Chicago Iron Octavian | Ep. 24 - Golden Age of Gear

This week on Golden Age of Gear, Derek and Joey dive deep into one of Joey's most prized pedals: the Chicago Iron Octavian. It’s not just a killer sounding fuzz—this was the first expensive pedal Joey ever bought, and it's been with him ever since.

The Octavian is a faithful clone of the legendary Tycobrahe Octavia, the same fuzz that helped shape iconic tones from Hendrix, SRV, and Michael Landau. But as Joey explains, this isn’t a plug-and-play fuzz. From dialing in the right pickup settings to understanding how your playing dynamics affect the tone, the Octavian is a wild and rewarding ride—especially when paired with other fuzzes, drives, or a neck pickup and a 12th fret solo.

Along the way, Joey gets hands-on with the pedal, and talks about his favorite fuzzes, pairing tricks, and alternatives like the Mythos Argo, Kingtone Octaland, and Scott McKeon’s builds. Some of the other gear featured in this episode includes the Kingsley Juggler and Peasant, the El Capistan delay, the DanDrive Bonk Machine, and a few other fuzz and drive pairings that bring out the best in this iconic octave fuzz sound.

If you’ve ever struggled with fuzz pedals, this episode will help you fall in love—or at least understand what the hype is all about.

💬 Got a favorite Octavia-style fuzz? Drop it in the comments!

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