JHS AT+

The JHS AT+ is an overdrive pedal made by JHS Pedals, and it is guitarist Andy Timmons' artist signature pedal¹. Released in 2018, it is the follow-up to the original JHS AT from 2016, built on what Timmons calls "the identical original AT circuit" with one addition: an independent, footswitchable boost stage in front of the drive². That boost effectively gives the pedal two channels and two gain stages, selectable from two footswitches on the enclosure¹.

The idea behind the pedal traces back to 2013, when Timmons bought a JHS Angry Charlie and started using it as his primary tone. He soon got in touch with JHS founder Josh Scott about modifying it, and that collaboration eventually produced the AT line¹. By Timmons' own admission, the pedal has become an integral, indispensable part of his sound and pedalboard³.

An overdrive with a footswitchable boost channel

What separates the AT+ from the original AT is the boost. JHS describes it as "an independent foot-switchable Boost, essentially creating a second channel and gain stage for the pedal"¹. It sits in front of the main drive circuit, so switching it on adds gain and saturation rather than producing a large jump in volume; Guitar World's Daryl Robertson notes that "the boost is positioned in front of the main drive circuit, meaning you won't get a massive spike in volume when you stomp on it"⁶.

The boost is not a clean lift, either. JHS calls it "a slightly dirty and overdriven pre-boost that allows you to hit the front end of the AT drive channel for more saturation and definition"¹. It has its own volume control, which Timmons said in the JHS demo video is set to his specifications². He also found it changes how the guitar responds: "it also kind of enables that neck pickup to... maybe takes a little bit of low end down and so it makes that another usable" sound².

Because the boost is independent, it does not have to feed the AT+'s own drive circuit. JHS says it can be used alone to drive an amp or other drive pedals on your board¹, which makes the AT+ work as a two-in-one: a drive pedal plus a standalone boost.

The controls and the three voicings

The AT+ carries the control set of the AT line: Volume, EQ, Drive and Air, plus a three-way toggle that JHS labels as 25-watt, 50-watt and 100-watt voicings⁶. On That Pedal Show, the hosts described the layout as volume and drive as expected, with one knob working like treble and another like presence, and the toggle offering three levels of compression⁷.

The three toggle positions shape how the clipping feels, in the way a small amp compresses harder than a big one²⁴:

The Volume control gives plenty of headroom to play with¹, and the boost channel adds its own volume knob². In JHS's demo of the AT line, Josh Scott explained the thinking behind the headroom toggle: "We added the headroom toggle. The idea there was the way that the waveform is clipping. It feels like a 100 watt or a 25" watt amp⁸.

Power

The AT+ requires standard 9V DC center negative power and consumes 15mA¹. JHS notes it can be safely run on 18 or 9 volts, so players who prefer the headroom of an 18V supply can use it¹. At 15mA it is a light draw on a typical isolated power supply.

V1, V2 and the AT+ in the AT family

The AT line now spans three pedals. The original AT arrived in 2016 as Timmons' first signature pedal with JHS². The AT+ followed in 2018 as the second model, adding the boost⁴⁷. In 2026 JHS added the AT Mini, a smaller version priced at $129 that keeps the AT+ in the catalog at $219⁵⁸.

The AT+ itself exists in two versions. V1 had a diamond-shaped knob layout and a single footswitch; V2 moved to the "AT+" U-shaped knob layout with two footswitches, and limited edition AT+ pedals also come in a black colorway¹. The AT Mini is built on the original V1 circuit, fixed at the 100-watt voicing; as JHS puts it, "If you want the 25-watt and 50-watt voicings, or the independent footswitchable boost channel, that's the AT+"⁵. Delicious Audio's Paolo De Gregorio noted the Mini keeps the line's "exceptional note clarity across all settings"⁹.

Who uses it: Andy Timmons

The pedal exists because of Andy Timmons. After purchasing a JHS Angry Charlie in 2013, he began using it as his primary tone and soon contacted Josh Scott about modifying it¹. That led to the AT in 2016, described in JHS's own demo as "a JHS Pedals artist signature pedal," with Timmons demonstrating it on his track "The Night to Remember"¹⁰². The AT+ followed as the next iteration, a collaboration between Timmons and JHS's Josh Scott²³.

Timmons plays Ibanez signature guitars with an HSS pickup platform¹¹, and the AT+ was voiced around his setup. In the JHS demo video he described the boost's effect in his own terms:

Videos

Click to load

Click to load

Click to load

Questions