JHS Angry Charlie V3 = Awesome

[SavageRiffer]

I have version 2 and it's one of my favorite pedals, but version 3 is even better! It's more flexible, the distortion sounds better, the feel is even better, it works better as a light overdrive, and the EQ controls work great. It's less about being a Marshall-in-a-box and more about just a great freaking pedal. It has a great, natural feel too. Harmonics squeal madly. The distortion is clearer than v2. You aren't going to get over-the-top distortion, but there's enough to make a clean amp do metal riffing and soloing. This pedal is incredible. If you like v2, then you'll love v3. I think the core tone is the same, but the distortion is more usable at any level and less compressed.

I'm using it with a Helios 50, Friedman Smallbox, and Shiva 20th. It's great with the Smallbox and Helios, so even though it's supposed to be a Marshall style pedal, it doesn't do anything to the tone except add a little bit of color and as much gain as you want. With the Shiva, it doesn't change the tone or try to make it sound like a Marshall. It just sounds awesome. I'd highly recommend this pedal, and recommend getting it even if you have v2 already.

 

[AndyK]

Cool! Wonder if they used elements from their AT1 pedal to get the better feel and gain?? The AC V3 is a relative bargain compared to the AT1.

 

[SavageRiffer]

Cool! Wonder if they used elements from their AT1 pedal to get the better feel and gain?? The AC V3 is a relative bargain compared to the AT1.

I don't know, but I went back and forth with v2 and v3 again last night and I'm really loving the v3. Everything has improved overall. I haven't tried the Timmons version yet.

JHS is a bit confusing because up until v3, the Angry Charlie was pretty much a Marshall-in-a-box, but the v3 to me is much more of a general overdrive/distortion pedal. I doubt it's going to make someone's Fender sound like a Marshall. If that's the kind of pedal it was, then I wouldn't like it much. So far I've tested it on 4 different amps and it doesn't reserve any preference for EL34, KT88 or 6L6 amps.

 

[AndyK]

Does it sound good as a low OD into a crunchy amp?

 

[LP Freak]

Does it sound good as a low OD into a crunchy amp?

Wondering this too

 

[SavageRiffer]

Does it sound good as a low OD into a crunchy amp?

Yes. Up until about 9:00 on the gain dial, it's lower volume and mild. You have to turn up the level knob to kind of do the low gain boost thing. I set my amp gain around 12:00-1:00, then set the Angry Charlie around 10:00 or 11:00 and get enough saturation for Metallica and soloing stuff.

 

[tripstan]

AT is always on my pedal board. IMO best pedal for mysterious back lines. Sounds great thru everything. Use to bring a Soldano GTO for back line gigs but it's a damn tank. To me the AT is very very close to getting high gain tube tone like the GTO. On the 100 watt setting the AT does great low gain too, pushes any tube amp just right.

 

[thefyn]

I'd love to review that on my channel. Someone loan one to me

I'm all set for pedals but I want to see if the sm57 hears the hype like most are reporting in the room. I also want the Tumnus.

 

[AndyK]

Does it sound good as a low OD into a crunchy amp?

Yes. Up until about 9:00 on the gain dial, it's lower volume and mild. You have to turn up the level knob to kind of do the low gain boost thing. I set my amp gain around 12:00-1:00, then set the Angry Charlie around 10:00 or 11:00 and get enough saturation for Metallica and soloing stuff.

Encouraging!

 

[LP Freak]

I have version 2 and it's one of my favorite pedals, but version 3 is even better! It's more flexible, the distortion sounds better, the feel is even better, it works better as a light overdrive, and the EQ controls work great. It's less about being a Marshall-in-a-box and more about just a great freaking pedal. It has a great, natural feel too. Harmonics squeal madly. The distortion is clearer than v2. You aren't going to get over-the-top distortion, but there's enough to make a clean amp do metal riffing and soloing. This pedal is incredible. If you like v2, then you'll love v3. I think the core tone is the same, but the distortion is more usable at any level and less compressed.

I'm using it with a Helios 50, Friedman Smallbox, and Shiva 20th. It's great with the Smallbox and Helios, so even though it's supposed to be a Marshall style pedal, it doesn't do anything to the tone except add a little bit of color and as much gain as you want. With the Shiva, it doesn't change the tone or try to make it sound like a Marshall. It just sounds awesome. I'd highly recommend this pedal, and recommend getting it even if you have v2 already.

How does it change the tone in the SB?

 

[SavageRiffer]

I have version 2 and it's one of my favorite pedals, but version 3 is even better! It's more flexible, the distortion sounds better, the feel is even better, it works better as a light overdrive, and the EQ controls work great. It's less about being a Marshall-in-a-box and more about just a great freaking pedal. It has a great, natural feel too. Harmonics squeal madly. The distortion is clearer than v2. You aren't going to get over-the-top distortion, but there's enough to make a clean amp do metal riffing and soloing. This pedal is incredible. If you like v2, then you'll love v3. I think the core tone is the same, but the distortion is more usable at any level and less compressed.

I'm using it with a Helios 50, Friedman Smallbox, and Shiva 20th. It's great with the Smallbox and Helios, so even though it's supposed to be a Marshall style pedal, it doesn't do anything to the tone except add a little bit of color and as much gain as you want. With the Shiva, it doesn't change the tone or try to make it sound like a Marshall. It just sounds awesome. I'd highly recommend this pedal, and recommend getting it even if you have v2 already.

How does it change the tone in the SB?

Hmm, well it's hard to describe unless you've played a Fargen Olde 800 or Miniplex. I remember playing an Olde 800 and it had kind of a unique flavor that I can't describe. It's not a colored flavor really, just kind of the way it compresses and has a real dimensional quality. I just can't put it into words, but through the clean channel of the Helios AND the Smallbox, it does about the same thing. It's no more colored than the JHS Moonshine. Sorry that I can't describe it to you, but whatever it does it has an incredible sound and feel. It's not an amp-in-a-box, and I hate the feel of those kinds of pedals. It's just one of the best distortion pedals you can get. It doesn't matter if it's a Smallbox, Marshall 1987x, Helios, Shiva, or whatever, it sounds incredible.

I'm not a JHS fanboi as there are only two pedals I like from them, the Moonshine and the Angry Charlie, but this pedal will never leave my setup. It kicked the Bogner Burnley and my Angry Charlie v2 off my board. Those are amazing pedals, but I'm telling you this pedal is simply outstanding.

One thing is that I wish I had a pedal exactly like that that sounds like the Bogner Uberschall pedal. That is one great pedal, but if I could take this one and change nothing except to add that Uberschall flavor, it would be amazing.