The Hairy Eggplant Octave Fuzz from Hochstrasser Electronics is a small octave fuzz with a wide range of tones, built on the architecture of the classic Foxx Tone Machine but with added flexibility in tone shaping. Its central feature is a Clip switch that selects between two clipping styles: one drawn from the Foxx Tone Machine and one from the Big Muff Pi. Pedal of the Day described it as "bringing the sounds of 2 classic pedals into one pedalboard-friendly enclosure"1.
Controls
The pedal's controls are arranged around three switches and a Tone knob, each with a distinct job1:
| Control | Position | What it does |
|---|---|---|
| Clip switch | Down | Engages a set of clipping diodes similar to those used in the Foxx Tone Machine1 |
| Clip switch | Up | Clipping occurs in a style similar to that found in the Big Muff1 |
| Tone switch | Up | Some low end is brought back in for a rounder fuzz tone1 |
| Tone switch | Down | The lows are rolled off and the fuzz becomes more edgy1 |
| Octave switch | Up | The octave is engaged1 |
| Tone knob | Any | Used to roll off the highs1 |
The Clip switch is the heart of the pedal. Rather than committing to one fuzz circuit, it lets a player move between the two clipping approaches that define its ancestors, and Pedal of the Day highlighted the ability to switch instantly between Muff-style and Tone Machine sounds as a huge plus for the pedal's overall sound and flexibility1.
Foxx Tone Machine and Big Muff roots
Both sides of the Clip switch point at well-documented circuits. The Foxx Tone Machine was a fuzz and octaver, and RockBoard's PedalPedia calls it "one of the most expressive and more extreme fuzz boxes of the 1970s"2. TONEHOME describes the original as "the funky, fuzzy coated fuzz pedal", a reference to the fuzzy felt coating of US-made Foxx pedals such as the Tone Machine octave fuzz pedal3, a detail MusicRadar's Trevor Curwen also noted4. The circuit has been cloned since, and General Guitar Gadgets' project version is described as having "a great fuzz sound and Octave sound as well"5.
The other side of the switch reaches toward the Big Muff. Kit Rae's Big Muff history notes "a characteristic underlying harmonically-doubled octave sound mixed into the Muff tone", which is one reason a Big Muff-style clipping section and an octave circuit sit naturally together in one pedal6. Electro-Harmonix's own Big Muff Pi 2 page describes the family's "unique fuzz tone" in similar terms7.
"As just a fuzz pedal, the Hairy Eggplant sounds incredible, and having the option to add in that octave tone takes every"
What reviewers said
Pedal of the Day's review of 20 March 2021 is the main published verdict on the pedal. Its reviewer found that the Hairy Eggplant sounds incredible as a fuzz pedal on its own, that the octave option takes it up a notch, and that instant switching between Muff-style and Tone Machine sounds is a huge plus for the pedal's overall sound and flexibility1.
Videos
Hochstrasser Electronics
Pedal of the Day
Pedal Haven
Questions
What does the Clip switch do on the Hairy Eggplant?
It selects between two clipping styles. In the Down position it engages a set of clipping diodes similar to those used in the Foxx Tone Machine. In the Up position, clipping occurs in a style similar to that found in the Big Muff, giving the pedal a second, different fuzz character.
Is the Hairy Eggplant based on the Foxx Tone Machine?
Pedal of the Day describes it as building on the architecture of the classic Foxx Tone Machine, with added flexibility in tone shaping. The Clip switch's Down position uses diodes similar to the Foxx's, while the Up position moves toward Big Muff-style clipping.
Can the Hairy Eggplant sound like a Big Muff?
In the Clip switch's Up position, clipping occurs in a style similar to that found in the Big Muff, so the pedal reaches toward that family of fuzz tones. Pedal of the Day noted that instant switching between Muff-style and Tone Machine sounds is a huge plus for the pedal's overall sound and flexibility.
What does the Tone switch do?
It changes the low end. In the Up position, some low end is brought back in for a rounder fuzz tone. In the Down position, the lows are rolled off and the fuzz becomes more edgy. The Tone knob itself rolls off the highs.
Sources (7)
- Hochstrasser Electronics Hairy Eggplant Octave Fuzz, Pedal of the Day, 2021-03-20
- Tone Machine by Foxx, RockBoard (rockboard.de PedalPedia), 2026
- TONEHOME, TONEHOME - the World of Vintage Guitar Effect Pedals
- Orange Fur Coat review, MusicRadar, 2018-03-02
- Foxx™ Tone Machine™ Clone: Octave Fuzz Kit, PCB & Schematic, General Guitar Gadgets, 2014-05-18
- The Big Muff Pi Home Page, Kit Rae (kitrae.net), 2014
- Big Muff Pi 2, Electro-Harmonix
