Dunlop Siete Santos Octavio Fuzz

The Dunlop Siete Santos Octavio Fuzz is a fuzz pedal from Dunlop that puts an octave fuzz circuit based on the Jimi Hendrix Octavio Fuzz together with a 7-band graphic EQ in a single pedal. It is a signature pedal for Billy Gibbons of ZZ Top, built around the recipe he has used for his solos since Jimi Hendrix introduced him to the Octavio Fuzz in 1968: the fuzz circuit paired with a 7-band EQ¹. Dunlop describes the result as putting "Billy's secret solo recipe into a single pedal to make shaping those wild, fiery fuzz tones a convenient and space-saving affair"¹.

The pedal keeps the classic Octavio cheese-wedge enclosure shape, dressed in a custom color scheme with the "Pinstripe Billy" design, and it is made in the USA¹². MusicRadar's reviewer noted the styling takes its cues from a late-60s Roger Mayer pedal, with a wedge-of-cheese shape and weighty construction³.

The controls: Fuzz, Level and seven EQ sliders

The Siete Santos carries over the Level and Fuzz controls from the original Octavio Fuzz and adds seven graphic EQ sliders on top¹. Dunlop's manual describes what each control does⁶:

The EQ is what sets this pedal apart from a straight Octavio reissue. The seven sliders cover a full spectrum of frequencies from 100Hz to 6.4kHz, with up to 18dB of boost or cut on each band¹⁵. MusicRadar's reviewer, Trevor Curwen, found that "those EQ bands cover all the salient areas of guitar/amp tone with a range from 100Hz to 6.4kHz"³. The sliders have center detent positions, so you can return any band to flat by feel, and Guitar.com's review noted the bands have handy LED markers³².

One practical point from MusicRadar: the Fuzz and Level knobs are front-mounted rather than on top, which the reviewer found "not the easiest to set"³.

For starting settings, Dunlop's manual is direct:

1. Set the FUZZ and LEVEL knobs to 12 o'clock⁶.
2. Set all GRAPHIC EQ sliders to 0dB, meaning flat⁶.
3. Adjust the EQ bands to taste, then raise FUZZ for more intensity⁶.

Power and connections

The pedal runs on 9V DC, center negative⁴. Dunlop lists three ways to power it: a 9-volt battery (accessed through the bottom of the pedal), a Dunlop ECB003 9-volt adapter, or the DC Brick, Iso-Brick, and Mini Iso-Brick power supplies¹⁶. The AC power jack is itself an update over the original Octavio, which did not have one⁵.

How it differs from the original Octavio Fuzz

The Siete Santos is a variant of the Dunlop Octavio, and the differences are specific. The fuzz circuit and the Level and Fuzz controls are the same as the original pedal's¹. What the Siete Santos adds:

• A 7-band graphic EQ for tone sculpting, which the original lacked¹⁵
• An AC power jack, which was not present in the original¹⁵
• A custom color scheme with the "Pinstripe Billy" design in the classic cheese-wedge shape¹⁶

Dunlop also makes the Octavio circuit in other forms, including the MXR M267 Octavio Fuzz and the Dunlop Jimi Hendrix '69 Psych Series Octavio Fuzz, both of which are true bypass like the Siete Santos but without the EQ section⁷⁸².

History: Billy Gibbons' solo recipe in one pedal

The story starts in 1968, when Jimi Hendrix introduced Billy Gibbons to the Octavio Fuzz. According to Dunlop, Gibbons has paired the Octavio with a 7-band EQ for his solos ever since, and Dunlop decided to put that recipe into a single pedal¹. The pedal was announced at NAMM in January 2019⁵, and Guitar.com reviewed it in May 2019 at a price of £219².

Dunlop's manual sums up the intent: the circuit is based on the Jimi Hendrix Octavio Fuzz, "updated and dressed up sharply for the Bearded One, the Reverend, Mr. Billy Gibbons," with the modern convenience of an AC power jack added⁶.

What reviewers said

Published reviews were positive. Guitar.com's reviewer, Richard Purvis, gave it 8 out of 10, calling it "Hendrix heroics and advanced tonal tweakery in one box"². MusicRadar's Trevor Curwen listed its pluses as an authentic-sounding vintage octave fuzz, a very flexible EQ, smart styling, and blue LEDs³.

Guitar.com also highlighted the EQ's flexibility, noting the sliders "offer up to 18dB of cut or boost on each frequency, and have handy LED markers"².

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