Freshman Ultimate Overdrive, (Used)

The Freshman Ultimate Overdrive is a budget-priced pedal sold under the Freshman brand—essentially a carbon copy of the Joyo JF‑02 Ultimate Drive, widely recognised as a Fulltone OCD clone.

It offers three simple controls—Gain, Tone, and Level—and a toggle switch labelled High/Low, which shifts the overdrive voicing between brighter (high) or bassier (low) emphasis. The pedal features true bypass switching and a compact aluminium chassis powered by a 9V DC adapter (battery not included), with a frequency toggle that lets you shape aggressive tube-like overdrive textures in a compact footprint.

Tonal character leans toward rich midrange with generous low-end response—ideal for driving tube amps or adding punch to cleaner setups. The pedal can clean up responsively using your guitar’s volume knob. However, it’s often noted that the tone control may lack precision, the gain knob can be overly sensitive, and the pedal can be noisy under high-gain settings. Nevertheless, reviewers consistently praise it as a surprisingly musical and versatile overdrive that defies its modest cost.

Let me know if you’d like comparisons with other clones or tips for dialling it in with specific amps or pickup types.