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mooseherman « Interesting Fuzz-Octave pedal »
Published on 01/10/11 at 14:36This is a fuzz-octave pedal made by Zvex. This company isn't a household name but they make a solid lineup of great products. This has two 1/4" input and output connections as well as a jack for a power adapter (9V, it can also use batteries). This is a one hundred percent analog pedal, as you'll be able to tell when you hear it. It's got no updates or edits available online and is not a rack unit.
UTILIZATION
Using this pedal is really incredibly simple. It has three knobs which are pretty basic in their function at first. There's an output gain (master volume), tone (which really only controls mid-range), and input gain (which will control the amount of signal that goes from your guitar to the amp). This may seem like not a whole lot of parameters to adjust with the pedal, but remember that it's a fuzz-octave, and that the amount of the octave effect depends on the levels that you set on the input and output gain, as well as the tone knob.
SOUND QUALITY
This pedal has a very retro feel. I feel like I've heard this same effect before in other pedals, but the setup on this one is definitely kind of unique. I ultimately liked the sound of the pedal very much but often wondered how much I'd be using it in my own stuff. I play mostly indie-style rock, and I didn't need a super-retro sounding fuzz as much as a more in-your-face kind of fuzz which could really feedback and get loud. However, I can't knock the pedal as it sounds awesome. People who need a more sparkling, brilliant high end on their lead playing should check this out, as should anyone with a serious passion for Hendrix style tones. I personally think that the octave effect is great here, as it's not too highly pronounced as to be distracting but it helps notes ring through very well.
OVERALL OPINION
Overall, this isn't my favorite Zvex pedal or octafuzz pedal, but it's still a great pedal. I'd recommend it to people who like retro-sounding fuzzes and whatnot. While I personally wouldn't use it for my stuff I'm sure there are plenty of people who would. Keep in mind that it's really noisy with single-pickup guitars, and as such, can produce really shrill feedback that can be really irritating. Otherwise it's a great pedal and I highly recommend it to those looking for more classic sounds. Just try to find it used as it's way too expensive honestly.
UTILIZATION
Using this pedal is really incredibly simple. It has three knobs which are pretty basic in their function at first. There's an output gain (master volume), tone (which really only controls mid-range), and input gain (which will control the amount of signal that goes from your guitar to the amp). This may seem like not a whole lot of parameters to adjust with the pedal, but remember that it's a fuzz-octave, and that the amount of the octave effect depends on the levels that you set on the input and output gain, as well as the tone knob.
SOUND QUALITY
This pedal has a very retro feel. I feel like I've heard this same effect before in other pedals, but the setup on this one is definitely kind of unique. I ultimately liked the sound of the pedal very much but often wondered how much I'd be using it in my own stuff. I play mostly indie-style rock, and I didn't need a super-retro sounding fuzz as much as a more in-your-face kind of fuzz which could really feedback and get loud. However, I can't knock the pedal as it sounds awesome. People who need a more sparkling, brilliant high end on their lead playing should check this out, as should anyone with a serious passion for Hendrix style tones. I personally think that the octave effect is great here, as it's not too highly pronounced as to be distracting but it helps notes ring through very well.
OVERALL OPINION
Overall, this isn't my favorite Zvex pedal or octafuzz pedal, but it's still a great pedal. I'd recommend it to people who like retro-sounding fuzzes and whatnot. While I personally wouldn't use it for my stuff I'm sure there are plenty of people who would. Keep in mind that it's really noisy with single-pickup guitars, and as such, can produce really shrill feedback that can be really irritating. Otherwise it's a great pedal and I highly recommend it to those looking for more classic sounds. Just try to find it used as it's way too expensive honestly.