How to get a good fuzz/octave fuzz tone

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mamajalupa

New member
I've recently been using a boss super octave and a really old DOD distortion that sounds like a fuzz and I really like the sound of fuzz and octave fuzz but I can't seem to find one. What pedals work best together or what octave fuzz is best?
 
Re: How to get a good fuzz/octave fuzz tone

I love my Fulltone Ultimate Octave, preferably with a Les Paul, neck pickup, tone all the way down.
 
Re: How to get a good fuzz/octave fuzz tone

Fulltone Octafuzz 2 and Foxx Tone Machine are sort of industry standards.

Also check out the MXR La Machine. It's got a lot of gain and the steel drum effect is easy to get all over the neck.

 
Re: How to get a good fuzz/octave fuzz tone

I actually use a Whammy pedal set to an octave harmony (high or low) and an overdrive/distortion pedal, typically an OCD or a Tubescreamer. Of course that's a funky way of doing it but it lets me choose different harmony intervals and sweep from one to the other which creates some funky sounds. Of course you are stepping on two pedals when doing this instead of one Octa-fuzz one, but I usually have the overdrive on anyway for the stuff I play. More hassle but the variety is nice. Can kind of cop a Paranoid lead tone when I use the harmony lower octave setting on the whammy and have the drive/volume up.
 
Re: How to get a good fuzz/octave fuzz tone

^ What you are describing is about as far from octave fuzz as you can get. :)
 
Re: How to get a good fuzz/octave fuzz tone

I <3 my Fulltone Ultimate Octave.
 
Re: How to get a good fuzz/octave fuzz tone

I've got a Captain Coconut 2 which is Dave Fox's "Jimi in a Box". Fuzz Face, Octavia and UniVibe in a single enclosure. It's a pretty big pedal, it kind of IS your pedalboard, so I'm interested in a standalone Octavia.

FWIW, a true Octavia is similar to a ring modulator, but with the guitar signal feeding both inputs (rather than a fixed or variable oscillator). For the Jimi type tone they work best with the neck pickup, around the 12th fret, playing single note lines and with the fuzz level lowered.

The above mentioned Paranoid solo is a true ring modulator, with the effected signal on one channel and the straight guitar on the other channel. Both pedals have that characteristic "clang" to them.
 
Re: How to get a good fuzz/octave fuzz tone

I have a Homebrew Electronics Ultimate Fuzz Octave; it's like a different take on the Fulltone Ultimate Octave. I prefer it to something vintage-y like an Octavia because it tracks far better & faster and also has much more available gain.
 
Re: How to get a good fuzz/octave fuzz tone

Falloffthebonetone said:
Come on now. Not really. Octave up, octave down, grit. Sure it's overdrive and not fuzz but it's not as far away as you can get
Click to expand...

What you are describing is an octave divider/crude harmonizer effect. We are talking about an Octavia-style sound. Very very different behaviors.
 
Re: How to get a good fuzz/octave fuzz tone

As another poster said, Octavia-type pedals work best either before or after a good fuzz pedal, with the fuzz on the Octavia turned down and using the Fuzz pedal for the fuzz. Neck pickup with the tone down. Some disagree on which pedal should go first, but that is the general way to get a good octave fuzz sound with that type of octave pedal IMO. The octave is more prevalent on the higher frets with these type of pedals.

Al
 
Re: How to get a good fuzz/octave fuzz tone

B2D said:
What you are describing is an octave divider/crude harmonizer effect. We are talking about an Octavia-style sound. Very very different behaviors.
Click to expand...

Actually, the OP was referencing the Boss Super Octave which is 1 and 2 Octaves DOWN. So, the Whammy guy is probably the closest! Octavia is Octave UP.

For Sub-Octave Fuzz, MXR Blue Box, MXR Slash Fuzz, or a Whammy + Fuzz of choice will do. Earthquaker Bit Commander is good too. Personally, I use a Boss OC-2 into a Big Muff clone.

For Octave up there are generally two schools 1) Foxx Tone Machine (get a used Danelctro French Toast for $15) or 2) Octavia.

I have owned the Dunlop Octavia, Catalinbread Octapussy, and Fender Blender and finally ended up with the Malekko Helium which ended my quest for an octave up Octavia style fuzz.
 
Re: How to get a good fuzz/octave fuzz tone

How do you guys use octave down boxes? Unless I'm doing the full POG organ thing it sounds strange to me. Are you doing Seven Nation Army type riffing? Synthy type drones and basses?

I'll have to check out that Malekko Octavia one, it's pretty small isn't it?
 
Re: How to get a good fuzz/octave fuzz tone

Hecubus said:
Actually, the OP was referencing the Boss Super Octave which is 1 and 2 Octaves DOWN. So, the Whammy guy is probably the closest! Octavia is Octave UP.

For Sub-Octave Fuzz, MXR Blue Box, MXR Slash Fuzz, or a Whammy + Fuzz of choice will do. Earthquaker Bit Commander is good too. Personally, I use a Boss OC-2 into a Big Muff clone.

For Octave up there are generally two schools 1) Foxx Tone Machine (get a used Danelctro French Toast for $15) or 2) Octavia.

I have owned the Dunlop Octavia, Catalinbread Octapussy, and Fender Blender and finally ended up with the Malekko Helium which ended my quest for an octave up Octavia style fuzz.
Click to expand...

THANK you.
 
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