The JHS Banana Boost is a minimalist two-knob analog boost pedal from JHS Pedals, built around a single idea: two boost voicings in one small box. A volume knob sets how hard the pedal pushes, and a sweep knob travels from germanium treble boost on one side to a full-range JFET boost on the other. JHS describes the result as a booster that does its job so well you may never turn it off1.
Two boost voicings in one pedal
The sweep knob is the heart of the pedal. JHS describes its range this way: when turned to the left 50% you have Rangemaster and Treble Booster tones, and to the right 50% you have full-range boost in the ranks of an LPB-1 power booster1. In practice, that means the left half of the knob gives you the midrange-forward, top-end lift of a germanium treble boost, while the right half turns the pedal into a clean, full-range JFET boost4.
The volume knob sets the level, and JHS says it gives you more than enough headroom to easily drive your amp into natural breakup1. The maker's own description of where to place it covers both common uses: paired with any tube amp, you have at your feet one of the most versatile tone shaping tools available; placed after an overdrive or fuzz, it projects what it hears and sends it soaring above the mix, and placed before dirt boxes, it can force them into rich harmonic saturation1.
In a JHS demo video, Josh Scott and Peter Stroud walk through the pedal, with Stroud demonstrating how rolling the sweep knob takes it from a germanium treble boost into the full-range side4.
Power and the internal trim pot
The Banana Boost runs on 9V DC, center negative2, the standard for compact pedals, so it will sit happily on a typical pedalboard supply.
Inside the pedal there is an internal trim pot set to a precise voltage. Official guidance is to leave it alone: JHS states that if you mess with it, your warranty and tone will be voided1. Adjust the external knobs only.
Versions and availability
JHS notes that some early versions of the Banana Boost have no icon and mini green knobs, so secondhand units may look slightly different from later ones1.
The pedal is discontinued. JHS lists it among pedals no longer in production, saying plainly: "Another discontinued pedal is the Banana Boost"3. Players looking for a current JHS boost have newer options from the same maker, such as the JHS Fumble clean boost or the JHS Solo Boost.
Videos
ProGuitarShopDemos
Andertons Music Co
Prymaxe
Questions
Is the JHS Banana Boost still made?
No. JHS Pedals lists the Banana Boost among its discontinued pedals, so it no longer appears in the current lineup. Used units turn up on the secondhand market, and JHS has released other boost pedals since, so a player looking for a similar effect has current alternatives from the same maker.
What power supply does the JHS Banana Boost need?
The Banana Boost runs on a 9V DC supply with a center negative plug, the same standard used by most compact pedals. Use a regulated pedal power supply or a dedicated output rather than an unregulated adapter, and keep the internal trim pot alone, since JHS says altering it voids the warranty.
What does the sweep knob do on the Banana Boost?
The sweep knob moves the pedal between two boost voicings. In the left half of its range you get Rangemaster and treble booster style tones, a germanium treble boost. In the right half it becomes a full-range JFET boost, in the territory of an LPB-1 style power booster.
Is the JHS Banana Boost analog?
Yes. The Banana Boost is an analog circuit, which is typical for a boost pedal of this kind. That matters for players who want their clean signal path untouched by conversion, and it is part of why the pedal works equally well pushing an amp or feeding overdrive and fuzz pedals.
Should I adjust the trim pot inside the Banana Boost?
No. There is an internal trim pot set to a precise voltage, and official guidance is to leave it alone. JHS puts it plainly: if you mess with it, your warranty and tone will be voided. The external knobs give you all the adjustment the pedal needs.
Sources (4)
- BANANA BOOST, JHS Pedals
- Banana Boost by JHS, RockBoard (PedalPedia), 2026
- WHY YOU NEED BOOST PEDALS, JHS Pedals
- JHS Pedals Demo by Peter Stroud and Joshua Scott at NAMM 2012, JHS Pedals (youtube.com), 2012-01-27
