The Hiwatt Octa Fuzz is a vintage-inspired fuzz pedal with octave sounds built in. Hiwatt unveiled it at Musikmesse 2018 as one of a pair of reproductions of classic fuzz pedals, alongside the Fuzz King. Both were designed in partnership with Gary Hurst, the designer of the Tone Bender, and both were to be hand-built by Hurst himself1.
Controls and switching
The Octa Fuzz is a stompbox with three controls. MusicRadar reported that both Hiwatt stompboxes "feature a filter control for a broad tone range, plus fuzz sustain and output level controls"1. In practice that gives a player a tone-shaping filter that sweeps across a wide range, a sustain control for how much fuzz compression and saturation the pedal produces, and a level control to match output volume.
The pedal's defining feature is its second footswitch. MusicRadar described how "the Octa Fuzz offers additional octave sounds via an octave/normal footswitch"1, so the player can switch between the straight fuzz voice and the octave voice from the floor while playing.
Where it came from
Hiwatt announced the Octa Fuzz and Fuzz King at Musikmesse 2018 as reproductions of two classic fuzz pedals, developed with Gary Hurst, the designer of the Tone Bender1. The Octa Fuzz is finished in a rugged enclosure1.
"While both are vintage-inspired fuzzes"
How it compares
A fuzz with a dedicated octave voice sits between a straight fuzz and a dedicated octave and pitch pedal: the octave effect is switched in from the pedal itself rather than coming from a separate unit. A modern pedal taking a related approach is the Keeley Octa Psi Transfiguring Fuzz, which uses two footswitches, one for the Octave and one for the Fuzz, with two sets of control circuits serving each effect type, and lets the player switch whether the octave sits before or after the fuzz by holding down both footswitches34.
The Octa Fuzz is finished in a rugged enclosure, a build detail Hiwatt highlighted at its unveiling2.
Questions
Who designed the Hiwatt Octa Fuzz?
The Octa Fuzz was designed by Gary Hurst, the designer of the Tone Bender. Hiwatt partnered with Hurst on reproductions of two classic fuzz pedals, the Fuzz King and the Octa Fuzz, announced at Musikmesse 2018. Hurst also hand-built the pedals himself, with both stompboxes hand-crafted in his hands according to the press coverage of the launch.
What does the octave/normal footswitch do?
The octave/normal footswitch selects between the pedal's additional octave sounds and its normal fuzz voice. MusicRadar described the Octa Fuzz as offering additional octave sounds via this footswitch, so a player can switch the octave effect in and out while playing.
Is the Hiwatt Octa Fuzz handmade?
Yes. Press coverage of the 2018 launch reported that the pedals would be hand-built by Gary Hurst, with Guitar.com describing both as hand-crafted by Hurst and finished in a rugged enclosure.
What does the Filter control do on the Octa Fuzz?
The Filter control provides a broad tone range. Both of the Hiwatt stompboxes, the Octa Fuzz and the Fuzz King, feature this filter control, along with fuzz sustain and output level controls.
Sources (4)
- Musikmesse 2018: Hiwatt unveils Gary Hurst-assembled fuzz pedals, MusicRadar, 2018-04-16
- Hiwatt unveils the Fuzz King and Octafuzz, Guitar.com, 2018-04-16
- Keeley Electronics Octa Psi Transfigurating Fuzz, Pedal of the Day (www.pedal-of-the-day.com), 2024-09-24
- “It has taken us a long time to get this package perfected. I've got everything in here that I could dream of”: Keeley spent three years crafting the Octa Psi, Guitar World, 2024-09-25
