- Fuzz octave pedals are great for solos and experimentation.
- Find out which are the best fuzz octave pedals in 2021!
Fuzz octave pedals provide a beloved combination of effects for guitarists and bass players. While some may choose to have these effects separated, there are plenty of options on the market that combine fuzz boxes with octave pedals.
There are many different options for various tastes and needs and in this article, we’re sharing the best ones with you!
Which Are The Best Fuzz Octave Pedals?
The Wampler Fuzztration Octave Fuzz is our top pick for this article. It gives you a classic fuzz tone without the artifacts that can come from an octave pedal.
The Electro-Harmonix Octavix Fuzz Pedal is a fantastic choice for those on a budget, offering everything you need in a fuzz octave pedal at an incredible price.
For those that require the finest, the EarthQuaker Devices Octave Fuzz Master is our premium choice.
Here are our picks for the best fuzz octave pedals:
- Wampler Fuzztration Octave Fuzz (Our Pick)
- Electro-Harmonix Octavix Octave Fuzz Pedal (Best Value)
- EarthQuaker Devices Octave Fuzz Master General (Premium Choice)
- MXR SF01 Slash Octave Fuzz
- Dunlop JHM6 Jimi Hendrix Octavio Fuzz
- Catalinbread Octapuzzy Modern Octave Fuzz
- Death by Audio Evil Filter
1. Wampler Fuzztration Octave Fuzz
This pedal was created by
With the Wampler Fuzztration, you can now get that classic tone without said limitations, plus you can create your very own sound with a plethora of controls for tweaking. This is our top pick for this list, and ticks all the boxes that a good fuzz octave pedal ought to.
Features
- Independent fuzz and octave effects
- 3-band EQ for greater sonic control
- 2-way voicing switch
- 9 or 18 Volt operation
- Pre-fuzz or post-fuzz octave effect
Review
The Wampler Fuzztration Octave Fuzz features a three-band EQ that gives you full sculpting capability to dial in the tone you want. It includes a voicing switch that covers quite a bit of range when it comes to fuzz.
It can take your sound from a classic, responsive fuzz to a dark, sludgy, and writhing tone with depth. This pedal is brash, raspy, and doomy for a very in-your-face fuzz sound.
The Fuzztration Octave Fuzz offers you much more tonal flexibility by having a 3 band EQ, instead of your typical tone knob featured in many other fuzz units. Also, the footswitch-able octave effect can be routed pre-fuzz for classic rock style octave effects or post-fuzz for maximum harmonic intensity.
It is important to note that the octave effect on this pedal is kept completely independent from the fuzz effect.
This allows you much more flexibility, as you can activate/deactivate the octave effect at will. The Fuzztration is very responsive to your playing and will change its character depending on how hard you pick and in which part of the fretboard you are.
2. Electro-Harmonix Octavix Octave Fuzz Pedal
Whether your guitar has single-coil or humbucking pickups, you can coax a wide range of vintage fuzz effects from the Octavix.
- Affordable
- Awesome design
- True Bypass
The Octavix Octave Fuzz Pedal offers vintage fuzz, modern distortion sounds, and overdrive fuzz all in one pedal.
This is one of the best pedals on the market at this price range and is our best value choice for this roundup of octave fuzz pedals.
Features
- Classic octave up and fuzztone
- Switchable 9 and 24-volt power rails
- True Bypass
- Blue LED
- 9V battery included
Review
The EHX Octavix Octave Fuzz features a late 1960’s fuzzed-out, octave-up sound along with modern enhancements.
This compact pedal is housed in EHX’s durable and rugged nano package and features Volume, Boost and Octave knobs.
Volume regulates the output level, while boost controls the amount of fuzz. The Octave control adjusts the volume of the octave above.
The Octavix Octave Fuzz features a mini-toggle that allows you to select between 9 or 24-volt power rails and determines the power supply voltage for the entire circuit.
At 9V the pedal gives you a classic, saggy fuzz box sound. If you want a more modern tone, at 24 V the Octavix delivers a tighter sound with a richer octave tone. This pedal also features true bypass to ensure maximum signal path integrity.
(To learn more about true bypass, make sure you read True Bypass vs Buffered (Differences Explained Simply))
With the Octavix, it’s clear that EHX really went the extra mile and took great care with the visual aspect, delivering a period-evocative, psychedelic design that fits right in with the whole vintage vibe of this pedal.
3. EarthQuaker Devices Fuzz Master General
Rising out of the gritty dirt to command a battalion of vintage fuzz greatness, the Earthquaker Devices Fuzz Master General is a powerful pedal with an army of sonic abilities at its disposal.
- Based on the Ace Tone Master FM-2
- A wide spectrum of saturation
- Built for the road
The Fuzz Master General is
The company took the circuitry of the Ace Tone and adapted it to become more useful to the modern player. This is one of the best fuzz octave pedals, and is our premium pick for this article. Unfortunately, it’s no longer available from EarthQuaker, but you can still find second-hand ones online.
Features
- Based on the Ace Tone Master FM-2
- Wide spectrum of saturation
- Toggle selects between germanium, silicon, and no diode clipping
- True bypass
- Built for the road
Review
The Fuzz Master General features a more accurate fuzz control that delivers a wider spectrum of dirt tones, ranging from nearly clean to full buzzsaw assault.
It features a Voice toggle to further enhance the dirt if need be, as well as wrangle a more variable tone out of the classic circuit.
This toggle selects between germanium, silicon, and no diode clipping. As a result, there is a massive impact on the characteristics of your fuzz tone, upper octave clarity, and output level.
Germanium diodes offer more output and an open, looser fuzz tone. Silicon diodes compress the signal and have a more prominent top-end.
The Fuzz Master General features a variable tone control that allows you to dial in tones ranging from extreme treble to super scooped bass heavy blast. It also features more output volume than the original unit and lowers the noise floor for a clearer sound.
4. MXR SF01 Slash Octave Fuzz
One of the best pedal manufacturers teamed up with one of the biggest guitar heroes in history to create the MXR SF01 Slash Octave Fuzz.
This is one of the best octave fuzz pedals around and features fantastic fuzz tones coupled with a separate Sub Octave voice and Octave Up fuzz.
Features
- All-analog octave fuzz
- Featuring Slash’s signature graphics
- Rugged steel enclosure
- True bypass
- 9 V battery or power supply
Review
The MXR Slash Octave is a silicon transistor-based fuzz pedal with plenty of brash midrange boost. This is in keeping with Slash’s personal guitar tone which emphasizes this range.
This sound will cut through a live band but might come out as piercing when you’re playing on your own. In that case, all you have to do is dial down the tone control to the 9 o’clock range.
The top panel of this pedal features volume, tone, fuzz, sub-octave, and octave-up functions. There is a push-button for sending the sub-octave sound to the fuzz circuit. This allows you to run subs either clean or dirty.
There are two footswitches, with the first activating the pedal and the second for the octave effect.
If you want to get a more amp-style overdrive, you can dial down the Fuzz control to get tones similar to a Fulltone OCD. Overall, this pedal sounds absolutely monstrous and is full of pure rock n’ roll attitude.
5. Dunlop JHM6 Jimi Hendrix Octavio Fuzz
Dunlop have accurately recreated the circuitry of Jimi Hendrix's "Cheese Wedge" pedal that was used to create one of the most iconic riffs of all time, 'Purple Haze', in the shape of this limited edition Octavio Fuzz.
- Pedalboard friendly enclosure
- Offers psychedelic to experimental tones
- Brilliantly designed
This pedal reproduces the circuit in Jimi Hendrix’s famous “cheese wedge” Octavio Fuzz.
Legend has it that this is the elusive “octave up” sound that Hendrix used on “Purple Haze“, which helped make it such an iconic guitar rock anthem.
Features
- Pedalboard friendly enclosure
- From psychedelic to experimental tones
- True-bypass
- Features art from Gered Mankowitz
- Status LED
Review
The Dunlop JHM6 Jimi Hendrix Octavio Fuzz will jet you right back to the sounds of the late ’60s. It features only two knobs (Level and Fuzz) for a very simplified user experience.
This pedal is a reproduction of Jimi Hendrix’s renowned cheese wedge Octavio fuzz. It provides that famous octave-up sound that Hendrix immortalized, as well as a very touch-sensitive response that will allow you to find your own sound as well.
The JHM6 features Hendrix’s image in the form of iconic art from legendary artist Gered Mankowitz, which is a very special treat. This pedal works on a 9-volt power adaptor and features a Phase 90-sized enclosure that is quite resistant and durable.
The original pedal is a bit of a collector’s item as there were only 1500 of them made worldwide, so there’s that extra aura to go with the Hendrix tones you will get out of the Dunlop JHM6.
6. Catalinbread Octapussy Modern Octave Fuzz
You can get everything from hollowed-out, dirty fuzz octave intervals to sweet sitar-like sounds to diamond-grit grinding power chords out of your guitar when you employ the Catalinbread Octapussy Octave Fuzz Pedal early in your signal chain.
- Sounds as good as it looks
- Easy to use
- Great dynamic range
The Catalinbread Octapussy Modern Octave Fuzz is a beautiful stompbox that sounds as good as it looks.
It features a simple design that delivers a great tone and is sensitive to the player’s touch. This fuzz pedal is for the player that wants something solid but simple at the same time, and that also looks quite stylish.
Features
- Incredibly unique aesthetic design
- Boutique-looking pedal
- Easy to use with 3 main knobs, attn, gain & body
- Can run on 9v or 18v
- Fuzz circuit responds well to pitch & playing dynamic
Review
The Catalinbread Octapussy Fuzz stompbox is quite eye-catching thanks to its attractive design and careful paint job. The orange base color with purple, lilac, and pale blue decals help it to stand out from every other pedal.
This stompbox is simple to use and features 3 main control knobs which include, Attenuation, Gain and Body.
One of the most appealing elements of the Octapussy is the engineering that’s gone into creating it. The main engineer Howard Gee from Catalinbread created a simple circuit, to try to alleviate complexity which often results in an overcompressed output signal.
The result is a pedal that responds well, sounds good, and is easy to use. The Octapussy has a great dynamic range and is sensitive to many different playing styles.
7. Death By Audio Evil Filter
If you want something truly unique with aggressiveness and attitude to boot, then Death By Audio’s Evil Filter is for you. This pedal is a combination of filter/fuzz with octave capabilities, that will surely cause an impression once you start wailing.
Features
- Built like a tank
- CV/Expression input
- USA made
- Control the filter resonance
- “Fuzz type” switch
Review
The Death By Audio Evil Filter takes everything a fuzz/octave pedal can do to the extreme. It features two dual circuit boards populated by hand-soldered, through-hole components. It can run on either a 9v battery or a power supply.
The sound of the Evil Filter is reminiscent of what you would get if you played through several cranked fuzz pedals in series. It features an independent filter and fuzz section with dedicated output controls.
The tonal range of the Evil Filter is remarkable. You can go from bell-like tones using resonant high pass settings to unforgivingly aggressive fuzz distortion that will get you evicted.
You can push this pedal past the limit into octaves up, down, and folding envelopes. The Evil Fuzz will take your sound into a dark dimension, offering an inverted compression toggle to push sounds even further into the depths.
You can use the CV/Expression input to control the filter cutoff frequency with an expression pedal or synthesizer.
If you want something unique and aggressive, look no further than the Evil Filter. This fuzz octave pedal is for the truly wild at heart and will make you sound like no one else.
(For more pedals that can go loud without disturbing the whole neighborhood, check out 10 Best Amp In A Box Pedals With Excellent Tone.)
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