The Becos TS8-JZ, sold as the Ziffer Overdrive, is a mini overdrive pedal built around the classic Tube Screamer 808 circuit. Guitar.com calls it "a typically tiny take on the venerable Tube Screamer" with "a series of bonus controls that enhance the classic TS formula in ways that are both clever and useful"12. It was developed as a signature pedal for Jordan Ziff, lead guitarist of Ratt, who uses it to push his 1959 Plexi amp3.
The pedal comes from BecosFX, a Romanian builder based in Constanta that Guitar World notes is "lauded for its compressor pedals"4. It is derived from the company's earlier Becos TS8-MS, a MIDI-switching 808-style overdrive, with the MIDI functions removed and extra tone-shaping controls added in their place34.
A Tube Screamer with extra controls
The Ziffer Overdrive keeps the core Tube Screamer recipe: a mid-forward overdrive with Gain, Tone and Level knobs, the same "Gain/Tone/Level trinity" as the TS83. Where an original Ibanez TS9 Tube Screamer stops at those three controls, the TS8-JZ adds a layer of tone-crafting on top. Delicious Audio quotes the builder's description of the design goal:
"we mixed the vintage tubescreamer essentials with careful sophistication to give rise to a versatile and powerful tone shaping tool"3
Paolo De Gregorio, Delicious Audio3
Guitar.com points out the size trade-off in reverse: "In classic Becos style, this is a mini-format stomper but with more controls than the average Boss-sized unit"5. The compact enclosure measures 93 x 47 x 50mm5.
The controls
Alongside the three main knobs, the pedal carries a set of switches and mini-knobs for shaping both the wet and dry parts of the signal5.
| Control | What it does |
|---|---|
| Gain | Sets the amount of overdrive3 |
| Tone | Equalization of the overdriven signal34 |
| Level | Output volume34 |
| Clip switch (3-way) | Selects the clipping character: Classic, Asymmetric, and LEDs (Guitar World lists the third position as Custom)354 |
| Deep switch | Low-end frequency response, Classic and Deep settings4 |
| Dry EQ (lo/hi tilt) | Tilt EQ applied to the clean signal5 |
| Mix mini-knob | Blends the clean signal back under the overdriven one3 |
The Mix knob sits to the right of the footswitch and "allows reintroducing the clean signal under the overdriven one"3, an approach Ibanez also took on the TS9B Bass Tube Screamer for bassists. The Dry EQ works on that blended clean signal, so lows and highs can be tilted before the two paths combine5.
Guitar World describes the result as "an adjustable overdrive that can scream with larger-than-life tone or sweeten with enhanced warmth and clarity"4. The build uses what the review calls premium components: audio grade op-amps, Panasonic multi-layer plastic metalized film capacitors and gold-plated circuit boards4.
The clipping switch's third position is described differently across reviews: Delicious Audio and Guitar.com call it LEDs, while Guitar World's 2026 review calls it Custom.
How it differs from the TS8-MS
The TS8-JZ is "mainly derived from our TS8-MS Overdrive / MIDI Switcher pedal," which Jordan Ziff had already adopted as his Tube Screamer of choice3. The comparison is straightforward:
- The TS8-MS has MIDI switching, a jack output for external switching, and a buffered or true bypass footswitch; the TS8-JZ removes the MIDI capabilities entirely36.
- The TS8-MS offers three overdrive voices (classic, asymmetric and custom) on a mini-toggle, plus internal MIDI controls; the TS8-JZ replaces these with the clip switch, Deep switch, Dry EQ and Mix controls36.
- The TS8-MS uses silicon diode clipping with sockets for user-swappable germanium or silicon diodes; the TS8-JZ's clipping options are selected on its three-way switch63.
In short, the TS8-MS is built for switching and integration on a larger rig, while the TS8-JZ is a smaller, simpler pedal focused on tone shaping36.
History: the Jordan Ziff signature pedal
Becos FX released the Ziffer Overdrive in July 2021, described at the time as one of the company's most streamlined pedals3. It is a collaboration between the Romanian builder and Jordan Ziff, lead guitarist of Hot Crazy and Ratt and a guitarist in Marty Friedman's band, developed around how Ziff uses a Tube Screamer: pushing the front end of a 1959 Plexi amp31.
The pedal was listed at €149 at launch5. Later that year Guitar.com named it among the best affordable effects pedals of 20211.
What reviewers said
Guitar.com's Richard Purvis gave the TS8-JZ a positive verdict in July 2021:
"Enhances the classic Tube Screamer formula in ways that are clever and useful"5
Richard Purvis, Guitar.com5
Guitar World's Paul Riario reviewed it again in 2026, finding it "dynamic and musical" as a drive, noting that it "excels when pushing an amp," and praising its tone-shaping options, compact format and premium build. His overall verdict4:
"For all its expanded versatility as an 808-style drive, the Ziffer Overdrive shouldn't be missed4."
Paul Riario, Guitar World4
Questions
Is the Becos TS8-JZ true bypass?
Yes. Guitar World, Guitar.com and Delicious Audio all list the Ziffer Overdrive as true bypass, with Delicious Audio describing it as true analog bypass. When the pedal is off, your signal passes through without buffering.
Does the Becos TS8-JZ take a battery?
No. Guitar.com describes it as powered by a 9-18V mains supply only, and Delicious Audio notes the external power supply is not included. There is no battery compartment, so you need a pedalboard power source.
Can the TS8-JZ run at 18 volts?
Yes. The pedal accepts 9 to 18 VDC from an external supply, center negative, with a 12mm long barrel plug. Delicious Audio also reports it can be browned out down to 7VDC for a lower-voltage character.
Where are Becos pedals made?
Becos FX is based in Constanta, Romania, and builds its pedals there. Guitar.com lists the TS8-JZ as an overdrive pedal made in Romania.
What clipping options does the Ziffer Overdrive have?
A three-way clip switch selects between three diode clipping flavors. Delicious Audio and Guitar.com describe them as Classic, Asymmetric and LEDs, while Guitar World's review lists the third position as Custom. A separate Deep switch shapes the low-end response.
Sources (6)
- Gear Of The Year: Best Affordable Effects Pedal of 2021, Guitar.com, 2021-12-10
- Ibanez TS-808 Tube Screamer Modifications, Fromel Electronics
- Becos FX Ziffer Overdrive TS8-JZ, Delicious Audio, 2021-07-30
- Becos Ziffer Overdrive review, Guitar World, 2022-02-09
- Becos TS8-JZ & CompIQ Mini One review: a tiny compressor and a drive pedal with plenty of tweakability, Guitar.com, 2021-07-09
- Review: Becos TS8-MS Overdrive Midi Switcher, Guitar.com, 2019-11-07
