The Calhoun V2 is a signature pedal from JHS Pedals built in collaboration with Mike Campbell, the guitarist and producer best known for his work with Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers. It combines two gain flavors in one box: classic overdrive and fuzz. JHS describes it as Campbell's first ever signature pedal, and says the Calhoun V2 is his go-to pedal for rhythm and lead tones live and in the studio1.
Mike Campbell's overdrive and fuzz signature pedal
JHS positions the Calhoun V2 squarely as a player's pedal rather than a marketing exercise. The company calls it a collaboration with "legendary guitarist and producer Mike Campbell" and notes it is "his first ever signature pedal"1. For a player with Campbell's stature, that is a notable fact: he built a career on rhythm and lead work that leans on midrange-rich overdrive and tasteful fuzz, and the pedal is voiced around those needs.
JHS says the pedal delivers "classic overdrive and fuzz tones fully approved by Mike Campbell," and that it serves as his go-to pedal for rhythm and lead tones both live and in-studio1. In practice, that means one box can cover the two gain stages a working guitarist moves between most often: a lower-gain overdrive for chords and rhythm parts, and fuzz for leads and sustained notes. Players comparing it against other JHS gain pedals, such as the Charlie Brown V2 or the Pollinator V2, will find the Calhoun's distinction is its signature voicing rather than a novel circuit category.
"The Calhoun V2 is our collaboration with legendary guitarist and producer Mike Campbell and his first ever signature pedal."
Where the V2 fits in JHS's lineup
The Calhoun V2 sits inside a broader family of second-generation JHS pedals. Delicious Audio listed the pedal as "The Calhoun V2 Overdrive/Fuzz" in its 2017 coverage, which dates the V2 designation to that year2. The V2 naming follows a pattern JHS uses across its range, including the Charlie Brown V2, SuperBolt V2 and Pollinator V2, all of which are current JHS product pages345.
For players shopping the fuzz lane specifically, the Calhoun V2's overdrive-plus-fuzz design distinguishes it from JHS's dedicated fuzz pedals, which include the Muffuletta and the Coyote Octave Swell Fuzz. Where those pedals commit fully to fuzz circuits, the Calhoun V2 covers both sides of the gain spectrum in a single enclosure12.
Videos
Eirik Stordrange
R.J. Ronquillo
Prymaxe
Questions
Is the JHS Calhoun a Mike Campbell signature pedal?
Yes. JHS Pedals describes the Calhoun V2 as its collaboration with guitarist and producer Mike Campbell, and as his first ever signature pedal. JHS says it is Campbell's go-to pedal for rhythm and lead tones both live and in the studio.
Is there a version 1 of the JHS Calhoun?
The pedal covered here is the Calhoun V2, which JHS Pedals lists as the current version. The V2 name follows JHS's habit of revising its pedals, as with the Charlie Brown V2, SuperBolt V2 and Pollinator V2, all current JHS product pages.
Sources (5)
- CALHOUN HAND PAINT, JHS Pedals
- JHS Pedals The Calhoun V2 Overdrive/Fuzz, Delicious Audio, 2017-05-17
- CHARLIE BROWN V2, JHS Pedals
- SUPERBOLT V2, JHS Pedals
- POLLINATOR V2, JHS Pedals
