JHS 3 Series Distortion vs MXR M115 Distortion III
The JHS 3 Series Distortion and the MXR M115 Distortion III are both pedals. The JHS 3 Series Distortion leans saturated. The MXR M115 Distortion III leans crunchy and dynamic.
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Blended from circuit-archetype lineage, dynamic feel, tone-signal overlap and tone-vector distance — the tone vector itself is derived from editorial description text, not a measured acoustic signal, so this reflects how similarly the catalog copy describes the two, not a lab measurement. Shown only within a gear class, and only where there's enough evidence to be meaningful.35% — somewhat different
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Genres both listings are associated with.- Classic Rock
MXR M115 Distortion III
MXR · pedal
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Citation/mention fame — how often this gear is cited across artist rigs and gear discussion.$94.89via Reverb
The JHS 3 Series Distortion is an affordable distortion pedal in JHS Pedals entry-level 3 Series line, designed to bring quality JHS drive character to a lower price point. Based loosely on the ProCo RAT circuit architecture, it produces a versatile distortion with wide gain range, adjustable tone control, and a straightforward drive, tone, and volume interface. The 3 Series Distortion covers classic rock crunch through hard rock saturation, making it a practical option for players who need a reliable stage or practice distortion without boutique pricing. JHS has refined the circuit to avoid the more aggressive harshness of the original RAT while maintaining its dense, harmonically complex saturation character. The pedal is manufactured at a volume level that allows for competitive pricing while maintaining JHS circuit design standards.
The MXR M115 Distortion III is a versatile gain pedal spanning sweet, singing overdrive through to heavier distortion crunch, with simple Level, Tone, and Gain controls. Its distortion character is natural and amp-like, described by reviewers as transparent enough to let a guitar's own character shine through rather than imposing a fixed fuzzy voicing. It's built with durable components, a metal housing, and a reliable footswitch for road use. It particularly excels as a high-quality crunch and blues-lead pedal rather than a dedicated metal distortion, with reviewers split on whether its character reads more as overdrive or true distortion.
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Genres this gear is documented as being used in.- Alternative Rock
- Rock
- Hard Rock
- Blues
- Metal
- saturated
- crunchy
- dynamic
- sustaining
- transparent