Are Joyo Pedals Worth It?

No one wants to overpay for anything. I often look for bargains when shopping for music gear. I regularly check the Stupid Deal Of The Day at Musicians Friend. (not a sponsor) I keep tabs of craigslist. I'm a member of Facebook pages were locals post music gear. I'm always on the lookout for a good deal/trade. So when looking at pedals of EBay, one will notice pedals with bargain basement prices. Joyo is probably the most talked about brand in this category. That begs a question, are these extremely affordable pedals worth it? Let's see.

Just like any other pedal brand, no pedal will suit every player. Joyo has amassed a line of pedals long enough that they is sure to be a pedal that is at least appealing to most any player. Many of these pedals are clones, or at least close facsimiles of others. The ones you see mentioned in the forums the most are the gain pedals. Ultimate Drive, Vintage Overdrive, AC Tone, and the Hot Plexi are praised by many. Two of these (the Ultimate Drive and Vintage Overdrive) are 'clones' of an OCD and TS-808 respectively. I've owned an Ultimate Drive (due to a fulfillment error) and gave it a run through. It wasn't a bad pedals at all, but not something I was looking for. However, according to a credible source, my beloved EHX Glove OD is a Ultimate Drive clone!? The latter two pedals are pedals that are voice like a Vox (AC Tone) and a Marshal Plexi (Hot Plexi, duh). All these pedals are spoken of favorably by many.

There are many videos of Joyo pedals, but anything you find on YouTube, and other sites like it, is compressed. You can heard minor differences sometimes, but definitive answers are not found in these videos. I've personally owned several and have tried many of these pedals. I've found that their construction and reliably are solid. But the main aspect to any effect is the sound. In every case, I've found pedals that I've preferred to the Joyo pedals. Joyo fuzz fell to a Big Muff, Joyo Comp yielded to a vintage Ross Comp clone, Joyo Ultimate Drive... well I don't remember because it was replaced by something else... maybe a modded Blue Driver. The following is not an original thought: The difference between Joyo pedals and the ones that may be preferred to them will/can not be heard by the average audience member.

There is a certain effect that brands of pedals like Joyo have. Joyo pedals are extremely affordable and prolific. They are mass produced and many guitar player have come across or used one. But the fact that they are prolific and affordable make them like desirable. There are some exceptions. Lots of people have said that prefer a cheaper pedal to a more expensive one, but this may just be this principle in reverse. There is a certain desirability of an obscure or price exclusive piece of gear. We see pros play guitars with unfamiliar names and shapes. Boutique builders have been capitalizing on this effect for as long as there has been boutique gear. Mods were once a rarity, Analog Man had a huge waiting list on his King Of Tone pedal, and can you say KLON. All these had a allure (or hype) about them due to their unavailability. Joyo has the opposite. A Ultimate Drive might be the same as my Glove OD, but I'll prefer my Glove. Sure Its a cheap pedal, but it's not that cheap.

In Conclusion, Joyo pedals are a affordable option. Just like any other pedal, you have to play them to know whether or not you like what they do. They good thing about Joyo is that picking one up just to try won't drain your bank account. I've read reviews saying that where people have received the wrong people. I can also confirm that this happens, as its happened to me. Besides that, I haven't heard anything about Joyo pedals failing to work. So it seems that they are reliable. Are there pedals that sound better than Joyo pedals? Sure. Are there cheaper pedals? Not many. Can you find decent pedal that for reasonable price? Well, give it a try.