The Joyo AC Tone (JF-13) is a Joyo overdrive pedal that reproduces the sound of a Vox AC30 amplifier, what Joyo calls "that classic British rock sound all guitarists dream about"1. It belongs to the amp-in-a-box family: rather than copying another stompbox, it models the character of a specific amplifier, in this case the AC302.
Delicious Audio has called it "a well-regarded and insanely affordable take on the Vox-style amp-in-a-box"3.
A Vox AC30-style amp in a box
The circuit is built around the Vox AC30's character. Delicious Audio notes that "modeling achieves famous VOX AC-30 tone," so the pedal is aimed at players who want that British chime and grind without carrying an actual AC302. Among Vox-style pedals, it sits on the affordable end: the same site's roundup of Vox-in-a-box overdrives treats it as the budget entry in a field that also includes pricier boutique options3.
Two ways to use it
The AC Tone's main distinction from a plain overdrive is that it works in two modes3:
- As a normal drive / EQ pedal, placed anywhere on your board in front of an amplifier, like any other overdrive.
- As an amp sim, placed at the end of your pedal chain and run into a PA or direct into your audio interface, standing in for an amp altogether.
That second mode is what makes an amp-in-a-box different from a conventional overdrive: with the AC Tone last in the chain, your other effects feed into it and it provides the amp-style tone and EQ that a PA or interface otherwise lacks3.
The controls: Drive, Level, 3-band EQ and Voice
The control set is straightforward23:
| Control | What it does |
|---|---|
| Drive | Sets the amount of gain, from clean-ish AC30 chime to pushed British crunch |
| Level | Sets the output volume |
| 3-band EQ | Bass, middle and treble shaping |
| Voice | Delicious Audio describes it as a control "that allows for lots of tonal possibilities"3 |
The Level and Drive controls "add incredible range," according to the same coverage, and the 3-band EQ plus Voice knob give it more tone shaping than most simple overdrives offer2.
Build
Joyo builds the AC Tone in an aluminum alloy casing with a stoving varnish finish1, and Delicious Audio describes the "whole aluminium-alloy housing" as "stable and strong"2.
Videos
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Questions
Can the Joyo AC Tone be used as an amp sim into a PA or direct?
Yes. Delicious Audio notes it can be used as an amp sim at the end of your pedal chain, feeding a PA or going direct into your audio interface. In that role it stands in for a Vox AC30-style amp, shaping your drive and EQ before the signal leaves your board.
Can I use the Joyo AC Tone as a normal drive pedal in front of an amp?
Yes. The same coverage describes it working as a normal drive and EQ pedal in front of an amplifier, so you can treat it like any other overdrive on your board and use the 3-band EQ and Voice control to shape the sound.
Is the Joyo AC Tone enclosure metal?
Yes. Joyo lists the JF-13 AC Tone in an aluminum alloy casing with a stoving varnish finish, and Delicious Audio describes the whole aluminium-alloy housing as stable and strong.
Sources (4)
- JF-13 AC Tone_JOYO, JOYO
- Joyo AC Tone Vox-Style Overdrive, Delicious Audio, 2022-11-21
- The 20 Best Vox-Style Pedals & Vox-In-a-Box Overdrives In 2024, Delicious Audio, 2024-12-02
- Guitar Pedal X, Guitar Pedal X, 2024-12-16
