“Over the span of several years of wrestling with that dynamic, I had an epiphany”: JHS Pedals’ Josh Scott on how IKEA inspired him to create a DIY Klon clone that took the internet by storm

JHS Pedals' Josh Scott was the brain behind last year's Notaklön, the budget-friendly Klon clone that took the internet by storm.

Not only was it a Klon clone – that fact on its own is bound to drum up some interest, after all – but it was also one that you could assemble yourself, IKEA-style, without needing any soldering skills.

“The development of that pedal came from me loving the Klon, but being really torn on the fact that there are so many good replications or clones of the circuit, and wanting to do something unique,” Scott reveals in a new Guitar World interview.

“Over the span of several years of wrestling with that dynamic, I had an epiphany while at an IKEA. I started thinking about the IKEA Effect, which is an actual sociological term, and how, when we build a piece of IKEA furniture, it’s actually more valuable to us because we put our effort into it.”

As Scott explains, the Notaklön also provided an opportunity for the brand to expand to the next generation of guitar players.

“I really saw a product where parents who love JHS, the JHS show, our brand, and all of that could connect with their kids, and they could do something as a craft with them. That’s how we filmed the video and marketed the product.”

The New JHS Pedals NOTAKLÖN (Solderless Klon DIY Kit) - YouTube

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But with Klon clones seemingly hitting the market every couple of months or so, the Notaklön needed a secret sauce that, according to Scott at least, would make it different.

“There are a lot of clones of that circuit, and there are even DIY kits – but there’s nothing so simple, modular, intuitive, and almost Lego-like in the guitar market,” he enthuses. “I don’t have any vast ideas of it changing or reshaping the market, but I do think that it is a truly innovative way to make a pedal.”

As for whether we can expect anything similar from the JHS Pedals universe – after the release of the JHS Pedals Notadümblë – or even from fellow pedal builders, Scott observes, “It was successful enough that it even irritated a few people. I saw some of the feedback from a couple of other pedal builders who seemed to be annoyed by how toy-like and fun it was.”

However, for Scott, that was the whole point.: “I wasn’t trying to change the world or reshape the market. I was simply trying to create a product that was fun, lighthearted, and got parents to build something they love with their kids.”

JHS Pedals aficionado, John Mayer, recently tried his hand at demoing gear – namely, the brand’s latest Mk.gee-coded pedal – while Scott was recovering from a serious mountain bike accident.

Keep an eye on Guitar World’s for the full interview with Josh Scott.