In this JHS Sweet Tea V3 Review, we’re going to be discussing the pedals features, tone and performance to find out what makes this overdrive pedal so highly regarded.
JHS Sweet Tea V3 ReviewÂ
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A proper way to start this review would be to say that this is one of the most versatile overdrive/distortion pedals you can find on the market. This unit doesn’t offer just a wide tonal range. This unit offers a wide range of amazing tones.
There are many products that pack two pedals into the same housing but you will hardly find a stompbox that packs two impressive pedals into the same unit. That is the biggest strength of JHS Sweet Tea V3. What JHS practically does is putting two already known and established distortion pedal designs into one.
Those are Moonshine V2 and Angry Charlie V3 pedals. The first one is a Tube Screamer clone, while the other one closely resembles classic Marshall gain tones. Still, a great thing about both effects is that you actually get a much wider range of tones. With such two pedals, you get impressive versatility, something that would be more than enough to cover anything from classic rock and blues tones to modern metal genres.
The JHS Sweet Tea V3 isn’t just a great sounding pedal. It is also pretty easy to use, thanks to a straightforward design. Knobs are pretty common and positioned in two separate sections, so you won’t have trouble to quickly dial the tones you want.
Features and controls
As I’ve just mentioned, this is a two-in-one pedal and the thing we like about it is that controls and knobs are clearly separated into two sections. The right side of the JHS Sweet Tea V3 is reserved for Moonshine V2, while the left side is reserved for Angry Charlie.
If you’re familiar with the Moonshine design, you will notice that the right side of JHS Sweet Tea V3 features a little bit different knob configuration. There are familiar Volume, Tone and Drive knobs, but there is also the fourth knob called Clean. This knob allows you to mix into your clean signal, which definitely has a positive effect on the pedal’s overall versatility. Also, you will find that familiar toggle switch, which can completely change the color of this overdrive pedal.
On the left side, you get a typical distortion sound. This is Angry Charlie’s side, which delivers much more high gain sounds. This pedal resembles classic Marshall JCM 800 tones and knobs are the same as on most Marshall amps. There are Volume and Drive knobs, as well as typical EQ controls, Bass, Mid and Treble. Things are pretty simple here, so there is no need for further explanation.
Of course, each pedal features a typical bypass switch while another thing you will notice is that there is one more toggle, positioned right in the middle, between two sections. This toggle switch allows you to choose which side will go first in your signal chain, which is another feature that makes this pedal so versatile.
On the backside, things are pretty simple. One input and output is everything you can find here, along with a typical power supply socket. Speaking of power supply, it is sold separately. Of course, you need a 9V DC adaptor, with just 100 mA of power usage.
The design of this pedal is quite attractive. It comes with a pretty simple layout, designed in an old-school manner, with vintage knobs and toggle switches. Everything on this pedal is sturdy and promises excellent durability. The pedal is handcrafted in Kansas.
When it comes to dimensions, the pedal is quite compact and you really don’t have to worry if it will fit your pedalboard or not. Considering that we are talking about a 2-in-1 pedal, 4.7” x 3.7” x 1.5” (119mm x 93mm x 38mm) dimensions sound very pedalboard-friendly.
Tone and Performance
The JHS Sweet Tea V3 is pretty versatile, but the sound quality of each side is what we like most. As I’ve just mentioned, the right side packs the Moonshine V2 sound, while the left side is all about Angry Charlie tones.
Let’s start with the right side. The Moonshine is a Tube Screamer clone. As we are talking about the most legendary overdrive pedal in the world, I feel there’s no need to waste words on describing how this pedal sounds. It is all about those super-warm mid-range tones that shaped the overdrive effect decades ago. Still, the thing with JHS’s circuit design is that the sound goes in a little bit wider range. Thanks to such design, this pedal can push much more than the original. It feels comfortable even in hi-gain genres, though vintage rock and blues are still its natural habitat.
The toggle switch does the job pretty amazing. Practically, you can count on two very different colors of overdrive. When the switch is up, the pedal delivers a quite clean tone, so you may use JHS Sweet Tea V3 even as a boost pedal. When the toggle is down, things become pretty nasty. You get plenty of mid-range tones and a little bit of compression. The sound gets quite saturated and the pedal literally begs you to crank the Drive knob all-away up.
The left side of the pedal is reserved for good-old Marshall tones. Of course, not all Marshall amps sound the same and I’ve found that the Angry Charlie sounds pretty close to JCM 800. Still, the pedal goes much further compared to what you get from the legendary amp. Once again, you can get much more gain compared to the original unit. The result is an impressive range of tones, which go from mild distortion to loads of gain.
I believe this is one of the widest ranges I’ve ever heard. Add to this EQ knobs, which are quite sensitive, and you can count that this side of the pedal will provide you with tones that can cover pretty much every rock era, from the 60s to modern-day hi-gain distortion.
JHS Sweet Tea V3 Conclusion
All in all, you will hardly find such an impressive range of overdrive and distortion tones in other place, especially when it comes to analog pedals. Moreover, there is no way you can pick two better pedals to put together. These two pedals resemble two of the most iconic overdrive/distortion sounds in electric guitar history.
Besides delivering essential tones, this pedal is also able to push a little bit more, into the area of modern-day distortion. Simply said, this is a pedal for everyone.
Customer Review Rating
The JHS Sweet Tea V3 has a rating of 4.5* out of 5* on Amazon – >>>Check out the Latest Amazon Customer Reviews of the JHS Sweet Tea V3<<<
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