The Jam Pedals Octaurus is an analog octave fuzz pedal, what the maker calls an "OCTAFUZZ": a fuzz circuit that adds an octave-up component to the note you play. JAM Pedals describes it as "a vintage-voiced octave fuzz built for raw riffs, harmonically rich leads and touch-responsive sonic impact"1. Guitar Pedal X characterizes it as a silicon upper octave fuzz, a type players know from vintage octafuzzes rather than from modern pitch-shifters2.
The circuit is not a clone of one vintage pedal. Guitar Pedal X reports that "The Octaurus is not based on any specific octave fuzz circuit - but takes its inspiration from the accumulative experien[ce]" of the best vintage octafuzzes3. Premier Guitar places it in company with the classics of the type: "For fans of the Univox Super-Fuzz, Shin-Ei Companion, and Tycobrahe Octavia"4. Delicious Audio notes a feature players of this circuit family will recognize: rolling back the guitar's volume produces a ring-mod effect, without losing double stops or fundamental intervals5.
What the Octaurus does
An octave fuzz like the Octaurus sits in the fuzz family rather than the octave and pitch family: the octave is generated by the fuzz circuit itself, from the shape of the clipped waveform, not by a digital pitch algorithm. Delicious Audio describes the design goal as clarity, with "an apparent octave that remains distinct in all pickup positions, while preserving the full, rich body of notes throughout the guitar's range"5. The Custom Octaurus LTD Edition was likewise "designed to retain the original body and the added octave across all pickup positions and fretboard placement"7.
The pedal's signature tone, as Delicious Audio summarizes it, is "a singing fuzz that cuts through mixes, with symmetrical clipping for precision and asymmetrical c[lipping]" for a looser response5.
The controls
The Octaurus has three knobs and two switches. Guitar Pedal X lists the full control set as "Voice, Tone, Clipping, Level and Gain controls"2.
| Control | What it does |
|---|---|
| Level | Sets output1 |
| Tone | Shapes the frequency balance1 |
| Gain | Controls fuzz intensity1 |
| Voice switch | Selects scooped or full-range voicing1 |
| Clipping switch | Selects symmetrical or asymmetrical clipping8 |
Scooped and full-range voicings
The Voice switch offers two frequency voices. In JAM Pedals' description, "Scooped mode tightens the response and emphasises the octave effect. Full-range mode retains more harmonic body for lead work"1. The NOS edition's page words it slightly differently: scooped mode focuses the low end and increases octave prominence, while full-range mode delivers broader, harmonically rich lead tones9.
MusicRadar's Jonathan Horsley found a practical use for the second voicing, noting "the full-range mode particularly assertive when playing with an accompaniment"10.
Symmetrical and asymmetrical clipping
The Clipping switch selects between two clipping configurations, which change the character of the fuzz rather than the amount of it. JAM Pedals says the choice changes "the pedal's feel, definition and saturation profile"11912; the NOS page describes it as adjusting "feel, tightness and dynamics"11912.
Gearnews reported on how the two modes differ in practice: "the asymmetrical mode delivers a looser and more dynamically responsive feel"13. Delicious Audio frames the same choice as symmetrical clipping for precision and asymmetrical clipping for a dynamic, looser response5.
History and versions: LTD, Standard and NOS
The Standard edition's artwork versions, all with the same sound, include "Dead in the Water," "Hairy," "Jelly Belly," "Achenbach," "Bullushka," "Marbling," "Steampunk" and "White Night"1. Each limited artwork pedal is a one-of-a-kind hand-painted piece, so the pedal you receive will differ in detail from the photos1. The NOS edition also appears in custom artwork versions, such as the JAM Pedals "Achenbach" Octaurus NOS, and as B-stock12.
RockBoard's PedalPedia entry identifies the NOS transistors as "a batch of early 60s NOS silicon transistors either made by Transitron or General Instrument or both, similar to 2N335/336"6. JAM Pedals describes the NOS edition as vintage-voiced, built with those transistors "for exceptional warmth, responsiveness and harmonic charac[ter]"9.
Pricing from the 2023 launch of the limited edition was reported two ways in the press at the same time: €409 and £299 ex VAT.
What reviewers said
Gearnews covered the April 2025 release and highlighted the asymmetrical clipping mode's looser, more dynamically responsive feel13. Premier Guitar included the Octaurus in its 2025 roundup of modern fuzz pedals, recommending it to fans of the Univox Super-Fuzz, Shin-Ei Companion and Tycobrahe Octavia, while noting it was sold out at the time4.
Videos
Pete Thorn
JAM pedals
AndyDemos
Questions
Does the Jam Octaurus run on a battery?
Yes. JAM Pedals lists the Octaurus as running on a 9V battery or 9V DC power with a centre-negative plug. The same power spec appears across the Standard artwork versions and the NOS edition, so a battery works on any of them.
Is the Octaurus true bypass?
Yes. JAM Pedals lists true bypass for the Octaurus, and the same bypass spec appears on every artwork version of the Standard edition and on the NOS edition, so the pedal passes signal uncolored when switched off.
What transistors are in the Octaurus NOS?
The Octaurus NOS is built with rare early-1960s new-old-stock silicon transistors. RockBoard's PedalPedia entry describes the batch as early 60s NOS silicon transistors made by Transitron or General Instrument or both, similar to 2N335/336 types.
What is the difference between the Octaurus Standard and NOS editions?
The Standard edition is the regular production Octaurus, sold in several hand-painted artwork versions that share the same sound. The NOS edition is a limited run built from the same rare batch of early-1960s NOS silicon transistors used in the sold-out 2023 limited edition, which JAM Pedals describes as giving the circuit exceptional warmth, responsiveness and harmonic character.
Is the Octaurus based on the Univox Super-Fuzz?
Not directly. Guitar Pedal X reports that the Octaurus is not based on any specific octave fuzz circuit but takes its inspiration from the best vintage octafuzzes. Premier Guitar groups it with pedals for fans of the Univox Super-Fuzz, Shin-Ei Companion and Tycobrahe Octavia.
How much current does the Octaurus draw?
JAM Pedals lists a current draw of 5 mA for the Octaurus, and the same 5 mA figure appears across the Standard artwork versions and the NOS edition. That is light enough to share easily with other pedals on a multi-output supply.
Sources (13)
- Octaurus, JAM Pedals (jampedals.com)
- Guitar Pedal X, Guitar Pedal X, 2024-06-25
- Guitar Pedal X, Guitar Pedal X, 2023-12-12
- Modern Fuzz Pedals That Make Old-School Sounds, Premier Guitar, 2025-05-01
- Jam Octaurus Fuzz, Delicious Audio, 2026-07-06
- Octaurus by Jam Pedals, RockBoard (PedalPedia), 2026
- JAM Pedals Custom Octaurus LTD Edition, Delicious Audio, 2023-12-12
- Octaurus NOS, JAM Pedals (jampedals.com)
- “Achenbach” Octaurus NOS, JAM Pedals (jampedals.com)
- “Built from the same sacred stash of NOS silicon transistors and germanium diodes, giving it the soul, MusicRadar, 2025-04-22
- “Achenbach” Octaurus, JAM Pedals (jampedals.com)
- Octaurus NOS B-Stock, JAM Pedals (www.jampedals.com)
- Jam Pedals Octaurus Octafuzz: Plus, Limited Run NOS Edition, gearnews.com, 2025-04-23
Richard Fortus
