Bass Pedal Shootout: MXR v BOSS v DOD

The octave effect is becoming a more and more staple addition to many bass players’ pedal-boards. With the market full of offerings from boutique high end brands to the mass produced stomp boxes we see in every music store, it can be pretty daunting when it comes to dipping your toes in the world of octave pedal options.

I have taken three of the industry’s more known octave pedal brands and set up a comparison clip. When it comes to octave pedals and bass guitar, tracking capabilities are always a major factor in getting that solid tone. All of the pedals in the video track very well, which can be highlighted in the ‘wet’ test providing only the effect signal.

MXR Bass Octave Deluxe 

• ‘Growl’ ‘Girth’ & ‘Dry’ controls onboard can blend in accentuated drive and EQ options
• A solid pedal with a very tight responsive sub octave. As used by Michael League of Snarky Puppy.

 

BOSS OC2

• ‘Oct1’ ‘Oct2’ & ‘Direct’ controls can be found on the pedal
• Fairly simple setup with a further 2 octave below blend control for further octave madness
• A classic pedal in the octave range, a favorite for many bassists including Janek Gwizdala of Mike Stern Band / Wayne Krantz.

DOD Meatbox Re-issue

• ‘Octave’ ‘Output’ ‘Low’ & ‘Sub’ controls onboard on the Meatbox reissue
• This is classed as a ‘PA Buster’ with extremely low sub frequencies achievable
• A personal favorite of pedal guru Juan Alderete

So which bass pedal is best? Well, that all depends on your playing style and the musical genres you play. You may need one of these, or all of them. Try them out for yourself at your favourite music store.

– Steve Lane