JHS Mary-K

The JHS Mary-K is an analog fuzz pedal that reimagines the Kay Fuzz Tone, a little-known Japan-made fuzz circuit of the late 1960s. Where the original was a knobless treadle unit you worked with your foot, the Mary-K gives you real controls: a Volume knob, a Frequency knob, and a JHS clipping mode, plus an expression output so you can still sweep the fuzz with your foot as the original intended¹².

JHS positions it in its Legends of Fuzz series, which the maker describes as "our tribute to the most important fuzz circuits ever made"¹. RockBoard's PedalPedia entry calls it "JHS's modern reinterpretation of the classic Kay Fuzz Tone" and notes that, "unlike the original knobless design, the Mary-K includes robust controls"³.

What it does to your sound

The Mary-K delivers what RockBoard describes as "gritty, vintage-inspired fuzz tones with adjustable frequency and output, allowing musicians to dial in expressive textures ranging from classic spitty fuzz to more saturated sustain"³.

The Frequency knob is the heart of it. Delicious Audio explains that it "produces a shift in frequency that's comparable to a more subtle version of what you get placing a wah pedal after the fuzz"². That comparison is worth sitting with: rather than a tone control that rolls off highs, you are moving a resonant peak around, the way a cocked wah pedal ahead of a fuzz would.

Controls

The JHS mode is the one addition that goes beyond replication. Gearnews describes it as a mode that "in addition to clipping from silicon diodes, adds parallel clipping from germanium diodes"⁴. Delicious Audio calls the mode "a more aggressively fuzzy and mid-rangey version of the original"².

Power and expression: 9V, 4mA

The Mary-K runs on 9V DC, center negative, with a 4mA draw¹. That is a light load, small enough that it shares comfortably with other pedals on a typical isolated supply. It also takes a single 9V battery, with a backplate that swings open via two rear screws on the back of the pedal¹.

The expression output is where the Mary-K earns its keep for players who want the original experience. JHS says it added "knobs and an expression pedal output for those who want to use it as it was originally intended," and that the Frequency knob can be controlled with an expression pedal¹. Delicious Audio frames it the same way: "An Expression out allows using this pedal just like the vintage one, adjusting the Frequency setting using your foot"². Pedal of the Day highlights it as "variable, hands-free control of one of the parameters"⁵.

JHS recommends the Nektar NX-P and Roland EV-5 expression pedals¹. One caveat from Premier Guitar's demo: "some expression pedals may introduce a hum/noise into the signal chain in high electromagnetic interference environments." In those settings, plastic-chassis expression pedals with short cables are the safer choice⁶.

From the Kay Fuzz Tone to the Legends of Fuzz series

The Kay Fuzz Tone was a 1960s Japan-made fuzz that, as guitar.com reports, "was marketed in the late '60s as a low-cost alternative to the Shin-Ei/Univox Superfuzz"⁷². Premier Guitar's demo puts the timeline simply: "Fifty-four years later, JHS is releasing our spin on the Kay Fuzz Tone: the Mary-K"⁶. Delicious Audio calls the pedal a "1969 KAY FUZZ TONE REPLICA" and "a replica of an under-the-radar Japan-made fuzz circuit of the '60s"².

The Mary-K sits in the Legends of Fuzz series alongside pedals like the JHS Berkeley and the JHS Plugin, which Gearnews covered in the same launch coverage¹². Pedal of the Day points players to the collection as a whole: "Head to the JHS website for more information on this and ALL the fuzzes in the 'Legends of Fuzz' collection"⁵.

Is it a Superfuzz clone?

Not quite, and the distinction matters if you are comparing circuits. The Kay Fuzz Tone was a budget alternative to the Shin-ei/Univox Superfuzz, not a copy of it⁷⁶. The two families are related in era and in spirit, and circuit discussions around the Superfuzz family often note variants that are "similar in many respects, but not a clone"⁸. The Mary-K traces its lineage to the Kay circuit, with JHS's own mode and controls layered on top¹².

Buying notes

The JHS product page lists the Mary-K at $89.50 USD¹. At launch, Gearnews reported EU pricing of 239 euros at some stores, with a Thomann listing of $94.00 / £84.00 / 99.00€⁴.

JHS also states that the pedal "is in no way affiliated with or endorsed by Kay Musical Instruments or Mary Kay Inc."¹, a disclaimer worth knowing since both the circuit name and the pedal name borrow from other companies.

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