Fulltone OctaFuzz

It's easy--two knobs and the toggle for Fuzz/Octafuzz (on latest models). For the Octafuzz sound, you need to play with it for a while to get that sound dialed it because different pickups and pick intensity, as well as neck position, really affect the sound. The manual is clear about this, however. For best results, soft picking up at the 10th fret or higher works best.

I'm using this with my Super Reverb, with a Gibson ES339 and a Fender Strat with noiseless pickups. Works great for both. You can get smooth Fuzz with the toggle switch on Fuzz, or some really raunchy blues sounds with the Octafuzz switched on. I had a '69 which I never liked and, with this pedal, I feel like I'm getting 2 pedals in one. Great deal.

If you're looking at the overpriced 69s on EBAY--don't. It's not worth it. Unless you can crank up an old Marshall stack, you'll never dial in the sound from the sound clips on the Fulltone site.

I have four Fulltone pedals now and they are built extremely well. I've not had a problem with any of them.

They've been good when I've needed them. I've contacted them more than five times and I got a quick (albeit breif) response each time. Good support--Not as good as say Keeley, but a hell of a lot better than you're going to get from a company like Boss or Ibanez.

Again, this is 2 pedals in one. I love this thing. You can't use it all the time--especially the octafuzz--but it's great for tone change and to mix it up a little.

Two knobs, one switch for regular fuzz/ocatfuzz.

Simple enough.

Massive, over the top fuzz devastation. If you want balls out walls of fuzz, this is it. This is the best fuzz pedal Fulltone makes, at least to my ears. The 70 fuzz pedal isn't bad, but that one only really sounds decent with single coils. Way too mushy with humbuckers.

And forget paying $500 for Lovetone or Wayhuge, totally overpriced and overrated. This one sounds better than both of those any day, but people's egos lead them to believe that if a pedal costs more, it must be better.

Quiet, no noise

Built very well. No problems to report.

They've always been nice to me whenever I had a question or needed repair.

Best fuzz pedal ever! Again, this should not be used for Eric Johnson Fuzz face worship, this one is total destruction and carnage. Strap in and hold on!

Very easy...less is more. I like the features much better than the '69 pedal.

The regular fuzz is my favorite among the fulltone lineup, and my favorite fuzz ever. That's not why you're supposed to buy this, but I've owned 3 different '69 fuzz pedals because I was drawn back to them time and time again. I could never quite make them work for me, even though 1968-69 produced some of my favorite guitar tones. The octavia tone is the real deal, I'm not kidding here. It gives you that raunchy, nasty-ass, funky Hendrix vibe. It's almost worth it alone just for this feature, but Mike was very cool to make this pedal versatile and save us some money so we don't have to use two fuzz pedals...maybe the nicest thing he's done. This rules...very thick tone and fun, but don't overdo it. Please don't punish people buy using the octavia effect 8-9 times out of an 11 song set. This should be used sparingly...maybe 2-3 times a show (max). You'll have dudes coming up and digging your tone. You'll drive people (me) away if you abuse it.

It's a Fulltone...you bought it because you don't want a backup. Buying an expensive pedal one time is smart. Buying two cheap pedals due to the fear it might crap out, plus you're never really happy with the tone is dumb. Spend the money and buy nice stuff. If you're reading reviews of Fulltone, Z. Vex, and Keeley stuff then you're privy to cool shit. Buy it because you've gravitated towards quality for a reason. I have had a '69 fuzz pedal switch crap out on me, but Mike said it was a bad batch of switches...this leads me to customer service.

Mike is an asshole. For the amount of money he's scooping up he should have a full staff of people answering phones, taking care of returns, and treating us like we're rock stars. I don't want to hear the bullshit on his website about how most of the returns are just customers being dumb and not properly checking out the pedal before shipping it to him. I don't mind paying shipping both ways to get my shit fixed, especially if it's his fault (for a switch) because I like the tone and build of the pedals. Most people I know don't just own one Fulltone pedal, they own 2-3. If he was as considerate as Keeley or Z. Vex he'd put those guys out of business. He makes thee best stuff out there, but he doesn't want to deal with people. I'm sorry, if people spend $220 on a wah pedal you'd better be there for them. If I have a '69 fuzz pedal that craps out just fix it. He did fix it, but I had to pay shipping and he made me feel like I was bothering him, even though it wasn't my fault.

If customer service is a concern for you there are better companies to buy pedals from. Unfortunately, Mike makes the best stuff. I think this needs to be said and I know I'm not the only one who has experienced this.

Back to the pedal I'm reviewing...great pedal. Buy it. I paid $125 with shipping included on ebay. I love it and it's fun to have around. I've owned everything except the distortion pro and the tube tape echo. All of the pedals are great and can work with any tube amp. I think it's well worth the price brand new. Yes, true bypass is worth it.

Very easy if you know how to usa an octivia-type effect.
For me it is very easy to gat a good sound out of.

Basic Setup: 71 Les Paul Custom (bought new) or 77 Strat, into a modded 79 Marshall 2203. into 1969 Marshall 1960B, 4xG12M-25

Noise: No. very quiet.

The Effect: Quite usable. Not something I can say about other octivia-type effects. I have tried a few in my search and they paled by comparison. The MR was very good used in the typical manner. (above 12 fret, front pickup. tone down, etc..) but was dreadfull any other way. Not the case with the Fulltone. Yes, it does the typical above the 12 very sweet, but also retains tone at lower regesters, and instead of falling apart when used with a bridge pickup, just adds to the flavor in a very musical way.
Also, the big added bonus here is the Fuzz-only switch. I was never a big fan of the fuzz effect as far back as I can remember. This pedal has changed my mind. The fuzz sound is thick, clean and rich in harmonics. So forget everything you know or heard about fuzz until you plug into this. It might change your mind. Over all this IS the real deal. The "one" I have been searching for. I have been playing 35+ years and I do not give 10's easily. If you have spent the time and money I have searching for "that" octivia sound , you would understand the "10" rating. My hat is off to Fulltone. Excellent.
Search over.

Reliability: I have seen car ramps not made as strong as this pedal.
The highest quality.
I trust it, I depend on it, I have no backup, it needs no backup.

This company is a true pleasure to deal with. They will go out of their way to help you. Their tech support is bar-none, some of the best in the business. Good People.

I play classic rock and original music in the same vain.
Playing for 35+ years.
...have had countless amps and guitars over all these years.
...have stuck with what works for me.
If lost or stolde I would replace it asap. It is a permanent part of my setup, a tool I choose not to be without.
Finally an Octivia that sounds and acts like an Octivia should.
With it's quist operation and true-hard bypass it never gets in the way. Always a pleasure. Allows me to travel to old and new places in my playing. A vey creative effect that works off the player, not the player working off the effect.
If you want a serious Octivia, this is the one. Try the rest if you want (I did) but in the end I have settled here at Fulltone.

very easy IF you know how to use an fuzz octave pedal. please keep in mind this does not work or sound in any way like a cheesy pitch shifter adding an above octave. the manual (sheet) tells you what to do but it is missing one thing. please read on.

i am using a fender strat into the fuzzoctave into a bunch of other stuff into orange and fender amps.(orange for dirt, fender for clean as i believe the flat sound of a marshall, orange, etc. accepts dist or fuzz and a fender twin or musicman amp fights it but blows away the marshall and orange for clean!!)

when using a fuzz-octave pedal, doe not matter if it is a RM octavia, tycobrah, fulltone, whatever, it shines the best on the neck pickup (in my case single coil). you should bring the boost down for more of the octave effect. the only thing the manual (sheet) leaves out is that you should bring your tone knob down all the way or pretty close to squeeze that octave out.

so once again, this pedal is a breeze for me to use, to someone new to the effect, not so simple.

i have owned over 5 octave-fuzz devices and over 15 fuzz pedals...i have to tell you...this one is it. unless you can spend $1000. for the tycobrahe, this is the one. who am i? nobody. i have been playing for 20 years and building pedals for 5. i am a tone freak. i am into eric johnson and jimi hendrix as far as players and tones. if you like the fuzzface and/or yardbox, you will probably love this. it crushes the newer rocketship mayer octavia (even though it all began with mayer!!). i just can't recommend this thing enough.

i am running it through an orange ad30. i have also tried it through a marshall superlead and it sounds great. it sounds AWFUL going through a fender twin reverb (as any fuzz/dist usually does).

please understand that any effect is only as good as what you are putting into it and what you are putting it through: this is why a lot of people try something in the store, bring it home and sounds so different, they are dissapointed.

you can really get the eric johnson vibe out of this if you have the switch to just use it as a fuzz.

like all fulltone products, i would travel the world with it...without a backup.

i have to give it a 10. it sounds cliche' but i can back it up.

solid construction, outstanding vintage octave sound (tycobrahe copy), great simple look, amazing fuzz tone, but here is the kicker...if you buy it new now, you get a switch to go from octave to fuzz alone!! this is like buying 2 great pedals in one!! i'm serious, it really is!! the 2 options sound very different!!

or you could buy a fuzz and an octave from another manufacture and spend twice, maybe three times the price!! (and maybe not touch the sound you get from this gem)

Unbelievably Easy To Get an that Sound. Who Knows? This may be Fulltone's best pedal.

Both Options are the greatest....Octave on "Band of Gypsys" unbelievable. I can't stop playing it....if I am not playing it then I am listening to Band of Gypsys on CD...exactly the same tone. No noise....dead quiet even when set outrageously obnoxious. The harmonic layers are multiple, thick and hauntingly graceful. The Fuzz only setting is the best Fuzz I have ever heard including Fulltone '69 and '70. I have both of those too. This is the best kept secret out there man...Machine Gun tearing my body all apart.

I applaud Mike Fuller for his dedication to quality. This never Changes. Power To Love...

Message of Love...fast email...no BS and keeping it real too. Asked a Stupid question or two? Sure I have and was properly ignored. We need to play more and worry less. I love reading the negative stuff on Harmony Central. You negative guys need to relax. What would Hendrix say? We Gotta Live Together.

I have been playing 25 years. I mostly play classic rock and really get into improvised stuff by Hendrix or Zappa, etc. I own multiple Fenders and Gibsons. My current favorite is a '61 SG Reissue or a Super relic '50s Strat. Amp wise I am currently trying the New Fender '57 Twin which sounds great with all my Fulltone gear...Clyde Deluxe, DejaVibe 2, FullDrive 2, '70, ChoralFlange. I choose Fulltone because the sound is natural and open or something. It just sounds bigger and yet doesn't alter your instrument's natural tone. I have tried a lot of stuff with an open mind...Teese Wahs, Budda Wahs, Vox Reissues, Colorsound Mojo Vibe, Analogman Tube Screamers, Voodoo Lab everything. All of that stuff was awesome but Fulltone just sounds better to my ear. Plus I think the quality is better overall. I am glad it is so competitive now. It wasn't always this good folks.

Two knobs, one switch and an LED. Super easy and super awesome! This pedal also features a power jack and true bypass.

Unreal tone! I love this pedal. My favorite Fulltone. I owned 8 and recently let go of 4. The 4 I kept were the Custom Shop Deja-vibe, the Supa-trem, the 70' pedal and the Octafuzz. I can't say enough good things about this pedal. There's a really cool tone tip on the instrucitons page that I've found useful. Running this pedal before all other dirt pedals (ie. overdrive, fuzz, etc.) It adds a great boosted touch to all those other tones. The octave up isn't as prominent when doing this and it makes all those other pedals take on a whole new character.

All the Fulltone pedals rank high in this category. The Fulltone pedals are built beyond compare. Built like a tank! All wiring is clean and tight. Awesome all the way around!

I've never had a problem with Fulltone and Mike Fuller. His attention to detail should be applauded and his hard work should not go unnoticed. The guy works hard to get guitarists' inspiring tones.

My favorite Fulltone pedal hands down. Every setting is inspiring.
I love the fact that it's operation is so quiet and sound! Just a great unit from top to bottom. I'm very satisfied with this super pedal!

There's a one-page manual included with a couple of important notes and tips. A simple pedal. An exact copy of the old Tycobrahe Octavia. True bypass. Battery included.

For all you people here going on and on about the old days, put aside those 'Axis Bold as Love' and 'Band of Gypsies' records for a few minutes and listen to Scott Henderson's sound on 'Song Holy Hall' (the 3rd track on the Tribal Tech - Rocket Science record). That's this little gem-pedal for real! The track is actually a long solo and the pedal's sounds are omnipresent. Listen to it growl and rasp on the low strings being bent by the vibrato bar. Listen to that hard steel sound cutting through as soon as the first higher notes are softly played and listen to those extra tones that come out of nowhere as soon as he moves up the fretboard. And the way this device handles those subtle two or three note chords, the overtones and harmonics, simply beatiful. That's what this pedal is all about: in the right hands it can do modern magic.

It is well built -- look and feel is solid.

No comments.

Two eights and a seven, then this must be a rounded eight, right?
Use it anyway you like. Be creative. Think about what you play and choose your notes well. Whether you leave it on all of the time or whether you just use it for double stops or bends, runs, the pedal does not care.

Extremely simply unit. You have Volume, Fuzz and a switch between the octave and regular fuzz. So you can easily tweak it. Anything from crunchy 70's power chords to Jimi Hendrix haunting octave fuzz. The new switch was the selling point for me. I just wanted the octave every once in a while but wanted a fuzz. They're both great. Both do what they did 30 years ago.

Octave isn't for everyone...octafuzz is like a ring modulator, like something out of a sci-fi movie. Why Hendrix used his Octavia on Purple Haze a song which was influenced by a Sci-Fi article. This unit does the trick. I'm going through a few different amps that are not a Marshall.(Ampeg Jet, Rolnd Jazz Chorus). I think it sounds best through my Ampeg due to tubes warm up the edge of the octave.

On the straight fuzz it's great. Everything from smooth fuzz to fuzz that has a little extra. It's as if there are overtones giving it a new character at louder levels.

Like I said about my Choral Flange this is what they call a tank. Fulltone costs more because they put more into it. I'm confident this unit will hold up against time.

Again I have no problems with Fulltone. I'm glad they exist. Mike was helpful when I ordered I have nothing but praise.

If you need a fuzz which is different than distortion but might need an octave too this is a great deal. It's very vintage sounding. Again you get what you paid for.

I bought this second hand, no manual, but it only has two knobs.

I've since limited my effects, so i've used the octafuzz along with only a dod octoplus into a marshall avt50 head with a 2x15 cab, an orange head and cab, with two lp copies a peavey tele copy and a danelectro double cut away with lipsticks.
This was my first "boutique" pedal and i have to say i was really impressed by the tracking of the octave effect as well as how quite it was even through the dirty channel on my marshall. I bought the octafuzz with the thought that it would replace my guyatone micro fuzz pedal, the micro ate batteries and when i used an adapter hummed. I like very heavy sounding guitars not to mention dirty, the octa can't really do heavy, but it does do dirty. at full boost settings it does swirl the notes which i like. It also does add a little noise, but not enough to bother me, and it is understandable.

WEll i bought it used 3 of the 4 screws for the bottom plate were missing, and when i placed my foot on the pedal (not on the switch) it made these "pops" so i removed screws from a big muff and installed them into the octafuzz's bottom plate and i solved that problem, I'm assuming that the pops came from the loose metal touching. I had been playing for some time and i decided to check what type of battery was installed because, i dont like the removing screws for battery access, and i was stunned to see a walgreens brand battery, i thought it was a pretty nice sound for a store brand, an it has lasted me quite a while, still going on strong for 3 weeks of heavy use. I havent gigged with it, and wont for another month, but i don't see any possible problems that can arise.

still havent dealt with them, i may have to order a footswitch from them soon though, just to have around.

I guess i play regular old rock and or roll, with sludge and doom influences. I have way too many stomp boxes and i wish i would have shelled out the bucks for this pedal early on, then i wouldnt have had to go through so many fuzz, distortions, and overdrives. I love the sound of this box, i love the fact that when i turn it on alongside my dirty channel i don't get ungodly feedback. I love that it doesn't produce excess noise. When i was trying it out, i was comparing it to very different pedals, a hombrew electronics germania and a vintage rat, homebrew was out of the question after i tried it out, it did very little for me, and i ultimately chose the octa over the rat because, the octa is a fuzz and has that octave which i think makes things more unique. So if this box were stolen i would pay full price for a new one.