Re: Boss Octave Pedal

[Doug Cox <dougcox@pdq.net>]

I'm working through this issue also.  The octave effect on my Roland 
GP-100 is pretty good (I suspect it's very similar or same technology as 
the OC-2).  However, I did just recently buy a Gracie acoustic guitar 
stand (upright, performance guitar holder), and it can also hold my old 
cheapee bass, with some modifications (read: blocks of foam to span the 
difference between acoustic gutiar thickness and elec bass thickness).

So, I can give you this report:

I like using the octaver effect much more.

Trying to drop a bass line in on a second pass of a loop is much more 
natural (for me) by quickly going to the octave patch, vs. stepping up 
to the bass.  Second, with some tweaking, and using the neck pickup as 
Mark Smart mentioned, I'm getting exactly the effect I want.  No - it 
doesn't sound like a real bass.  It sounds slightly warbly, like a 
fretless.  But using the neck pickup, and picking carefully and cleanly, 
I don't get the octave jumps or strange artifacts.

So, none of this directly confirms the OC-2 for you, but I'd say even if 
you can't try one out before buying, it's worth the $40 to try.  If it 
doesn't blow your skirt up, you should be able to turn it around on eBay 
or Harmony-Central and only lose a few bucks.  Or, try the Chilli 
Dog...  I've heard good things there too - seems like one of the few 
effects that Dano makes that people like.  The French Toast fuzz also 
gets high marks as a Foxx Tone Machine ripoff - wonder if Mr. Belew has 
one yet? :)

Please let us know how it turns out, no matter which one you choose?  
Always looking for a better way.

Dig

PS - I *do* love the Gracie stand for switching to acoustic when I need 
to.  With the stand adjusted right, and my electric strapped on 
correctly (ooo kinky!), I can switch between them in a beat, and the 
electric doesn't hit the acoustic.  Neato.

mwsmart@insightbb.com wrote:

>>Of course, I've already thought about this option, and I can already 
>play bass 
>>well enough for my purposes, I'd say.  But switching between guitar and 
>bass 
>>over and over again for each song (during different parts of a song) 
>just isn't 
>>all that practical (and if I was in the audience, I'd start getting 
>pissed at 
>>having to hear the loop those extra times, and I don't personally like 
>it much 
>>either being the performer).  The ability to switch instantly would be a 
>BIG 
>>plus.  
>>    
>>
>
>Yeah, this is my rationale, too. With the switch on the guitar I can 
>switch 
>instantly between 6 strings of guitar, 2 bass  + 4 guitar, and 
>6 of bass. Not practical with a regular freaking electric bass and guitar.
>
>Eventually, when I totally master the Stick, I'll be able to do it all 
>live 
>with no looping, but that will require about 100 times as much practicing 
>as 
>the Chili Dog/loop setup.
>
>Mark Smart
>www.marksmart.net
>
>
>  
>