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Pros:
- Extremely affordable
- Great build quality
- Bright chorus
Cons:
- Does not have a volume or mix knobs
- Slight jump in volume is noticeable when the pedal is on
There was a time when it was impossible to get decent units at low price range. They truly were pieces of garbage and didn’t deserve even such a small amount of money. But times change and you can find an amazing range of stompboxes for a little coin. More often than not they are clones of famous circuits, but as long as they deliver performance, nobody even dares to utter a word about that subject. Regardless, there’s still a misconception that cheaper units can’t perform as well as the ones that cost the double.
But that truly is a fallacy. In a world where anybody can manufacture a stompbox, it shouldn’t come as a surprise that affordable pieces have good quality. Of course, we can’t say the same about each brand that creates a pedal, however, there are some that we can trust no matter what. One of those is definitely Joyo. They always manage to deliver products that have great sound. We can’t look down on them just because they manufacture in China – so do the majority of companies that sell their stuff at 100-150 bucks. Enough about that, let’s dive into the features, controls and sound of JF-05. Choruses aren’t that easy to make but Joyo managed to succeed even at that. We shall begin this article and find out if it pairs well with bass!
Features
While describing JF-05, we could easily say that it comes with a standard package of features. You’ll encounter a similar deal with the majority of chorus stompboxes out there. Before we move onto the specific details, I want you to know that this one isn’t dedicated to bass guitar, but it still works wonderfully with this instrument. Sometimes we can make an exception and consider the units that aren’t necessarily manufactured for bass, especially at such an affordable price range. After all, it’s better to have a guitar stompbox that works well with bass, rather than having something that was built with low-end in mind but affects your sound detrimentally, don’t you agree?
Now that we have that out of the way, we shall see what we got here. JF-05 offers a dimensional tone that will make your instrument feel like it has an extended range of strings. It adds beautiful chorus that compliments your sound with the best words. This puppy promises to be true bypass and lucky for us, it isn’t lying. It won’t suck your frequencies or add any color to your signal as it goes through the pedal. Sometimes we tend to take this particular feature for granted, which is wrong in my opinion. The build quality isn’t the best here, however, it’s still decent. You should definitely take good care of this one, and if you do so, I’m sure it will last you for quite a while. In order to power JF-05, you’ll need to insert a single 9V battery or an adapter. This way you’ll be able to choose the method that you prefer and don’t be limited to either one of them. I don’t think you’ll be having doubts at this point, but if you do, pay even more attention to the sections below.
Controls
If I told you that you’ll get an all-encompassing package here, I’d certainly lie. I’m sure you’ll lack some of the controls, but I don’t think we should be expecting anything more in this price range. The main thing is that we have basic encoders that are crucial for altering necessary properties in your effect. Would it be better to have more options in this section? – definitely. But the fact that we can still work our way around it is surely a pro. If we look at the subject from the positive side, we’ll notice that such a simple package also means that we won’t have to spend much time tweaking. We’ll be ready to rock even with minor adjustments and save up a lot of time for greater things.
JF-05 features Rate and Width knobs. The former changes the speed of the modulation and basically intensifies the effect. The latter alters the width of the sweeps, which means it adjusts depth and enables you to make your chorus stronger. The only thing left is the footswitch that activates or bypasses the unit. It goes without saying that navigating through JF-05 is a piece of cake – adding chorus to your sound has never been easier!
Joyo JF05 Sound
I’m sure this is the section that interests you the most. After all, the most common complaints about affordable pedals are usually connected to the quality of their sound. However, you don’t have anything to worry about with JF-05. Even though it isn’t dedicated to bass, it still is capable of recognizing those lower notes. It doesn’t thin out the bottom end and adds beautiful harmonics in the higher spectrum. This way you’re left with the effect that is accentuated in all of the bands, making sure that the results really stand out. Keep in mind that you might notice jump in volume as you activate the pedal. If we had some sort of level control, we’d be able to take care of that with ease. Unfortunately, we don’t have that option here, but there are ways to balance out the volume without too much fuss. JF-05 thickens and fattens your sound really nicely and creates the illusion that your bass has an electric extension. In a few words, it has a tone which is comparable to more expensive units (and that says a lot).
Conclusion
It isn’t a secret to anyone that Joyo is really starting to step up their game with every new release. You might not even think that they’re in such an affordable price range if you do a blind test. JF-05 is definitely one of the best members of their family. It has depth, character and necessary thickness. The best part is that it is perfect for your bass guitar – now you can add chorus madness without breaking the bank. Good luck!
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