
Boss JB2 Angry Driver – A NEW DRIVE PEDAL WITH MASSIVE TONAL RANGE IS BUILT BY BOSS AND JHS PEDALS JOINING FORCES
BOSS and JHS Pedals have teamed up in a landmark creative partnership between the two leaders in the compact pedal industry to commemorate the 40th anniversary of BOSS compact pedals. The JB-2 Angry Driver combines the sounds of the legendary BOSS BD-2 Blues Driver with JHS Pedals’ renowned Angry Charlie, and is housed in the classic BOSS compact design. The two pedal innovators collaborated to build an entirely new integrated circuit with superbly tuned sound and performance for dual-mode drive operation.
Three dual-concentric knobs allow for separate drive, tone, and level adjustment for each overdrive type on the JB2 Angry Driver. You may use each overdrive individually or in series and parallel configurations via a six-position mode selector. The JB-2 Angry Driver offers unsurpassed range and versatility from a single overdrive pedal, combining the Blues Driver’s famously expressive low-to-mid gain tones with the Angry Charlie’s powerful rock voice in any combination.
For the 40th anniversary of BOSS Compact Pedals, two industry leaders have come together
BOSS President Yoshi Ikegami and JHS Pedals creator Josh Scott got together over their mutual interest in innovative pedal design, resulting in the idea for the JB-2 pedal. “I got into pedals because I used two Blues Drivers together for years and years, which led me to designing my own pedals and founding my own business,” Josh explains. One of them finally broke one day. I pulled it apart and saw that it was just a simple soldering job. JHS pedals arose from repairing that pedal, which piqued my interest and took up all of my time.
Yoshi and Josh have been conversing about a collaboration for a long time at the annual NAMM shows, where they both attend separately. Yoshi felt it was time to create a new pedal in 2017, when BOSS was celebrating the 40th anniversary of the compact pedal concept. He said, “I believe this is a first for BOSS and for Yoshi. We’ve worked together based on mutual respect for each other throughout the 40 years of our history.”
Josh continues, “We’re really looking forward to working with BOSS on the JB-2, one of our icons. I’ve said for years and years that BOSS pedals are my favorite.” It’s a real honor for JHS to be able to jump into the BOSS story for the past 40 years, and it goes far beyond anything I would have ever imagined.
In a small footprint, it offers a wide variety of drive sounds
The JB-2 includes an enormous amount of overdrive range in a single-space pedal, thanks to its two drive types, dual-concentric knobs, and six modes. The Blues Driver, which includes everything from boost to distortion, and the Angry Charlie, which includes everything from moderate to high overdrive.
From individual operation to series stacking and even parallel operation, the six-position mode selector gives you flexibility to use the overdrives in a variety of creative ways. In series mode, one overdrive serves as a auxiliary for the other, while in parallel mode, it expressively reacts to picking nuances by working as a Booster. With control from an external footswitch or pedal switcher, a remote jack extends the pedal’s versatility even further.
Josh continues, “You have six controls for two pedals in this tiny format, but the six controls in series become six controls for one new pedal, and that is absolutely amazing. So there’s the Angry Charlie, and then there’s the Blues Driver, which people are familiar with. However, the six controls all interact when you put them all together, resulting in hundreds of sounds. That seems to be a really good product,” she says.
Partners in Tone
BOSS and JHS Pedals finally decided that combining the Blues Driver and Angry Charlie would be the best fit after debating a variety of options.
Y Yoshi recalls, “We employed the ES-8 Effects switching system to test a variety of setups with our pedals with the JHS Angry Charlie when this idea arose. I thought a setup allowing each pedal to compliment the other would be intriguing.” BOSS lacks the sound of Angry Charlie.
Josh continues, “What’s great about the Blues Driver is it covers low gain phenomenally and boosts really well, which emphasizes what the Angry Charlie does. It stacks wonderfully with the Blues Driver.” The Blues Driver helps calm the Furious Charlie down and allows it to perform various activities because it is always furious.
“Working on a product with a company that has done something so well for so long was really inspiring,” Josh explains. Josh is ecstatic with the finished JB-2, exclaiming, “I am 150 percent satisfied. It’s just incredible to watch such brilliant persons that enjoy what they do.” “For many years, we’ve been facing fresh challenges with the phrase ‘Breakthrough,’ and I believe working with such an up-and-coming firm is very invigorating and thought-provoking for our engineers.”
Features The JB-2 Angry Driver
- BOSS and JHS Pedals collaborated on this all-new overdrive pedal with massive tonal range.
- The BD-2 Blues Driver’s voice is combined with the JHS Pedals Angry Charlie’s voice.
- Each overdrive type has its own independent drive, tone, and volume adjustment thanks to three dual-concentric knobs.
- Individual overdrive types may be selected via mode selector, whereas stacked series and unique new sounds may be created with a parallel connection.
- A mode is also included to switch between BOSS and JHS overdrives with the pedal switch, which is built-in
- From an optional footswitch or effects switching system, a remote switch jack for controlling pedal modes and bypass
- The BOSS mode (blue), JHS mode (red), and combination thereof (purple) are all shown via a multi-color LED indicator.
Reviews for the Boss JB-2 JHS Angry Driver Overdrive
Richard O.
If you’re looking for a casual pedal to noodle around on at home, this is definitely the one. If you’re trying to play gigs with this, try something else. This is a simple pedal for the hobbyist.
Wyatt M.
After watching That Pedal Show’s episode on parallel drives, I decided to give it a try. It is extremely versatile when a distant switch is added, but simple to operate. For me, using the Angry Charlie to create a rhythm tone and the Blues Driver in conjunction for leads works really well. With tons of saturation, the AC side offers a terrific hot-rodded Marshall sound. I already have a Charlie Brown, and the Angry Driver doesn’t really need the three-band EQ of the Angry Charlie (I have a Charlie Brown).
Vyvyan W.
Being used individually, my Angry Charlie and Blues Driver pedals are better. This one is less distinct than the individual pedals. It was initially intended as part of a deal for an A Marshall JCM 1960 cab, but it never quite bonded with it.
Brent P.
Specs Boss JB-2 JHS Angry Driver
Nominal Input Level | -20 dBu |
Input Impedance | 1 M ohm |
Nominal Output Level | -20 dBu |
Output Impedance | 1 k ohm |
Recommended Load Impedance | 10 k ohms or greater |
Controls | Pedal switch MODE knob, DRIVE knob, TONE knob, LEVEL knob |
Indicator | CHECK indicator (Serves also as battery check indicator) |
Connectors | INPUT jack, OUTPUT jack, REMOTE jack, AC adaptor jack (DC 9 V) |
Power Supply | Alkaline battery (9 V, 6LR61) or Carbon-zinc battery (9 V, 6F22) AC adaptor (sold separately) |
Current Draw | 55 mA |
Expected battery life under continuous use | Alkaline: Approx. 7 hours Carbon: Approx. 2.5 hours *These figures will vary depending on the actual conditions of use. |
Accessories | Leaflet ("USING THE UNIT SAFELY," "IMPORTANT NOTES," and "Information") Alkaline battery (9 V, 6LR61) |
Options (sold separately) | AC adaptor: PSA series Foot switch: FS-5L, FS-6, FS-7 |
Width | 73 mm 2-7/8 inches |
Depth | 129 mm 5-1/8 inches |
Height | 59 mm 2-3/8 inches |
Weight (including battery) | 445 g 1 lb |
FAQ:
The Boss JB-2 JHS Angry Driver is a high-quality pedal that can be used for both studio and live use. It offers an aggressive tone, great sustain, and tight response. Additionally, it comes withBoss’ exclusive Tone Grid technology that allows you to customize the sound of your pedals according to your playingstyle.
The downside may be its price tag; but if you’re looking for a versatile pedal that will let you achieve maximum sonic potential, the Boss JB-2 JHS Angry Driver should definitely be on your radar.
Heavy Metal lovers, it looks like you have a new appreciation for amps and effects! In this comparison, we are looking at HM-2 (Heavy Metal Amp) vs. JB-2 (Joe Bonamassa Twin Tube Pedal).
Both pedals were designed with heavy metal music in mind and provide tonnes of tones that can be used to create punchy clean sounds or gritty overdriven tones. They both offer 18 amp models as well as 9 cabinet modeling types, 8effects type slots, a looper function, tuner output jack for live use, and more.
HM-2 is the newer model from Joe Bonamassa’s company Endeavor Audio Products and features updated circuitry including switched capacitors for increased headroom along with JDX C4 opamps which deliver “tougher” sound quality than earlier versions due to their higher gain potential. JB-2 was originally released by BOSS back in 1994 and has been widely popular among blues guitarists worldwide because of its vintage styled voicing which mimics worn out tubes found on early amplifiers.
There’s no doubt that EQD Plumes and Boss/JHS Angry Driver pedals can give your music production an amazing boost. But which one is right for you?
EQD Plumes is a notable pedal manufacturer with a long history of crafting high-quality audio gear, including plums and other effects designed to improve guitar tone.Boss/JHS Angry Driver, on the other hand, was created specifically for the music producer. It provides enhanced distortion, sustain, power, and clarity in conjunction with its onboard amp modeler. So if you’re looking for a versatile pedal that will help streamline your workflow while adding depth and intensity to your sounds, choose EQD Plumes!
It’s definitely tough to say one specific pedal is better than the other when it comes to guitar pedals. That being said, some of the most popular pedals on r/guitarpedals include the MXR M-134 Crybaby Wah, Ibanez TS9 Tubescreamer, and Boss SD-2 SuperDrive II. All three of these pedals are considered classic rock slash heavy metal stompboxes that have been used by countless professional musicians over the years. So if you’re looking for an iconic sound in your solos or tight rhythm parts, then these might be a good option for you.