The JHS Pedals Moonshine V2 is an overdrive pedal from JHS Pedals, built on what the maker calls "a highly unique and massively tweaked version of the most famous overdrive ever created," referring to the Tube Screamer circuit, housed in a little green enclosure1. It delivers the classic mid-heavy tones you would expect from that family, but with more gain, volume and tonal range than the original circuit, and V2 adds a Clean knob that blends your untouched signal back in with the overdrive signal1.
The pedal also appears as the right side of the JHS Pedals Double Barrel V4, where Pedal of the Day described it as offering "tasty mid-heavy tones ala a famous little green scream"2.
A mid-heavy overdrive from the Tube Screamer family
The Moonshine's circuit is based in part on "a certain little green overdrive from the early 80's," as Pedal of the Day's reviewer Mike B put it, meaning the Ibanez Tube Screamer8. Delicious Audio's buying guide goes further, calling it "a Dumble-inspired overdrive based on a Tubescreamer topology"6.
What separates it from a stock Tube Screamer is the low end and the headroom. The Volume is boosted internally from 9V to 18V, which gives the pedal tons of output volume and headroom8, and Delicious Audio notes it runs on 18 volts via an internal charge pump, preserving the bottom end6. On That Pedal Show, the presenters found it "sounds nothing like a Tube Screamer," with all the mid push but a load of bottom end you do not get from the green pedal9.
"Not too harsh on the high end, tons of headroom and volume and great crunch sounds, the Moonshine really is a versatile and super-useful overdrive, in a multitude of settings."
The Moonshine was also included in Thomann's big Tube Screamer shootout video, alongside the stock green pedals it is measured against10.
The controls: Volume, Tone, Drive, Clean and the Proof toggle
The V2 retains the simple Volume, Tone and Drive knobs from version one, and adds the new Clean knob45. Pedal of the Day found that Volume, Tone and Drive "each have their own range and tonal qualities"8.
| Control | What it does |
|---|---|
| Volume | Sets output level; boosted internally from 9V to 18V for output volume and headroom8 |
| Tone | A nice range of EQ to dial in whatever sound you are looking for8 |
| Drive | From a low-gain boost up to a thick wall of distortion, plus just about anything in between8 |
| Clean | Blends in any amount of clean signal with your overdrive signal9 |
| Proof toggle | Two-position switch for headroom or maximum gain9 |
The Tone control, in the maker's words, "goes down as smooth as Grandpa's White Lightning, with none of the harsh ice-pick characteristics that many overdrives often have in the brighter settings"4.
The Proof toggle is where the gain structure changes:
- Up: More open and forceful crunchy tones, more overall volume and more headroom; a volume boost and a cleaner, tighter drive tone89
- Down: The highest gain settings, lots of saturation and sustain, and the most mid-range character; the heavier sounds the pedal can deliver89
On That Pedal Show, the presenters described the up position as "a ton more headroom," calling it "a clipping diodes thing"9.
The Clean knob is the V2's headline addition. Delicious Audio describes it as enabling true parallel distortion, mixing your clean signal alongside the drive rather than only stacking gain6. Because the pedal was originally designed for bass, this blend is especially useful for keeping low-end definition, and it can also get a little darker at times, as Pedal of the Day noted8.
History and versions: from the Moonshine V1 to V2
The Moonshine has a longer lineage than its name suggests. It replaced the JHS Pedals Low Drive V2, a bass overdrive, as Pedal of the Day reported in 201411. On JHS's own YouTube channel, Josh Scott explained the chain more precisely:
"made the Moonshine, which is technically the version two of the Low Drive, which is technically a modified version of the 808 that was technically pulled from this that was technically pulled and developed from the first mods."
The Moonshine V1 was a three-knob pedal, with Gain, Tone and Volume6. The V2, announced in July 2017 alongside updates to the Double Barrel and Sweet Tea, kept the same core tone and the same $199 retail price, adding the Clean blend knob and shrinking the footprint13. Delicious Audio's demo of the Double Barrel V4, which carries the Moonshine V2 on its right side, confirmed the same core tone as version one with the added Clean knob14.
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Questions
Does the Moonshine sound like a Tube Screamer?
It is built on a heavily modified Tube Screamer circuit, so it keeps the mid-heavy character, but reviewers found it does not sound like a stock green pedal. On That Pedal Show, the presenters said it has all the mid push but a load of bottom end you do not get from the Tube Screamer itself.
What does the Proof toggle do in the up and down positions?
Up gives more headroom, more overall volume and more open, forceful crunchy tones. Down gives the highest gain settings, with lots of saturation, sustain and the most mid-range character. It is a simple two-position switch, so you choose between headroom and maximum gain.
Was the JHS Moonshine designed for bass?
Yes. Pedal of the Day's reviewer noted the pedal was originally designed for bass, which is why it can get a little darker at times. The V2's Clean blend knob, which mixes untouched signal back in, is a feature that suits bass players especially well.
Did the Moonshine replace the JHS Low Drive?
Yes. The Low Drive was replaced by the Moonshine, and JHS's own Josh Scott describes the Moonshine as technically version two of the Low Drive, which was itself a modified version of the JHS 808. The Moonshine V2 then added the Clean knob.
Sources (14)
- DOUBLE BARREL V4, JHS Pedals
- JHS Pedals Double Barrel V4 Overdrive, Pedal of the Day, 2019-04-27
- MOONSHINE V2, JHS Pedals
- BARREL AGED MOONSHINE V2, JHS Pedals
- SWEET TEA V3, JHS Pedals
- Best Dumble-Style Pedals For Your Needs & Budget, Delicious Audio, 2024-09-25
- The Big Tubescreamer Shootout: 22 Originals and Clones Head-to-Head, www.gearnews.com, 2026-07-08
- JHS Pedals Moonshine Overdrive, Pedal of the Day (www.pedal-of-the-day.com), 2015-09-10
- TPS Pick'N'Mix, That Pedal Show (YouTube), 2017-10-09
- Watch Thomann’s massive Tube Screamer shootout, Guitar.com, 2018-08-20
- JHS Pedals Low Drive Bass Overdrive, Pedal of the Day, 2014-08-24
- What is the JHS 3 Series Screamer?, JHS Pedals (YouTube channel), 2022-04-08
- JHS Updates Popular Pedals: Double Barrel & More, Premier Guitar, 2017-07-31
- JHS Pedals Double Barrel V4 (demo), Delicious Audio, 2017-08-28
