The Joyo JF-02 Ultimate Drive pedal features true bypass with a 70s tube amp sound. The pedal is basically a clone of the Fulltone OCD boutique overdrive pedal but at a more affordable price.
Picture of the Joyo JF-02 Ultimate Overdrive Pedal
Features of the Joyo JF-02 Ultimate Overdrive Pedal
The Joyo JF-02 features the aforementioned bypass wiring along with a hi/low tone switch. For controls, the pedal has 3 knobs: tone, level and gain. The hi/low tone switch alters the eq so either more or less high end is present in the resulting tone. The hi/low tone is an obvious throwback to the Fulltone OCD.
The pedal has decent construction with a metal casing and sturdy components. In addition to the features mentioned above, it also has an LED (on/off), a 9v battery compartment and a standard mounted bypass switch. My only complaint is that the led is right next to the switch so if you hover your foot over the pedal like I normally do, it’s impossible to visualize if the pedal is on or off. If the light was up near the top, it would be easier to see.
Sound Quality of the Joyo JF-02 Ultimate Overdrive Pedal
The pedal intends to create a sound that is similar to an overdriven tube amp from the 1970s era. As a reviewer and musician, I am a believer that if you want to have a certain sound from a certain amp, you should really just get that amp rather than trying to recreate it with some kind of analog or digital circuit. Having said that, the Joyo JF-02 is a great addition to your effects board even if you already have a 70s amp. The overdrive pedal allows you to really get a tone that is rich in harmonics and lets you get different sounds that may be possible by just playing through your regular amp.The pedal has a decidedly midrange sound with the hi/lo switch in the lo position and a more shrill and biting tone in the hi position.
When I tried the pedal through my newer Peavey 100 watt tube head, I felt the pedal was pushing the tubes even harder giving my amp an even better tone than without the pedal. I was able to use the gain knob on the pedal to dial in great tones from a smooth almost Clapton feel on low gain to a teeth clenching Angus Young thing around 8 or 9. The true bypass allowed me to go back to my old tone just by stomping on the pedal. So I actually enjoyed the addition of this pedal to my chain and may even make it a regular fixture in my most used gear list. Of those of you without a tube head, this pedal was meant to give you the sound quality of playing through a real tube head, so I would strong suggest checking it out if you’re currently using a solid state rig.
Summary Review of the Joyo JF-02 Ultimate Overdrive Pedal
In summary, I would suggest the pedal for someone who is looking for the boutique Fulltone OCD pedal but doesn’t want to spend up to $200 on a pedal. For the budget conscious and especially those looking to get a mid-70s rock tone, I would strongly recommend giving the Joyo JF-02 Ultimate Overdrive pedal a try.
Joyo JF-02 vs the Fulltone OCD pedal
Youtube user Erik Z uploaded a video which demonstrates the differences between the Joyo JF-02 vs the Fulltone OCD pedal. He notes that the only minor difference is that the Joyo has more gain and more low/mid range whereas the OCD is a bit clearer with more headroom. Although, they’re both capable of nearly duplicate tones given the settings. Hear them for yourself: