The JHS Colour Box V2 is a JHS Pedals preamp pedal. Close alternatives include the Rodenberg LDP Overdrive/Clean Boost and the 67Audio Libido. It pairs well with the Ibanez Tube Screamer and the Soldano SLO.
JHS Colour Box V2
JHS Pedals · pedal
The JHS Colour Box V2 is a preamp, EQ, and fuzz pedal built around dual gain stages delivering over 39dB of total gain, with Master, Pre-Volume, and Step controls for precise gain staging, a powerful 3-band EQ with wide-ranging Shift knobs (Treble 2kHz-30kHz, Middle 150Hz-2.4kHz, Bass 20Hz-440Hz), and a Hi/Lo switch controlling clean headroom, from ultra-clean in Lo mode to readily distorting, fuzz-adjacent breakup in Hi mode. It also passes phantom power to condenser microphones, reflecting its studio-preamp origins alongside its guitar-pedal functionality.
What stands out
“4kHz, Bass 20Hz-440Hz), and a Hi/Lo switch controlling clean headroom, from ultra-clean in Lo mode to readily distorting, fuzz-adjacent breakup in Hi mode”
— from the listing
“Valued as a genuinely multi-purpose tool, functioning as a clean preamp/EQ, an overdrive, or a full fuzz pedal depending on the Hi/Lo switch and gain staging”
— from the community notes
“Primary use case spans studio recording (thanks to phantom power support) through live guitar tone shaping across a huge gain range”
— from the community notes
“The JHS Colour Box V2 is a preamp, EQ, and fuzz pedal built around dual gain stages delivering over 39dB of total gain, with Master, Pre-Volume, and Step controls for precise gain staging, a powerful 3-band EQ with wide-ranging Shift knobs …”
— from the listing
“Over 39dB of available gain across dual stages gives an unusually wide range, from subtle sweetening to full-on distortion, in a single pedal”
— from the reviews
- fuzz
- studio
- eq
- gain
- distortion
- clean headroom
- frequency
Good for
- Silent Recording
- Studio
- Silent Stage
Genres the JHS Colour Box V2 is commonly used in
- Alternative
cited
Inferred from shared tonal signals, not a stated genre tag. - Rock
cited
Inferred from shared tonal signals, not a stated genre tag. - Blues
cited
Inferred from shared tonal signals, not a stated genre tag. - Metal
cited
Inferred from shared tonal signals, not a stated genre tag. - Classic Rock
cited
Inferred from shared tonal signals, not a stated genre tag. - Electronic
cited
Inferred from shared tonal signals, not a stated genre tag.
Pedals that stack with the JHS Colour Box V2
Ibanez Tube Screamer
Ibanez
34% matchclean platform takes the driveA clean, high-headroom stage takes on dirt it can't generate by itself. (high headroom → mid-forward)
Ibanez Tube Screamer leans this high headroom tone toward mid-forward, which it doesn't make on its own
Comes earlier in the signal chain
Soldano SLO
Soldano
32% matchpushes an already-dirty tonePushes an already-dirty tone harder and tightens it up. (high gain → clean boost)
JHS Colour Box V2 pushes a high gain tone toward clean boost
Beetronics Nectar
Beetronics
31% matchclean platform takes the driveA clean, high-headroom stage takes on dirt it can't generate by itself. (high headroom → fuzzy)
The Colour Box's preamp gain and EQ stack with the Nectar's own wide-ranging drive for extra tonal shaping.
Comes earlier in the signal chain
Electro-Harmonix Cock Fight
Electro-Harmonix
29% matchJHS Colour Box V2's own fuzzy character is the real reason this is worth trying
Comes earlier in the signal chain
EarthQuaker Devices Hoof Hybrid Fuzz
EarthQuaker Devices
25% matchgain stackingStacks two gain stages for more saturation than either produces alone. (mid-forward → fuzzy)
JHS Colour Box V2 layers fuzzy onto an already mid-forward signal
Comes earlier in the signal chain
Dunlop Way Huge WM91 Pork & Pickle
Dunlop
25% matchgain stackingStacks two gain stages for more saturation than either produces alone. (low gain → fuzzy)
JHS Colour Box V2 leans this low gain tone toward fuzzy, which it doesn't make on its own
Comes earlier in the signal chain
ProCo Fat Rat
Proco
25% matchgain stackingStacks two gain stages for more saturation than either produces alone. (mid-forward → fuzzy)
JHS Colour Box V2 layers fuzzy onto an already mid-forward signal
Comes earlier in the signal chain
Electro-Harmonix Blogger
Electro-Harmonix
24% matchgain stackingStacks two gain stages for more saturation than either produces alone. (fuzzy → clean boost)
Put JHS Colour Box V2 in front and the fuzzy tone leans further toward clean boost
Comes earlier in the signal chain
Alternativessee all similar tone character →
Rodenberg LDP Overdrive/Clean Boost
Rodenberg
63% similarityShared character: boost, stage, overdrive
67Audio Libido
67audio
63% similarityShared character: boost, treble, headroom
Matthews Effects The Engineer
Matthews Effects
62% similarityShared character: fuzz, gain, studio
Catalinbread Epoch Boost EP-3
Catalinbread
61% similarityShared character: boost, recording, headroom
Behringer PB100 Preamp Booster
Behringer
59% similarityShared character: boost, transparent, gain
JHS 424 Gain Stage
JHS Pedals
58% similarityShared character: transparent, gain, studio
Electronic Audio Experiments Model feT V3.8
Electronic Audio Experiments
57% similarityShared character: treble, gain, bass
Benson Amps Portable Distortion 424 MKII
Benson Amps
56% similarityShared character: boost, treble, headroom
Xotic BB Preamp V1.5
Xotic
56% similarityShared character: boost, treble, gain
Matthews Effects Architect
Matthews Effects
55% similarityShared character: boost, distortion, stage
Xotic BB Preamp Andy Timmons Limited Edition Pedal
Xotic
55% similarityShared character: boost, headroom, transparent
MXR Super Badass Distortion
MXR
55% similarityShared character: boost, treble, transparent
See all alternatives to the JHS Colour Box V2 (cheaper + boutique) →
Questions people ask
What are good alternatives to the JHS Colour Box V2?+
The closest matches in character are the Rodenberg LDP Overdrive/Clean Boost, the 67Audio Libido, the Matthews Effects The Engineer.
What pairs well with the JHS Colour Box V2?+
Strong matches from rig and tone-complementarity evidence: Ibanez Tube Screamer, Soldano SLO, Beetronics Nectar — Ibanez Tube Screamer leans this high headroom tone toward mid-forward, which it doesn't make on its own.