Danelectro DJ-12 Chilidog Octave

simple. level for signal, octave 1, octave 2.

pretty good. i run a mandolin and violin through this, and this only tracks the note up through the high e string. after that, it can't track anymore. kind of annoying. can't blame it though, it was made for guitar, and what person would be playing on the 15th fret and still need an octaver for? i guess then you could get a pitch shift... anyway, when running my guitar through it, it sounds great. everything from bass sounds to satanic growling.

plastic housing, have to take care of it. i take good care tho, so i gig without a backup.

no idea.

i play blues/rock/bluegrass. it works for me as a cello sim/bass sim. i want to try out the boss, but i've heard that this is just as good. if lost, i probably wouldn't replace it, just cause i don't use it all that often. wish the switch was true bypass, perhaps a metal casing, but this is cheap and light, and i like it that way.

Just a bunch of knobs- turn em to control the dry and octaved levels.
Knobs are a little small and close together, but Id rather have that than a bigger box. At least it has a dc in jack.

Hey, for as cheap as it was it works and sounds great. I use it as part of a rig to get an analog synth thing with my guitar, and it tracks and sounds great. What more can you say about an octave pedal? Maybe not the best, most natural sounding octaver around, but for my needs it is perfect.

I'm not gonna stick it on a pedalboard, but in a rack so it should be fine. Looking inside it seems like things are pretty solidly stuck together, but I'm gonna treat it gently. I have definitely seen tougher units, and going into a music store you are guaranteed gonna find at least one of these minipedals with a knob broken off, so take that into consideration when you jump up and down on one.

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I got this, the french toast, tuna melt, and tuner mini pedals for $69 in a package deal, so this was a great value. This and the french toast are so great for sonic mayhem, I can;t believe how lucky i am to find have found them for so cheap. The store where i got em, west LA music, didn't even have the tuna melt and tuner in stock, but i didn't care cuz this and the french toast are so cool Im happy to wait til the other comes in on special order.

you are not going to get much easier....

Outstanding! Especially when you consider the low cost. I've read a couple of complaints from people who are attempting to play chords. This is not an effect for use with chords. Get something else if that is what you have in mind. Maybe a nice overdrive like the pastrami. Using almost subliminal levels on the 2 octaves below can really fatten up a wimpy sound on a lead, but once again stay to single notes.

don't break your unit...and I don't mean maybe

Dare to compare! Too much fun for the money. Maybe you can't use it for everything, but when used in moderation it will impress.

Very intuitive

I like the way it sounds when it works correctly. But sometimes, especially if playing any chords the pedal seems to get confused and jumps between different notes, giving a strange, unpleasent warbling sound. I wish I'd sprung for a more expensive ocatve pedal when this happens.

Haven't had a problem, but I dont use it terribly often.

i'd probly just get a new one (different brand) if something happened to it

I really like the sound octave pedals give you, I just wish this one was more consistant

Very easy, three buttons one for each octave down and one for natural tone,

Simply the best octave effect. When used in lower frets, it is sounding like a electric piano. Higher tones sound very good. You can't use the effect from fret 18 and up, however, because, it can not detect the highigst tones.
Unfortunately there's a lot of hiss and hum, even when not turned on (but connected, of course).

Because of the hiss and hum, it won't work for you. It will simply get you very frustrated.

Have to return the unit. Let us see, if I can get my money back.

Best octaveeffect in the world, if it just didn't have the hiss and hum.

easy enough. only three knobs: ocatve up, octave down and mix (volume).

i got the danelctro chili dog because i was in desperate need for an octave pedal but had limited funds. i can't complain too much for a $35 stomp box. it's no BOSS OC-2, but it sounds decent, especially the ocatave up effect. however the effect is attack sensitive and if you use an aggressive picking technique the effect cuts out. but a light touch and it sings. when i use it with my fuzz face i can get som real otherworldly sounds.

the dependability of the chili dog is questionable, only a plastic casing with a rubbery bottom, cheap plastic knobs, and a pretty weak feeling switch.

haven't had contact yet

i play acid blues and blues rock (buddy Guy, Jimi hendrix, Stevie Ray and stuff). If you want a cheap octave pedal this will give you your fix, but if you need the best sound and reliability I'd go with a BOSS OC-2 octave or the ultimate octave pedal...the roger mayer octavia. (mayer was the man who modified Jimi Hendrix's pedals in the 60's, but he now has is own line of effect pedals.)

It's very simple. Three knobs, one for direct and tone for each sub-octave. There's no manual, but there's no need for one either.

This is quite an impressive pedal for its size. I ran it past an Epiphone Sheraton (humbuckers) on either pickup. I've heard the Boss OC-2 live and it just rots compared to this. The Chili Dog's tracking is dead on so it doesn't peter out as the note decays as the Boss does. And the sound is big. VERY BIG. Like analog synthesizer big. I've so far only tried it with some light distortion and it sound fab. Just be very careful not to let a string keep buzzing while you trigger the next note, cause it'll muck up the sound. So palm muting and tic-tac picking are the advised ways of using it.

Umm... the casing is plastic, but it seems a bit more sturdy than the flimsy DOD pedals. Though I'd still be careful about stomping on it too hard. Plus the knobs are tiny and a little loose.

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I like to play the guitar as a sort-of signal controller, so my setup consists of all sorts of effects that twist and bash the tone, e.g. the Boss Xtortion, E-H Bassballs, Mu-tron filter, compressors, flanger, E-Bow, etc. This is my first Dano pedal, it's a real winner. It's great for getting that buzzsaw synth sound or bass simulation. I'd definitely replace it if I lost it or broke it. And you can't beat the price.

Very easy to use. Could have used a manual to begin with, but quickly became self-evident. Three volume knobs - direct, 2 octave drop, and 1 octave drop. You can adjust your mix as you wish.

I wanted this for adding a bass line when I play with another guitarist or making home demo recordings. I tried out several of the digital octave pedals - e.g., Boss Octave 2, and they sucked compared with this. Didn't sound real, delay in tracking, etc. This little Danelectro pedal sounds great and tracks great!! You need to put a strong signal through it to get the best results, so I boost the guitar signal with a preamp. Put the 2-octave and guitar signals on zero and the octave sound on 10 (actually, there are no numbers) and boost your signal going into this thing and it sounds great! Hardly a glitch. Sometimes the note will jump an actave as it decays, but this is rare. For $29 this beats everything, including the Harmonix micro-synthesizer (which was pretty good). I wrote to Danelectro and they said that the ChiliDog (dumb name, if you ask me) was analog, not digital. Perhaps this explains why it sounds so much better.

Haven't had it long enough to tell.

Got an answer back immedately on email, if that means anything. Never went for repairs.

I use this with either jazz archtop or thinline (335-type) into an Evans Custom Jazz Enclosure 150 watt amp (or to a Peavey class 30 tube amp). I play straight-ahead jazz - blues, bebop, bossa, with few effects - a little compression and reverb, sometimes a little delay or chorus added. I have been playing 37 years (hobbyist, sometimes gigs for money) and am very tone conscious. I'm even thinking of buying two, just because I'm afraid that these will go out of production someday and I'll need a backup! Have not gigged with it yet.

Easy to use. The buttons are a little small, especially for bass players with normal bass player hands. But is very self explanatory and clearly labeled. No mystery box here !

Very quiet box. Smooth response, adds a nice depth to your playing if set right. Especially effective when playing above the 7th fret.

Very dependable. I would gig without a back up. I use a second box that can add the octave if I need it - but it does not have near the quality this little gem does. I have heard people complain about the plastic case but it is fine unless you play in a drunken stupor and trash things to cover up poor playing.

No need to contact them.

I have been playing professionally in the studio and live for 17 year. I primarily use a Fender Precision Bass. I have a Biscayne Miami Four, Aria Pro 2 xrb. Tacoma acoustic/electric, and a Russian made Bass ( don't ask me to even try to spell the crazy name on that one.) that I use for specific styles. The Fender is the all around go to bass for everyone. This little pedal beats out even the most expensive ones on the market. It tracks very with no delay and give quite a bit of flexability in adjusting your tones. If it broke I would run ( not walk, stroll, amble or mosey ) to the nearest music store and pay whatever the going price was. You need to have one of these in your arsenal.

easy, 3 knobs, direct, oct1, oct2

anything that sounds good at that price is something but this beats the big boys. great sound, sounds like a bass following your guitar not synthy or fuzzy and THE TRACKING IS AMAZING!!! Try out the big names and you still find poor tracking, that sick delay between note and octave, but this is tight. sounds great before a distortion but bad after. Octavers don't read a dirty signal well.

plug in an adapter and i haven't had a problem

great, but don't put it after a fuzz and remeber that no step down octavers deal with chords well