The Steak & Eggs is a two-in-one overdrive and compressor pedal built as a collaboration between JHS Pedals and Keeley Electronics. The left side is a modified JHS Morning Glory overdrive circuit and the right side is a modified Keeley Compressor, both circuits sharing one enclosure12. JHS calls it "a perfect pairing of overdrive and compression that you may never turn off"2.
What makes it more than two pedals glued together is that both circuits were modified for this pedal specifically, by Josh Scott of JHS and Robert Keeley, and neither modified version is available anywhere else21. The Morning Glory side carries a new gain setting that has never appeared in a previous version of the circuit2, and the compressor side gains a Blend knob and a faster release time13.
The maker's product page lists the Steak & Eggs at $0.00 USD as of October 20262. The $349 price is from the 2015 launch announcement1, so treat that figure as historical.
A Morning Glory and a Keeley Compressor in one box
The idea behind the pedal is straightforward: take two widely used circuits, modify each one, and put both in a single box. Pedal of the Day described it as combining "the famous Keeley Compressor and the Morning Glory Overdrive from JHS," adding that having both in one enclosure "makes for one hell of a musical ride"3.
The Morning Glory side is the JHS overdrive circuit with a twist. Its high-gain modification is, in JHS's words, "totally new and re-thought from the ground up"2. Josh Scott's own account of the project fills in the history: Robert Keeley modified his compressor, Scott modified the Morning Glory with high-gain mods, and the two were combined into what he called "the one pedal to rule them all: the Steak and Eggs overdrive, which is really, really fun"4. Scott also described the collaboration itself as a landmark, saying working with Keeley "was maybe the highlight of my entire life"4.
The high-gain switch on the overdrive side behaves differently depending on where the Drive knob sits. With the drive control below 80%, the toggle adds headroom and punch; with the drive control maxed, it adds more dirt, saturation and gain, for what JHS calls the most drive ever available in the circuit's history2. Pedal of the Day traced this feature back to JHS's State Line pedal, noting the Steak & Eggs version is an improved take with "more power, punch and dirt with the flick of a switch"3.
The compressor side is a modified classic Keeley design with a faster release time, which the reviewer found produced "that Keeley warmth and sustain while retaining excellent note clarity"3. Its biggest change is the Blend knob, covered below.
Controls and switching
Each side has its own control set, plus shared toggles and a couple of internal switches.
| Side | Control | What it does |
|---|---|---|
| Compressor | Sustain | Sets the amount of compression3 |
| Compressor | Level | Sets the output level3 |
| Compressor | Blend | Mixes your original unaffected signal back in, for punchy tones and gentler compression23 |
| Compressor | Bright switch | Adds extra sparkle when desired1 |
| Overdrive | Volume, Tone, Drive | The standard Morning Glory control set3 |
| Overdrive | High-gain toggle | Adds headroom and punch below 80% drive, more dirt and gain when drive is maxed2 |
| Shared | Order toggle | Chooses which circuit comes first in the signal chain3 |
| Internal | Pickup selector | Single coil or humbucker setting on the compressor side1 |
| Internal | Bright-cut dip switch | The classic Morning Glory bright-cut function, moved inside1 |
The Blend control is the headline change to the compressor. Where the standard Keeley Compressor runs two knobs, this version runs three: Sustain, Level and Blend3. JHS says the Blend control "allows players to blend back in their original unaffected signal for very punchy tones and the tenderest compression available"2. Pedal of the Day's Mike B found it lets you control how much overall compression and brightness the pedal mixes into your signal path3.
Can I choose which side comes first?
Yes. The order toggle switch lets you decide whether the compressor or the overdrive runs first, and the choice matters: compressor-into-overdrive and overdrive-into-compressor respond differently. Mike B found both orders "producing different but both extremely usable results"3.
Who made it, and where
The Steak & Eggs is a joint product. Premier Guitar's 2015 announcement described it as "a pair of modified essentials by Josh Scott (JHS Pedals, Kansas City USA) and Robert Keeley (Keeley Electronics, Edmond OK)"1. The division of labor was real: Keeley Electronics in Edmond, Oklahoma handled the final PCB layout, powder coating, printing and drilling of the enclosure2, and JHS states the finished product is 100% made in the USA2. JHS's own history of its food-themed pedals counts the Steak and Eggs alongside the Muffaletta as part of that naming run5.
What reviewers said
Pedal of the Day reviewed the pedal in March 2016 and came away positive, closing with:
"you know you're getting a quality pedal that's going to provide incredible tone for years."
The reviewer framed its appeal as combining two of the most used and talked-about effects on the market, overdrive and compression, with the added extras of the blend control, the high-gain switch and the order toggle3.
How it fits with other JHS compressors
Players comparing compressor options from JHS can also look at the Pulp N' Peel V4, released in August 2016, and the Whitey Tighty, shown at NAMM 2019. The Steak & Eggs stands apart from both as the only one that pairs its compressor with an overdrive in the same box, and as the only JHS compressor circuit built with Keeley Electronics.
Videos
Chicago Music Exchange
Chicago Music Exchange
Eirik Stordrange
Questions
Who made the Steak & Eggs pedal, JHS or Keeley?
Both. It is a collaboration between JHS Pedals and Keeley Electronics, with circuit modifications by Josh Scott of JHS and Robert Keeley. Keeley handled the final PCB layout, powder coating, printing and drilling of the enclosure in Edmond, Oklahoma, and JHS describes the product as 100% made in the USA.
Is the JHS Steak & Eggs made in the USA?
Yes. JHS states the product is 100% made in the USA, with the final PCB layout, powder coating, printing and drilling of the enclosure done by Keeley Electronics in Edmond, Oklahoma.
Is the Steak & Eggs still made?
The maker's product page still describes the pedal but lists its price as $0.00 USD as of October 2026, and the original $349 launch price dates from 2015. There is no current production price listed, so it appears to be a limited collaboration rather than an active catalog item.
Does the Steak & Eggs compressor have a blend control?
Yes. The Keeley Compressor side has three knobs, Sustain, Level and Blend, instead of the usual two. The Blend control mixes your original unaffected signal back in, which JHS says gives very punchy tones and gentler compression.
Which pedals is the Steak and Eggs based on?
It combines a modified Keeley Compressor and a modified JHS Morning Glory overdrive. Both modifications are exclusive to this pedal: the compressor gains a Blend knob and a faster release time, and the Morning Glory side gets a new high-gain setting not available in any earlier version of the circuit.
Can I choose which side comes first?
Yes. An order toggle switch on the pedal lets you decide whether the compressor or the overdrive runs first in your chain. Pedal of the Day's reviewer found both orders produced different but extremely usable results.
Sources (5)
- JHS & Keeley Launch Steak and Eggs Pedal Combo, Premier Guitar, 2015-07-14
- STEAK N EGGS, JHS Pedals
- JHS Pedals / Keeley Electronics Steak and Eggs Overdrive Compressor, Pedal of the Day, 2016-03-19
- THE STORY OF THE MORNING GLORY, JHS Pedals
- PEDALS VS FOOD, JHS Pedals
