JF-01 Vintage Overdrive

Finding A Cheap Distortion Pedal

Getting hold of a cheap distortion pedal is easy, but that’s no promise of quality.
Sure there are pedals out there like Behringer‘s Compact series – which are great if you don’t plastic cases – but for the most part, if you’re looking for an affordable overdrive with a decent sound, then you’re likely to struggle.
Joyo Audio’s JF-01 Vintage Overdrive is an attempt to fill that market niche. It’s a classic 3-knob overdrive, with no extra bells and whistles, aiming to provide that iconic overdrive sound in an easily accessible package.
But how well does it step up to the plate?

The Sound of Joyo Audio

Now, this pedal might not look like much, but you’d be amazed just how much raw overdrive the JF-01 can bring. By adding a thick layer of distortion over the top of your guitar, this pedal is a simple, cheap, and easy to use path to that classic overdrive sound.

It’s also pretty effective as a clean boost, introducing some warm overtones but giving a mostly accurate guitar reproduction.

Is The JF-01 Vintage Overdrive Worth The Price?

The JF-01 retails at around $40, so, in terms of value for money, this is hands down a great pedal.
While it doesn’t have a lot to offer in terms of a more experienced guitarist, for a beginner to intermediate pedal this will give a professional sound for a relatively low investment.

A close comparison to this pedal would be the Harley Benton Vintage Overdrive, which also offers a decent beginner sound at an affordable price.
But of the two which is better?

Well, we could decide, but we’d rather leave that to you. Why not check out both pedals here on TonePedia, and see for yourself which has the best vintage overdrive sound?