Build Your Own Clone Octave Fuzz

Good instructions to build. Two knobs and a switch. Had some issues with brittle wiring, but managed to get that worked out.

Bummer. No fun here. Not dynamic, not exploding ampish, not well behaved, just rough. I can see using it as a novelty effect, but not something that is either flexible for layers or outrageous for sonic destruction, just kinda rough sounding. I have a BBE Fuzz that is maybe a touch polite, and a Morley Fuzz that sounds like tubes are melting and pooling on the floor. This one just doesn't cut it for me.

Seems okay. Had some issue with wiring, probably user error, one jack seems overly tensioned.

Good documentation. Good web support through forums.

Ahh, this one wasn't good for me. Too bad. Maybe I can find something more to my taste that will fit in the same box.

This was my first effect pedal build, and the instructions are easy to follow, the work is easy enough to do, and although I did have quite a few problems with the build, that was just me, not the kit's fault. Anyone should be able to do it, as long as you can solder to a decent standard.

As far as using it goes, it could hardly be simpler! A volume knob, a knob controlling the intensity of the fuzz, and a switch between just fuzz and fuzz with the octave up added. Its very easy to find a usable sound (assuming you like intense fuzz).

My setup:

Ibanez S470->Digitech Whammy->Electro Harmonix Soul Preacher->Jim Dunlop Crybaby 95Q-> BYOC Octave Fuzz->Laney VC-15, with a Digitech Digidelay in the effects loop.

The fuzz is really meaty and thick, and doesn't really clear up that much even when the intensity is rolled right down. This isn't a vintage-type fuzz, it is pretty intense, but if you roll down your guitar's tone control, you can get a great smooth lead tone. With the octave added, the effect has two different characteristics: if you play quite low notes, or power chords, it gives a synth-like sound which is biting, but nice. If you play higher up, or any interval other than a 5th or octave, it sounds more like a ring mod, which can be quite cool. Personally, I prefer the pure fuzz.

The effect is very weak on the B and high E strings, and I found that it has very little sustain. However, I'm quite convinced that at least the lack of sustain is simply because I did a bit of a dodgy building job, and when I use it with my compressor, it sustains wonderfully.

It sounds great for slow David Gilmour-like leads (personally, only when I add the compressor, but from what I've heard that isn't a problem with the pedal itself, just my lack of skill), and also for messy, grungey riffing on the lower strings, which it excels at. It makes my Whammy sound much less digital than it (whammy) does with my amp's drive channel, but that's probably just because I use low gain settings on my amp. The fuzz doesn't really work at all with wah, in that you don't actually get much of a noticeable tone change, but its not the sort of thing you would want to add wah to anyway.

I'd say its very dependable. Well, its as dependable as you make it, seeing as you assemble it yourself, but the components seem good, and the enclosure is very solid.

I would definitely use this without a backup, as I trust my wiring, and the components in the pedal.

That said, I haven't gigged with it yet, so I can't vouch for it fully.

I had a few problems when building, where I made a few mistakes, and I got loads of help on the BYOC forum (the guy who runs it does actually post, so it is related to the company). Also, I've heard a huge number of reports on how quickly they reply to any questions people have, although I haven't needed to contact them.

I mainly play alt. rock-y music (a little bit like Smashing Pumpkins crossed with Interpol), experimental/noise music, and quite a bit of blues, along with small bits of other things. This fuzz can be used in whatever sort of music you like, as long as you like intense, raging fuzz.

I do really love its half out-of-control sound, and the less crazy, lo-fi fuzz tones you can get with lower intensity settings, but if it were lost or stolen, I think I would look for something else, but only for the change. I would be quite interested in buying another BYOC product though, as I'm very impressed with them.

I also like that it doesn't have many controls. The guitar controls really have a large effect on the tone of this pedal, so it doesn't need any more knobs.

Since I got it, its really become a core part of my sound, and when I bought it I didn't think I'd use it as much as I do. The pedal works wonderfully with my guitar and amp, and can be changed from sounding sweet and smooth to fiercely biting, without even touching the pedal itself.

Its a great pedal for the price, plus you get to build it, which is fun and satisfying!

2 knobs, volume and intensity plus a switch for the octave up effect, This being my first D.I.Y stompbox project I found populating the circuit board and soldering the components fairly simple as long as you pay attention to the instructions. The wiring was a bit more of a challenge but not so difficult that a novice couldn't do it.
When finished the pedal itself has a great overall sound and very easy to get a lot of good sounds from it. I don't think it is a one trick pony pedal.

I use Telecaster copy with a Monte Allums modded Boss OD-3 and DS-1 into a 15W Randall practice amp. This pedal works very well in my setup although tele style pickups might be a bit too brittle sounding when the octave up effect is on. Humbuckers sound very blues-y to stoner rock sounding depending where the controls are at and the octave works well with those pickups too. Very full sounding and musical. I haven't used it on a strat so i don't know if it does that 'Jimi' sound but I'm guessing so.
The pedal itself isn't half as noisy as I thought it wound be. There is no ugly 'pop' sound when you stomp it on and the feedback only gets uncontrollable if you max out all the controls
The octave up effect is very usable and versatile and is also very sensitive to the picking style so you can get some good percussive sounds out of it. the octave up has a prominent ring modulator sound and played on the thicker strings you can get some nice synth sounds too. If you don't like the octave up effect you can always switch it off leaving a very thick wooly mammoth of a fuzz tone.
Bear in mind that this pedal uses 3 silicon transistors, the only germanium are in 2 diodes. It still takes no prisoners!
My only complaint is that this pedal would be great if it had a tone control. It does dark, gritty crunchy riffs extremely well but you can't get that raspy, tinny fuzz tone that was used by countless british bands on the 60's. for that you'd need a tonebender.

this pedal is rugged enough to gig with and depending on the skills of the assembler it shouldn't let you down by dying half way through a solo. the battery fits almost too close to the the 9volt jack so I would be very careful when it comes to changing the batteries in case any wire would break. that is my only worry, but if you are gonna use a 9 volt adapter that should be fine.

I got the kit 3 days after ordering it and got a free pick with it too!
being in the UK I had to order through vibe-o-tronic distribution instead of the B.Y.O.C website but there were no problems with the order and everything came as it should be.

The satisfaction of making a pedal yourself, plugging it in and getting a great vintage 'boutique' sound for ??40 is truly amazing. I am definitely going to order more. they sound as good if not better than Boss, Electro Harmonix, or any other pedal manufacturer that overprices their effects and uses the lowest grade components to save on money.
I play rock, a little bit of blues but rock mainly influenced from the 60's and 70's. This pedal is more 70's sounding, wilder, more aggressive but still clear and harmonically rich. just don't play power chords when the octave is on.
I'm not sure if this is meant to be a clone of the Tycobrahe octavia, Roger Meyer octavia, or the octavio so I dont know how accurate it is to the origional. But with rival fuzz box prices starting at twice the price of this one just because they have 'jimi hendrix' in the name I don't know where you could wrong with this pedal as long as you trust your soldering skills.