The Oneder Effects Less Than Jake is a signature pedal for Chris DeMakes, guitarist of the ska/punk band Less Than Jake. It is a channel-switching pedal that combines two effects in one box: a boost and a high gain overdrive. Oneder calls it "the first-ever ska/punk channel-switching guitar pedal the world has seen"1.
The two channels are aimed at the two halves of a ska and punk rhythm player's job. The Blue channel is a boost that, in Oneder's words, "adds sparkle and compression to your clean sound, perfect for those upstrokes." The Yellow channel is a high gain amp-in-a-box style circuit, which Oneder says will "riff and palm mute anything from the 90's, 00's, and beyond"1.
What it does
The pedal runs two circuits side by side and gives you a footswitch for each job. One footswitch toggles between the Blue and Yellow channels, and the other turns the pedal on and off1. That layout means you can set a clean boost for skanking upstrokes and a high gain drive for riffs and palm mutes, then move between them with one click rather than tap dancing across two separate pedals.
The Blue channel's toggle switch adds a middle ground. In the (+) setting it gives, per Oneder, "a little more thickness and grit for those dirty ska" parts, so the boost can lean toward light breakup without switching to the Yellow channel1.
| Channel | Circuit | What Oneder says it does |
|---|---|---|
| Blue | Boost | Adds sparkle and compression to a clean sound, aimed at upstrokes; toggle (+) setting adds thickness and grit1 |
| Yellow | High gain amp-in-a-box style circuit | Riffs and palm mutes "anything from the 90's, 00's, and beyond"1 |
Power and switching
The pedal requires 9V center negative isolated power only. Oneder recommends using "a trusted name brand 9v center negative isolated power supply MADE for guitar pedals," which rules out a daisy chain shared with other pedals1.
Switching is handled by clickless footswitches with true relay bypass1. A relay bypass uses an electronic relay to route the signal rather than a mechanical switch contact, and the clickless design means neither the channel change nor the on/off switch produces an audible pop or click.
Videos
James - Touring Guitarist & Guitar Tech
Questions
Who designed the Less Than Jake signature pedal?
It is a signature pedal for Chris DeMakes, guitarist of Less Than Jake, made by Oneder Effects in collaboration with him. Oneder describes it as the first ska/punk channel-switching guitar pedal.
Is the Oneder Less Than Jake pedal true bypass?
Yes. Oneder Effects lists the pedal as having clickless footswitches with true relay bypass, so the signal path is switched by a relay rather than a mechanical bypass switch.
Does the pedal click when switching channels?
No. Oneder specifies clickless footswitches, so both the channel toggle and the on/off switch are designed to switch without an audible click.
Can the Less Than Jake pedal run on a daisy chain?
No. Oneder specifies 9V center negative isolated power only, and recommends a trusted name brand isolated power supply made for guitar pedals. A daisy chain is not isolated power.
What does the toggle switch on the Blue channel do?
Flipping the Blue channel's toggle switch to the (+) setting adds a little more thickness and grit, which Oneder suggests for dirty ska parts. The Blue channel itself is a boost that adds sparkle and compression to a clean sound.
Sources (2)
- Less Than Jake Signature Pedal, Oneder Effects
- Less Than Jake by Oneder Effects, RockBoard PedalPedia, 2026