The Becos Ziffer Overdrive (also listed as the Becos FX Ziffer Overdrive TS8-JZ) is a mini overdrive pedal from Romanian pedal maker BecosFX. It is a signature model developed for Jordan Ziff, lead guitarist of Hot Crazy and Ratt and a guitarist in Marty Friedman's band, and it carries a street price of $169.0012.
Circuit-wise it is a Tube Screamer variant: Guitar World's reviewer describes its Classic clip setting as delivering "that TS-808-style squishiness"1. Becos Effects puts it in its own words: "we mixed the vintage Tubescreamer essentials with careful sophistication to give rise to a versatile and powerful tone shaping tool"3. The design brief came straight from Ziff's rig, inspired by his approach to his core drive tone: using an overdrive pedal to push a 1959 Plexi amp42.
What it does, and the clean blend
The pedal is an adjustable overdrive that, in Guitar World's words, "can scream with larger-than-life tone or sweeten with enhanced warmth and clarity"1. Its standout feature against a stock Tube Screamer is a Dry/Wet Mix: the clean dry line can be blended in parallel with the overdriven wet line, which Becos describes as useful for finely tuning the frequency spectrum of the overdriven sound3. For a player, that means the tight midrange push of an 808-style drive without losing all of the original signal's body.
The controls
The front panel carries the expected Gain, Tone and Level knobs13, plus the Mix control for the parallel blend3. Two toggles shape the character further:
| Control | Settings | What it does |
|---|---|---|
| Clip switch | Classic, Asymmetric, Custom (LEDs) | Selects the clipping configuration of the gain stage13 |
| Deep switch | Classic, Deep | Shifts the low-end frequency response1 |
The three clipping modes are Classic, Asymmetric and LEDs32. Classic is the TS-808-style setting1; the Asymmetric and LED options change how the waveform is clipped, which alters the drive's feel and harmonic content.
The Deep mode is aimed at two situations Becos calls out: beefing up single-coil pickups on guitar, or leaving the bottom end in place when the pedal is used with bass3. Delicious Audio describes the Deep toggle as allowing "for beefier results when needed"2.
Power
The Ziffer runs on a 9 to 18V DC external power supply, center negative, with a 12mm long barrel plug; the supply is not included3. Guitar World lists it at 9V DC1. Delicious Audio adds that it can also be browned out down to 7VDC2. There is no battery option mentioned, so it needs a proper pedalboard power source.
The barrel plug is specified as 12mm long, so check your power supply's plug length before buying; a standard short plug may not make contact3.
How it differs from the Becos TS8-MS
The Ziffer is mainly derived from Becos's TS8-MS Overdrive / MIDI Switcher pedal, which Jordan Ziff had embraced as his Tubescreamer choice23. The TS8-MS is a multi-voiced overdrive with MIDI switching, made in Romania, with Gain, tone and level knobs, a 3-way mini-toggle for overdrive voice (classic, asymmetric and custom) and an internal MIDI rotary control5.
The Ziffer takes that circuit and strips out the MIDI switching while adding new controls: the Dry/Wet Mix for parallel clean processing and the Deep toggle3. So the trade is straightforward: the TS8-MS offers remote switching for larger rigs, while the Ziffer is a smaller, simpler pedal with more tone-shaping options on the surface.
Who is Jordan Ziff?
Jordan Ziff is the lead guitarist of Hot Crazy and Ratt, and a guitarist in Marty Friedman's band23. The Ziffer Overdrive was developed for him as a signature model3, and it is the pedal he uses to push his 1959 Plexi amp2.
What reviewers said
Guitar World's Paul Riario reviewed the pedal and found it to be a dynamic and musical drive that excels when pushing an amp, with heaps of tone-shaping options in a compact format and premium build1. His verdict:
"For all its expanded versatility as an 808-style drive, the Ziffer Overdrive shouldn't be missed."
Guitar Pedal X included it in a 2021 roundup, writing that the "Becos FX Mini Solo Boost Master and Ziffer Overdrive Punch Well Above their Respective Weight Categories"6.
Videos
BECOS FX
BECOS FX
Questions
Is the Becos Ziffer true bypass?
Yes. Guitar World lists it as true bypass1, and Becos Effects describes it as true analog bypass3. It is an all-analog design rather than a digital emulation3.
Does the Ziffer Overdrive work on bass?
Yes. Becos says the pedal was envisioned for usage with guitar and bass, or other instruments as well2. Its Deep mode leaves the bottom end in place when used with bass3, which addresses the low-end loss a Tube Screamer-style circuit normally imposes.
What is the difference between the Ziffer and the Becos TS8-MS?
The Ziffer is mainly derived from the TS8-MS Overdrive / MIDI Switcher, but the MIDI switching is removed and new controls are added, including the Dry/Wet Mix and the Deep toggle3. The TS8-MS keeps its MIDI switching and internal MIDI rotary control5.
Can I run the Ziffer Overdrive at 18 volts?
Yes. It takes a 9 to 18V DC external power supply, center negative, with a 12mm long barrel plug, not included3. Delicious Audio also notes it can be browned out down to 7VDC2.
Who is Jordan Ziff?
Jordan Ziff is the lead guitarist of Hot Crazy and Ratt, and a guitarist in Marty Friedman's band3. The Ziffer Overdrive was developed for him3, inspired by his use of an overdrive pedal to push a 1959 Plexi amp4.
Sources (6)
- Becos Ziffer Overdrive review, Guitar World, 2022-02-09
- Becos FX Ziffer Overdrive TS8-JZ, Delicious Audio, 2021-07-30
- Becos Effects Announces the Ziffer Overdrive, Premier Guitar, 2021-08-19
- Becos Effects teams with Jordan Ziff for miniature Ziffer Overdrive pedal, Guitar.com, 2021-07-30
- Review: Becos TS8-MS Overdrive Midi Switcher, Guitar.com, 2019-11-07
- Guitar Pedal X, Guitar Pedal X, 2021-10-25
