JHS Bonsai 9-way Screamer-style Overdrive Pedal

The JHS Bonsai puts nine classic, vintage, rare, and modified Screamer-style overdrive circuits into a single pedal. Following the same concept as the JHS Muffuletta, the Bonsai was developed by examining dozens of original pedals and selecting nine specific examples that represent important points in the history of this iconic mid-forward overdrive circuit.

Rather than using digital modeling or applying a collection of modifications to one basic circuit, JHS recreated each selected pedal with mode-specific analog components. JHS used Audio Precision analysis along with direct comparison to the original pedals, even accounting for component drift in vintage examples. Turning the nine-position selector changes the actual circuit configuration to reproduce the individual response and character of each source pedal.

Volume, Drive, and Tone provide the familiar Screamer-style control layout, while the Mode knob gives you access to nine different variations spanning more than 30 years of overdrive history. The differences range from subtle shifts in mids and low end to substantially different gain structures, clipping characteristics, and overall feel.

The Nine Bonsai Modes

• OD-1 — 1977: Brighter with slightly more gain, asymmetrical clipping, and no active Tone control. Particularly useful for pushing other drives or an already-driven amplifier.
• TS-808 — 1979: The classic low-gain Screamer sound with its familiar pronounced midrange.
• TS-9 — 1982: Closely related to the 808 with a somewhat stronger low-mid response.
• MSL / Power / L Series — 1985: Higher gain, more low end, and a thicker, softer overall feel.
• TS-10 — 1986: A lower-gain, crisp and blues-oriented voice with additional low-end roll-off.
• EXAR OD-1 — 1989: Based on the Polish-made EXAR interpretation of the circuit, with slightly more gain and a somewhat more transparent response.
• TS-7 (+ Mode) — 1999: Recreates the pedal's hotter mode, providing the highest-gain setting in the Bonsai along with more low end and dirt.
• Keeley Mod Plus — 2002: Based on Robert Keeley's well-known modification, with tighter response, smoother mids and highs, and increased bass.
• JHS Strong Mod — 2008: JHS's own modification, offering a cleaner, more powerful response with extended tonal shaping at the frequency extremes.

The Bonsai makes it possible to compare several generations of the Screamer family without filling a pedalboard with multiple versions. Whether you're using one as a low-gain overdrive, a mid-focused boost into a tube amp, or a way to tighten up another high-gain pedal, the nine circuit variations give you a wide range of takes on one of the most influential overdrive designs ever made.

Key Features

• Nine Screamer-style overdrive circuits in one pedal
• All-analog circuit design
• Mode-specific components recreate nine individual reference pedals
• Volume, Drive, and Tone controls
• Nine-position rotary Mode selector
• Covers circuit variations from 1977 through 2008
• Includes vintage production versions, rare variants, and well-known modified circuits
• OD-1 mode uses asymmetrical clipping and bypasses the Tone control
• TS-7 mode provides the highest-gain voice
• JHS Strong Mod provides a cleaner, more powerful alternative to the traditional Screamer response
• Compact single-pedal format

Specifications

• Effect Type: Overdrive
• Controls: Volume, Drive, Tone
• Mode Selector: 9-position
• Modes: OD-1, TS-808, TS-9, MSL, TS-10, EXAR OD-1, TS-7, Keeley Mod Plus, JHS Strong Mod
• Power: Standard 9V DC, center-negative
• Current Draw: 20mA
• Dimensions: 2.6" x 4.8" x 1.6"