Who's using an Octafuzz?

[henk]

Just curious.

 

For what? Where? How? What brand? Who or what inspired you to start using one? What settings? Through what kind of amp and/or channel and/or combination of other effects?

 

I use a Fulltone together with an Everman Pot through the clean channel of a Koch Twintone.

 

I bought mine because I heard Scott Henderson using it on Rocket Science, Thick and Well to the Bone.

[matc]

I use a voodoo lab proctavia...very cool to play jimi hendrix stuff.

[jonny guitar]

I use the one on the CC2 all the time. If you knock back the guitar volume to about 71/2 you get some really nice overtones (sound just like feedback) when holding notes.

[henk]

I use the Pot pedal before the OF in order to get the same amount of roll-off every time. Works great.

[ck3]

I have used/own(ed):

 

PODxt Octavia Sim

Tonelab SE Octavia Sim

General Guitar Gadgets Scrabbler (Ampeg Scrambler clone)

Boss FZ-2 Hyper Fuzz

Effector 13 Noise Floor

Ibanez FZ7 Fuzz (both stock and Indyguitarist-Modded)

Effector 13 Custom VFM Harsh

Danelectro DJ-13 French Toast

Boss GT-8 COSM Acetone Fuzz*

MMFX Fender Bender (Fender Blender Clone)*

Effector 13 Soda Might*

 

* = currently have on board

 

I first discovered octave fuzz textures with my PODxt. Line6's take on the octavia was pretty lame IMO, but Vox/Korg really got me interested with their simulation. Though it was still produced with digital circuitry, the REMS octavia was much more intense and harrowing. I was able to combine it with octave down pitch shifting and create walls of intense single note/intervallic riffing.

 

After that point, I was inspired to move on to "the real deal" (used in conjunction with amp modelers), hoping to be able to produce even more extreme results. This was the time when I cycled through most of the pedals on the above list. The Boss FZ-2 and Effector 13 Noise Floor are probably my most favorite octave fuzzes out of the group of those that I previously owned. Both were excellent for producing the heavy, industrial octave fuzz tones that I enjoy.

 

The octave fuzzes (and emulations thereof) that I presently have at my feet are all different in some respect. Out of the three, the Blender clone is definitely the most extreme ... and probably my favorite of the lot (perhaps even ever ... as far as octave fuzzes are concerned, anyway). Even at low gain levels, the Fender Bender can dish out deranged sounding ring mod dissonance and splattery palm-muted chugging. The Effector 13 Soda Might is similar in some respects, but doesn't have as prominent of an octave or bass response and sports an extra noise mode that is similar to a resistive filter. The Boss GT-8 COSM sim is probably my least favorite of the three, but still works well for gain cascading purposes ... though not as well as my other two options.

 

Though I may have found my "holy grail" octave fuzz, I am still lusting after an Ibanez Standard Fuzz (preferably a modern clone)... as it may be even better suited for the applications that I have in mind.

[Boron]

Yep - I've had several....but never one after the classic Hendrixy 'octavia' vibe...that might chage though....

 

 

Currently I'm getting subtle octave fuzz joy form a Bee Baa clone (and before that an original Bee Baa), an ibanez standard fuzz, and a fender blender clone. Basically I tend toward octave fuzzes cause of the way the crappy octave combines with other notes to mess the tone up and make it more complex than other fuzz/distortion sounds - not to play single note leads at the 12 th fret! Billy Corgan and Kevin Shields made me want to get octave fuzzes.

 

The three are all different, and to be fair, the Bee Baa only produced noticeable octave sounds at mellow settings so I don't tap into them that often.

The Standard Fuzz has a dry, papery, sqealling pig octave which adds a little oddness to the low end of the guitar as well. The fuzz on it is very uniquely voiced, which is the main reason it's hung around in my dwindling collection.

The blender is much more nasty and unpleasant sounding - more gain, more sustain, and a muddier, more lofi tone but screaming octave for days that really messes up the low end with big squelchy ring modulated sounds.

 

I've also had 2 superfuzz family members, a Boss hyperfuzz (which is rather similar to the superfuzz), a scrambler clone (hey Charles!) and a dano fench toast, which wins the 'best value for money' octave fuzz award any day of the week.