The Dr No Effects RoadRunner, sold as the RoadRunner "Octave Fuzz Wah Flying Machina", is an old-school, high-end fuzz, wah and octave pedal in one box. Dr No Effects built it for and with David Catching, the Eagles of Death Metal guitarist and Rancho De La Luna studio founder, and the two worked on it intensively for about a year before it appeared12. It pairs a Roger Mayer Octavia-style octave fuzz with a wah in a single analog circuit34.
The pedal carries a high price tag: MusicRadar named a price of $679 in May 2026, calling it "a considerably more expensive pedal"4. Its controls are volume, intensity and fuzz15.
What it does
The RoadRunner is a vintage-inspired hybrid: a fuzz, a wah and an octave generator in one enclosure, based on a classic vintage-style fuzz/wah/octave circuit6. Dr. No describes it as "a high end Old School Fuzz Wah with Octavia"5, and MusicRadar characterized the pairing as Roger Mayer Octavia-style octave fuzz with wah4. In practice that means one footwork-free box can give you the screaming upper-octave fuzz tones associated with the Octavia, a sweepable wah filter, or the two stacked together.
The enclosure is part of the identity. It sports a red, white and blue flock finish6, and it has wings as part of the design, a nod to the "Flying Machina" name. Dr. No's own announcement leaned into the joke: "Yes….it's aslo a flying machine!"5
Controls
| Control | What it does |
|---|---|
| Volume | Sets the output level6 |
| Intensity | Sets the wah intensity6 |
| Fuzz | Sets the fuzz amount6 |
| Octave toggle | Mini toggle on the left front side, switches the octave on or off13 |
| Wah capacitor switch | Three-position selector on the left front side, changes the wah's voicing13 |
The octave on/off switch is more than a mute. Premier Guitar's review explains that it is one of two popular Octavia mods: "The Machina adds two popular Octavia mods: an octave on/off switch (it bypasses the octave-generating transformer for a [conventional fuzz sound]"7. With the octave off, the pedal works as a straight fuzz; with it on, the transformer-generated upper octave comes back into the signal.
The three-position wah capacitor switch changes the frequency character of the wah sweep, and Gearnews noted that this range of options "could make it a versatile unit"6.
The RoadRunner runs on an external 9V power supply only, with a negative tip and positive outer sleeve. There is no battery option, so it needs a spot on a power supply or an adapter from the start1.
Where it came from
Dr. No announced the project in July 2015 as a new collaboration with Dave Catching, describing it then as an "old school" Fuzz Wah Octavia still in development9. The official release was planned for November 21, 2015 at Speedfest, a yearly festival in the Netherlands2.
That release changed shape after the November 2015 Paris attacks. Dr. No Effects canceled their show and the RoadRunner release party to recover in the US2. In its place, Dr. No and Catching pledged to donate the profits from RoadRunner sales through December 31, 2015 to the victims of the attacks via The Sweet Stuff Foundation283. Guitar World reported the pedals were available at drno-effects.com at that time8.
Catching has since described the project in his own words:
"I collaborated a few years ago with my good friend, Dr No, on a fuzz octave wah pedal called the Roadrunner."
How it is built
All Dr.No pedals are hand-built in the USA and use analog circuits6. The RoadRunner itself is painstakingly hand crafted, in the words of the maker's announcement, "with that attention to detail and flair for design that Dr. No is renowned for"2. The wings and the red, white and blue flock finish make it one of the more recognizable enclosures in boutique pedals6.
What reviewers said
Published coverage of the RoadRunner has been largely descriptive, and its reputation has held up over time. In a 2026 MusicRadar review of a competing wah/fuzz/octave hybrid, the writer noted that the RoadRunner is "arguably the most famous" wah, fuzz and octave hybrid, while acknowledging its boutique price tag11. Premier Guitar reviewed the pedal in August 2021 and detailed its two Octavia mods, including the octave switch that bypasses the octave-generating transformer7.
Gearnews, covering the announcement, called it a versatile unit on the strength of its control layout6, and Guitar World described it as "an old-school, high-end Fuzz Wah Octavia"8.
Related Dr. No pedals
Dr. No's catalog includes several other fuzz and wah designs that a player comparing circuits might look at alongside the RoadRunner:
- Dr. No Effects FUZZ WAH EXTRAVAGANZA (LOOSH 1)
- Dr. No Effects Swell Fuzz Wah Extravaganza (Loosh 2)
- Dr. No Effects SkullFuzz Original
- Dr. No Effects NecroFuzzIcon
Videos
Guitar Chimp
Questions
Is the Dr.No RoadRunner an analog pedal?
Yes. All Dr.No pedals use analog circuits, and the RoadRunner is no exception. It is a vintage-inspired hybrid fuzz, wah and octave pedal built around an old-school Octavia-style design rather than digital modeling, and it is hand-built rather than mass produced.
Who helped design the Dr.No RoadRunner?
The RoadRunner was made for and in collaboration with David Catching, guitarist with Eagles of Death Metal and founder of Rancho De La Luna studios. Dr. No and Catching worked on the pedal intensively for about a year before its release, and Catching has described it as a collaboration with his good friend Dr No.
Where is the Dr.No RoadRunner made?
All Dr.No pedals are hand-built in the USA. The RoadRunner itself is painstakingly hand crafted, and it sports a distinctive red, white and blue flock finish with wings as part of the enclosure design.
Does the RoadRunner have an octave on/off switch?
Yes. A mini toggle on the left front side switches the octave on and off. Premier Guitar's review explains that this switch bypasses the octave-generating transformer, giving you a conventional fuzz sound when the octave is off.
What did the RoadRunner's sales support?
Dr. No and Dave Catching donated the profits from RoadRunner sales through December 31, 2015 to the victims of the Paris terrorist attacks via The Sweet Stuff Foundation. The pedal's release party was also canceled after the attacks.
Sources (11)
- RoadRunner, Dr. No effects webshop, 2026-08-03
- Dr. No Effects Launches RoadRunner Octave Fuzz Wah, Premier Guitar, 2015-12-07
- Eagles Of Death Metal's Dave Catching and Dr. No Effects team up for RoadRunner octave fuzz wah pedal, MusicRadar, 2015-12-17
- Morley and DOD team up for 3-in-1 wah, fuzz and octave pedal, MusicRadar, 2026-05-28
- Release of the ROADRUNNER by Dr.No Effects, Dr.No Effects, 2015-12-03
- Dr.No Effects announce The RoadRunner: a new hybrid Octavia/Fuzz/Wah pedal, gearnews.com, 2015-12-21
- Dr. No Road Runner Fuzz Wah Pedal Review, Premier Guitar, 2016-02-19
- Eagles of Death Metal Guitarist and Dr. No Introduce Octave Fuzz Wah Flying Machina Pedal, Guitar World, 2015-12-17
- RoadRunner Fuzz Wah by Dave Catching and Dr.No, Dr.No Effects, 2015-07-13
- Artist Interview: Dave Catching, Origin Effects, 2024-08-16
- DOD x Morley Wah-OcTo-Fuzz review, musicradar.com, 2026-07-24
Dave Catching
