The ThorpyFX The J is a dual-channel overdrive and preamp pedal built to reproduce the sound and feel of the Lazy J J20, a British boutique tweed-style combo amp that Guitar World describes as a modern evolution of the 1950s 5E3 Fender Deluxe circuit12. ThorpyFX calls it "a tone multiplier for your board, a tweed 'tour de force' designed to give you those complex Lazy J20 sounds in a pedal format"2. It is the second pedal in the maker's Analog Amp Emulator Series2.
What sets The J apart from most amp-in-a-box pedals is that it is fitted with a high-quality transformer, which ThorpyFX says makes the pedal react to your playing and distort like a full-size amplifier2. It captures the drive section of the J20 across two footswitchable channels, Normal and Bright, without the amp's reverb and tremolo32. Guitar.com's reviewer called it "one of the most organic, touch sensitive and responsive overdrive pedals around"4.
A tweed Lazy J20 in pedal form
The J20 amp it emulates belongs to Lazy J, a British boutique amplifier builder whose tweed-clad designs are inspired by the Fender combos of the 1950s126. Guitar.com's buying guide put it plainly: "This is, essentially, Jesse's J 20 combo, one of the best tweed-style amplifiers you can buy, in stompbox form"6.
The pedal is not a full model of the amp. As Adrian Thorpe and Jesse Hoff told MusicRadar, the collaboration focused on the amp's core character: "So we just wanted the drive, two channels, the drive section of the amp"3. The reverb and tremolo of the real J20 are left out. Because it is an analog amp emulator rather than a conventional clipping overdrive, ThorpyFX says it "can work fantastically well with your existing amp"2, and Guitar World's review found it takes other drive pedals well in front of it1.
Guitar Pedal X's Stefan Karlsson was emphatic about the results:
"Thorpy has set the new standard for the Tweed Drive. The richness and complexity of the breakup is quite extraordinary"
The controls and the Normal/Bright footswitch
The control layout mirrors the amp it models. Two footswitches handle bypass and channel selection, and each channel has its own gain knob feeding a shared output level15.
| Control | What it does |
|---|---|
| Output | Master volume for both channels57 |
| Response | Presence-style control57 |
| Supply | Voltage attenuation, emulating the voltage attenuation control on the original tube amp37 |
| Tone | Standard bright or dark EQ1 |
| Normal | Gain and volume for the Normal channel17 |
| Bright | Gain and volume for the Bright channel17 |
| X/Y switch | Selects the circuit's impression of a 12AX7 or 12AY7 preamp valve4 |
| Channel footswitch | Switches between Normal and Bright1 |
| Bypass footswitch | Engages and bypasses the pedal1 |
The X/Y toggle is the pedal's take on choosing an input tube. ThorpyFX designed it so "you can choose your input tube 12AX7 vs 12AY7, for dirtier vs cleaner tones"2; Guitar.com describes it as flipping between simulated 12AX7 and 12AY7 preamp valves, with the 12AY7 setting giving a lower gain character46.
The Supply knob is the feature Guitar World singled out in its pros and cons, noting the tonal variation available from the voltage control1. It recreates the way dialing down the supply voltage on a tube amp changes its feel and breakup.
Normal versus Bright
The two channels behave like the two inputs of the J20 amp. The Bright channel is slightly brighter and offers more gain and saturation than the Normal channel54. Guitar.com's reviewer found the bright channel "a touch brighter, but also more gainy than the normal channel"4.
One detail carried over from the amp: the volume setting of the channel you are not using affects the gain of the one you are using, just as it does on the J2042. Players who know tweed Deluxe-style amps will recognize this interactive behavior; players new to it will want to experiment with both knobs rather than treating the unused channel as off.
History: the ThorpyFX and Lazy J collaboration
The J is a collaboration between Adrian Thorpe, founder of ThorpyFX, and Jesse Hoff, founder of Lazy J13. It took the combined talents of the two several years to create: Thorpe told Guitar.com "It's taken us about four years of collaboration to develop The J pedal"4, and he described it to MusicRadar as a real collaboration rather than a licensing deal3.
Lazy J is not new to pedals. The company put out the well-regarded Cruiser boost/drive pedal well over a decade ago4. For ThorpyFX, The J continues the Analog Amp Emulator Series, and Guitar Pedal X calls it the sister pedal to the ThorpyFX Scarlet Selmer Preamp5.
The pedal was announced in November 2025, with MusicRadar reporting it available then at £329/$3663. Guitar Pedal X reviewed it on November 4, 2025 at £329/$399/€3995, and by January 2026 Guitar.com's review, which rated it 10/10, listed it at £329/$39942. The maker's webstore currently lists it at £329.99, with tax included for UK orders only, as a preorder with up to a 10 day lead time from order2. Purchase options include the pedal alone or adding custom buttons2.
What reviewers said
Published reviews have been consistent in their praise:
- Guitar World (Trevor Curwen) listed compact size, solid build quality, the tweed sound, two channels, quiet operation, the Supply knob's voltage variation and how well it takes drive pedals as pros, with nothing listed to avoid1.
- Guitar.com (Ed Oleszko, January 2026) rated it 10/10 and called it one of the most organic, touch-sensitive and responsive overdrives around42.
- Guitar Pedal X (Stefan Karlsson) named it a Silver runner-up in his 2025 best new boost and overdrive pedals of the year, calling it a "Tweed Supreme" and his favorite Thorpy overdrive overall7.
- Guitar.com's 2026 dirt pedals buying guide picked it as its choice for tweed crunch6.
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Questions
How much does the ThorpyFX The J cost in the US?
The J is listed at $399 in the US, a price given by Guitar.com in January 2026 and by Guitar Pedal X at launch. The UK price is £329.99 from the ThorpyFX webstore, where tax is included for UK orders only. At launch in November 2025, MusicRadar quoted the US price as $366.
Does ThorpyFX The J have a real transformer?
Yes. ThorpyFX says the pedal is fitted with a high-quality transformer, and that as a result it reacts to your playing and distorts like a full-size amplifier. That transformer is central to the pedal's aim of reproducing the feel of the Lazy J J20 combo, not just its tone.
How much current does The J draw?
The J draws 50mA, according to both ThorpyFX's product page and Guitar World's review. It runs on a 9V DC adaptor, which is not supplied with the pedal. At 50mA it is modest by amp-emulation standards and easy to power from most isolated supplies.
What is the difference between the Normal and Bright channels on The J?
Both channels have their own gain knob feeding a shared output level control. The Bright channel is slightly brighter and offers more gain and saturation than the Normal channel. As on the J20 amp itself, the volume setting of the channel you are not using affects the gain of the one you are using.
Is The J related to the Scarlet Selmer Preamp?
Guitar Pedal X describes The J as the sister pedal to the ThorpyFX Scarlet Selmer Preamp. The J is the second pedal in ThorpyFX's Analog Amp Emulator Series, and where the Scarlet Selmer models a Selmer-style preamp, The J takes on the Lazy J J20 tweed combo.
Sources (7)
- ThorpyFX x Lazy J The J review, Guitar World, 2026-02-24
- THE J - LAZY J x ThorpyFx Collaboration, ThorpyFx
- “What I wanted to achieve was the J-20 sound without the reverb and the trem”: Thorpy FX teams up with boutique amp specialist Lazy J to give guitarists premium vintage Tweed tone in a pedal, MusicRadar, 2025-11-05
- Lazy J x ThorpyFX The J review: a superb tweed amp emulation, Guitar.com, 2026-01-14
- Guitar Pedal X, Guitar Pedal X, 2025-11-04
- Alternative rockers: 10 cool new dirt pedals you need in 2026, Guitar.com, 2026-04-22
- Guitar Pedal X, Guitar Pedal X, 2025-12-04
