Made On Earth for Rising Stars: The Electro-Harmonix Story

by Josh Scott

Follow the untold story of how one of America's greatest companies changed our culture and our music with their unorthodox devices.

In 1968, Mike Matthews founded Electro-Harmonix (EHX) and began assembling a worldwide team of the most talented engineers, creatives, and musicians he could find — people who would create imposing metal boxes with odd names that changed the sound and attitude of music forever. But the story of Electro-Harmonix is far more than the story of a company and its products. It's a testament to what can happen when someone trusts the people around them to do their best work.



Made On Earth For Rising The Electro-Harmonix Story is the definitive visual history — a historic collaboration between EHX, JHS Pedals, Third Man Books, and archivist Daniel Danger. This massive book explores everything from Mike Matthews himself to the workers on the floor, from circuit designers to those seeking to cure death, from flying machines to mass ESP experiments. Experience never-before-seen relics, prototypes, documents, photos, and stories. Featuring exclusive interviews with Jack White, J Mascis, John Mayer, Wes Borland, Billy Corgan, Bill Frisell, Nels Cline, Adrien Belew, Vernon Reid, and more.

Genres: Music, History, Nonfiction

548 pages, Paperback

Published June 23, 2026

Reviews

[Brian Gumm · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book’s authors have written a really long and illustrated love letter to a guitar effects company (and more importantly the people behind it) that helped shape decades of rock music. I’m smitten.

My first guitar was an electric gifted to me by my parents for Christmas when I was 15. Accompanying that guitar was a 90s Sovtek Big Muff. Already a huge Smashing Pumpkins fan, this setup sent me on a journey that continues to this day and won’t end until I’m no longer capable of playing electric guitar.

To have the whole very human story of Electro-Harmonix (and Sovtek) in this book is a real treasure to lovers of the electric guitar & bass and the vast soundscapes one can create and explore because of companies like E-H and the hundreds of products they’ve brought to market across their 5 decades (with some bumps along the way).

Josh Scott and I are of a similar age and cut from a similar cultural milieu. Already very familiar with his JHS Show on YouTube, this book just situates him even nearer and dearer to my heart, even though we’ll likely never meet. His love of history, people, and music are infectious and I absolutely love what he’s done with his life and find it incredibly inspiring. Daniel Danger must be pretty awesome too. :)

[Shawn Busolits · Rating 5 out of 5]

I absolutely loved this book. I’m a sucker for music history and I read a decent amount of nonfiction, but this is the first time I’ve encountered something that felt like a documentary in a book. Josh and Daniel do a fantastic job of telling the EHX story while showcasing the passion that they and others around the music industry have for their incredible innovations. I’d recommend this in a heartbeat to anyone with an interest in music and music history.

[Vlastimil · Rating 5 out of 5]

Tahle kniha není pro každého. Pokud ale hrajete na elektrickou kytaru, je určitě zajímavé si přečíst o posledních 50 letech vývoje jejího zvuku, a jedné firmě a pár lidech, kteří na něj měli nezanedbatelný vliv. Jo a je v ní spousta pěkných fotek 😇