind JHS Pedals, had to dial down the crazy after a recent mountain biking accident – but he’s getting back in the saddle now. “I definitely keep overdoing it, because I love getting stuff done,” he admits.
That’s life for the man who invented the Internet-breaking NotaKlön and a host of stomp-boxes. So of course he used his convalescence to his advantage, reporting: “The accident gave me lots of time to rest, dream, and work on ideas and concepts.
“I think I’ll come back better than ever. And I think JHS will do some very exciting things that would have never come to fruition if I hadn’t had the downtime. There was a silver lining in it.”
The NotaKlön has been a massive hit. How did it come about?
“It came from me loving the Klon. But there are so many good replications or clones of the circuit, and I wanted to do something unique. After several years of wrestling with that dynamic, I had an epiphany at an IKEA.
“I started thinking about the IKEA Effect – an actual sociological term. When we build a piece of furniture, it’s more valuable to us because we put effort in. That’s a big piece of IKEA’s success.
“And it felt like a really fun idea. I saw a product where parents who love the JHS brand could do something as a craft with their kids. That’s how we filmed the video and marketed the product.”
Has the continued demand surprised you?
“Yes! But I feel like I shouldn’t have been. With every release we’ve done over the last couple of years, I’m learning that we need to build more than we ever dreamed.”
What makes the NotaKlön different?
“There are clones of the Klon circuit, even DIY kits, but there’s nothing as simple, modular, intuitive and almost Lego-like as the NotaKlön. I don’t have vast ideas about changing or reshaping the market, but I do think it’s a truly innovative way to make a pedal.
“It even irritated a few people! I saw a couple of other pedal builders who seemed to be annoyed by how toy-like and fun it was. And to me, that was the whole point. I wasn’t trying to change the world – I was trying to create a product that got parents to build something they love with their kids.”
Guitar World named the NotaKlön one of the top 50 pieces of gear of the last 25 years. What does that mean to you?
“I don’t really think about ranking my pedals; it can sometimes feel silly! But as a guy who spends days of my week on pedal history, writing and filming, there really has been nothing like it.
“To sell tens of thousands as a kit from our website shows it struck a chord with people in a deep way. A lot of people may have gotten hung up on the cork-sniffing boutique-type thinking, and missed the point.
“So I’d say it does deserve to be considered as an important pedal, because it’s about the experience as much as the sound.”
JHS pedal kits are changing the game; other companies are hopping on that trend.
“There have always been DIY kits – JHS is not special in that! I even created kits with StewMac and they sold fine. I’ve had other people’s DIY kits on my show or on my Short Circuit series. So it’s hard to say people are jumping on a trend when the trend has existed since the ‘70s.
“I do think that our product line is less intimidating and more satisfying to build for most customers. Not everybody wants to solder; not everybody feels like they can, and that’s okay. We give them a product they feel comfortable with. To me, that’s how it changes the game.”
John told me after the accident that he wanted to make sure things kept moving forward in my absence
Elsewhere, the 424-gain stage is helping change tone trends.
“My earliest memories of recording were on a multi-track tape recorder. I’ve always loved those units for their tactile feel and nostalgia. I don’t think the 424 created any kind of trend – pedals and other things have played off the concept for quite a while.”
How did the 424 come about?
“I always wanted to do my take on it and fit it in the infrastructure of products I’d already made. Around January, I made the official call to go for it, because I kept getting texts from my friends who were really interested in working something practical into their live guitar rigs.
“There are some conceptual units that will come out, adding more features and much more powerful interfaces. When we developed the version you see now, we were also developing bigger versions of it. That’s all I can say without giving away the secrets!”
After your accident, John Mayer dropped a surprise video.
“John texted me after the accident and said he wanted to make sure things kept moving forward in my absence. He knew I wasn’t able to film and I was in a lot of pain.
“I think he just did it to be awesome and encouraging and a friend, and it was really special. John truly is an amazing person; he took a lot of time out of his day to film that video. It’s a humbling and really wonderful experience.
“The video was a blast, it reached a lot of people, and we sold lots of units because of it – and that’s exactly what John wanted. I love that he had the intuition to do that and that he enjoyed helping out in a time of need.”
How is your recovery going, and what’s next for you?
“I’m recovering well. I’m about seven weeks out. My face has healed up shockingly fast, according to the doctors, but I’m dealing with a lot of fatigue and soreness. I’m not 100 percent – it may take several months for me to feel like I’m back to where I was.”
