The JHS PG-14 is the signature distortion pedal that JHS Pedals built for guitarist Paul Gilbert, designed to his specifications with JHS founder Josh Scott involved in the process. At its heart is a FET-based distortion engine that, in JHS's words, emulates the touch, feel, and the response of a pushed tube amplifier, with an active mid-frequency preamp placed in front of that circuitry to shape the drive before it hits the FET stage12.
A FET circuit that acts like a pushed tube amp
JHS describes the core of the pedal as a FET based distortion engine that emulates the touch, feel, and the response of a pushed tube amplifier1. Pedal of the Day's review repeated the same description of the circuit and added that the active mid-frequency preamp sits at the front of the FET circuitry, giving a really wide sweep of tonal possibilities2. guitar.com's NAMM 2020 report called it a FET-powered pedal that emulates the responsiveness of tube amps6.
The same review summed up the pedal's character this way:
"The PG-14 is a warm, hard-hitting effect that sounds great from the instant you plug it in."
Designed by Paul Gilbert with Josh Scott
The PG-14 was unveiled at NAMM 2020. gearnews.com reported that the pedal was tailored to Paul Gilbert's specifications, with Josh Scott involved in the process4, and MusicRadar called it the meeting of minds between Gilbert and JHS honcho Josh Scott5. JHS's own product page states simply that it is a new and unique distortion pedal specifically designed to Paul's specifications1.
Gilbert himself is quoted by MusicRadar on the pedal's range:
"it has more variety of how it sounds and how it feels than any distortion pedal I've ever played through"
Controls
| Control | What it does |
|---|---|
| Volume | Controls the output level2 |
| Drive | Sets the amount of distortion2 |
| Tone | Standard tone shaping2 |
| Mid (active) | Active mid-frequency preamp at the front of the FET circuitry, with a wide sweep2 |
Pedal of the Day noted that the Volume, Drive and Tone controls act as they should, with the active mid preamp as the pedal's distinguishing extra2.
Distortion or overdrive?
JHS releases the pedal as the Paul Gilbert signature distortion1, and MusicRadar's news coverage called it the PG-14 distortion pedal7. The line blurs in practice: Pedal of the Day described it as a unique distortion and overdrive pedal that adds the ultimate dirt channel to your amplifier2, and GuitarPlayer's review called it Paul Gilbert's signature overdrive pedal8. gearnews.com has also referred to it as a tube-like FET overdrive pedal289. Functionally it sits in the territory shared by distortion pedals and overdrive pedals: a dirt pedal voiced to respond like a tube amp opening up.
The shoe icon and the name
The PG in the name is Paul Gilbert, and the 14 is his shoe size. In the Sweetwater demo video, Gilbert and Josh Scott discuss the size 14 foot behind the name10, and in JHS's own demo video the shoe icon on the pedal is explained as pointing to the same reference: "that's why the icon of a shoe is on there"11.
Hearing it
JHS's demo video shows the pedal in use with Paul Gilbert himself, covering the shoe icon and the circuit's background11.
Sweetwater's video with Gilbert and Josh Scott covers the design story, including the size 14 origin of the name10.
Where it sits in the JHS range
The PG-14 is one of several dirt pedals in the JHS lineup. Players comparing it against other JHS drives may also look at the JHS Pedals Angry Charlie V3, the JHS Pedals Sweet Tea V3, the JHS Pedals The Kilt 10 Overdrive Distortion, the JHS Pedals Hard Drive Modern Distortion or the JHS Pedals Twin Twelve Channel Drive. Guitar World's review covers the pedal as the JHS Paul Gilbert PG-1431.
Videos
JHS Pedals
JHS Pedals
News
Questions
Who designed the JHS PG-14?
The PG-14 was designed to Paul Gilbert's specifications, with JHS Pedals founder Josh Scott involved in the process. MusicRadar described it as the meeting of minds between Gilbert and Josh Scott, and JHS's own product page calls it a new and unique distortion pedal built specifically to Paul's specs.
What does the shoe icon on the PG-14 mean?
The shoe icon is a reference to Paul Gilbert's shoe size. In the JHS demo video the pedal's name is explained as coming from Gilbert's size 14 foot, which is where PG-14 comes from, and the shoe icon on the enclosure points to the same joke.
Is the PG-14 a distortion or an overdrive pedal?
JHS calls it a distortion pedal, and that is how most coverage labels it. Pedal of the Day described it as a unique distortion and overdrive pedal that adds the ultimate dirt channel to your amplifier, and GuitarPlayer's review called it Paul Gilbert's signature overdrive pedal. The two categories blur here because the FET circuit is voiced to respond like a pushed tube amp.
Does the PG-14 have a midrange control?
Yes. The PG-14 has an active mid-frequency preamp located at the front of the FET distortion circuitry, which Pedal of the Day noted gives a really wide sweep of tonal possibilities. That is on top of the standard Volume, Drive and Tone controls.
Sources (11)
- PG-14 - JHS Pedals, JHS Pedals
- JHS Pedals PG-14 Paul Gilbert Signature Distortion, Pedal of the Day, 2020-08-27
- JHS Pedals PG-14 review, Guitar World, 2020-08-28
- NAMM 2020: JHS Paul Gilbert PG-14 tube-like FET overdrive pedal, gearnews.com, 2020-01-11
- The best new effects pedals of NAMM 2020, MusicRadar, 2020-01-24
- NAMM 2020: JHS finally releases the Paul Gilbert signature distortion pedal, guitar.com, 2020-01-14
- NAMM 2020: The JHS Effects PG-14 Paul Gilbert signature distortion is here, MusicRadar, 2020-01-11
- JHS Pedals PG-14 Review, GuitarPlayer (www.guitarplayer.com), 2020-04-23
- TC Electronic Paul Gilbert MojoMojo, gearnews.com, 2021-06-03
- JHS PG-14 Paul Gilbert Signature Distortion Pedal Demo with Paul Gilbert and Josh Scott, Sweetwater, 2020-01-31
- The PG-14 has a lot of heart 💙💗 @paulgilbert_official, JHS Pedals (YouTube), 2023-07-19
Paul Gilbert
