DIY octave down pedal?

[Joe Garfield]

Has anyone built one? I'd like to have a pedal that emulate bass notes with my guitar, for loops/backing tracks, etc.

[JohnH]

I made this, and really love it. I don't know if it's what you were going for though, and I really use it to make a lot of noise (as in drone/doom), so I don't know how well it would work as a bass emulator. Also it kind of let's both notes through together, which sounds good but maybe isn't what you're after. It's fun though

https://www.parasitstudio.se/u235.html

[jugglindan]

No, sorry. It's not an effect I would use and have never built one. I experimented with the sound on an old digital multifx box I had (Zoom GFX-707).

From your description, you are looking for an octave down effect which seems less common than an octave up. The two kits I can find are the Uboat and the Rocktave Divider. I have no experience with either though.

Not a kit, but there are things like the EHX Bass9. Looks like a digital pedal, and not a kit.

That's my attempt to give an informative no, but really, it's still "no, never built one, never seen one". Sorry.

[Simon Barden]

I have an 80's Pearl Octave pedal, which does 1 and 2 octaves down, and one above. It's a little bit better than the Boss octave pedal, (which only has octave down and above) but they are pretty similar.

Tracking is always a problem with these, and the lower the note, the less accurate the note is. Also, the octaves are rather a fuzzy sound, not a perfect pitch changed version of the original.

If you want something simple, good sounding and reliable to use with a looper, then you need to go digital. Like that EHX9 pedal (or maybe one of EHX's POG pedals which also track very well).

In a DAW, then a pitch shift plug-in (normally one comes as standard with the DAW) will do a rough job.

Though obviously the real answer is to get a bass kit and build that.

[JohnH]

The EHX Bass9 looks pretty cool, but I'd never have that kind of cash to throw at a pedal

[McCreed]

re: Bass 9 - Yeah, that's a pretty cool pedal for sure, but like JohnH, not one I'd lay out 500 bucks for.
I'll keep my $30 SX Jazz Bass (and continue to play it badly )

I have set it up properly and modified it, so it's actually pretty good when a real bass player has it in their hands.

[JohnH]

re: Bass 9 - Yeah, that's a pretty cool pedal for sure, but like JohnH, not one I'd lay out 500 bucks for.
I'll keep my $30 SX Jazz Bass (and continue to play it badly )

I have set it up properly and modified it, so it's actually pretty good when a real bass player has it in their hands.

Ha ha ha, I was literally just saying to my wife that I may as well buy a bass kit for $500

[jugglindan]

I didn't even look up the price of the Bass9, but that is on the expensive side of expensive.

[Joe Garfield]

Please don't make me buy that double-neck SG and convert one side to a bass. Shame on you for putting such a crazy idea in my head.

Fortunately I do have a digital piano so I'm more likely to use that than a real bass guitar. Whew.

[JohnH]

Please don't make me buy that double-neck SG and convert one side to a bass. Shame on you for putting such a crazy idea in my head.

Fortunately I do have a digital piano so I'm more likely to use that than a real bass guitar. Whew.

I'd be keen for a bass/6-string SG, but also probably shouldn't be thinking about it lol