The JHS Pedals Charlie Brown V4 is an amp-in-a-box overdrive pedal that JHS says turns any amp into a gritty Marshall JTM45 stack. The original Charlie Brown was introduced in 2009, and the pedal has gone through four versions since12. JHS describes the V4's character as "thick, chewy, old-school rock tone" with "vintage crunch and British attitude"2.
What it does
The circuit is voiced after the Marshall JTM45 amp head, a sound JHS sums up as sixties-style crunch through to thick, liquid rock tones. The Drive knob sets the amount of overdrive in the signal, and JHS says a twist of it moves you from that sixties crunch into heavier rock territory21. Because it is an amp-in-a-box design rather than a transparent boost or a mid-humped overdrive, the intent is to impose the JTM45 character on whatever amp you plug into, rather than simply push your amp's own sound harder.
The controls: Volume, Drive and an active three-band EQ
The V4 carries five controls in a U-shaped knob layout2.
| Control | What it does |
|---|---|
| Volume | Sets the output level of the pedal1 |
| Drive | Sets the amount of overdrive in the signal, from sixties-style crunch to thick and liquid rock tones21 |
| Bass | Active tone control, cuts or boosts low frequencies21 |
| Middle | Active tone control, cuts or boosts midrange frequencies21 |
| Treble | Active tone control, cuts or boosts high frequencies21 |
The tone controls are the headline change of this version. In the JHS demo video, Josh Scott explains21:
"base mid and treble this is an active Three band EQ that you can cut or boost the frequencies"1
Josh Scott, JHS Pedals demo video3
Because the EQ is active rather than a passive cut-only tone stack, each band can push its frequencies forward as well as pull them back. That gives the pedal a second job beyond drive: you can use the Bass and Middle controls to shape a rig that is too thin or too scooped, or cut Treble to tame a bright amp, all before the drive stage's own voicing comes into play12.
What changed between the versions
JHS lists the full version history of the Charlie Brown on the V4's product page2.
| Version | What changed |
|---|---|
| V1 | Larger enclosure; no Charlie icon2 |
| V2 | Changed to current enclosure size; diamond knob layout2 |
| V3 | Slightly different Drive control and gain structure than V22 |
| V4 | Color changed to yellow; added three-band tone stack; five controls total; U-shaped knob layout2 |
The V4 also added more headroom over previous versions. In the demo video, Josh Scott says "we add some more Headroom in" when describing the new version1. More headroom means the pedal stays cleaner at higher input levels before breaking up, which matters if you want to use it as a light-crunch platform or feed it hot signals.
Power and setup
The Charlie Brown V4 requires standard 9V DC center negative power and consumes 9mA2. At that draw it is a light load on any pedalboard power supply, and the center-negative requirement matches the standard used by most isolated supplies. The pedal has an instrument input on the side1.
JHS specifies 9V DC center negative power for the V4. Unlike some JHS overdrives, such as the Angry Charlie V3, which can be run at 18V for more headroom and greater dynamics, the Charlie Brown V4's product page gives a single 9V requirement24.
Where it sits in the JHS lineup
The Charlie Brown is one of JHS's amp-in-a-box overdrives, a family that also includes the Double Barrel V4 and Sweet Tea Dual Overdrive dual-drive pedals, which house multiple JHS circuits in one enclosure. Where those pedals combine two drives, the Charlie Brown V4 is a single-voice pedal focused on one amp sound, with the active EQ doing the shaping work that a second channel might otherwise handle21.
Videos
JHS Pedals
ProGuitarShopDemos
JayLeonardJ
Questions
What changed between the Charlie Brown V3 and V4?
The V4 changed the enclosure color to yellow and added a three-band tone stack, bringing the pedal to five controls total arranged in a U-shaped knob layout. The V3 kept the earlier control set but used a slightly different Drive control and gain structure than the V2. The V4 also added more headroom over previous versions.
Does the Charlie Brown V4 have more headroom than earlier versions?
Yes. In JHS Pedals' own demo video, Josh Scott says of the V4 that they added some more headroom in. The V4 runs on standard 9V DC center negative power and draws 9mA.
How much current does the JHS Charlie Brown V4 draw?
The Charlie Brown V4 consumes 9mA, according to JHS Pedals' product page. It requires standard 9V DC center negative power, so it will run comfortably on most isolated pedalboard supplies.
Can the Charlie Brown EQ boost as well as cut?
Yes. The Bass, Middle and Treble controls form an active three-band EQ that can cut or boost their selected frequencies, as Josh Scott demonstrates in the JHS demo video. That makes it usable both to tame harsh frequencies and to push a range forward.
Sources (4)
- JHS Pedals Charlie Brown V4, JHS Pedals (YouTube), 2016-01-22
- CHARLIE BROWN V4, JHS Pedals
- JHS Pedals Angry Charlie V3, JHS Pedals, 2016-01-22
- ANGRY CHARLIE V3, JHS Pedals
