JHS The Bonsai 9-Way Screamer

In the late 1970's the overdrive pedal was arguably perfected when Japanese engineers designed the sound that we now know as the heart and soul of so many of our favorite artists, recordings and sounds. Players ranging from The Edge, Trey Anastasio, Buddy Guy, Kirk Hammett, John Mayer, SRV, Carlos Santana and thousands more from every possible genre have utilized and depended on this classic iconic green box. If a single effect pedal was chosen to board a Voyager 3 mission and be solely responsible for showing the universe the sound of overdrive, it would undoubtably be Tube Screamer. It is probably the most produced and sold pedal in the history of guitar pedals! The Bonsai is our tribute to one of the greatest pedals ever created.

Following in the steps of our Muffuletta (released 2015), the Bonsai utilizes a simple rotary knob to switch through nine classic, vintage, rare, or hard to find variations of the Screamer. Creating the Bonsai became an archeological dig of sorts that sent us deep into the history of this circuit by examining dozens of versions, variations and replications. At the end of it all, Josh chose nine of his personal and favorite units and we painstakingly replicated every nuance and aspect of each pedal. One of the most challenging parts of this project was accounting for component drift as many of these pedals were decades old and the internal components had strayed from their original values. Each pedal was individually replicated using our Audio Precision analyzer and various other methods that allowed us to perfectly replicate every aspect of the sound and feel of the unit. It's important to know that the Bonsai is not a "box of mods," it is exact replications of these nine units all housed in one box! The Bonsai is exact replication, not emulation. When you choose a mode on the Bonsai rotary, you are actually activating components specific to each mode and playing the unit that Josh chose along with all the quirks, drift, vintage mojo, and individuality that a vintage pedal has.

Lets take a look at the 9 modes of the Bonsai based on the 9 pedals we have chosen...

OD-1 - 1977

An overall brighter and slightly higher gain mode that does not utilize the Tone knob. This mode also inverts signal just like the original and has asymmetrical clipping. The OD-1 is magical at boosting other drives or amps into singing saturation.

TS-808 - 1979

The classic low gain with that signature pronounced mid range.

TS-9 - 1982

Nearly identical to the TS-808 but with a slightly more pushed low-mid range.

MSL, Power or L Series - 1985

Though metal is in the name, this sound doesn’t quite inspire the modern metal djent we think of. Still it has a higher gain sound with a more low end and an overall more gooey feel.

TS-10 - 1986

Made famous by John Mayer, this model is a slight upgrade from the TS9 for the late ’80s. Bluesy, crisp, more low end roll off and low gain.

Exar OD-1 1989

The EXAR is a Polish made TS-style pedal that has a slightly different drive character with a little more gain than the classic screamers as well as a slightly more transparent feel.

TS-7 (+mode) - 1999

The hot mode on this version gives you the highest gain sound in the Bonsai. More low end and dirt fill out the tone to have you shredding away.

Keeley Mod Plus - 2002

Robert Keeley’s classic mod tightens up the tone on the original giving you smoother mid range and high frequencies, and increased bass response.

JHS Strong Mod - 2008

Our own mod we’ve been doing since 2008 is much cleaner and overall more powerful. The mode has more pronounced higher nd low end drop offs.

With the JHS Pedals’ Bonsai you can get the classic sounds of nine Tubescreamers in one pedal. Let the Bonsai help you find your overdrive zen.

This pedal requires standard 9V DC Negative power, consumes 20 mA, and measures 2.2"x4.8"x1.6".

Delivery Time

We do our very best to deliver your order as quickly as possible. Orders placed on working days before 3:00 PM are usually shipped the same day. All guitars are carefully inspected and, if necessary, adjusted before shipping. Every package is packed with care and attention, and Guitarking reuses packaging materials to contribute to a better world.

The listed prices do not include shipping costs. Shipping costs within the Netherlands are:

Shipping Costs

€4.95 for orders that fit through the mailbox (these do not always include a tracking code)
€7.95 for orders under €75 (you will receive a tracking code by email)
Free for orders over €75 (you will receive a tracking code by email)

Delivery is carried out by the postal service or parcel courier. In general, delivery within the Netherlands takes place on the next working day between 9:00 AM and 6:00 PM. Unfortunately, we cannot guarantee the exact delivery time.

Returns

You have the right to cancel your order up to 14 days after receiving it, without giving any reason. After cancellation, you have another 14 days to return the product. You will then receive a full refund of the order amount, including shipping costs. Only the costs for returning the item are at your own expense.

If you make use of this right of withdrawal, the product must be returned to Guitarking with all supplied accessories and if reasonably possible in its original condition and packaging.

To exercise this right, you can complete the withdrawal form or contact us via wilma@guitarking.nl. We will refund the due amount within 14 days after your return has been registered.

Even though we always do our very best to help you as well as possible, it may still happen that you are not completely satisfied. If that’s the case, we would really appreciate it if you let us know first by sending an email to wilma@guitarking.nl. We’re happy to think along with you and will do everything we can to find a suitable solution together. 

If this does not lead to a solution, you can submit your dispute for mediation via WebwinkelKeur: https://www.webwinkelkeur.nl/kennisbank/consumenten/geschil