TS8‐JZ THE ZIFFER – JORDAN ZIFF SIGNATURE
MINI OVERDRIVE PEDAL
MANUAL
SPECIFICATIONS
Input impedance: 550KΩ
Output Impedance: 100Ω
Optimal Power Voltage: 9‐18VDC ±10% Center Negative Barrel
DC Power Plug Barrel: Ø 5.1/2.1mm, 12mm long
Power Consumption: < 11mAh
Product Size: Length: 39mm, Depth: 92mm, Height: 51mm
Product Weight: 159 gr.
Packed Weight: 200 gr.
ADVICE, WARNING & CAUTIONS
‐ Read this manual and keep it handy.
‐ Do not place the pedal in direct sunlight, in extreme temperature
and humidity conditions, or in dusty environment.
‐ Do not make modifications to the circuit and do not install the
pedal in any other way except as described in this manual.
‐ As we struggle to improve ourselves and our products, we may
change products specifications, design, and features without notice.
Likewise, this manual may be changed or modified without notice so
we advise you to download it from the website before using the
product.
INTRODUCTION
Thank you for choosing The Ziffer Overdrive – Jordan Ziff Signature
mini tubescreamer pedal.
The TS8‐JZ Ziffer Overdrive is derived from our TS8‐MS Overdrive /
MIDI Switcher pedal. We removed the MIDI switching capabilities
and added several controls which contribute to subtle tone‐crafting
and expanded versatility.
We always kept in mind Jordan Ziff’s minimalist approach to guitar
tone – only using the overdrive to push his 1959 Plexi amp – and
mixed the tubescreamer bare essentials with careful sophistication,
all while shrinking the packaging into a sturdy 1590A Hammond
aluminum enclosure. The Ziffer is a sturdy minion, road‐ready, and
eager to perform in any environment.
The Ziffer’s circuit is tributary to the vintage 808 still, yet features
our modifications which we took even further. Compared with the
TS8‐MS, the Ziffer Overdrive features a DEEP switch with an option
for beefing up the lower end frequencies, a DRY/WET MIX trimmer
to blend the clean signal over the wet overdriven signal, and a DRY
EQ trimmer that acts on the dryline only to mix back either flat clean
or tilted frequencies on either the lows or highs spectrum. It still
features the tri‐option CLIPPING switch which modifies the overall
gain structure to better shape suitable tones for a large variety of
applications.
On top of that, we replaced the one‐transistor buffers with audio
grade op‐amps which contribute to a lower noise floor, especially in
the high‐gain settings. We also employ very low tolerance parts,
high‐quality Panasonic multi‐layer plastic metalized film capacitors in
the audio path, and build everything on our standard Gold‐plated
tracing circuit board, for lifetime endurance. The Ziffer Overdrive can
be powered anywhere in between 9VDC and 18VDC for improved
transparency and high headroom.
EFFECT CONTROLS
FOOTSWITCH
–
When engaged, the switch routes the audio signal
through the circuitry and the Power LED is lit Green. When pushed
again, the signal is routed in True Bypass from Input to Output,
leaving the audio untouched. This routing is still available even when
the pedal is not powered.
GAIN
– Along with the CLIP and the DEEP switches, the GAIN control
sets the amount of overdrive applied to the clean signal. The gain
stage preserves the original 808 tubescreamer characters but it is
modified for tonal enhancement and variable structural response.
The frequency filters are trimmed for enhanced response in the low
end while enhancing warmth and clarity. Dialed to a minimum, it
barely breaks in, and while twisting to the other end can reach focus
and aggression, you may find your best balance in between. Roll
down the volume knob in your instrument and the pedal cleans out
nicely, always rendering an organic and natural drive. A little dump
in the guitar tone as well may lead to your sweetest bluesy tone.
Play with it.
TONE
– The tone control should not be used as much as a tone
correction but more like a frequency balancer and drive‐response
sweetener, appropriate to your particular instrument or amp. If your
tone seems too brittle, don’t be afraid to turn it counterclockwise for
as much as it is needed. On the contrary, if your instrument is too
darker sounding, turn it clockwise to add higher mids and presence.
LEVEL
– The level control is placed post‐DRY/WET MIX and sets the
overall output volume of the pedal. In its most counterclockwise
position, it puts the signal to the ground, leaving nothing at the
output. Turned to the max, it passes the overall level set in the GAIN
stage.
DRY/WET MIX
– This control acts like an audio mixer, where you can
blend the input clean signal with the hot overdriven signal. This
feature works in conjunction with the DRY EQ. When fully
counterclockwise, the signal is 100% wet. Turned fully clockwise, it is
100% dry. In between is 50/50.
The typical frequency response of the overdrive exhibits a strong
bump in the mids centered on 1 kHz, at the expense of losing some
of the low‐end frequencies. Although this is highly desirable when
pushing an instrument amplifier to cut out through the other
instruments in a mix, it may leave something to be desired. Injecting
back some of the clean signals may restore a part of the low end,
adding more body to the tone. It may also alter the overall gain
structure, but, depending on the instrument, the general overdrive
sound may be better tuned this way, adding options for creativity.
When set to 100% dry, the pedal acts as a hot buffer or, more
correctly, like a mild booster because the dryline is pre‐set with a
certain amount of gain which is needed to balance the higher gain in
the wet overdriven signal. And, when used in conjunction with the
DRY EQ, you can choose to inject either more highs or more lows.
The latter is particularly useful when using the pedal with a bass
instrument or with single‐coil guitars, while the former is helpful
when driving the instrument amplifier in either mild break‐up (where
