The JHS Artificial Blonde is a true pitch vibrato pedal and the signature pedal of guitarist Madison Cunningham. Unlike a chorus pedal, which blends a modulated signal with your dry tone, the Artificial Blonde is pure vibrato: as JHS's Nick puts it in the company's demo video, "The artificial blonde is just a VBR, okay? There's no clean signal."1 It carries two independent speed/depth presets you can switch with a footswitch, a volume control and an active tilt EQ, and it is JHS's first stereo pedal, with separate MONO and STEREO output jacks2.
The pedal grew directly out of Cunningham's playing. JHS describes the concept as "a very simplistic approach to Madison's signature sound: a never off, always on, slightly 3D pitch vibrato sound"2. It launched on 21 October 2022 at $2493, and JHS lists it at $249.00 USD4.
The controls
The Artificial Blonde is laid out as two sides, each with its own SPEED and DEPTH knobs, plus a shared VOLUME and EQ section3. The right footswitch toggles between the two presets; on power up the default is preset B5. The left footswitch turns the effect on and off5.
| Control | What it does |
|---|---|
| SPEED | Sets the rate of the vibrato. Left is slower, right is faster4 |
| DEPTH | Sets the depth of the vibrato. Left is less, right is more4 |
| VOLUME | Sets the overall volume of the pedal. Left is less, right is more4 |
| EQ | Active tilt EQ. Noon is flat; left boosts lows and cuts highs, right boosts highs and cuts lows4 |
| Left footswitch | Effect on/off. Off is buffered bypass, with both outputs passing the dry signal5 |
| Right footswitch | Switches between preset A and preset B5 |
The tilt EQ is the shaping tool. Because it is active rather than passive, it both boosts and cuts: roll it left for a darker, low-forward vibrato or right to brighten the effect, with a flat response at noon4. In JHS's demo video, Nick points to it as the way "you can use this EQ to brighten it up"1.
The two-preset design is the pedal's practical reason for existing. Cunningham used her Emperor in vibrato mode as an always-on foundation but kept changing settings between a subtle and a not-so-subtle sound, and the Artificial Blonde puts both of those settings under one footswitch3.
Power and connections
Signal enters through a single 1/4" input jack on the top right4. On the output side there are two 1/4" jacks, MONO and STEREO. Use the MONO output alone for a mono signal path, or use both jacks for what JHS calls a 3D stereo soundscape4. Delicious Audio's writeup confirms the arrangement: "The pedal has a mono input and stereo output, but can be used in mono by plugging in just the left output."5
Power comes from a 9V DC supply with a negative center plug5. MusicRadar's launch coverage notes it takes a standard 9V DC pedalboard power supply3.
Do not use more than 9V DC with the Artificial Blonde. JHS warns that higher voltage may cause damage and will void the warranty5.
Because the pedal is buffered bypass rather than true bypass, both outputs keep passing your normal dry signal when the effect is off4. That also means the pedal stays in your signal chain even when disengaged, which suits its intended use as an always-on effect.
From the Emperor to a Madison Cunningham signature pedal
The Artificial Blonde is a new take on the JHS Emperor Chorus/Vibrato2. Cunningham had used the Emperor in vibrato mode as her foundational, always-on sound through the sessions for her album Who Are You Now4. The idea for a dedicated pedal came when JHS founder Josh Scott, tech'ing for her, noticed she always had the Emperor on and was constantly switching its settings between a subtle and a not-so-subtle sound3. He developed a new stompbox built around her needs, and she toured with the first version for a full year as a black, nondescript prototype labeled "BLONDE?" before JHS released it officially as the newest member of its lineup45.
JHS frames the pedal simply:
"a very simplistic approach to Madison's signature sound: a never off, always on, slightly 3D pitch vibrato sound"265
Premier Guitar, on the pedal's launch2
Delicious Audio goes further, describing the result with a clean Fender-style amp and strings tuned down as "Madison Cunningham in a box"5.
What reviewers said
Pedal of the Day reviewed the Artificial Blonde in September 2023 and placed it among the stronger vibrato pedals it had covered6:
"a never off, always on, slightly 3D pitch vibrato sound"
JHS, describing the Artificial Blonde's sound3
Pedal of the Day, 23 September 20236
The same review highlights the two easy-to-access modes for live use as the pedal's working feature6.
JHS's own demo video, published in April 2025, walks through the controls, the stereo operation and the EQ across the company's chorus and vibrato lineup, including the Artificial Blonde. Nick demonstrates the preset switching, the tilt EQ and the stereo outputs, and reiterates that the pedal carries no clean signal1.
Videos
JHS Pedals
60 Cycle Hum
R.J. Ronquillo
Questions
Is the JHS Artificial Blonde a stereo pedal?
Yes. It is JHS's first stereo pedal, with MONO and STEREO output jacks. Using both outputs gives what JHS calls a 3D stereo soundscape. It has a single mono input on the top right, and the effect is a true pitch vibrato with no clean signal blended in.
Can you use the JHS Artificial Blonde in mono?
Yes. Plug into the MONO output alone and the pedal runs as a normal mono vibrato in your signal chain. The STEREO output is only needed for the two-output stereo setup. When the effect is off, both outputs pass the normal dry signal through a buffered bypass.
What power does the JHS Artificial Blonde need?
It runs on 9V DC with a negative center plug, the same standard as most pedalboard power supplies. JHS warns not to use more than 9V DC, as damage may occur and the warranty will be voided. No battery operation is mentioned in the product documentation.
Is the JHS Artificial Blonde true bypass?
No. When the pedal is off it uses a buffered bypass, and both the MONO and STEREO outputs pass the normal dry signal. The left footswitch turns the effect on and off, while the right footswitch switches between the two presets.
Who is the JHS Artificial Blonde designed for?
It is a signature pedal for guitarist Madison Cunningham, built around her always-on, slightly 3D pitch vibrato sound. It grew out of her heavy use of the JHS Emperor Chorus/Vibrato in vibrato mode, and it suits players who want a subtle, constant vibrato with two presets for live switching.
How much does the JHS Artificial Blonde cost?
The list price is $249.00 USD on JHS's product page, the same price at which the pedal launched in October 2022 according to MusicRadar's launch coverage.
Sources (6)
- Deep Diving Into JHS Chorus Pedals (Rotary Chorus, Emperor, 3 Series Chorus, Artificial Blonde), JHS Pedals (YouTube channel), 2025-04-02
- JHS Unveils Madison Cunningham Artificial Blonde Pedal, Premier Guitar, 2022-10-26
- JHS Pedals launches much-anticipated Madison Cunningham signature vibrato pedal, the Artificial Blonde, MusicRadar, 2022-10-21
- ARTIFICIAL BLONDE, JHS Pedals
- JHS Artificial Blonde Stereo Vibrato (Madison Signature), Delicious Audio, 2023-09-25
- JHS Pedals Artificial Blonde Madison Cunningham Signature Vibrato, Pedal of the Day, 2023-09-23
Madison Cunningham
