With the rise in popularity of overdrive pedals the competition has never looked tougher. Many of us are just looking to purchase the right gear without spending a fortune on it. Over the years, there have been several big names that have monopolized the market for guitar effects pedals.
Joyo is a company that has gained massive popularity for their great sounding clones of more expensive pedals. The JOYO JF-01 Vintage Overdrive pedal is no exception to this. It’s an obvious clone of the popular Ibanez TS808 Tube Screamer, and features the JRC4588 chip. Our JOYO Guitar Pedal Clone List gives a more detailed look into the clones of their product line.
SPECIFICATIONS
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Input Impendence |
500 KΩ |
|
Output Impendence |
10 KΩ |
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Running Current |
7 ma |
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Power |
6F22 9V Battery / DC 9V Adaptor |
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Dimensions |
120(L) x 72(W) x 55(H) mm |
|
Weight |
280g |
The JOYO JF-01 Vintage Overdrive instruction manual can be found here.
FUNCTIONS
As with most of the other overdrive pedals on the market the JF-01 is incredibly simplistic and straight-forward. It features three knobs corresponding to: drive, tone, and volume. It’s really not difficult to find a setting that suits your needs with a little bit of tweaking.
DRIVE: Adjusts the degree of distortion
TONE: Adjusts the intensity of the tone
VOLUME: Adjusts the volume of the sound
There’s not too much more to say about the pedals functionality other than what’s been said. Even the manual that’s provided with the product has only two paragraphs.
FEATURES
As we mentioned previously, the JF-01 is very easy to pick up and use. It can be powered by either a 9V battery or a standard AC adaptor. The pedal also features a bright red LED that indicates the state of the pedal. It’s always useful to know whether the unit is ON or OFF with just a glance. A dim light, or no light, indicates that the battery needs to be replaced if you are not using an AC adaptor.
The JF-01 has 1/4” jacks located conveniently at either side of the pedal for both its input and output.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Is a screwdriver necessary to replace the battery?
A screwdriver is not needed as the unit uses a clip-on battery cover. The back plate detaches relatively easily.
Does the unit come with a 9V adaptor?
It does not come packaged with a 9V adaptor. You will have to purchase one elsewhere, which is no issue as they are easy to find.
Should this pedal be used for guitar or bass?
There is no issue using the JF-01 with either bass or electric guitars.
Can the JF-01 be used for metal?
I wouldn’t recommend using the JF-01 for playing metal music. Instead I would look into getting the JOYO JF-17 Extreme Metal for that purpose.
SOUND
First thing’s first, this thing sounds amazing. There are many videos online showcasing the JF-01 against the Ibanez TS-808 Tube Screamer, and they sound almost exactly the same. If anything I’d say that the JF-01 sounds even brighter and clearer than the latter. It sounds just as good, if not better than any of the competitors out there.
The pedal is suitable for rock and various other varieties of heavy music. Although, JOYO has a variety of pedals that are more suited for other genres.
DURABILITY
The pedal comes encased in an alloy aluminum enclosure. Each knob feels quite sturdy, as do the two 1/4” jacks. You can tell high-quality materials were used in the production of the JF-01 as the components feel good and show just enough resistance. I can see the pedal lasting for years to come to be quite honest. It’s suitable for home use, on the road, or anything in-between. I would rank it on the same level as any Boss pedal in terms of overall durability.
Some people online have had issues with the solder joints of the pedal. It’s a good idea to open the pedal up to make sure it doesn’t cause any issues. If there is a problem you can either return the unit, or pick up a soldering iron and fix it yourself.
FINAL VERDICT
There are several things that make the Joyo JF-01 Vintage Overdrive a steal. Overall it’s an inexpensive, high-quality, true-bypass overdrive pedal. I would be very impressed if someone could tell the difference between the JF-01 and something more expensive. It’s definitely worth every cent.
The JF-01 is as close to the Ibanez TS808 Tube Screamer as you are going to get for under $50.
Agree or disagree with our review? Let us know what you think in the comments below!
Alex is a man of many talents. He’s been playing music since he was young, and has been the main content writer at Tone Start for the past few years. Alex loves to play around with different styles of music and enjoys listening to anything from country to classical.
Rolf
Sunday 5th of February 2023
I bought a Joyo vintage and I think it sounds a lot more expensive than it is. Whether it holds up or not, we will see. On the other hand i have had $300 pedals that had issues not too long after purchase (Okko Diablo GH) So lets be real, we cant really say anything about durability until we have owned it for a few years...yes it is a shame that other pedals cost so much and yes it is a shame that they dont pay their workers more in China which would raise the price of the Joyo pedal significantly; but it is what it is.
VB Blackstone
Sunday 28th of November 2021
"You can tell high-quality materials were used in the production of the JF-01 as the components feel good and show just enough resistance". How can you tell just by that? That's stupid. You need to Actually look inside and own it for a while. These are cheap components. There are many mods and upgrades available from different pedal modders like Kinnatone and JHS. But this is by no means a professional level quality built pedal. It just isn't.
"I would rank it on the same level as any Boss pedal in terms of overall durability". These are Not even close to Boss durability! That's ridiculous.
While I own and love my Joyo, they sound great. But for almost the same amount of money I am going with a stock Boss SD-1 Super Overdrive over this. That's an inexpensive investment in professional gear.