Beetronics OctaHive Dual FS Limited Edition "Great Pumpkin"

The Beetronics OctaHive Dual FS Limited Edition "Great Pumpkin" is a limited-finish version of Beetronics' OctaHive Dual FS, a fuzz pedal with a pronounced high pitch octave. Beetronics describes the OctaHive as "super high gain fuzz with a well pronounced high pitch octave," and the circuit is based on the 1970s Tycobrahe Octavia, an early octave fuzz design¹. The Great Pumpkin edition is sold out at the maker¹.

For a player, the appeal is two pedals in one box. With the octave engaged, Beetronics says things "can get really nasty, splashy and gated," and that it is great for high gain leads, especially played above the 12th fret. At low gain settings the maker says it can produce "ring modulator" overtones, useful for textures¹.

A high-gain fuzz with a high octave

The OctaHive sits in the octave fuzz family: a fuzz circuit paired with a frequency-doubling stage that adds a note one octave above what you play. Beetronics says the design can produce both classic and modern sounds, which fits its Octavia heritage, since that 1970 circuit is one of the roots of the whole octave fuzz category¹.

How it behaves depends heavily on where the gain is set. Two extremes from the maker's own description¹:

• Low gain: can produce "ring modulator" overtones, which Beetronics suggests are great for textures.
• High gain with the octave on: "really nasty, splashy and gated," suited to high gain leads, especially above the 12th fret.

That gated, splatty character at high gain is typical of octave fuzzes derived from the Octavia: the octave effect is strongest on single notes high on the neck and weakest, or strangest, on chords low down.

The octave toggle and what it changes

The control that defines the pedal is a toggle switch that turns the octave off. Beetronics' own words on what that does¹:

In practice that means the toggle gives you two voices: on the octave mode, things can get really nasty, splashy and gated, great for high gain leads, specially when played above the 12th fret. With the octave off, it's a whole different pedal, producing a warmer and thicker fuzz tone, making it more versatile and "chord friendly". Players who find octave fuzzes too chaotic for rhythm work can leave the octave off by the toggle switch¹.

Power and size

The Great Pumpkin edition requires a 9V DC power supply with a center negative plug, and Beetronics states plainly that a power supply is not included¹.

Physical details, all from the maker¹:

Built on the Tycobrahe Octavia, in many limited finishes

Beetronics says the OctaHive "was based on the 1970's Tycobrahe Octavia and it can produce classic and modern sounds"¹. The Tycobrahe Octavia is the circuit the whole pedal traces back to, and Beetronics has built the OctaHive family around it, including the standard OctaHive Dual FS and the OctaHive itself.

The Great Pumpkin is one of many limited finishes of the same Dual FS pedal. Beetronics has released it in at least these editions, each with the same circuit, controls and power requirements²³⁴⁵⁶:

• Limited Edition Blue²
• Limited Edition LA Purple³
• Limited Edition Gray/Red⁴
• Limited Edition Pink/Silver⁵
• The BlackBee Edition⁶

Several of these, like the Great Pumpkin, are also listed as sold out¹²³⁴. The "Great Pumpkin" name has also appeared on other Beetronics lines, including the Beetronics Swarm "Great Pumpkin" and the VEZZPA Octave Stinger Limited Edition "Great Pumpkin", so the name refers to the finish, not a unique circuit.

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