Danelectro DJ-13 French Toast Octave Overdrive

Easy to use. Has 3 knobs for Level, Distortion, and EQ (which is more like a Tone knob) and an Octave mini-toggle switch. The toggle switch basically switches between a more fuzzy version of your settings to more highly pronounced Octaver.
Pretty easy to dial in a decent sound amongst the shrill garbage.

First off, the good. It's pretty versatile for a little cr*p pedal. It has a decent fuzz-like sound and a pretty good Octave mode. The octave is fun because it is very sensitive to how you strike your strings. You can get a really nice singing Octave sound, high up on your neck. If you back off on your attack, you can get some trippy ringing notes that sound ding dong belly.

Now the bad. One, forget playing this through a solid state amp. It is very trebly and only enhances the cold feeling of those type of amps. Unlike a Big Muff (I know, different altogether), it makes everything sound a bit smaller instead of larger (I think that will make sense to the people that own a BM). Through a tube amp,
pretty much the same, but not as bad.
Okay, now here's where my pedal really sucks. I usually practice everyday around the same time every afternoon. This thing picks up radio signals, and I hear Jim Rome (sportcaster guy) over my amp! I mean loud. Iike the guy is right next to me!

I'll try to put some shielding in there, but I think that cheap plastic covering stinks. Doesn't really hold up to my other pedals.

I play a Fender Am Strat with Kinman noiseless Pickups. Rickenbacker 360. Through a Roland Dac 15-XD for practice, and Fender Hot Rod Deluxe with Weber Blue Dog speaker.

Knobs are really cheap. The small plastic knobs are countersunk, meaning, if one falls off, there is no metal "knobette) underneath that you can turn by hand. You'll have to use a screwdriver to make adjustments. Made of plastic, but pretty heavy because the bottom plate is thick metal. If it's on your pedalboard, it'll get trashed and unrecognizable real fast.

I would not use this in a gig situation, without backup. Picking up radio stations is funny, but c'mon.

Never had to deal with them.

It's cheap and it's fun. Starts getting not so fun when you start analysing it's sound quality. I hate talkradio...it picks up talkradio over my amps. Works ok in my concrete basement.

This isn't that hard to use, just don't crank the knobs way up.

I play this through a Crate MBX and a Samick Fairlane 4-string bass and it sounds great. I love the octave effect on it, but it's hard to switch on and off without picking up the pedal. The fuzz sounds good, I can get a great Cliff Burton (Metallica's first bassist) soundm but you can't crank the EQ or distortion knobs too much or it gets too harsh and a little buzzy. If you screw around with it for a while you can get some real good sounds out of it. Also, it picks up radio signals, but they're really faint even when you're not playing and you can't hear them at all when you're playing.

It's cheap plastic, but if you don't abuse it then it will last.

I play metal and hard rock mostly, and this pedal is good for that. I've been playing for about 3 years and this is my first pedal, I've tried other ones from my friends (marshall jackhammer, DOD FX55B, the other danelectro distortions) and i liked this one better for what i play. for the price, the best pedal you can get IMO

Easy to get decent sounds, easy to get crap ones too,just use your ears, not your eyes when setting the knobs. You may find that you need diffeent settings for octave or non-octave use, in which case get another pedal if you want to use it onstage. They're cheap enough.
No LED, but you will know when this little toy is on, believe me. It'll make you grin.

Gibson style guitars and Marshall valve amp.
Bloody awful, by which I mean bloody marvellous! The distortion is FUZZ, a slightly fizzy harsh variety. You would'nt buy this pedal for this alone but switch on the octave up and it goes mad! Erratic wierdness on the edge of controllabilty and great fun. LoFi magic indeed. Keep the dist down if you're overworking an overdriven amp for solo boost.

Yeah, its plastic. Its also cheap as chips. God Bless Ebay.

Dano minis have the WTFWT factor-you turn 'em on and people say What The F**k Was That?! Get a load of 'em and hit one for each solo in your set.
They all suffer from some bad points: they're too small if you wear wide-toed shoes, they're plastic, the controls are fiddly. Who cares, they're fun and cheap.
Don't leave 'em on the whole time but use 'em to create interest and unpredictability. If you want great classic tone save a LOT of money and get something else, in the meantime have some fun.
I've got good gear for the meat'n'bones of my sound and setup, but like Dave Lee Roth says if your cake is good then pile on the frosting. (He's American, we say icing and drive on the wrong side)

This is an easy to use box, guitar in - out to amp. If you can't figure it out, take it to the city zoo and have a monkey show you how to use it. There is no manual to speak of, but all the knobs are self explanatory. Oh yeah, no LED? Open your ears, jackass.

My guitar doesnt matter to all of you -BUT!!! This unit will give it's best octave sound on a NECK POSITION SINGLE COIL PICKUP. It goes to say that your Les Paul on the bridge pickup may not get the best (any?) octave tracking. The fuzz itself is very fuzzy fizzy 60's, and when you crank down your tone knob it can really sing. Even with the octave effect out, you get that first octave feedback that kinda sings into the note. Very cool. And this at 'bedroom' volumes, too. I see this getting a LOT of studio use. The octave effect (when dialed in right on your guitar as well) is right on. Only complaint here is the treble boost the seems to kick in when you throw the octave switch. This would be a bummer live if you wanted it as a plain fuzz for one tunes, then wanted to switch in the octave. You might blow the thinning hair right off the heads of the front row hippies.

It is not built like a tank, but nice enough. Put it in an extra footpedal case or risk snapping the PLASTIC(!) 1/4" jacks. Metal jacks would be nice, even if it would have cost another 10 bucks. Otherwise its well built.

Havent had to deal, but Ive only heard good reports.

The price/performance ratio is unreal. Other pedals that do the same thing cost five times as much, and really do the same thing. If you added a 'swell' (volume effect) to this, it would do the same job as the $200 Prescription Electronics 'Experience' pedal. I really don't care about the missing LED- not only because you can really hear this effect when it's setup correctly, but also because an LED is a big drain on batteries! Regardless of it's few (construction) weaknesses, this baby gets an overall 10 for value.
AS WITH ANY FUZZ; DON'T FORGET TO PLAY WITH YOUR VOL/TONE KNOBS! That's where all the sounds are really hiding...

It's not hard to get interesting sounds out of the petal. But it does take some fiddling to find usable sounds as it can create as many narly sounds as good one. Mainly, you have to play alot with the tone as it can get way too bright and thin. It's switches are tiny, but nice and firm to adjust.

Okay, I owned an original Foxx Tone for three years and, although this is based on the Foxx Tone circuit, it does not sound exactly like a real Foxx Tone Machine. If you at all believe in vintage equipment, made from vintage parts, possessing certain sound qualities, then you need to question whether this box crafted from completely difference parts can sound the same. My opinion is absolutely not. I find the French Toast much brighter and thinner than the original Foxx Tone machine. It has none of the ballsy presence of the original. I can't achieve some of the same harmonic effects that I could with my original (which, like a dope, I sold to buy a new axe). Overall, the French Toast is much more anemic than an Original Foxx tone, with none of the smoother, buzzier, more organic "vintage sound" that you get from period petal. A real disappointment. I was hoping for at least 90% of the original sound. I would say this deliver about %60. But do I like this pedal. Yeah, I do. You can make some raucous sound with the French Toast that are wonderful. I use it quite alot in recording. It's just not, sadly, a Foxx Tone Machine.

I was very surpised at the excellent build quality of this box. Plastic it may be, but it's super sturdy and well designed.

Haven't need help yet.

A lot of fun and capable of driving some people insane, which putting others into noise nirvana (like myself), but, unfortunately, I'll still have to lay out $500 to get a real Foxx Tone to get back the sound I lost. I guess I better start looking into decent clones (I hear Prescription Electronis Experience is supposed to be good). As a Foxx Tone Machine clone, the French Toast may have the pedigree, but the soul is missing.

I'm referring to the octave effect - the fuzz effect is a no-brainer to set up. However, the octave effect takes some juggling. I think a 7 might be harsh here since any other octave effect is also going to require some experimentation.

I use American std or a Jap 50's reissue loaded with Duncans and Dimarzio's. For amps I use a Fender Blues Jr, or A Peavey Classic 30 or a Marshall JCM900. As for effects those in my live pedal board change regularly, but currently are as follows:
Boss CS3 compressor > Voodoo Labs Microvibe or Danelectro Mini Phaser (more reliable than the Voodoo Labs!!) > Occasional Boss BF2 Flanger > French Toast > Origional TS808 > Boss DS1 > Boogie V Twin > Boss DD2 > Boss Chorus Ensemble or Dano Rocky road > Boss TR2. The French toast does not seem very hissy, but I do experience more humming with this pedal than any of my other overdrives. I only use the fuzz very sparingly - my aim is to get the KWS Blue on Black sound - and the pedal nails that spot on. I've also found that the phaser in front of the Toast means that the effect swells rythmically which is too cool. Satch also uses an octave effect, and it is possible to get a whammy pedal effect from it as well. All in all - I have to say that for #30 it's unbeatable.

I have 3 or 4 of the mini dano pedals, and although they're not a boss, I've gigged them many times with no problem whatsoever. I wish I could say the same for the Voodoo Labs, which I have not found to be reliable.

I play rock and blues, and so get at the Hendrix / Doyle Bramhall sound this effect if essential. Since I bought the toast, I've started noticing how many artists use this effect. The problem with this pedal is obvious - the lack of an LED, although there is absolutely no way Dano could have left out any of the other controls, since the effect needs all three to be useable. I did consider shelling out #125 on a Roger Mayer effect, but I have to say that I'm blown away by this little gem. If this pedal had been even #70 (which would be half of any of its competitors) then it might only rate a 7, however at about #35 - how can it be anything expect exceptional value?

very easy, if you can read you can use it!

i'm giving it a 9 instead of a 10 because the toggle switch for the octave up effect is so small and placed almost in between knobs making it difficult to engage on the fly

its a very nasty fuzz, and some settings can be extremely painful (in a good or bad way depending on your tastes), but i am giving it a high score because of what it CAN do with the right settings.

the fuzz is nasty, so if you set it bright it will really pierce into some ears. but with the tone control set anywhere below 12:00 it can be very useful. i use it with the distortion (really fuzz) on 0-1 and the level up all the way as a boost. the octave switch is usually engaged so when i step on the pedal its already set to burn!

it really can add a really nice crunchy boost, especially if you are using a marshall with medium level gain. enough gain to rock when strummed hard, but light enough to sound smooth & sweet if picked easy, even breaking up. with those settings its great.

i dont hold the fact that its housed in plastic against it. if it were in a metal house im sure it would cost MUCH more because it sounds great.

but it can be broken if you are rough with it so i cant give it anything above 7

i have dealt with them 2 times (in 5 years), they have been very helpful and solved the problem in minimal time

if you have a strat, marshall & wah and want that extra something for space-age craziness, this is the deal.

using it like i said but without the octave engaged, you get a great boost, just enough for taking things a step further and getting attention.

now if the octave is engaged, get ready for some trippy splat sounds! i find that with a strat the octave effect is way more noticable if you use the neck pickup, and even roll back the tone for more intense octave.

as far as the sound itself.....its great. very clear and it is dynamic, the sounds you can produce will vary depending on the attack, you can play the same note over & over but vary your attack (pick soft, then hard, then medium, then hard with a pinch) and it will show you what it is capable of if you use dynamics in your playing.

also, i dont like the octave down effects, personally i say let the bass guitar do that job! but i find the octave up effect alot more usable.

for the fuzz, its very nasty if you crank the EQ (to the treble side), but if you keep it somewhat down its great for single-note fuzzed out riffin"!!!


oh yeah, and my ho's all love it. they do crazy dances when i start to splatter some notes (among other things)

I read the reviews and wasn't sure what this thing does, but hey it was on eBay for 15 bucks, so WTF?

I plugged it direct into my DSL 100 half stack's clean channel and it sounded like SHIT..but wait -I dialed it up like I had seen here, level full(you have to do that), Distortion minimum,(on 1 it's a bee's nest) and the tome about 9 o'clock. I messed around with the distortion channel until I found the combo that works: I put my Boss SD -1 after it and run the FO like I said before and the distortion on the SD-1 about 11:00, the French Octave sounds FANTASTIC! I used it at a gig last week and stepped on this thing - the whole dance floor turned around with a Whoa what is that?!?!? look - I went into total Jimi mode and it really made the night.

It is really cheap and crappy (made), why doesn't Danelectro make a better version of this, I dunno. If it broke I would get another.

Never dealt with them

It definitely looks to be a tweak it till it sounds right sort of pedal, I can tell you it sounds like hell by itself, but with a Boss SD-1 after it, boosting and distorting just a little, this thing sounds like stepping on a laser. Works great for little punches in and out in chords and for short attention grabbing moments in solos. Easy to overdo it and lose the novelty.

I find it pretty easy to use, though it's small size & lack of led can make it hard to operate on a dark/cluttered stage. Getting a sound I liked happened INSTANTLY, but over time I've found it has a few extra tricks up it's sleeve that you won't appreciate in-store, specifically it's interaction with your other pedals, amp and guitar, effect order, etc.

Well, it's been covered by many below... but anyway, I play a '76 Ibanez 'lawsuit' strat into a '68 Ampeg Reverberocket. I have the French Toast at the front of my pedal chain, Octave ON, level MAXIMUM, Distortion MINIMUM, tone on around 10-11 o'clock. Then it goes through a wah pedal, into another fuzz pedal, into a sampler, then into the overdriven amp. I don't switch the French Toast on without selecting a really dull sound on the strat- usually position 4 or 2 with the strat's 2nd tone control on minimum. This helps the octave track better/jump out of the mix a lot more.

The impact this thing has had on my sound, given how little it costed, is amazing. Solos above the 12th fret can get those Brian May style lead tones (think 'Show Must Go On'), My Bloody Valentine style wall-of-fuzz ('Loomer'), and completely new sounds by using my imagination, volume and feedback... the feedback is just wicked. I'll strike a power chord with the french toast on, the other fuzz on and the amp overdriving on full- with the octave on, this is a sound which has no hope of regenerating into a single pure feedback tone - it sustains and sustains, full of beautiful, rich harmonic movement and texture. And filtering it with the wah makes it controllable! I began referring to this sound as 'meltdown'.

I appreciate that not every player has a place in their sound for this sort of insanity- but it suits me fine!!

By itself, this pedal can sound very cheap, tinny, fizzy, hollow, muddy and plasticky. I couldn't see it working very well with high-output guitars.

So that's why it gets a 5. Most people are going to try it and hate it, with good reason. It's a pedal that really needs help from the rest of your gear to make good sounds. It will get a passable Jimi/SRV sound by itself with the gain and tone low, but not without the right guitar and amp to help it along.

For me, in my set-up, it's essential.

The little toggle-switch broke, so now I have to buy another. Oh well, they're cheap!

I bought it in NZ before moving to the UK, so my warranty (if any) won't be valid here. I've never had to deal with their customer service team before.

a few knobs and an octave toggle...very easy!

NASTY-ass fuzz is what this pedal is about, with optional octave effect, added. If you want something loud and proud, this is it...if you want something subtle, go somewhere else. Not for the timid, or those who want to play full chords with every note defined. This is for single string-line sickos with a kitschy ear for the groovy 60's and 70's.

si, senor!

no dealings

Best 15 dollars I ever spent in a pawnshoppe! Does "Psychotic Reaction," "Foxy Lady," Ike Turner's/Ernie Isley's 1970's riffs,well...you get the picture!