Joyo Baatsin – The Swiss Army Knife of Overdrive

8-in-1: Overdrives greatest hits 

The Joyo R-Series has always impressed me. I’ve tried a few on the channel — from the Klon-inspired Tauren to the fire-breathing Uzi — and they’ve all punched well above their weight in terms of tone and build quality. So, when Joyo got in touch and asked if I wanted to try out the Baatsin, I jumped at the chance.

As a bonus, a few of you in the comments had already been recommending it, while others were asking when I’d be getting around to it — so this one was definitely for the fans (and a little bit for me too, I do love a good overdrive).

The big draw of the Baatsin is its 8-way rotary control, which lets you flick through eight different overdrive voices. It’s essentially a tour through some of the most iconic drive circuits ever made — from Tube Screamer and Timmy territory to heavier hitters like the Riot and OCD.

Rather than give a blow-by-blow on every mode, I’ll focus on a few highlights that really stood out.

8 Drives in One Box

T.OD – Timmy Territory
The T.OD mode is based on the Paul Cochrane Timmy, and although it lacks the original’s two-band EQ and toggle switch, it’s probably the most versatile mode on the pedal.

You can take it from a barely-there, gritty boost to a thick, saturated crunch that feels dynamic and touch responsive. The single tone control is voiced beautifully — it never gets mushy at the low end, nor does it stray into harsh, ice-pick territory when pushed. It’s just right.

B.Boost – Clean, Clear, and Pushing Hard

If you want to use the Baatsin purely as a clean boost, this is your mode. B.Boost strips back most of the clipping, giving you more headroom and a noticeable increase in volume.

It’s perfect for slamming the front of your favourite overdrive or amp — pushing a crunchy clean into that glorious edge-of-breakup zone without colouring your tone too much. You can also use it to push an already pretty cooking tone up to eleven. It’s a very usable and versatile boost.

Overdrive 1 – Classic Rock Energy

The Overdrive 1 mode has a gain structure that stands out from the rest. The user manual subtlety (ha!) hints at it's Boss origins and this one just has a different kind of vibe to the rest. The grit was a bit more raw and raucous, less of that typical overdrive mid-range character . For me, this one ended up being a personal favourite.

Rioter – Suhr Sound Without the Price

The Rioter mode, as the name suggests, draws from the Suhr Riot, and it does it surprisingly well. Many Riot clones tend to overdo the saturation and compression, which can make them great for sustaining lead tones but lacking the definition for any rhythm work.

The Baatsin’s take keeps enough aggression for singing leads but still retains the note clarity and definition needed to not get lost in a mix.

Not Just Another Bonsai Clone

When I first saw the Baatsin, I immediately thought of the JHS Bonsai — another multi-overdrive pedal that serves as a “greatest hits” collection of classic circuits.

To Joyo’s credit, they didn’t just lift the idea wholesale. They took the concept and went their own way with it, choosing a solid mix of mainstream favourites rather than diving into the more obscure options that the Bonsai features. That feels pretty on-brand for Joyo — reliable, accessible tones that don’t break the bank. Likewise, the Bonsai is very much aiming at those more niche tones that Josh Scott loves to share with us all. Kudos to Joyo for not just straight ripping off and kudos to JHS too, props where props are due.

Style, Substance, and Serious Value

Add in the sleek, Tron-like aesthetic of the R-series — complete with the soft-glow LED surround — and the Baatsin becomes a genuinely useful addition to almost any pedalboard. It’s like having a Swiss Army knife of tone under your foot, ready to cover everything from transparent boost to full-blown rock gain.

It might be green, but don’t be fooled — this isn’t just another Tube Screamer. The Baatsin is proof that Joyo knows exactly how to balance variety, tone, and affordability.

The Joyo AC Tone – The Most Affordable "Vox in a Box" That’s Better Than It Has Any Right To Be

Voxy lady

For a lot of guitarists, the dream tone comes from mythical amps: blackface Fenders, fire-breathing Marshalls, or the jangly chime of a classic Vox AC30. But dreams can be expensive — and unless you’ve got deep pockets (and a very understanding partner), chasing those iconic sounds can feel out of reach. That’s where pedals like the Joyo AC Tone step in — not just as affordable alternatives, but as legitimately useful, great-sounding tools in their own right. Whether you’re recording at home, gigging with minimal gear, or just craving some British-flavoured crunch without breaking the bank, this little brown box might just be your new best friend.

From Boutique to Budget – Joyo’s Amp Sim Lineage

The Joyo amp sim pedals are pretty openly inspired by the Tech 21 Character Series, which made waves with their clever analog emulations of classic amp circuits. But where Tech 21 catered more to the boutique crowd, Joyo aimed squarely at the budget-conscious guitarist — and they nailed it.

Each pedal in the series is voiced after a famous amp: the American Sound for Fender-style sparkle and breakup, the British Sound for Marshall-style roar, and the AC Tone for that distinct Vox character. There are others too (California Sound, Extreme Metal, etc.), but in my humble and highly subjective opinion, the big three are British, American, and, of course, the star of today’s show: the AC Tone.

My good pal (and co-host of the Fret Talk Podcast) Matt plays in two bands. In one of them, the lead singer handles some rhythm guitar duties. One evening, Matt — completely unaware of what gear was in use — complimented the singer on his incredible tone. The answer? A £30 Joyo American Sound straight into the PA. That moment said it all. These pedals can seriously hold their own, and if you set them right, they’ll fly completely under the radar — not in a “meh, you don’t notice it” way, but in a “wait, that sounds good” way. The AC Tone, in particular, hits that sweet spot between versatility, affordability, and personality.

What Makes the AC Tone Special?

While the American Sound brings Fender cleans and the British Sound offers Marshall grit, the AC Tone manages to blend elements of both — a dynamic range of tones from bright and jangly to crunchy and bold. Yes, it’s intended to be a “Vox in a box.” Does it absolutely nail the AC30 down to every harmonic nuance? No — and expecting it to would be missing the point. But what it does do is give you a very useful palette of tones, all with a strong British character, and at a price that barely dents your wallet.

All the Joyo amp sims have a “Voice” knob — and this is where the magic happens. On the AC Tone, it feels like you're gliding between two pre-set Vox characters: at one end, tight, clean, and sparkly, like a well-behaved AC15 with single-coils. At the other, bassy, driven, and brash, like a cranked AC30 pushed with humbuckers and greenbacks. As a player, it genuinely feels like you're blending between two amps. Is that what the circuit is actually doing? No idea. If someone gave me the schematic, I’d smile politely and still not understand a thing. But feel-wise, it gives me the feel that it's what's happening — and that’s what matters.

On paper, the AC Tone is a full-featured DI solution, complete with built-in cab simulation. In practice? Well… let’s just say the cab sim isn’t exactly Abbey Road-quality. That said, there are a couple of easy workarounds. One is to run it into a better IR-based cab sim, like the Sonicake Sonic IR — a great budget pairing. Another is to ignore the built-in cab sim altogether and treat the pedal like a preamp into your own rig or recording setup. Personally, I run it into an external cab sim when recording. It results in a tone that’s a bit mid-forward — less “chimey Alnico Blue” and more like a Vox through Greenbacks. Still very usable. Still very vibey.

Hidden Talent: Front-End Tone Shaper

Here's a trick that doesn't get talked about enough: using the AC Tone as a tone shaper into the front of a traditional guitar amp. I’ve got an amp with a fairly sterile clean tone — you know the type: it’s a super clean clean (if that makes sense), but it doesn’t inspire you. Plugging the AC Tone into the front of it immediately breathes life into it. It acts as an amp-ifier — a way to inject personality into any bland platform. Want to give your one-channel amp a Vox-style crunch channel? Done. Stack it with an overdrive pedal for some Brian May edge? Easy. Pair it with a reverb and delay and play ambient shoegaze ballads in your bedroom? Steady on now, we don't do that here (no judgement if that's your bag though).

You’d think a pedal this cheap would be made of cardboard and wishes, but nope — the AC Tone is solid. Metal housing, decent knobs, and a reliable footswitch. It’s not boutique, but it’s dependable. Even better, they’re so cheap and widespread that you don’t have to baby them. Toss one in your gig bag as a backup rig. If it gets a scratch? Battle scars. If it dies? £30 and you’re back in business. That’s about the price of a multi pack of strings and a round of pints (outside of London obviously).

So, Is It the Best Amp Sim Out There?

Let’s be clear: the AC Tone won’t dethrone a Kemper, an Axe-Fx, or even a Strymon Iridium. But that’s not the point. It’s stupidly affordable, genuinely usable live and in the studio, flexible and fun to dial in, built like a tank, and full of character. If you’re a bedroom player, a beginner, a gigging pro with no budget, or just a gear nerd who loves trying new stuff — the Joyo AC Tone is absolutely worth your time.

The Unsung (or kinda sung) Hero of Budget Gear

The Joyo AC Tone (or the Act One, as we lovingly call it on the podcast) is a brilliant example of what budget gear can be when it’s done right. It’s not just a cheap copy. It’s not just “good for the price.” It’s genuinely good, full stop. And it’s one of the most cost-effective safety nets you can keep in your gig bag — the kind that leaves you with enough change for a cheeky bevvy before showtime. Not me obviously, I'm ever the professional... Honest.

So whether you’re looking to expand your tonal palette, build a backup rig, or just want to experiment without breaking the bank, the AC Tone might just be the perfect sidekick. This one doesn't even have a dog on it for no reason, or a scorpion. Classic Joyo.

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The reason I got rid of my MXR...

I Got Rid of My MXR for This…

Let me take you back—about ten years ago now. I was playing in a blues-rock band and running a modest pedalboard: a couple of overdrives, a compressor, reverb, a boost, and the all-important phaser.

We played a few funkier numbers, and that’s where the phaser came in. It gave my guitar a smooth, swirling movement—kinda like a wah, but without needing to hover awkwardly over a treadle mid-set. Naturally, I followed the advice of every guitarist with a forum account and picked up the MXR Phase 90. I mean, it’s on countless classic records, and even EVH thought it was good enough to put his name on it. If it’s good enough for Eddie, it’s good enough for me, right?

What made it even more appealing was its simplicity—just one knob to control speed. Foolproof.

First Rehearsal: The Rise and Fall

I took my new Phase 90 to rehearsal, buzzing to show off my upgraded board. First few songs were more rock-based, so I paired the phaser with some drive. Tonal nirvana. It was that swooshy, syrupy sound I’d always admired on Thin Lizzy records. I felt like a pro. I sounded like a pro.

Then came the funkier tunes. Phaser time. My moment.

The intro starts, my cue hits, I step on the pedal and—

BOOM.

My guitar exploded in volume. It shot up out of the mix like a rogue fireworks display. I scrambled to roll off my guitar volume just to bring myself back into the same sonic postcode as the rest of the band.

After the song, I checked every knob, every cable, every patch lead. Nothing. Then the sinking feeling hit. It was the Phase 90.

Never Meet Your Heroes

Turns out, the classic Phase 90 has a bit of a reputation for a noticeable volume bump, especially when used with clean tones. I just hadn't expected that much of a jump.

The Budget Saviour

Enter the Joyo Vintage Phase.

Same one-knob layout. Same orange aesthetic. But crucially—no volume spike.

Now, is it a perfect clone of the Phase 90? Not quite. It gets you about 90% of the way there. You still get that lush movement, the same sweet modulation, but it’s missing a touch of the crunchy texture that makes the MXR a bit more lively. Honestly? I’ll take that trade-off every time for consistent volume.

I ended up selling the MXR. The Joyo’s, on the other hand, has been my go-to ever since, and it’s earned its place. It’s my go-to for simple, swooshy, phasey goodness.

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