Best Octavia Clone?

[CrazyNinja8730]

I've seen the Dunlop one, looks cool, but umm... well, it's Dunlop. I've also seen the Fulltone one and it looks cool. What's the best out there?

[Freedom]

I've seen the Dunlop one, looks cool, but umm... well, it's Dunlop

Yeah, so? Trust me, just because it's Dunlop doesn't mean it's crap...the JHF1, MXR 108 and Octavio are excellent...

(in a week or so i'll have a personal opinion about the Dunlop uni-vibe UV-1 as well)

I've also seen the Fulltone one and it looks cool.

Again, just because it looks good doesn't mean it sounds better than a non-booteek-brand one...i have owned (not just tried, owned) the Fulltone Octafuzz, Fulltone Ultimate Octave, KR The Doubler, Chicago Iron Octavian, Roger Mayer Octavia and the Dunlop octavio...my least preferable octavias from this list are still the Fulltones...as the matter of fact the Dunlop is on my pedalboard five months now and it won't go anywhere (currently i also own the RM Octavia and the KR Doubler)...

What's the best out there?

Best for whom, with what criteria and for what purpose?

[Roe]

the roger mayer is often found to be too bright. but it works well with a loud band into a jtm which already breaks up

[Freedom]

the roger mayer is often found to be too bright. but it works well with a loud band into a jtm which already breaks up

True...

Also if somebody is looking for one of the "cleanest" octavia out there (=octavia with minimum gain when the "fuzz" or "boost" control set on minimum) then the RM is a great choice...of all the octavias i have owned or played with this seems to be the "cleanest" (on the other hand i rarely use the octavia as a fuzz anyway so i am interested more in how it sounds and behaves - sustain of the octave notes etc etc - when the "fuzz"/"boost" control is set to minimum)...

[Tone seaker]

What about the wedge looking one that looks like the one from band of gypsys. how does it sound

[Freedom]

Ok, highly subjective statments warning...

The Dunlop Octavio sounds and behaves great...i set the "fuzz" on minimum and the vol a few notches before max (more or less unity). At this setting it seems cleaner than all the others i have/had (the RM octavia is the exception, it is cleanest of all at these settings). The EQ is not extreme, not as bright as the RM but not as "warm" as the Doubler (a "warm" or "dark" octavia is welcome in some cases though). It has great sustain which means that even set in this way it won't rush to fade the notes (this is the first thing i didn't like about the Fulltones, it's like they have a heavy Noise Reduction built in and the less you set the fuzz on the more obvious it gets) and it "blooms" nicely. Sounds less complex than the Chicago Iron but to my ears it sounds "right"...

PS: personally i don't care that Dunlop cloned the "wrong" Octavio, i really dig it...

[VintageCharlie]

Don't know about 'best', but closest to Hendrix records, to my ear at least, is the Dunlop. Have and like it very much - is very touch responsive - you can get very different tones out of it by adjusting your attack. The Chicage iron pedal also gets great reviews - from clips i can tell it has a nice thickness and fullness, but the octave isn't as pronounced as with the dunlop and if Jimi tones is what you're after, i don't think this is the best choice. But it has a fantastic tone for sure. Lance Keltner uses one often - sounds great.

[shakti]

I have to concur with Freedom and VintageCharlie - I haven't tried every single one first-hand, but from what I've tried and heard, the Dunlop is excellent for BOG style Octavia tones, whereas the Chicago Iron does a spot-on Tycobrahe sound, so it's the best for a Jeff Beck Wired tone. I currently have a Foxrox Octron which isn't a true Octavia-style pedal, too smooth sounding, so it's more for a synth-y 70s tone along with the Octave down. The one I do miss is the Octave section of my old Foxrox Captain Coconut. That was a terrific sounding octave up that was somewhat midway between BOG and Wired (though closer to the latter).

[CrazyNinja8730]

That's awesome!!!!

I LOVE the cheese wedge pedal, but sometimes Dunlop screws things up. I just didn't want to get a cool looking pedal that ends up sounding terrible. Of course, I want to use it for Hendrix

[Freedom]

Go for it then...best thing would be to try it first, i don't think it would be hard to find one in your area (that's another good thing about the non-boooooteeeeeek pedals, lol)...if you like it then try to find a 2nd hand one to save some bucks...

Some people complain about the lack of a DC power jack...if you have a battery clip converter*** (like the ones that the visual sound sells for the 1spot or the one that comes with the Voodoo labs PP2+) then you can install it in a way that the battery cover will still be attached to the pedal (there is a nice gap in the battery cover, it's like dunlop had foreseen this, lol) so no modding, drilling etc etc required (i power mine with the PP2+ using the voodoo labs battery clip converter)...

***always check the polarity of your power supply first...juuuuuust in case...

[CrazyNinja8730]

Yeah, my trick with the ol' fuzzface is to leave the backplate off and make my own battery clip converter!

(I is sneaky)

Good places to find one? Guitar center is... well... not very pedal savvy. Unless you're a Boss fan!

[Skip Regan]

I've tried a lot of octavia pedals and this one beats them all...

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hUOPcybddNg[/youtube]

[RaySpitzer]

I own the Tycobrahe Octavia as well as the Bosstone made in the 60's in Pasadena Ca.direct plug in effect ( Randy California got me hip on this effect years ago ) as the Dunlop Octave Fuzz ( Jimi Hendrix System) Voodoo Labs Proctavia pedals. The Tycobrahe is very clear sounding and also works well when plugged in with either a Fuzz Face or TS9 Tube screamer pedal. The Voodoo Labs Proctavia works well if you back off on the vol. and boost. My Jim Dunlop Octave Fuzz is one of the early models and it does sound better that the newer production runs that they did on this model. It seems warmer and more true to the Octavia sound. Sam McRae is Jim Dunlop's effect guru and he is one the most knowledgeable and accessable persons on the planet. He has done much work for me on my pedals long before there was a custom shop or before any of those so called rock stars were associated with Jim Dunlop! Sam will even talk to you on the phone if you have a question given he has the time. Sam McRae is getting up there in age, I'd say he is in his mid to upper 60's but if you ever get into the NAMM Show in Aniheim Ca. and he is at the Dunlop booth, go say hello and ask whatever is on your mind as he is one of the brightest man on this planet in any reguard today! When I first tried the Octavio I wasn't that impressed with it in that the boost wasn't as good as I wanted, but then again I have had a Tycobrahe Octavia for years and my ears are tuned for that sound...I have tried the Octavio now and can that it does indeed work for that Band Of Gypsys sound, just got to turn the amp up a little more is all.

[FourDayAmp]

I have the Prescription Electronics Clean Octave Blend (COB), Foxrox Octron II and Chicago Iron Tychobrahe Octavia clone. IMHO the Chicago Iron is the most authentic for Hendrix sounds. The COB can get cleaner but always has some fundamental fuzzy overtones. I understand that it is based on the Foxx Tone Machine octave circuit. The Octron is also a great and very versatile octave pedal - both up and down octave settings and the ability to blend the clean signal. But the Chicago Iron Octavia is one I go to for Hendrix.

[AJW]

I have the Prescription Electronics Experience, Voodoo Lab Proctavia, and Dunlop Jimi Hendrix System Octave Fuzz. Yesterday I received a Dunlop Octavio. Sounds just like "Who Knows" from BOG. There is a lot more going on harmonically. I love it. It really has artifacts I wasn't hearing from the other pedals that are part of the sound I'd heard on record. I didn't know what I was missing. I'm very happy with this, and the JHF1 as well.

I was using the Dunlop J H System Octave Fuzz up to now, but I always knew it was a little sterile sounding. I liked the small footprint, and it got the job done.

Actually I haven't listened to the Experience pedal in a while because it is so unreliable (I had exchanged it twice and gave up on it). It sounded good, but I couldn't count on it.

I never really liked the VooDoo Lab Proctavia at all.