The JHS Pedals Kilt V2 is a JHS Pedals distortion pedal, currently around $199. Close alternatives include the SONICAKE Shark High Gain Classic British Crunch and the Orange - Vintage Distortion. It pairs well with the Marshall JCM800 2203 and the Peavey VTM-120.
JHS Pedals Kilt V2
JHS Pedals · pedal
The JHS Kilt V2 is a distortion pedal taking after the sound of British amplifiers of the 1960s and 70s, covering low-crunch through to high-gain territory in one circuit. The V2 revision is the standard production version sold alongside the limited 10th Anniversary edition. It suits classic and hard rock players wanting British amp-style distortion from a pedal rather than a transparent overdrive.
What stands out
“It suits classic and hard rock players wanting British amp-style distortion from a pedal”
— from the listing
“A British-voiced distortion from JHS with warm, harmonically rich saturation inspired by vintage British amp character”
— from the community notes
“The gain range spans moderate crunch to heavier saturation while retaining the open, harmonically rich quality that defines British amp-inspired designs”
— from the reviews
“Players use it for classic rock and British blues rock tones where the blooming, harmonically complex character of vintage British amps is the target”
— from the community notes
“The JHS Kilt V2 is a distortion pedal taking after the sound of British amplifiers of the 1960s and 70s, covering low-crunch through to high-gain territory in one circuit”
— from the listing
Trade-offs
“the v2 revision is the standard production version sold alongside the”
— from the listing
- british
- distortion
- saturation
- harmonically rich
- crunch
- classic rock
- blues rock
- natural
Price updated Oct 25, 2026
Genres the JHS Pedals Kilt V2 is commonly used in
- Classic Rock
- Hard Rock
- Metal
- Rock
- Blues Rock
- Blues
cited
Inferred from shared tonal signals, not a stated genre tag.
Amps that pair well with the JHS Pedals Kilt V2
Marshall JCM800 2203
Marshall
18% matchpushes an already-dirty tonePushes an already-dirty tone harder and tightens it up. (crunchy → mid-forward)
Feed a crunchy signal into Marshall JCM800 2203 and it comes out closer to mid-forward
Comes later in the signal chain
Peavey VTM-120
Peavey
17% matchpushes an already-dirty tonePushes an already-dirty tone harder and tightens it up. (saturated → tight)
Feed a saturated signal into Peavey VTM-120 and it comes out closer to tight
Comes later in the signal chain
Aguilar SL110 Fawn Limited
Aguilar
tonal matchComes later in the signal chain
Stack Aguilar SL110 Fawn Limited on top and a saturated tone tightens toward tight
EBS Magni 502 2x10 bass combo
Ebs
tonal matchComes later in the signal chain
EBS Magni 502 2x10 bass combo pushes a saturated tone toward tight
Ceriatone HRM 50
Ceriatone
tonal matchComes later in the signal chain
Ceriatone HRM 50 pushes a crunchy tone toward mid-forward
Ceriatone Overtone Special HRM Bluesmaster 50
Ceriatone
tonal matchComes later in the signal chain
Stack Ceriatone Overtone Special HRM Bluesmaster 50 on top and a crunchy tone tightens toward mid-forward
Gallien-Krueger Legacy 410
Gallien Krueger
tonal matchComes later in the signal chain
Gallien-Krueger Legacy 410 pushes a saturated tone toward tight
Gallien-Krueger Legacy 210 Bass Combo
Gallien Krueger
tonal matchComes later in the signal chain
Stack Gallien-Krueger Legacy 210 Bass Combo on top and a saturated tone tightens toward tight
Pedals that stack with the JHS Pedals Kilt V2
Z.Vex Super Hard On
Zvex
17% matchpushes an already-dirty tonePushes an already-dirty tone harder and tightens it up. (crunchy → clean boost)
Stack Z.Vex Super Hard On on top and a crunchy tone tightens toward clean boost
Comes earlier in the signal chain
Keeley Red Dirt Overdrive
Keeley
15% matchpushes an already-dirty tonePushes an already-dirty tone harder and tightens it up. (crunchy → mid-forward)
Keeley Red Dirt Overdrive pushes a crunchy tone toward mid-forward
Comes earlier in the signal chain
Electro-Harmonix M76 Studio Compressor
Electro-Harmonix
13% matchshapes the dynamic responseShapes how the tone responds to picking dynamics rather than its frequency or gain. (dynamic → compressed)
Electro-Harmonix M76 Studio Compressor's own compressed character is the real reason this is worth trying
Comes earlier in the signal chain
Electro-Harmonix Electric Mistress
Electro-Harmonix
10% matchsits in the right chain slotPlaced for where it does its job cleanly in the chain, not for a tonal interaction with the anchor.
Run Electro-Harmonix Electric Mistress after JHS Pedals Kilt V2 in the signal chain, clear of JHS Pedals Kilt V2's own gain stage
Comes later in the signal chain
Electro-Harmonix Canyon
Electro-Harmonix
8% matchsits in the right chain slotPlaced for where it does its job cleanly in the chain, not for a tonal interaction with the anchor. (high gain → ambient)
Put Electro-Harmonix Canyon after JHS Pedals Kilt V2 in the signal chain, clear of JHS Pedals Kilt V2's own gain stage — goes in the amp's FX loop (or last, into a clean amp)
Comes later in the signal chain
Meris LVX Delay
Meris
7% matchsits in the right chain slotPlaced for where it does its job cleanly in the chain, not for a tonal interaction with the anchor. (high gain → ambient)
Put Meris LVX Delay after JHS Pedals Kilt V2 in the signal chain, clear of JHS Pedals Kilt V2's own gain stage — goes in the amp's FX loop (or last, into a clean amp)
Comes later in the signal chain
EarthQuaker Devices Swiss Things
EarthQuaker Devices
EarthQuaker Devices Utility Series Buffer Preamp
EarthQuaker Devices
tonal matchComes later in the signal chain
EarthQuaker Devices Utility Series Buffer Preamp takes that crunchy character and pushes it toward clean boost
Cheaper alternatives
Caline CP-14 English Man Distortion
Caline
61% similarityShared character: hard rock, distortion, classic rock
NUX Plexi Crunch
Nux
58% similarityShared character: hard rock, crunch, classic rock
SONICAKE Shark
Sonicake
58% similarityShared character: hard rock, crunch, distortion
Boss DS-1 Distortion (Japan, 1980s)
pedal
58% similarityShared character: hard rock, crunch, distortion
Mesa Boogie Flux-Drive
Mesa Boogie
57% similarityShared character: hard rock, crunch, distortion
Black Country Customs Monolith
Black Country Customs
55% similarityShared character: hard rock, crunch, distortion
Similar charactersee all similar tone character →
SONICAKE Shark High Gain Classic British Crunch
Sonicake
61% similarityShared character: hard rock, crunch, distortion
Orange - Vintage Distortion
Orange
58% similarityShared character: hard rock, distortion, vintage charm
Wampler Plexi-Drive Deluxe V2
Wampler
56% similarityShared character: vintage charm, classic rock
Univox UD-50 Uni-Drive
pedal
56% similarityShared character: hard rock, natural, distortion
Dophix Dante
Dophix
55% similarityShared character: hard rock, crunch, distortion
Keeley MK3 Driver
Keeley
54% similarityShared character: vintage charm, classic rock
See all alternatives to the JHS Pedals Kilt V2 (cheaper + boutique) →
Questions people ask
What are good alternatives to the JHS Pedals Kilt V2?+
The closest matches in character are the SONICAKE Shark High Gain Classic British Crunch, the Orange - Vintage Distortion, the Wampler Plexi-Drive Deluxe V2. Budget picks: Caline CP-14 English Man Distortion, NUX Plexi Crunch, SONICAKE Shark.
What pairs well with the JHS Pedals Kilt V2?+
Strong matches from rig and tone-complementarity evidence: Marshall JCM800 2203, Peavey VTM-120, Aguilar SL110 Fawn Limited — Feed a crunchy signal into Marshall JCM800 2203 and it comes out closer to mid-forward.
How much does the JHS Pedals Kilt V2 cost?+
Around $199 (live listing price, updated Oct 25, 2026).
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