The Danelectro 3699 fUZZ Octaver is a fuzz pedal with an octave built in, part of the company's line of vintage-style effects. Danelectro describes it as bringing "a vintage and classic effect back into the fold," and Pedal of the Day calls it a pedal that "brings classic fuzz to your pedalboard, with a bit of a twist as well"1. It sits alongside the company's other fuzz reissues, including the 3699 Fuzz, The Eisenhower Fuzz and the Nichols 1966, and belongs to the broader family of fuzz pedals.
What it does
The 3699 fUZZ Octaver is built on the circuit of the FOXX Tone Machine, the 1970s octave fuzz. Pedal of the Day writes that "The 3699 fUZZ Octaver brings back this original circuit with some important tweaks"1. Those tweaks change how the pedal behaves compared with the original: the octave is "way more pronounced" and can be switched on and off from the footswitch, there is a "mids boost" toggle that counteracts the mid cut of the original pedal, and the reviewer found "the tone is warmer"1.
- The octave is "way more pronounced (and foot switchable)", so you can turn it on and off from the floor rather than reaching down to a switch1
- A "mids boost" toggle counteracts the mid cut of the original pedal, which players of the FOXX Tone Machine will know as part of its character1
- The tone is warmer than the original, according to Pedal of the Day1
For a player, that means the familiar aggressive octave-fuzz voice of the 1970s design, but with the octave usable as a switchable effect and a way to put mids back into a sound that the original circuit pulled out1.
Where it came from
Danelectro describes the 3699 fUZZ Octaver as improving on the classic FOXX Tone Machine, "this vintage looking-and-sounding beast" that "brings classic fuzz to your pedalboard, with a bit of a twist as well"1. Pedal of the Day writes that the pedal "brings back this original circuit with some important tweaks": the octave is more pronounced than on the original and foot switchable, and a "mids boost" toggle counteracts the mid cut of the original pedal1. The fUZZ Octaver is the version of this pedal that Pedal of the Day reviewed1.
Pedal of the Day described the fUZZ Octaver as "the last pedal in the current lineup" of Danelectro's pedals at the time of its review1.
What reviewers said
Pedal of the Day's reviewer was positive about the pedal's output and the effect of the octave1:
"We love the power of this fuzz, and the addition of the octave into it takes the tone to an entirely new level"
The same review frames the pedal as an improvement on its predecessor: "Improving on the classic FOXX Tone Machine, this vintage looking-and-sounding beast brings classic fuzz to your pedalboard"1.
Videos
Premier Guitar
Danelectro Official
R.J. Ronquillo
Sources (1)
- Danelectro 3699 fUZZ Octaver, Pedal of the Day, 2021-02-08
