JHS Pedals Relaunches Notadümble V2 With John Mayer's Boost Circuit

What Is the JHS Notadümble V2 and Why Does It Matter?

JHS Pedals has relaunched one of its most talked-about designs, and the update is more than cosmetic. The Notadümble V2 arrives with what founder Josh Scott has described as the correction of the company's biggest error: the original pedal shipped without a clone of the clean boost circuit famously used by John Mayer with his Dumble amplifiers. That omission, Scott has admitted publicly, undermined the whole premise of the pedal. The V2 fixes it, incorporating a precise recreation of Mayer's boost alongside a set of hardware refinements that make the overall package more usable on a working pedalboard.

For anyone unfamiliar with the original release, the Notadümble is JHS's attempt to capture the essence of the Dumble amplifier circuit in stompbox form. Dumble amps, built by Howard Alexander Dumble beginning in the 1960s, are among the rarest and most expensive amplifiers in existence. A small number were made and sold to a short list of high-profile players. Mayer is among the most visible of those players today, and his clean boost in particular has become something of a tonal holy grail in guitar circles.

What's Actually New in the Notadümble V2?

Beyond the addition of the Mayer-derived boost circuit, JHS has introduced several upgrades that address practical concerns raised by users of the original version. The circuit layout has been refined to reduce noise, and the pedal's controls have been reconfigured to make the interaction between the boost and drive sections more intuitive.

The clean boost stage can operate independently or in combination with the drive circuit, which gives players two distinct applications in a single enclosure. Used alone, the boost approximates the signal push that Mayer runs before his Dumble. Stacked with the drive, it replicates the kind of cascading gain structure that made those amplifiers so distinctive in the first place.

JHS has positioned the V2 as the definitive version of the concept, suggesting the company does not plan further revisions. Whether the market accepts that framing will depend largely on how accurately the boost circuit lands with players who have spent time with the real thing.

Why Is Dumble-Inspired Gear Surging Right Now?

The timing of this relaunch is not incidental. Boutique overdrive pedals inspired by high-gain and clean-boost amplifier circuits have seen consistent collector and player interest throughout 2026. According to Reverb's 2026 market data, boutique overdrive and preamp-style pedals have seen a 31 percent increase in average sale prices compared to the same period in 2025, with Dumble-adjacent designs specifically outperforming the broader category.

That appetite connects directly to a wider cultural moment around mythologized gear. Players who cannot access a real Dumble, which can sell for six figures when one surfaces at auction, are actively seeking the closest available approximation. Pedal companies that can credibly claim research-backed recreations of those circuits have a real commercial opening right now.

JHS has leaned into that positioning with the Notadümble from the beginning. Scott has been transparent about his research process, and the V2 represents the latest iteration of that methodology. The company's willingness to acknowledge the original's shortcomings and correct them publicly is unusual in a market where most brands minimize product criticism.

How Does the Notadümble V2 Compare to Other Dumble-Style Pedals?

The boutique Dumble-inspired pedal space is not empty. Several builders have released their own interpretations over the years, ranging from careful circuit analyses to more impressionistic takes on the tone. What sets the Notadümble V2 apart, at least on paper, is the specificity of the Mayer boost addition. Rather than approximating a generic Dumble character, JHS is targeting a specific player's specific configuration.

That specificity is either the pedal's strongest selling point or its most limiting quality, depending on your perspective. Players chasing Mayer's tone have a clear reference point. Players who love Dumble-style drive but want something more flexible may find the boost stage less relevant to their needs.

According to Guitar World's 2026 gear coverage, interest in single-artist signal chain recreations has grown significantly among collectors, with pedals tied to documented player rigs commanding a premium on the secondary market compared to generic boutique overdrives. The Notadümble V2's direct Mayer association could make it a more valuable collectible over time, regardless of how it performs as a daily driver.

What This Means for the Boutique Pedal Market in 2026

The V2 relaunch is part of a broader pattern of established boutique companies revisiting and correcting earlier designs rather than simply releasing new ones. It reflects a market that increasingly rewards transparency and iteration over novelty. Collectors in particular have shown that they value a well-documented revision history, since it creates a clearer narrative arc for the gear they catalog and track.

For players, the practical question is simpler: does the V2 actually sound like John Mayer's rig? The honest answer is that no pedal fully replicates the experience of a real Dumble in a room. But JHS's reputation for rigorous circuit research means the V2 is likely the closest available option at its price point.

Track This Pedal in Your Fretfolio Collection

If you picked up the original Notadümble when it first released and you're wondering how the V2 relaunch affects its standing, your Fretfolio collection page is a useful place to watch. As the V2 establishes its own market presence, the original version's collector value may shift in ways that the Reverb market tracker will reflect in real time. Adding both versions to your catalog now gives you a clear side-by-side record as that story develops.