JHS Pedals has finally lifted the veil off its much-discussed mystery stompbox, which has now been officially revealed as the 424 Gain Stage.
Last week, JHS set gear forums and social media platforms alight with speculation after it posted a string of cryptic riddles, stealthy sonic easter eggs and not-so-subtle image grids to its Instagram account.
After much sleuthing and a fair share of code cracking, most players concluded that all the signs suggested JHS was about to launch a preamp pedal based on the tones of a vintage Tascam Portastudio 424.
Well, lo and behold, that is exactly what has happened, with JHS now confirming that the latest entry to its catalog will indeed take its sonic cues from a Tascam 424.
In fact, it’s said to be a “historically accurate recreation” of the Tascam Portastudio 424 MKI.
It is a very, very savvy move indeed. The increasing popularity of vintage cassette multi-track recorders has been well-documented, and has perhaps most notably been spearheaded by the emergence of Mk.gee – everyone’s favorite new lo-fi guitar hero, who famously had a Tascam Portastudio 424 at the heart of his guitar rig.
With its own take on the 424 design, JHS has attempted to package the vintage, lo-fi, retro-styled preamp tones into the confines of a standard-sized pedal – meaning those hoping to tap into those sought-after Mk.gee sounds won’t have to lug an entire Portastudio around with them to do so.
The 424 Gain Stage keeps things impressively simple, with just one footswitch and parameters for Volume, Bass, Treble, Gain 1 and Gain 2, echoing the streamlined control layout of the OG desk. JHS promises that, by plugging into this stompbox, players will be able to harness the same tones as if they were running straight through the Tascam unit.
The pedal vows to deliver “rubbery clean tones, high headroom and smashed-out fuzz”. Connectivity-wise, it offers regular jack I/Os, as well as a balanced XLR output with a ground lift for wider rig assimilation.
“In 2024, an artist named Mk.gee released an awesome record, and the guitar world exploded,” JHS founder Josh Scott says, introducing the new pedal. “Tone chasers everywhere had to know how he was getting this really incredible and unique sound.
“We all realized he’s not using a guitar amp. He’s using a Tascam 424. I also realized, ‘Hey, wasn’t I going to make a pedal version of this at one point?’
“It’s an authentic and perfectly replicated single channel strip on the Tascam 424,” he adds of the 424 Gain Stage. “Over the years, I’ve learned that so many albums and guitar parts that I love use this device or devices like it.
“Then this Mk.gee thing comes along. It’s really new and fresh and different. That really pushed me over the edge of wanting those sounds that are classic, and those newer sounds.”
And, yes, by the sounds of the demo, the 424 Gain Stage does an excellent job of doing the “Mk.gee thing,” with Scott showcasing the diverse array of blown-out fuzz and pristine clean tones the new pedal offers.
Fortunately, the 424 Gain Stage is not limited, and JHS has already assured fans it has more than a thousand in stock ready to ship. We wouldn’t be surprised if that stock shifts quickly, though…
The 424 Gain Stage is available for $249.
Head over to JHS Pedals to find out more.
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