The OCTAVIA produces a sound that is an octave higher than the note you are presently playing.  This doubling effect is accomplished through electronic mirror imaging techniques that are program sensitive and also respond to the feedforward inputs of the player.  The electronic circuitry is analogue in design and will react faithfully to all the subtleties and harmonic overtones from the guitar.  The effect produced is very unique but human in quality.  The unit that is manufactured today is representative of the latest evolution of Octavia that Jimi used and contains the feedforward and gating effect that my earlier evolutions lacked.  The modern clones today often copy the Tycobrahe unit that in fact was a rip off of my earlier 24 volt versions.  These units were not designed to work optimally with 9 volts and in fact you would be buying a clone of a copy so it makes sense to buy a unit from the man who invented it.

Electronically the OCTAVIA is an analogue circuit with the properties of a frequency doubler, envelope generator and amplitude modulator with addition frequency shaping filter circuits.  The effect produced is subtle to wild depending on the settings used and will respond to the attack of the player.  A clean tone from the guitar with say the tone rolled control rolled off will produce "ring modulated" overtones that characterise the solo to "Who knows".  The sound is tangibly different if a fuzz unit is in front of the Octavia: an upper octave double is created, clearly demonstrated in the solo to "Purple Haze".  The bright harmonics are more controllable if the neck pickup is selected and the tone control set to roll off the treble.  The effect really comes into it's own on the top E and B strings from the 7th fret up.  A clean and precise picking style is essential with particular attention to accurate fretting techniques.

Jimi placed the Octavia after a fuzz and wah unit in most cases so it would react to the combined effects of both the wah and one or more fuzz boxes.  It is important to experiment with how much signal you are driving the Octavia with as this has a great influence on the sound produced.

Sound Samples

Electronically the Axis uses a discrete circuit configuration that is completely unlike the simple and crude Fuzz Face configuration.  Both PNP and NPN silicon low noise transistors are used in an unique configuration that is temperature stable, free from radio interference and producing more output level and sustain than the Classic Fuzz.  It produces a distinctive rich-biting sound that makes solos extremely noticeable but not thin sounding and weedy like so many popular mass marketed effects.  The unit has a high input impedance to keep the guitars character and quality of tone whist providing great sustain.  It is definitely best described as fuzz rather than distortion but has the ability to be used on chords as well as solos.

Sound Samples

Electronically this guitar effect uses the Fuzz Face configuration of the classic two transistor amplifier but the low parts count and simplicity of this configuration produced many problems in the mass produced versions that were produced and available to the public. The large variations in tone quality from unit to unit, radio pickup and high frequency oscillations, temperature causing tone quality to change all made life very difficult and it was not unusual to have to select from up to 20 units to find a really good one. No two units were the same!

The version that we produce today has eliminated all of these problems and is representative of the best units that Jimi used. PNP Germanium transistors of the exact same type that were used in the early versions are very carefully selected for gain and stability to produce the rich smooth rounded tones that the later version NPN silicon transistors failed to emulate. These are still used by many modern manufacturers in so called vintage Fuzz Face versions. Germanium transistors do not pickup radio or oscillate and a pre-set has been added on the PC card to enable the unit to be optimised at varying temperatures. It is unquestionably the most accurate "Vintage fuzz effect" manufactured today that replicates the sound of the early Hendrix tracks. The Roger Mayer Classic Fuzz has the genuine pedigree and heritage and you can rest assured of having a device designed and built by the man who was there.

Sound Samples

The unit comes in the very rugged Rocket housing and features Hard Wire Bypass and an attractive and striking Signal Red paint finish.  It has two controls: Output Level, Drive or Gain and is powered by an internal 9 Volt battery with an operational life of over 150Hrs so changing a battery should not be a problem.  Successful operation is simple and is probably our easiest box to use with no previous knowledge or study of a manual required.

Sound Samples

The unit comes in the very rugged Rocket housing and features Hard Wire Bypass and an attractive and unusual Stone paint finish.  It has two controls: Output Level, Drive or Gain and is powered by an internal 9 Volt battery with an operational life of over 150Hrs so changing a battery shouldn't be a problem.

Sound Samples