Can I mod a Joyo Ultimate Drive, It DRIVES me crazy.

[loidrinkaku]

Right now im using it as an always on clean boost (Gain all the way down and Volume all the way up) I even removed the switch long time ago because it was causing problems (Thanks Lupo for helping me out).

The thing is, I really want to use it as an overdrive but as soon as I move that gain knob I just want to get rid of it , No matter how I set the vol/gain/tone knobs it just sounds harsh/mushy/fuzzy/bassy and too bright/lack of mids, Not my thing.

So my question is, The mod of Turning the Ge diode arround reduce the harshnes? OR Is there any other mod I can try to increase the mid freqs and reduce the amount of gain?
Here are the schematics.

 

[Chiogtr4x]

I can understand your wanting to mod, but just getting a Joyo Vintage OD ( great gradual sweep on the Gain/Drive kno ) might solve a problem.
A cheap, but great sounding OD, IMO

 

[loidrinkaku]

I can understand your wanting to mod, but just getting a Joyo Vintage OD ( great gradual sweep on the Gain/Drive kno ) might solve a problem.
A cheap, but great sounding OD, IMO

I have been looking for that OD for a while but no luck, Not a lot of options for budget pedals in my country and used boss/ibanez/fulltone OD's are crazy rare/expensive here.

But still, even If I find a better OD, I like to mod things

 

[Chiogtr4x]

I have been looking for that OD for a while but no luck, Not a lot of options for budget pedals in my country and used boss/ibanez/fulltone OD's are crazy rare/expensive here.

But still, even If I find a better OD, I like to mod things

Got it!
Try CheaperPedals.com
( just an idea) Buena Suerte!

 

[loidrinkaku]

Got it!
Try CheaperPedals.com
( just an idea) Buena Suerte!

Long Story short, After a long search, I found a BD-2 Blues Driver, mint conditions, best $$ I have spent in a while.

 

[Chiogtr4x]

Long Story short, After a long search, I found a BD-2 Blues Driver, mint conditions, best $$ I have spent in a while.

I have a small, fun collection of (cheap) OD pedals, and they all get used.
But getting a Blues Driver in 1997, I swear. was transformational!

(Note: I first heard one when doing a multiple-band bar gig in Baltimore. The guitar player in the band before us, was a very good player, great sound! Sounded like Mick Taylor. I looked at his board, saw a Blues Driver- never heard of one- got one the next week!)

It's an 'always ON' with a few of my little amps,
or as a Lead Boost, believe it or not, for the Lead channel of my little Fender Frontman 25R amp.
Ever since changing the speaker, I often play amp just on the Lead channel ( at low Gain- much in the same way I use the BD-2 into my other Clean amps), and it gives me a nice dirty boost- rockin', and very adjustable.
Hell of a tool for me.

 

[cousinpaul]

Wasn't the Freakish Blues Alpha Drive a modded Ultimate Drive? I think the mods mainly consisted of soldering resistors across the pots to change their values. IIRC, there's a big Freakish Blues thread on TGP. People paid big bucks for them before the mod was revealed.

 

[loidrinkaku]

It's an 'always ON' with a few of my little amps,

Yeap, same here. level max, and very little gain, completely shapes my amp and gives attack, The JoyoUD as clean boost was a little bit too clanky for my taste.

Wasn't the Freakish Blues Alpha Drive a modded Ultimate Drive? I think the mods mainly consisted of soldering resistors across the pots to change their values. IIRC, there's a big Freakish Blues thread on TGP. People paid big bucks for them before the mod was revealed.

Yes, what a year for the boutique pedal community, In the alpha drive they changed some of the components including the pot mod you mentioned, I think they pretty much re-built the main components and said it was "their invention", since I replaced my JoyoUD Ill probbably start doing some surgery.

 

[JuneauMike]

So my question is, The mod of Turning the Ge diode arround reduce the harshnes? OR Is there any other mod I can try to increase the mid freqs and reduce the amount of gain?

I don't know anything about this circuit but I suspect the answer is "no." The transistors at Q2 and Q3 are the clipping stage and the diode stabilizes the bias. Maybe changing the value of the diode will have some effect, but reversing it will not allow it to function in its current role.

Since it's a cheap pedal and you aren't really out much by playing around with it, I'd suggest you identify places in the circuit that could be modified and socket those locations. The Mosfets would be a good candidate for sockets, and the diode too, since you could then rearrange your clipping circuit or play with different values.

Here's some discussion on that type of distortion.

AMZ - Guitar Effects & diode clipping

How to use mosfet transistors and zener diodes for clipping in guitar fx pedals.

www.muzique.com

But might also be able to play around with the filtering in the non-inverting op amps (C4,C5 and C7,C8). Sockets would let you answer a lot of questions. Changing the value of the gain pot will change the gain structure. YMMV.

It would be good to search out other Mosfet distortions and study their schematics, to get some ideas on how to voice your pedal. That would be probably the most productive way to approach this. It's a Joyo so its likely they stole the schematic from someone else and cut corners to hit a price point. Anyway, fun to mess around with cheap pedals, right?

 

[doof]

Wasn't the Freakish Blues Alpha Drive a modded Ultimate Drive? I think the mods mainly consisted of soldering resistors across the pots to change their values. IIRC, there's a big Freakish Blues thread on TGP. People paid big bucks for them before the mod was revealed.

I opened up my Joyo Ultimate Drive and the PCB literally had "freakish blues alpha drive" screened onto it.

 

[cousinpaul]

I saw the mod on TGP. Looks easy. If you do it, please report back. The whole FB fiasco was a little before my time here.

 

[JuneauMike]

I opened up my Joyo Ultimate Drive and the PCB literally had "freakish blues alpha drive" screened onto it.

Get a load of this:

Circuit Analysis : Fulltone's OCD - Analog Is Not Dead

Blogs about analog electronics still exist in 2021. Here is one about how you can hack your toaster into a guitar amplifier and modify your shower into a modular synth.

analogisnotdead.com

Look familiar?

To the OP, seek out Fulltone OCD mods. That should get you on your way.

 

[loidrinkaku]

I don't know anything about this circuit but I suspect the answer is "no." The transistors at Q2 and Q3 are the clipping stage and the diode stabilizes the bias. Maybe changing the value of the diode will have some effect, but reversing it will not allow it to function in its current role.

Since it's a cheap pedal and you aren't really out much by playing around with it, I'd suggest you identify places in the circuit that could be modified and socket those locations. The Mosfets would be a good candidate for sockets, and the diode too, since you could then rearrange your clipping circuit or play with different values.

Here's some discussion on that type of distortion.

AMZ - Guitar Effects & diode clipping

How to use mosfet transistors and zener diodes for clipping in guitar fx pedals.

www.muzique.com

But might also be able to play around with the filtering in the non-inverting op amps (C4,C5 and C7,C8). Sockets would let you answer a lot of questions. Changing the value of the gain pot will change the gain structure. YMMV.

It would be good to search out other Mosfet distortions and study their schematics, to get some ideas on how to voice your pedal. That would be probably the most productive way to approach this. It's a Joyo so its likely they stole the schematic from someone else and cut corners to hit a price point. Anyway, fun to mess around with cheap pedals, right?

Very good info, thanks a lot.|
What I have done so far:
1. Remove the ge-diode completely: Sounds like a dirt box kind of distortion, the harshness didn't go away.
2. Added the ge-diode again, this time the other way around (the correct way): little bit less harshness, wich comes back once I turn up the tone pot.
3. Swaped the ge-diode with a white led: Harshness almost gone, I feel like the sound is more rounded, less fuzzy, even with the gain pot at max, wich surprised me. Still prefer the BD-2 but I dont hate my joyo as much as before.

EDIT: If someone with a JoyoUD find some tasty info about mods on the Joyo and don't want to risk their own, let me know and Ill try on this one

 

[loidrinkaku]

Update: For those who hate the Joyo UD, swap C9 for a 104 film cap (100nf) and give it another chance, TRUST ME, Is back on my pedalboard.

 

[Skyhook]

I opened up my Joyo Ultimate Drive and the PCB literally had "freakish blues alpha drive" screened onto it.

Dibs on the pedal name... or band name... can't quite decide.

 

[hopdybob]

I opened up my Joyo Ultimate Drive and the PCB literally had "freakish blues alpha drive" screened onto it.

and that is more a treble booster.
made a veroboard version and it is bright