00:00-00:34 Intro Jam 00:35-01:26 What are we doing today 01:27-01:56 The beginning of the story 01:57-02:10 Example of Octave Flute tones 02:11-02:40 1967 Jimi's introduction to the Octavia 02:41-04:47 How to get these Flute like tones 04:48-06:04 Jimi's first recordings with the Octavia / Sound demo 06:05-07:07 Evolution of the Octavia 07:08-08:30 1969 Band of Gypsys Era and Sound Demos 08:31-09:25 Octavio and Wah - some more BOG sounds 09:26-09:41 Julien's Auction of the original Octavio 09:42-10:26 Final Thoughts and Outro
I have an Octavio, and I have done some research into it. Put simply, it's complicated. Mayer was an ultimate tinkerer and Hendrix was always up for experimenting. One thing that Jimi and Mayer would do, is to buy up as many Fuzz Faces as they could get their hands on, and then play about with them, swithcing out parts, and trying to make the ultimate fuzz. Mayer then would use some of these Fuzz Face housings to hold his own components, including the Octavio circuit, particularly the fuzz part of the circuit. I have since modded my Octavio so that I can switch the octave part on and off and just use it as a fuzz pedal, if I feel the need. The Octavio fuzz is similar to the Fuzz Face fuzz, but has it's own nuances too. It is possible that some of the fuzz parts that Hendrix did on stage and record, were actually using the Octavio fuzz circuit and not the Fuzz Face one.
Hi Mike. Excellent observation and demonstration. You really have a good ear. Sorry my question is not related to the subject at hand. What size frets are you using on that white Fender Custom Shop 69? It seems that the more recent 69 reissues come with jumbo frets installed and the earlier versions had the smaller so called period correct frets. Thanks Man. As always, I appreciate your commentary.
@@warrenrichardson7035 Thanks for your feedback and for reaching out. My Strat is 21 years old and still has the period correct smaller vintage frets ✌️☮️🎸
Thank you so much for this video, i love Jimi and now i can get closer to it with my Octavio. The other day i was playing with the wha like half way (more or less) of the pedal, you can also reach interesting groovy sounds with the wha and the octavio.
Thanks for your kind feedback 🙏 I’m happy you could make use of the video 🎸🔥 Wah and Octavia is also very nice, make sure to stay in the lower heel position with the Wah - it sounds even groovier there ✌️☮️🎸
Awesome! The Axis Fuzz as well as the Octavia/o pedal are such deep mysteries!! So hard to find out information about them. I am working on the Purple Haze solo, and it doesn't sound right unless the Octavia/o pedal is being used. There is also a difference in Jimi's live set up vs his studio set up, and for a while he would just use a cocked wah live because the Ovctavia/o wasn't ready, but I am sure you know all of this, LOL! Take care, love your videos and your guitar playing!
He had an Octavia to record that. He used it on Fire as well. Mayer built one in early January of 67’, met Jimi on the 11th of that month, and Jimi used it to record the solo for Purple Haze on February 3rd. It was his prototype, and not the circuit that would be in the wedge. According to Roger, which sadly, isn’t always the most reliable source, Jimi also used another custom built driver, which was just a preamp to get more gain, in front of it for the solos. That first one had germanium transistors and ferrite transformer, with limited drive capability. Hence the custom driver. Mayer says he threw the first one away, and then built different ones(at least 15 variations), until nearly two years later, producing the one everyone knows. Mayer says that he called it Octavia, but Jimi and a few other people, called it Octavio. He said they weren’t labeled by him, and someone eventually labeled one Octavio, that ended up in the museum at some point. I think this is where many Hendrix lovers get frustrated trying to get Jimi tones with just a Fuzz Face and other pedals he used live. Mayer has always said he was constantly building different distortion boxes, as he called them sometimes. Sometimes he says drive boxes. When he made the modern Axis Fuzz though, he told a story as if Jimi only used it recording the Axis songs. Who Knows? They Don’t Know? Nobody Knows? Jimi was using many different pedals Mayer and others made, when recording, as well as the Fuzz Fave and Octavia, on Axis and Ladyland. If one looks, or words the search right, there are many interviews with Mayer and others, about this stuff, but Mayer himself has said that he doesn’t even remember a majority of the circuits he built back then. Some were only used once, or they broke, and got discarded, or stolen. They had dozens of Fuzz Faces on the road, but Jimi often only had one Octavia, until the end of 69’. So they guarded it more closely, when Roger was on the road with Jimi, according to Mayer.
@@CorbCorbin Awesome info! That matches what I have found and read with a lot of details filled in, thank you! I really am looking to get the Axis Fuzz sound nailed down, along with the Octavia/o. I am still working on the basics of playing the songs, so I have a long way to go still. What they were able to do in the studio back then (Hendrix/Kramer/Mayer/Chandler) was absolutely amazing, innovative and groundbreaking! The fact the Hendrix could get a similar sound live compared to his studio stuff is amazing. I read that he couldn't even have a reverb sound, because all there was at the time was an EMT Plate Reverb which was huge and weighed 400lbs! Also sounds like the Echo Plex etc. Another difficulty is from what I can see, he never really played the same song the same way live! I have 3-5 videos of him playing Purple Haze and he does things different in each video!
Excellent video! Love when folks keep this knowledge out there, and show the sounds, give some history. Even if it only inspires a few people to play a different way, and tell people about Hendrix, beyond just songs they heard on radio, or a playlist of greatest hits. I’m saving your videos to watch over the holiday week.
Excellent 🎶 Personnellement, je possède une "Captain Coconut 2" de chez Foxrox Electronic et je vous la conseille. La qualité de cette pédale d'effets (regroupant l'univibe, une fuzz et une Octavia) est redoutable 🎉 et à aussi était utilisée par de grands musiciens, comme Frank Marino ou Kenny Wayne Shepherd pour ne citer qu'eux. En tout cas, encore une très bonne vidéo 👍
Once again a great video Mikel, thanks for sharing. Are you able to switch off the octave effect on the Octavio pedal and just use it as a fuzz? Also, I noticed that yours has a switch, is that for the octave effect or for the battery? I'm curious on how you use it live, I know of course you can't switch the octave effect on and off while playing, but let's say, that you play a tune, in which you need a fuzzy sound just before you need the octave, how do you go around that?
Thanks for your positive feedback ✌️ The Dunlop pedal has no option to do so. My EHX Octavix though can be used with our without the octave. No option to turn on our off while playing. 🎸☮️
Hi, I own one of these pedals and have been trying to get good tone out it - this video explains a lot. Thanks for the help! Out of curiosity, since you were making good use of the tone control, what value is the capacitor in your guitar? Great playing also!
