Boss OC-2 Octave

Easy as bending down and turning 3 knobs. The manual basically gives a few suggested settings, nothing you couldn't figure out on your own. If you really want it, http://bossus.com has all their manuals in downloadable pdf formats. And this is the Taiwan version, not the OC-2 "OCTAVER" as it was called when it was produced in Japan.

Here's my setup. US HWY 1 Fender Strat, OC-2, BOSS FBM-1 (fender bassman amp modeler), DOD FX55B Supra Distortion, BOSS RC-2 looper, Marshall MG100HDFX. This pedal sounds good when used properly. First off, it sounds better with a little distortion after it, preferably with a low boost, which the supra does exceptionally well. Also, if you play on the lower notes, the OC-2 doesn't track very well and you get a jarbled sound, like a broken synth. ALSO, you can't play chords - only one note at a time. This does not have the polyphonic function like the OC-3, or similar type pedals. This is an analog pedal, therefore it has it's limitations. So, if used properly, as in single note leads higher up near the 12th fret, this little beast can do the job quite well, adding up to two octaves down to the notes played. Despite the great sounds when used properly, I give it a lower rating because it's such a picky pedal. Half the neck sounds good through it, the other half sounds like trash.

This pedal is very reliable. I wouldn't worry about a backup. As most people know, Boss pedals are very durable.

Can't say I know, but that their website does have some helpful info, such as downloadable manuals and such.

Overall I'd say this is a great little pedal, but it's not for everyone. A skilled guitarist will find ways to use this pedal to thicken up his sound and create unique leads, but in the hands of a novice guitarist it would probably just end up getting as a bass guitar emulator or an "experimental" effect. Honestly, sometimes I actually do use it to add a bass loop on the BOSS RC-2 when I'm jamming, but it's good for much more.

Boss oc-2 Octaver

You have to mess round' wit this thing to get your sound and levels right. When u got it yo got it! its not the easiest pedal to use on my board but was well worth changing the chain around a bit to make this pedal fit, I use it after my compressor for guitar and no compressor for bass and yes it does work well with bass to no need for a seperate bass input....

Well I wont say my chain of effects hahaa but i will say use it after a decent 'vintage' compressor. May not comply with toppy effects units. I use dist and overdrive after this pedal took me a while to set all three but sounds excellent!

Depends on the gig...

Get your hands on the original Octaver i've heard they are better than the Octave's dont kno wether thats true try before you buy to see if u like the effect.

Easy and simple - 3 knobs; Direct Level, Oct 1 (1 octave down), Oct 2 (2 octaves down)

My rig is currently:

Parker P42 > Boss OC-2 > Blackstar HT-DistX > Boss PH-3 > Boss RE-20 Space Echo > Laney LX65R Amp.

The OC-2 is only ever noisy if you hit more than one note - this isn't polyphonic so if people ***** and moan about the warble, get a damn polyphonic octave instead.

It's very analogue sounding compared to its successor, the OC-3. An absolute dream. Thick, heavy and dirty.

I managed to nail the CKY/Deron Miller guitar tone within seconds with my set up.

It's a Boss, that says it all.

Not had to deal with Boss Customer Service yet, and this OC-2 is used.

This pedal is not ever leaving my rig. It thickens up by tone and sound so much, and is incredibly experimental and heavy sound. I play metal, grunge, hard rock, alternative and occasional blues, and this pedal seems to do a good job in all areas. Essential, and in my opinion much better and more reliable than the OC-3.

Very easy, provided you understand what this pedal is for - it is NOT for chords, or getting Hendrixian Octavia-like sounds.
And provided you realise that the best effect is obtained by using your neck pickup.
Plus, if you are a sloppy player you will get a sloppy effect.

Ignore any negative review.
The OC-2 is a fantastic pedal which does one thing very well indeed, and that one thing is creating a smooth, synth-like tone 1 +/- 2 octaves below the note you are playing.
You can make your guitar sound like an analog synth (especially with the use of compression and fuzz before the OC-2...even better...add some envelope filter or phasing as well - madness!), or really thicken up single-note lines (yes, even you shredders).
I've used one other octaver pedal (the 'legendary' Pearl one that also does 1 octave up) and I found the Boss to be far more responsive and reliable.
If you play with confidence, using the right settings, there is no glitching and neglible delay between the fundamental and the effected note.

Insert cliche Boss Vs Armageddon joke here.

It's not for everyone (just read the other reviews) but those of you who, like me, like a bit of octave craziness will find it is a wonderful pedal.

it was seeking a bit, but when i found out that the best way was putting the octave after distortion, it was pretty easy.

just a few knobs to handle everything.

GREAT!!! spices up some of my solo's when i need it to be dirty, to be spacy.
meatens up the chord-work, as well clean and distorted, just be sure not to turn the lowest octave all the way up.
i use it in this chain: Gibson flying v's - splitter - korg dt-10 - crybaby - phase 90 - ds-1 - oc-2 - pocketpod(with looper) - visual sound h2o - fender bassman.

doesn't really mather if you use it with or without any other fx.

never had to deal with boss, since my ds-1 is dated from far back in the eighties.(really great too)

don't know

pop, rock, funk, instrumental

it goes with anything i play. i've read a thread hear on the first page, you shouldn't use it all the time, and i agree to that

This pedal is a little bit confusing but after reading the book u can work it out.

Sounds terrible. Cant handle chords at all. Sucks all the tone out of your guitar. Havent found one thing which i can use it for.

Really well built. wont ever break.

Havent dealt with them

I play Metal/Rock stuff like Iron Maiden, Metallia, Bullet for my Valentine, etc etc.

Total Waste of money. Do not buy u will regret it especially if your into shredding solos progresive riffs etc.

This pedal is going on ebay.

The knobs are simple. Direct signal, 1 Octave Down, 2 Octave Down. Reason I am giving it a 7 is because you have to learn how to play differently in order for this pedal to sound right. For example you CANNOT play chords with it. You must get used to how it reacts to your playing before you can get a decent sound out of it. Also, this effect NEEDS to be in the front of your chain, or maybe only after a wah/volume.

Epi Les Paul > Crybaby > Boss OC-2 > Boss DS-1 > Green Russian Big Muff Pi > Hardwire DL8 > Fender Hot Rod Deville 410

It does a decent job. 2 octaves down is basically useless unless you are playing way up on the fretboard or exclusively on the high E string. I generally have it set with direct signal on full, octave 1 at about 2 o' clock, and Octave 2 completely off. Also, something to note is that there is NO delay between what you play and the signal coming out. The Whammy and Boss PS-5 both have that problem and it drove me crazy. Also this sounds less digital than the PS-5, and offers more control over octave levels than the whammy's octave feature.

It is also important to state that the octave signals are Square waves, so they do sound like a synth. I personally prefer it. If you want a bass sound, get a bass. This pedal will not replace a bass player for you. It is an effect used to fatten up single note runs.

Bought it used off of ebay, never had a problem with it.

It is a pretty decent octave. Remember that this pedal is not designed to sound like a bass, it is an effect, and should be used as such.

Easy to use, one knob for one octave down and one for two octaves down volym plus one for regular volym. Press to switch it on of off. The manaul wont be needed.

I have used it with tubeamp and, mainly, alot of distortion. The effect gives a very synthised feeling, it doesnt sound like a guitar one or two octaves lower, rather a synth one or two octaves lower. Its pretty cool of course but the effects it put on the sound makes it very limited, and if you dont like the flavor (or rather alteration) it gives to your sound then its total crap.

Typical boss, have had no problem so far.

No idea.

In my opinion as a octaver this pedal is not that good, because of the sound alteration. I think it has a cool sound but i get the feeling that this pedal is very limited. I havent found that much practical use of it and wouldnt buy it again.

Simple three controls. Spend a little while playing with the settings and you're there.

I play various guitars and styles - Pink Floyd, Nirvana, Robert Johnson, GN'R, Metallica, Muse, Rage Against The Machine, Hendrix, Therapy? The Who... At home I use a Vox AD30VT. The OC2 achieves exactly what I need it to. If I wanted perfection I would use an EHX HOG or record the part, apply an effect in an editing suite and then sample it.
My chain varies but at the moment is a Boss TU2 > Boss DS2 > Dunlop Wah > ProCo Rat > Boss OC 2 > EHX Big Muff Pi > Boss DD3 > MXR Phase 90 > Danelectro FAB Chorus > amp. Never had any problems.

Does sound better going through the FX loop of my Marshall JVH for live stuff.

It is not a device for making a guitar into a bass. There are enough cheap basses of a reasonable quality these day - go and get one if that's the sound you want - you are clearly playing the wrong instrument.

It's Boss. I have used a variety of Boss products for the 16 years I have been playing and never had any trouble. I currently own 14 Boss pedals (compact ones) and they all work fine.

Never had to use them. Info on their products is easy to find online.

I play rock, punk and blues mainly although weird $**t is known to creep in there and the OC2 is a great addition to my set-up. Don't over use it, it's a pedal for flavouring the vibe not for defining the tone.
If it were stolen I'd get another. It is typical Boss simplicity and there is very little to hate. I wish it were slightly better at tracking, but very few octave pedals are and that is one of the idiosyncracies that endear it more to me.
It has inspired me to simplify some riffs that sounded a little weak before and also helps to get the bassist to understand what I am trying to convey!

Current pedalboard setup:

Boss TU-2 => Budda Wah => Visual Sounds RT66 => Vintage RAT => Visual Sounds H2O on a Furman board with conditioned power.

I use nothing but George L's on my pedalboard.

Tried every setting possible, tweeked the knobs for almost 2 hours.
The OC-2 is Tone-sucking POS. Huge volume jump when kicked on. HATES the other pedals, doesn't matter if they are in front or after it in the chain.

It's criminal to mess up the tone of a Dr. Z Maz 38 (and this amp LOVES my other pedals) with this hunk 'O junk.

Not heavy enough to use for a paperweight or doorstop, so in the "unused FX" bin it goes.

darn right! EASY

It's an effect. Not a precision octave creation. You either like it or don't buy it.

It's BOSS.

It's BOSS!

Bottom Line: I bought this 'made in japan' thing 25 years ago, brand new, expecting it to do something that it doesn't do. I goofed around with it and had a few grins...then packed it away in it's original carton. Flash forward to 2006!! I join a cawntry band that does straight pure 50's/60's honk-tonk...and I pulled this baby out and now it's my favorite pedal. Everyone whips around and jaws drop when I kick it in.

I use it with my 1960 Telecaster Custom and my 1983 SilverFaced Fender PRO-REVERB amp. Single note runs work best. Clean, clean, clean. Al Gore is an idiot. Who needs a baritone guitar? Who needs the hassle changing instruments between songs? I just stomp and go! Instant baritone that rules! Get one now, Holmes!

The OC-2 is my favorite octave pedal. I play fretless most of the time, and this is the only octaver that I could get almost a synthlike sound out of the tone by mixing the 1st octave just under the straight tone, and by cutting out the 2nd octave down out completely. The only negative I can think of is that there is some effect break-up in the low range of the bass, but other than that I would give it an 8.9, as it is an excellent pedal. One of boss's better effect's for sure.
1. Very easy to get a good sound. There are no patches, because it is a single effect pedal.Haven't seen the manual.Don't know firmware revision #, and my unit has not been upgraded.

Specter Bass? with Ashdown cab and Ashdown 300 amp. Not noisy effects sound clean and strong.(strange question)
I probably could as my rig is very flexible in terms of eq, etc; but I have my own sound. That I can get with no difficulty.
Favorite artists: (On Bass) Jaco Pastorious (the God of electric bass, of course) Victor Wooten, who I will be studying with this summer!!!, Bootsy,

Never had a problem. As long as you are smart enough to keep a fresh batterie inside it won't let you down. I literally have played hundreds of gigs over the last five years or so with my OC-2, and have never had a prob. with it.

Never have. No repairs ever needed, or customer service.

I think my overall was mistakenly written at the top.
In short, it is an excellent pedal which I would buy again if needed without a second thought. I have been playing professionally for 15 years now, and have been a teacher of private lessons for at least that long. I play Jazz, Funk, Blues and pretty much whatever comes my way.----So long from Austin Tx.!!

It's got three knobs... how hard can it be?

Now this is where we get down to what?s important. The OC-2 is a phenomenal pedal, if you take it for what it is: an effect. I use it to beef up single not rhythms and runs. There is a lo-fi quality to the tone that makes me smile. It?s fat, nasty and ugly! (In a good way.) If you?re looking for an intelligent harmonizer, then look elsewhere. What the OC-2 provides is a vintage effect. If you want to hear what the pedal excels at, check out the track ?Megaton? by the band DramaGods.

The pedal adds a layer that can be either in-your-face, or something three dimensional that you can?t really put your finger on. People will notice it, but won?t be able to tell you what?s going on. It?s like having a second bass player in your band with an OD running. It is also really nice for adding that extra something to solos.

You can get overkill with this unit. Too much is just too much. You amp will hate you, if you?re not careful. Used in moderation, it can be a very useful tool, to add something to your sound that not everyone else has.

My pedal is 20 years old. I think it will hold up another 20.

I've never had to deal with Boss, so...

This is a great pedal, if used correctly. Like others have said, it's not an intelligent harmonizer. If you hit two notes, the OC-2 will oscillate between the two notes. This actually sounds really cool. It?s an old school effect- very analog sounding. Which I really like. Would I recommend it to others? Absolutely! Would I buy another if stolen? Absolutely!

It is easy, just turn OCT 2 to zero, it is useless.

I wonder why this gets so bad reviews, because OC-2 is the best octave pedal I have tried. Far beyond Electro Harmonix Octave Multiplexer which totally sucked. And, again, of course you can not play chords with an octaver! Are you really that stupid? It is not meant for chords. Try a baritone guitar for low chords.

Bbboss quality.

Never needed.

It is cool in single string riffs both clean and with distortion. It is also fantastic with an autowah after it (clean). Way better than EHX, which was a real tone sucker. I think even Danelectro is better than EHX, which was also HUGE in size, but not in sound.

How much easier could you want? Just the three knobs to set the levels of the 'unalaltered' guitar signal, 1 octave below and 2 octaves below.

There are several simple rules to follow when using an octaver like this that help you get the best sound possible. First try to use the neck pickup as much as possible, preferably a humbucker, this produces less harmonic overtones and lets the unit track much better even down to a low D (just). Only play single notes. Keep a check on long held notes, especially low ones.

This is my most used pedal by far and is the best octaver I have tried - I was very disappointed by the OC3. Used mainly for beefing up single note riffs, It works especially well with nasty fuzz. If you experiment with the levels you can get some nice synthey sounds.

Fair enough the tracking isn't perfect but it never is with octavers and the idea of using it with a bass as suggested in the blurb is frankly laughable.

Given a 9 because the bypass is a bit rubbish but otherwise just what it says on the tin.

Same as any Boss pedal, well made and seemingly indestructible, only have a backup as I use it so much and I'm paranoid!

No need yet.

Used with a Les Paul and SG it works perfectly for what I want, use the neck pickup and be precise = no problems - Oh, and it doesn't like old strings, so a good excuse to keep them shiny.

Give it a true bypass! Why aren't all pedals TB?!!

Pretty simple really. Just tweek the repective volumes to preference and you're good to go.

I think the reason why this pedal gets such low ratings is that people expect the octaved sounds to come out an exact replica of their guitar tone, but an octave or 2 lower. Well it wont.
The octaved signal is basically a square wave, like a synth, which is exactly what someone like myself would buy the oc2 for.

1) Yes, it wont track chords (tho 2 note harmonies are ok, cos the tracker will jump between the root and the harmony, so you'll get some wierd wobbly sound, which is nice.)
2) No, it doesnt sound like a bass, (i suggest that you take the first step in achieving this by playing some other place other than your bedroom) but it can get pretty close.
3) Yes, the tracking isnt that spot on, but its good enough if your playing is polished enough.
4) Please, put it first in your chain or your signal will not feed the tracker enough to get the right note out.
5) NO, it doesnt sound organic at all, if you want organic, you might as well plug your guitar into an apple, cos really, what on earth is organic ? natural ? natural like the amazon rainforest? yeah...
6) And yes, it goes well with other effects, very nicely in fact, unless you've got the imagination of a very organic plant. Then again, the only stomp box you've got would be some ts-9 that SRV supposedly used, as long as its organic to you, i guess.
7) And Yes. i like it.





Btw, this thing aint true bypass at all the highs get cut and the octaved signal bleeds in even when bypassed, but i put it in a bypass loop so its no issue to me. So i guess this bumps the score to 9.

i guess so.

no oppinion

I play a lot of styles (or pretend to at least), and i had this pedal when i was just getting into guitar, and sold it , and bought it again, put it on my board, took it off, etc etc....

but recently i took it out for a spin in the studio, and i never took it off my board ever since.

So, to wrap up, if you want a octave pedal that makes your guitar sound synth like or just to add some mud to the mix, or want to make wierd noises along with other effects, get this.

If you want a bassist to appear from this box, or a cellist, or a symphony, go hire a bassist, a cellist , or a symphony.
If you want something to play a replica of your notes 1 or 2 octaves down, buy an entire replica of your setup, then tune your guitar 1 or 2 octaves down, then clone yourself to play it.

Very Easy to use. Just 3 volume knobs for each pitch; original, one octave down, and two octaves down.

If you are expecting clean octave sounds that aren'y muddy and don't wobble, then you will be disappointed. However, I don't know of many octave below pedals there are, but I have tried a few, and this is by far the best one. There is no noticeable delay between the original pitch and the octaves below. The octaves below are loud, and are not overshadowed by the original signal. You can get some really neat sounds by removing the original pitch. I find that it sounds best when used with distortion, and preferabely before the distortion.

It's a tank.

I got this from a guy who obviously didn't know it's value, as he sold it to me for $25. They normally go for between $40 and $60 on ebay, and I would say that it is well worth that price. It will last you ages, and the value will not depcreciate at all if you want to resell it later (value will probably rise a lot, as this pedal has been discontinued). A good buy!

Its really a small learning curve for me to figure out any pedal, so Im really not sure how long it will take certian people to get a good sound out of this(my collection is into the twentys).Mixing the different octaves is rather easy in my opinion.Almost any sound out of it is good.
I didnt buy this so I really dont have a manual to go by, but I dont think i really ned one.

I have used this through a epiphone SG, a B.C.Rich warlock, a Jackson King V,and a jackson bass.The amp I most commonly use is a Kustom(a large old amp my sister found, so free is good for around the house), but I have played it through fender chorus amps and a marshall halfstack. I would have to say that distorted is the way to go, a clean channel doesnt give you the full effect.Your clean sound is weak and really adds more of a muddy sound then an octave change.A little bit of distortion and some tweaking can give you a thick and dark"boost".Ive never had any feedback from it, but it does create a very odd noise when an octave is put to high with another.The pitch seems to randomly "bubble" up and down with a held note.Lastly, chords are not this things friend at higher settings.The sounds start to muffle together and make a mish mosh puddle of your tone.Single stringin is where its at, and maybe some simpler power chords can get away with the best use of the sound.
I cant really comment on sounding like any specific musician, because the only one I know that uses an octave is CKY, and Im not going for that sound at all.

Built very well, its all metal-like all boss pedals really.

No clue.

Id like to comment about the price paid section before going on.This pedal was owned by a friend of mines bandmate, but he never used any of his effects, just distortion.So he talked him out of it and gave it to me cause he knows I love a new pedal.

Anyway, I love this thing.The sound is so odd, I use it to make a sort of horror movie sound.If you like pitch shifters, this would be its dark brother.Its in my current line up, and has been since Ive recieved it.I wouldnt try to add this to a flange/chorus/phase, to much goes on at once to really get a nice sound.Delays, reverb, and when at lower settings, a wah can add to it.the effect is just so strong it cant work with most pedal combos, which is sort of its downfall, but because its so strong its one of the best Ive used in its own catagory.
On a sidente, let me say that this is one of the few pedals boss makes that i actually like.I find their distortions and flanges to be utter garbage.This , along with a pitch shifter/delay combo are the only things I think they made well.I guess what their good at their great at.

Minimum of 30 minutes tweaking and your there! 3 knobs pretty simple.

This is the Made in Japan OC-2 (OCTAVER lettering) I compared this to a new Super Octave OC-3. I could not believe the sound difference between the 2. The OC-2 setting on the OC-3 still did not compare!
The OC-3 would get that digital scrambling (distort) sound if you do a chord. Nothing like that happend on the OC-2. Although the OC-3 seems a little more versatile I have to go with the OC-2 for sound and overall use of the effect. I was also surprised after setting my levels that I could not detect any signal loss once OC-2 was activated.

I was looking for that Satriani type of octaver sound. (He uses the OC-2) I wish I could compare it to the Taiwan model but from experience - better made (Better Components) = better sound
Totally satisfied with the sound.

Its a boss! Like everyone says "BUILT LIKE A TANK"

I have dealt with support (USA) and I believe the customer service was excellent! I would give it a 10 if I didnt have to wait! :P

I play rock, country and Teach guitar - all styles. If your looking for that Satriani octave then this is it. If you can get the Japanese version off eBay for less than $100 then get it. I did!

well, it's very easy unit, only three knobs and it's enough

I play fender guitars (strat & tele) through the valve head and cabinet with celesion speakers. I really like the sound with a little bit of 1 octave down. The second octave is usefull when you want to play a guitar and bass notes at the same time. Set direct knob full, 1 octave knob to 3 and finally 2 octave knob to 11 (without distortion), then play some Hendrix, f.e. "Who Knows" from "Band of Gypsys", isn't good?. Remember - it's not perfect pedal for everything, you have to play single notes and not very fast, then final sound will become more clear and good. With playing riffs this unit is useless.

It BOSS after all, never had problems with boss pedals

Never dael with Them

I like this pedal very much, it's very usefull for me, and I always have it on my pedal board.
When you want to add some interesting effect to your sound, this pedal is for you, when you play slow melodic solos, this pedal is fir you. If you want only play fast trash metal riffs wit a lot of distortion, you'll never happy with it

Very easy to use. Just 3 knobs, 1 Octave down, 2 Octaves down, direct level.

I use this pedal with a Yamaha EG-303 through a Park 25 watt amp. This pedal is great if you play just single notes, sometimes when you sustain a note it makes some "crazy" sounds, so I use it to play just "funky" leads or heavy riffs. The 1 octave down works great but I don't like the 2 octaves down sound.

Well, I don't know if I should post it here, but the only thing I didn't like about it is that I just couldn't find (I've been searching for 6 years) the ACA-120 power supply. Other that that it's totally reliable.

Never had to deal with them

I use this pedal just to "fatten" a little bit the sound of my guitar in some solos. If it got lost or stolen I would buy another kind of pitch-shifter.

a clear ten -- three knobs that do exactly what the're supposed to...

ten again, but for different reasons than most of my co-users point out. i think you'll find much better units if you're looking for a really clean octave single-note doubling. what i personally like is the pedal going crazy. in this rspect, i achieve excellent results doing exactly what you shouldn't do (according to most of the other postings): try a (tube) booster in front, then the oc-2 and finally an overdriven fender amp -- a 4x10 bassman is my favourite choice, but any non-master tube amp will do, if cranked up. i do not claim that this is going to be healthy for your amp (or your neighbours), but if you enjoy neil-youngish feedback frenzy and/or a comletely sick tone, this is it - especially if you use the lower registers and deliberatly add open strings. controlled use of bendings and / or the guitar trem enforces this effect; you can virtually hear the oc-2 scream for rescue because it doesn't know what to do...

i got two oc-2 units. one of them has been working without any problems for about 10 years, the other one produces a slight hiss and also hums a bit. apart from this, a very reliable unit.

n/a. Never had to use it.

as i already said: i wouldn't want to live without it. from my experience, it is a very "individual" unit, sounding astonishingly different with different players, depending one whether you "use" or "misuse" it. for me, the second alternative is the interesting one, and provided that you're also into feedback/strange sound, check it out. if you like neil young/crazy horse stuff, this is a must anyway. of course there are alternatives like a colorsound, but probably not at the price the oc-2 will cost you.

The easiest pedal I ever played on, and I played on a lot. Settings are really easy and you don't need a week to find good sounds.
I just would like to warn new users of the pedal : don't abuse of low notes doubled at the lower octave, your guitar won't like that AT ALL. Experience's talking...

I'm only rating 7, not because the sounds are "just good", that's not the case, I'm really enthousiastic about them, but just to say that this pedal has a limitated use : don't try to do more then double notes with it, it's not made fot that and chords are just, well, awful ! But that's not the use of the pedal, and it's really great for doubling your solos at the octave.

Nothing to say

Never had to improve it.

Just read previous paragraphs !

Pretty easy to use for the most part. Everything works to its normal capabilities

I use this with A PRS Custom 24 through an assortment of other foot-pedals to a Marshall JTM60 amp. The only problem I have is that sometimes the octave will cut in and out if I hold a particular note. I am not sure if this is a common occurance for these pedals or if it a problem with just mine. But on a good note, this pedal will definatly fatten up your sound. Its excellent for playing nice distorted rock riffs and gives you a nice 311 sound. Also great clean with some reverb for some unique solo's. I tend to prefer the 1 octave down setting than the 2 octave setting. I really dont have much use for the 2 octave setting, but thats just my personal preference.

Very dependable, I just have a problem with the octave cutting in and out when Im holding a note like I said before. Other than that, its great.

havent needed them

I play in a rock band that blends many different styles into one. Funk, Hip-Hop, Blues, Jam, Reggae. This works the best using distortion. Gives a nice fat sound. Ive been playing for about 8 years, I use a Dunlop Crybaby Wah, A Boss EQ, Boss DD-3 Delay, Boss Super Overdrive, Zoom GFX-4, and a Line 6 DL4-Delay, and it seems to work well with all of it. Like I said before it FATTENS up your sound like Butter on Bread. I havent used any other Octave Pedal other than this one. It definatly help me make music and is very to use. I would recamend this to anyone.

Plug and play action. All you have to do....put instrument cable in input jack, and amp cable in output slot. Easy as pie. Of course it comes with a small manual, but you don't need it unless you're a child needing "parental guidance".

I currently don't own this anymore. But when I did I used it in front of a Boss DS-1 distortion and a Boss BF 2 Flanger....and all those before a Dunlop Crybaby Wah. I played it through a 20 Watt amp I use when recording and my Axl "Johnson" stratocaster. The main reason I got this pedal was because I heard the guitarist "Prince" used this in the opening solo of his song "when does cry". It nails the sound when used in conjunction with any distortion. I never used this pedal on a regular basis. I only used this when I tried to play someone else's song that I knew was using this type of pedal. The only thing that I don't like about this is that you can't do chorus with it. It will ring in your ears and it sounds very odd. You can set the controls to make your guitar sound like a jazz guitar ,but still the chords don't sound that good.

It is only reliable when playing certain songs. If you try to play this through an entire song it gets agravating.

Never dealt with em. Thats a good thing. Never had a Boss pedal that didn't work.

Like I said its only good for playing certain solos. My style of music is R&B, and a little rock. and lots of soul. My style is a mix of Ernie Isley from Isley Brothers and Jimi Hendrix. If it were stolen I would not buy another. I hardly use it. I just use it on certain songs when I record songs on my computer.