“It’s like a playground. There are so many things you can do with this”: JHS Pedals retools one of its most underrated distortion pedals for its 10th anniversary

JHS Pedals has celebrated the 10th anniversary of its underrated Kilt distortion by releasing the retooled, special edition Kilt 10 – and it’s been given a few tidy upgrades to boot.

In short, the JHS Kilt 10 overdrive pedal has got a “refreshed voice” via an updated clipping section for higher headroom, a smoother attack, and more dynamic versatility, alongside a “reimagined aesthetic” that looks like it was designed by a Scottish Cyberman.

The OG Kilt was built in collaboration with guitarist and producer Stu G, and was created to meet a breadth of in-studio and on-stage needs. It's been a stalwart of the JHS lineup since 2015, but perhaps doesn't receive the same plaudits that the company's more widely praised pedals – such as the Angry Charlie and Morning Glory – routinely enjoy.

So, as the milestone 10-year mark crept over the horizon, JHS Pedals decided to introduce a host of upgrades.

Its Gain control now offers “a far more usable range from 0-25%, unlocking articulate, low-gain textures that weren't previously accessible”, while the top end is now better equipped at slicing through the mix like a hot knife through butter.

There’s more output on tap, resulting in a more responsive tone “across your entire rig,” and more headroom for adding some balls to a clean amp, or stacking it with other ODs. Further still, its Low-Cut mini switch is “far more amp-friendly,” and ensures that it works just as well with vintage tube amps as it does digital amp modellers.

Lastly, its clipping circuit – while preserving the original’s tonal charm – now offers increased compression and distortion, which JHS says delivers “touch-sensitive nuance” in spades.

The Kilt 10 Special Edition Mod: More Headroom, More Clarity, More Gain! - YouTube

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In all, there are controls for Gain, Volume, and Tone, mini toggles for clipping (G1 and G2), Low-Cut, and, alongside jack in/outs, there’s an additional Red Box jack for hooking up a latching footswitch. Doing so unlocks some pretty tasty gain staging personalisation.

The drive is at its lowest with G1 and G2 down. G1 injects more overdrive into the mix, G2 more fuzz. Therefore, flipping both up means things can get pretty hairy.

“This is textbook Josh,” says founder Josh Scott. “It’s an old, vintage thing that's obscure-ish that people love but no one is making and is highly tweakable. It's like a playground for me, because there are so many things you can do with this circuit.”

The pedal is priced at $249 and is available now.

Fortunately, Sweetwater has slashed up to 25% off all its JHS Pedals stock for Black Friday, meaning the Kilt 10 can be preordered for a bargain price of just $186.75.

Head to JHS for more.

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JHS Pedals Kilt 10: was $249 now $186.75 at Sweetwater Sound

One of JHS Pedals' most underrated creations, the boost/drive/fuzz Kilt has been something of an unsung hero for countless pedalboards across a huge range of genres for a decade. Now, to celebrate its 10th birthday, it has a flashy new chassis and a retooled clipping circuit that offers more headroom and a smoother attack.

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