What Did I Do Wrong? (Learning from Failure) ROSS Pedals

[@timvanglad6110]

You love Bud Ross. We love Joshua Heath Scott. It's hard being a mascot for someone else's brand. Don't focus on bringing back history. Focus on making history. Yesterday is gone forever.

[@AllofJudea]

In the immortal words of Pantera, "Yesterday don't mean sh*t"

[@non_brewed_condiment]

@@AllofJudea using “in the immortal words” before that quote is poetic

[@patmurphy7266]

Well said, yeah for me, it’s just JHS

[@mbg4041]

I blame Trump

[@a-nus]

​@@mbg4041Kamala lost

[@hbohm1996]

I aspire to owning JHS pedals because of the fact that you run an honest and ethical business and are just good humans. This is ‘mojo’ that I want in my life, my music and my sound. Well done

[@jordan3119]

Oh sweet child. You have much to learn. Anybody wanna tell him?

[@zwicker5585]

@@jordan3119 huh?

[@scottclark7592]

When raidio shack went out of business, My first thought was adding a lot of their type of electronic parts to my store. Then I remembered they went out of business.

[@metricdeep8856]

Wise (and obvious) observation.

[@iwannabeyourshirt]

This is the nicest way to say what I was thinking. The concept is so cool, but my personal, subjective feeling is that you have to keep innovating--a pure recreation isn't that interesting. I love Hondas from the 90s, but I like 2024 hp and mpgs. Gibson and Fender are exceptions with their constant reissues...but even those aren't plagued with the problems and failings of SOME of the original instruments, and they have a heavy nostalgia quotient, to boot. I thought the distortion sounded great, but not for $200, when an extra $79 will get me the incredible UA Tweed pedal thing that Lee Anderton just demo'd. The world moves on.

[@TrashHeapCustodian]

To be fair I think what killed Radio Shack was Private Equity, not that they stocked electronic parts

[@davidpekarsky2977]

@@TrashHeapCustodianif that was true, the market would have created an opportunity for someone else to service that sector. The whole sector changed with disposable electronics

[@non_brewed_condiment]

@@davidpekarsky2977 the market did that for Amazon

[@Dungeon_of_Regret]

Josh transcending from pedal builder to successful business man. Plenty of great makers out there, running a successful business with this kind of passion for the craft,,, far rarer.

[@krystlepyette]

I really appreciate the candor and the behind the scenes look at the reality of being a creative but also having to be willing to make the tough calls.

[@StevieWonder824]

Because of the Ross videos y’all made and the heart and story behind the pedals I really wanted to get em but I just couldn’t afford to spend the money. Got a kid and a wife to take care of. With that I’m super bummed that Ross had to get shut down but I’m super grateful for the heart behind bringing back the company. Im just glad I got to be part of the process even by just watching the videos🙂

[@Earthwormjimm]

Same, I wanted at least one Ross pedal but $250 with a 6 year old and a pregnant wife, is absolutely insane. I sell guitars and pedals just to get a new piece of gear, there’s no way.

[@Earthwormjimm]

Also, no way we can afford one now. They’ll shoot up to $500 a piece now

[@xdoctorblindx]

@@EarthwormjimmExcept you can get one for $80 on Friday…

[@philb479]

The documentary was phenomenal.

[@ScottRainsford-iq6xy]

Still is 💙

[@gradyturnbull1137]

Man, I wanted to like that documentary so bad, but it just did not hit for me...

[@robbygordon643]

If you don’t take risks, you’ll never have any chance of success. And when you take risks, some of them will fail. We don’t celebrate failure often enough. This is an amazing episode! Thanks for letting us in on the inner workings.

[@conorfowler]

Immense respect to Josh for being pragmatic and putting the health and future of JHS and its employees above any personal pursuit of being the Victor Frankenstein of pedals. Shame we won't see those other brands you mentioned though!

[@illbience1]

I clicked for the Ross pedals and came away with a deeper empathy and admiration for the (conscientious) small-business owner. There's nothing I love more than a citizen artist; thanks so much for this!

[@jhspedals]

thank you!!!

[@mileswatkinson8135]

That documentary was a worthwhile endeavour in its own right. I'm sad to see your experiment didn't work out, but have nothing but respect for you taking that shot. If wasn't in the midst of a very difficult financial time, I'd buy the whole set.

[@dooleykeith]

Thank you for explaining what goes on at a small electronics company, including failures. Your level of honesty is off the charts.

[@mattbrillhart2922]

IMO, I would have just done a limited run. ROSS has a history for some, but limited overall audience. It was valiant effort.

[@joermnyc]

Yeah, just make more Compressors than anything else because those are legendary (but not quite mythical like a Klon).

[@pete5516]

Love how klons somehow have attained “mythical” status when it’s a simple circuit you can build yourself for $20-30. The creator of the klon certainly puts a lot of thought into his designs and it was special for the time but so insanely easy to replicate for the past 20 years

[@jw_au]

Guess that’s kind of what has happened in the end 🤷‍♂️

[@Stallbeezy73]

It’s easy to look back and say what you would have done after already seeing the outcome that someone else worked on. What’s the saying? Hind sight is always 20/20.

[@m.o.n.d.e.g.r.e.e.n]

i agree, im around gear quite a bit and actually never come across ross so it has no cache for me rightly or wrongly

[@anthonyjrivers]

I love the candor and the peek behind the scenes. I respect JHS as a company even more and will continue to support you guys!

[@HerbieBancock]

Sell them in Ross stores before TJ Maxx launches their own line.

[@poopydonkey]

I wish Marshalls sold Marshalls!!! 😮

[@johnmorrison5502]

I’m waiting on the Maxx boost pedal!

[@johnwinnard5589]

Marshall’s on line one.

[@STRATMAN1969]

@@johnwinnard5589 Not 1 amp in that store lol.

[@PlanetRoss365]

While watching this, I can see the "nostalgia" board I built in August '23 with the JHS/Ross Phaser, Fuzz, Distortion and Chorus (all bought new, but at a discount). The 1980 version of the Distortion was the core tone of my college-era rig. Today, plugging an old Ibanez into my JHS/Ross rig brings back many happy memories. To Josh & Co: thank you, thank you, thank you for bringing these back. The Phaser and Chorus are exceptional.

[@taylorzomer5223]

One of the things I’ve always appreciated about this channel is that the content and the message has always come across very earnest to me. It’s great and fun content, and I’ve learned a lot, but it’s never felt “selly”. You believe in your product, so you don’t need to push it on me. The honesty always felt there, and a video like this reaffirms that real honesty. It’s not our business to know, but I do find it interesting and I appreciate you sharing the difficult reality of the situation. Thanks for more great and honest content guys

[@timklemons7205]

The Ross documentary is fabulous and will live forever. Thanks for everything you do JHS. Its so refreshing to see this level of passion, vision, and honesty in a company. There are very few companies in the world that work to earn the trust of the buyer the way you do.

[@austinbryan6371]

If it means anything, I appreciate yall bringing these pedals to the market. I own the compressor and my father has the fuzz. He LOVES the old vintage Fogerty Kustom tones, so it was perfect for his board. The compressor is legendary in tone and feel. Thank you for bringing the history of ROSS to the masses, your hard work and dedication to the products did not go unnoticed! Hate others didn’t jump on these pedals sooner. I look forward to snagging one on Friday. Much love to you Josh, Nick, and the JHS Pedals team.

[@gilmarriner3011]

A perfect explanation on how even a good idea just doesn’t work. Everyone that is even thinking about bringing a new idea to the market should listen to this broadcast. A perfect lecture!

[@justinarthur3773]

It's sad when things don't work out. Speaking as a consumer from Australia, It's still hard for 'smaller' pedal businesses to compete with the larger companies/offshore manufacturing. The Ross Phaser is listed for $294 (AUD) on the JHS website. Add $42 for postage to Australia, that's $336. I can get an EHX small Stone (new) for $149 at the local music store. A MXR Phase 90 for $189. Even at this new price ($79 USD is $120 AUD), with postage that's still more than a Small Stone.

[@kangaroofoot]

I appreciate you guys. You're the only company I've come across that loves your product so much that it makes me excited to hear all your business executions. Rock on, guys.

[@ericnpeterson]

isn't this kinda the quintessential ROSS experience? It's performance art.

[@thekengrace]

As one of the JHS dealers, I was pumped about the Ross Pedals. They are gorgeous and sound fantastic. I was surprised to not see them move. In January 2024, we noticed that sales really tanked across the board. I wonder in the timing of that market pullback factored in. Huge JHS fan here and honored to be a dealer!

[@ShalomShireFarm]

The JHS Pedals videos on Ross, documenting the history, and documenting JHS's reproduction of the Ross line up, was an awesome watch. This channel continues to be a great educator in the guitar signal path genre, genuine, honest, and fun.

[@CL_Audio_Tuning]

As a small business owner this is a subject that hits very close to home. And its very very big of you to make such a decision like this, especially with a literal icon like Ross really was. It makes me sad. But, you live you learn? Thanks for sharing guys! I hope someone will do the Ross brand justice eventually! It should not go away.

[@CL_Audio_Tuning]

I will say this! Maybe you can just put the brand on ice for now, redesign it to be less expensive for building them, be able to relaunch them with a more affordable price and still make money. I feel like buying all 5 of them and just collect them. ;) Hey maybe a will.

[@STRATMAN1969]

I would say JHS did, do ROSS justice.

[@scootb7400]

Super fun to see behind the curtain. For what it’s worth, as a consumer this product felt like a collectible in the same way as a classic car. It’s fun to take out and cruise, but I can’t really justify it as a daily driver. I did purchase the Ross Distortion because I love the DOD 250, but I don’t have enough space for them all. I’m glad they exist, and the documentary was great!

[@d3w4yn3]

This is the strength of humble integrity. Businesses in every industry could learn much from this.

[@隠れた]

If I’m honest I didn’t see Ross sticking around long, the market just isn’t there, it’s mainly a nostalgia product and doesn’t translate to younger players. It’s not cheap enough for players to grab it based on beating out other products on price and they don’t bring anything new to the table - along with big bulky casing. Was awesome to see and I wish it worked out for everyone involved

[@KelticKabukiGirl]

The Size is the largest issue. Pedalboard Real Estate is limited

[@doramen8317]

I was expecting obsessive phish fans to single handedly make this profitable. I would’ve killed for a Ross compressor when I was younger, but I’m just not that into chasing Treys tone anymore.

[@wtbgamegenie]

@@KelticKabukiGirlI honestly think pedals should only come in two sizes, micro and Klon. The latter being reserved for expensive overly hyped shit. Big so people can see it and drool, or small for pedalboard real estate’s sake. The only pedals I think make a good case for a medium size are Chase Bliss. It would be impossible to manipulate all those knobs and switches if they were any smaller.

[@katjoe1974]

Exactly. To me, guitar pedals are tools. I don’t care at all about the history. I don’t care about the story. I don’t care about anything other than what the pedal can do- I’m not willing to pay a premium for the name on the box

[@mouthmw]

125B with top jacks is the only true way to go. Unless you need 2 footswitches on it, then it's too small.

[@christopherjrager]

I work with independent, mostly small businesses (as an accountant) and see people going through these ups and downs constantly. There's so much that goes into bringing something to market. It is really great to hear you all speak about being a business and all of the effort and risks that go along with it.

[@earljohnson8851]

I think this is my favorite JHS video. I find it incredibly informative and educational and admirable. We don’t deserve you guys

[@jhspedals]

thank you!!

[@louiecook7074]

So grateful for JHS. It is amazing to see a business with this level of transparency. Thank you for setting such a positive example particularly for young musicians and music lovers. I have had multiple conversations with people who all say the same thing about JHS “ you can tell something different about those guys”. People are taking note of the positive vibes You are putting out!

[@distor_sean711]

Class acts through and through. Nothing but love to JHS!!!❤

[@RaymondChengDobson]

Heart goes out to you guys. Glad you are taking it as a learning experience. Stay positive. JHS is a great brand and I’m sure that there is a distant cousin waiting to be discovered. Best of luck to you.

[@joeralphs9157]

❤ thanks for sharing. My name is Bill and I'm a pedal- holic. Keep coming back, it works if you work it!

[@riklionheart23]

To be honest, though I really enjoyed the documentary (I love history, guitar gear and music, so it was perfect content for me), I felt no compulsion to go buy any - it felt more like i would be buying into someone else’s nostalgia than getting something that I really wanted. But I did appreciated the effort JHS had obviously put into crafting the line to perfectly match the vintage versions, as well as the research and effort that was put into the documentary. I also appreciate the honesty here in this announcement, businesses need to be transparent like this. There’s an integrity that attracts the buyer and will promote brand loyalty. Fair play for making a difficult call. Funny enough, this kinda feels like an inevitable continuation of the ROSS story line.

[@LateBoomerGR]

It's not a failure if you loved doing it. Keep doing you

[@PeeSocks14]

No, it's still a failure even if you love it

[@mateuszdolinski4206]

Dude, this isn‘t a hobby. Josh has to deliver. He can‘t pay his employees with fun.

[@rsr_brian]

As a guitarist and product manager of both coffee & software products, I find this exercise to be profoundly wise and the fact you did it publicly/transparently to be very awesome. It’s part of what keeps me coming back to this channel and it builds a connection with the brand. Y’all are awesome

[@mykhedelic6471]

I bought Ryan's Ross Fuzz and I effing love it. There's a gritty crunch to the fuzz that I just adore. Was thinking of getting the Phaser from you. Ross, gone but not forgotten.

[@guloguloguy]

I MISS YOUR ROUND-TABLE "DEMO-REVIEWS"!!! WE ALL LIKE/NEED TO ACTUALLY "HEAR" THE EFFECTS" IN ORDER TO FALL IN LOVE WITH THEM!!!!

[@lyricbread]

I honestly forgot about this line and don’t remember seeing a single piece of marketing for them in 2024.

[@juanvaldez5422]

I don’t either

[@rocketpigrecords3719]

Same. In like 2 days I find out Josh relaunched Ross...and now find out it's already dead.

[@ThemFuzzyMonsters]

100%

[@gabrieljustus7409]

Really appreciated this stream. I’m in a line of work (litigation) where I am forced to face the prospect of failure more frequently than I’m used to, and the way you processed this episode in Ross and your career was really instructive and positive.

[@mattweakley796]

Solid work being self aware and humble. As a casual viewer I legit had no idea you even were making these!!

[@Guitar-Geek]

It's a brillian idea to explain what went wrong in your business. You get the most valuable thing out of this move - you increase customer loyalty to the brand which could be easily transformed into a benefit. Literally you gonna get a bunch of leads out of cheap (in terms of money, of course, I am not about the product value itself) video which gonna have a very long effect.

[@rlsittler]

This is now my favorite JHS video. Not because of the outcome. But because of the wisdom and honesty. This is fantastic insight for anyone that makes things professionally.

[@El...Presidente]

I haven’t seen JHS content in a year… Gosh I sure miss Josh and the crew. Such a good energy pod and people. I love u guys!

[@MarsGuitarOfficial]

I own a Ross chorus and Phaser and they are absolutely brilliance. I’m so glad they’re part of my rig. I know it will be loss but financially not thanks for sharing that information. Thank you.

[@reed785M]

Nice! I think I will buy both of those on Friday, definitely the phaser, how does the chorus stack up to say, an EHX style chorus? I currently have a clone theory I use for chorus but it’s noisy and a little big on the board.

[@Lovetone1983]

@@reed785Mit’s like a ce-2 by boss

[@stephencrane561]

Such honesty, such transparency. So refreshing.

[@joehynes2964]

Glad you are going to focus solely on JHS stuff going forward. Y'all make great gear.

[@BrenQ99]

As always, Josh, I walk away from a JHS video a little more impressed with you as a business man, a person, and a Dude. If your version of fearless self-reflection could be taught, the word would be a much better, happier place. Thank you for providing such an exceptional example.

[@Yyz1971]

this is refreshingly honest. Thank you for the introspective on this issue.

[@maxholliday5097]

Keep your head up bro! Knowing when to pivot is true wisdom as a leader, as is admitting when something didn’t work. Now you tried it and won’t have regrets like you would if you had never took the risk. You have plenty of other ideas that worked and will work in the future.

[@needthecoast]

You're part of the history of the brand now, that is awesome!🎉

[@luckyrocks1]

Yes, completely understandable. I will be 67 on 11/20/24. Those ROSS pedals gave me a good feeling deep inside because I remember owning a distortion pedal in my garage band days as a teenager. Most likely purchased from paper route earnings at a department store music department. I have no idea what ever happened to it but playing music has been a lifelong hobby and I still own a good amount of pedals including JHS pedals. I’ll check in on Friday night and hopefully can purchase a few for old times sake. Thank you for bringing them back to life.

[@PedalPlayhouse]

Lessons are always learned in the fails, it was still worth going down the road as far as you could go. a side step is sometimes a way to refocus on what is important but you still take everything you learned from those fails with you into the next stage of creating. Telling Stories are important, this was one of them. Thank you for sharing and shame about the other brands you lost but hey you tried.

[@AbComp870]

This is a great story. You all are making history, not just reviving it. I bet these pedals will be worth much more one day as part of your legacy.

[@codyleach7134]

While i’ll admit i didn’t pick up any of the Ross stuff, i really enjoyed watching the doc and the videos surrounding the release. Thanks for all the pedal history and the ability to tell my friends “you know, the white label proco rat is the same circuit as the regular Rat”

[@JasonLee-sr3ec]

Everything Josh does he does the right way! Nothing but respect for JHS and the way they do business.

[@SteveBaerThatsMe]

You guys are the coolest. I love the transparency and honest look behind the scenes. Stay awesome JHS.

[@troutbum98]

I love everything about how Josh runs his business. He’s honest. This is the kind of guy I would love to work for.

[@jhspedals]

🙏🏼

[@terrywitzu7874]

Wow! The day I saw you demo the FUZZ, I ordered one. I just lent it to a guitarist I played w/ who prefers lo-fi Reverb and Delay tone, just on "trust me, give it a try". He loves it! I'm certainly glad I grabbed it. That was NO FAILURE, Josh.

[@yikelu]

Good on you for recognizing market realities. I feel like a lot of small businesses screw themselves over when they don't. Sorry it didn't work out, onwards and upwards.

[@jordanwalker9853]

This is why JHS will go down as one of the greatest. The love and passion y’all have is so evident but the humility and honesty you show in a video like this makes everyone feel invested in what you’re doing. I know I can’t help but root for you guys!

[@jordanwalker9853]

I also love every JHS pedal I’ve ever owned

[@jhspedals]

thanks so much jordan!

[@lowercase3635]

There was a place for the JHS era Ross pedals. 5,000 units is 5,000 happy customers who have a piece of history. I can’t wait for these to sell for $500 on reverb! Edit: This isn’t sarcasm. I genuinely hope the market swings in favor of these pedals in the limited used market.

[@sc3ku]

Be there or be square, Friday at midnight!

[@BurnedRetical]

Right, and then JHS will address the issue being like “don’t pay that much for them, but we also aren’t gonna remake them or do anything about it”

[@totalSLACK]

... you mean $50 ...

[@sacprep4546]

Those $500 reverb sales will be on sale forever. Nobody will pay that. Only phish phans bought the compressor & safe to say everyone got one and then meh 🫤

[@thisdyingsoul76]

Sometimes, things die for a reason.

[@HolyCityDisc-iples]

This feels like such a nice aligned conversation following Josh's appearances on Sound + Doctrine... Thank you for being consistent and faithful.

[@sullimd]

Josh you’re the greatest of all time. Unbelievable integrity.

[@TrashPandaMusic-ny3qo]

Thanks so very much for your honesty. I was very uplifted and took a look at my failures to pat them on the back.

[@PeterComber]

Huge respect for how you handled this and examined a painful failure publicly. Some thoughts: 1 - Ross name is too similar to Boss 2 - Brand equity (directly linked to price acceptance and perceived quality) is emotion based, too few people have the same passion and attachment to these brands as Mr Scott 3 - Relaunches are hard because even if there is emotion attached to the brand you have to figure out how to make it relevant today - maybe the products were seen to be overly 'classic/nostalgic'

[@JayTheLane]

I'd never heard of Ross till Josh brought them back. I've been a pedal ue for decades.

[@mbrady2329]

Thank you for being so candid about this, Josh - plenty of other people will also learn lessons from your experiences in reviving the Ross brand.

[@frankgrosso453]

The chorus is an always on for me, on vibrato, love the chorus sound too. Love my phaser. Probably get the fuzz on Friday. I love what you did with them and appreciate the history behind it and story you helped tell to the youths. It’s a vintage pedal that isn’t going to break like a vintage pedal. I say don’t give up on bringing back historic pedals, but maybe do one from this brand one from that one, and people buy Uhs for quality pedals obviously but also because of who you are as jhs. I think if the Ross line had been more clearly by jhs it may get have done better, but I understand the significance of letting Ross be Ross.

[@TValoy]

I love the fact that Nick is doing this with you. I like the energy between the two of you ❤

[@philh27]

For what it’s worth, I enjoy the historical aspect of classic, forgotten and ‘unknown’ pedals and still have regrets about some that I let go/ threw away back in the day. However, in terms of buying new pedals today, my main priorities are how they perform as ‘tools’- what they sound like, how much space they need on my board and do I need them? Whether they have a period accurate enclosure/ colour scheme is less of a concern and indeed if the enclosure is too big, that could be a deal breaker. A ‘modern’ version would be my preference. For example the Cheeseball is on my board. An accurate Big Cheese pedal would not be. As a purist that may be very sad, but sadly probably true for many of us.

[@RickyRocketman]

You guys did do great on the Ross thing. I watched the docu and was enthralled. Keep telling pedal stories!

[@christopherquattromusic]

Don't feel bad! the market is SO flooded! these are great! they will get their due one day!

[@MRSGU032459]

Love your pedals especially love the culture of your company. I have multiple pedals of yours. All are great. Thank you JHS.

[@dennisgabbeart1814]

You guys did a great job on the Phaser/Univibe. Love that pedal

[@djpgreek]

Big respect to Josh and what he does for the pedal world and also making a video like this. It probably wasnt easy but I appreciate it as a JHS fan

[@jhspedals]

easy enough! it's important to us to stay open with our fans and customers. that's also the reason we were so upfront with how backordered the NOTAKLÖNs were when they first came out. thanks for watching!

[@Studio8FX]

When you first announced that you were bringing back ROSS, my first thought was, "WHY?" The price for a 2 knob pedal was nuts to me. For me, I want more out of a pedal for the price point.

[@SportThompson]

The Ross distortion, back in the day… when the battery was just about to die, was amazing!

[@Amish_Trivedi]

1) As someone who studies the business side of an art, that was amazing 2) That may be one of the most interesting videos you've ever put out.

[@Studio-mn8ei]

Thank you Josh for bringing back Ross, even if only briefly. I have loved Ross pedals for 40 years and the Ross Phaser is hands down my all time favorite.

[@minerock16]

I do think there is a market for bringing these old pedals back from the dead, but it's limited. Usually, there two types of people who want old pedals, generally speaking. 1. Vintage collectors and 2. People who want a really specific sound they like. Number 1 is going to vastly outnumber 2, and they will never buy a reissue of an old pedals because that defeats their goals, which is collecting old things. Number 2 on the other hand, that's your market, they will eat that up (like me), there's just not a whole lot of them. So then you've gotta consider 2 things: is this old pedals unique and in demand from Number 2 crowd enough that it will sell OR is it unique enough that you can create demand through marketing? And how much is it going to cost to obtain the rights? If it's relatively inexpensive to obtain the rights and the pedal is unique enough that you can market it or in demand enough with the number 2 crowd, boom, you can make that work IN LIMITED NUMBERS. If it's a huge pain in the ass to get the rights, yeah probably not worth it, financially speaking. The problem I saw right off the bat with the Ross revival is that y'all were marketing it towards Number 1 crowd, but only the number 2 crowd actually turned out, in even more limited numbers than if you had targeted them from the start. My hunch is if you guys had just made ONLY the Ross Fuzz and heavily marketed it as a unique pedal under the Ross brand with a unique sound with a bit of interesting backstory behind it, things would have looked a lot different. Now I loved the documentary, but in terms of marketing, it was a financial black hole, because the only people you'll interest are the Number 1 crowd for the most part and they will just get inspired to go hunt down original Ross pedals, which obviously brings essentially no income. Then once you guys tested the waters a bit with the Fuzz y'all could make the others in limited numbers. But that's just my two cents, I'm just a dude on the internet. I genuinely appreciate the effort though, and I loved the documentary!

[@TheSlynative]

I have the phaser and I love it! I also have an old Ross flanger. It’s the best flanger I’ve ever used.

[@johnsuede]

Do not categorize this as a failure, I believe one day you will look back as one of the best experiences. You created something with passion and lived (as a company) to tell the tale. Bravo!

[@rustyl.6358]

Excellent public diary of a product line's inception and demise. I was once an entrepreneur. A local business with TV and radio ads, newspaper ads, etc. (Yea, decades ago.) I now work for a company, and we had our 40th anniversary party last week. The owner/president hasn't a single college credit. But he's creative and driven, and is now a multi-multimillionaire. We have less than 20 employees and we're still truckin' along. As the number two guy in the company, I guess similar to Nick's role, I'm involved in it all. Every aspect, with him having veto power. I have the utmost respect for Josh. I see parallels in myself and my boss. I understand the very long hours, trials, tribulations, disappointments and celebrations. I think I've purchased around 18 JHS pedals, and my (black) Violet arrived today. I wish JHS all the success they deserve, and have EARNED. Cheers to the next creative chapter for Josh and company!

[@DavidFell]

I wasn’t put off by the price. I played through them at your display last year at Fretboard Summit and liked what I heard. Maybe it’s the shape, which I realize was a recreation of a classic shape; but they seemed needlessly large to me. And being previously unfamiliar with the brand personally, that was a primary factor. That said, it won’t stop me from trying my luck at midnight Friday.

[@arnaudstegle5034]

Ross is not dead, but still living on one's pedalboard. There's the sweetest phaser on mine ! Absolutely love that audio pillow !

[@sundaynightdrunk]

Josh tidily explained exactly the meaning of "the customer is always right." It doesn't mean some Karen screaming at you for a discount is right; it means follow what your market is saying. Sell what people want to buy. You'll never be successful without listening to the market trends and letting customers tell you what they want.

[@night_speed]

this is really interesting, i can't wait to check out the doc. I'd never heard of Ross and still know nothing about them except for the fact that during covid i bought a Ross 4 track cassette recorder. i got it for several reasons but long story short i started out in the 90s recording on a tascam portastudio. sold it for a digital 8 track which was garbage. then spent a decade recording on computers just to come full circle 20 years later with my Ross 4 track cassette. i wanted another portastudio but Alessandro Cortinni single handedly drove up prices and after searching reverb for weeks i came across the Ross which had everything i wanted. it was from the mid 80s and recently refurbished with new belts, capacitors, pots, etc. it has individual inputs for each track on the front and back with V.U. meters for each track. pitch contol, a padded carrying case and it's portable and the price was right, i couldn't pass it up. I've only ever been aware of a few brands as far as portable 4 track cassette recorders like tascam, teac, fostex, etc. and I've been curious about Ross ever since I bought this unit so thank you for these videos.

[@SpartanB377]

I feel there are a couple factors at play here. Inflation climbed significantly as the sales went down for these pedals. The other issue is these are the basic pedals that most people already have or can get second hand for next to nothing. So with everything being more expensive in general, everyone is looking for a way to save money and, unfortunately, hobbies tend to take a hit. People aren't going to throw money at guitar pedals during an economic crunch.

[@treecavecreative1581]

As a fellow creative business owner taking a step back to go forward right now I REALLY appreciate this. Excited for what's next!

[@jhspedals]

best of luck!

[@mattg082]

I’m sure these are going to sell out though, or come close. I never bought one, it just seemed boring? I dunno, unless you had a guitar hero who used the compressor. You probably weren’t interested. That’s how I felt about it, but that’s me. But $79 for a well built compressor is good. Mooer Yellow I have is only $20 cheaper.

[@robertmerkett1253]

I want one. I don’t care which one. I’ll find the money on Friday. just to participate and be part of this amazing collection of dedicated hearts. I love me sum JHS.

[@GJSolo]

Missed opportunity to call this "The One Where Ross Died"

[@Zootallures100]

Sorry to hear this Josh. I wish you all the best on all your other plans. You have a great team

[@NewFalconerRecords]

You could've cut corners with your relaunch of the Ross pedals but decided not to, which is why it failed. But it's also why you're the best.

[@jhspedals]

🙏🏼🙏🏼🙏🏼

[@jkaznosky]

Interesting video and it is great to see a company address their failures. I see it as a combination of things which are interdependent: Size, form factor, availability of similar circuits through other vendors, price point, and overall market reception. As a semi-gigging musician and consumer, I am looking at things that check more than one of these boxes and although I love what these are (old Ross pedals have passed through my board - not the og compressor), they don't make sense for me to exclude something that is going to work for me in a variety of scenarios. Regardless, I think it's an honest video by a company that I've really grown to respect and applaud what you all do, warts and all.

[@mbg4041]

So what are we thinking the 3 lines of resurrection pedals are? I reckon BBE is one

[@seitsen]

BBE would make sense 🤔

[@Gramps935]

One was surely Lovepedal.

[@roberthenry6910]

Real curious myself

[@mbg4041]

@@Gramps935 that’s the other one I was trying to think of! Thanks Edit - no, LOVETONE is the one I was thinking of

[@Gramps935]

@@mbg4041 Yes! Lovetone. The other one I would have guessed is DOD, but they just came back on their own.

[@Introspeckle]

I think this is was a great video, though, and I really enjoyed it. Whether it’s making a pedal or writing and recording a song, it is often the creative process that fuels and reveals us, not the end result. I think you got what you needed out of the Ross line.

[@TheTapeFarm]

Suggestion… a JHS “multi” pedal with all the Ross circuits.

[@LeffHynebridge]

The Ross Final Boss if you will

[@mikevanderheiden]

For 899