The Marsling Octafuzzdrive is a thick fuzz that uses a phase splitter and complimentary rectifier to create an octave overtone.
Boutique guitar effects design house Interstellar AudioMachines (IAM) announces the release of their latest out-of-this-world guitar effect pedal: The Marsling Octafuzzdrive.
The Marsling Octafuzzdrive is a thick fuzz that uses a phase splitter and complimentary rectifier to create an octave overtone. Building onto the discontinued 71’-78’ foXX ToneMachine, IAM tricked out the legendary circuit with a couple of mods: The octave up is now a foot switch instead of the original toggle switch for on/off multi-functionality on the fly making this a “2in1” Fuzz OR combo Fuzz/Octave pedal. Secondly, they added atone control toggle switch to let players choose between 3 different treble side tone capacitors (instead of just 1) to help dial in the absolute best tones you can from the treble side of the rotation.
Pro guitarists trust Interstellar Audio Machine pedals and so should you. Some of the legendary players that rely on IAM include Carlos Santana, Peter Frampton, JimmyHerring of Widespread Panic, Richard Fortus of Guns & Roses, Jeff Schroeder of Smashing Pumpkins, Derek Trucks, Gavin Rossdale of Bush, and many more!
Marsling Octafuzzdrive highlights include:
- Dual foot switches for Fuzz or Fuzz/Octave “2in1” capabilities on the fly
- Tone Bypass switch versatility
- 3 treble tone side capacitors for maximum tone control
- Top-mounted jacks for more board space
- Refined all-analog circuit design provides pure, ultra-consistent performance
The Marsling Octafuzzdrive pedal carries an MSRP of $329.99 and a street price of$199.99 each. They’re available at select retailers and can also be purchased directly from the Interstellar Audio Machines online store.
For more information, please visit interstellaraudiomachines.com.
Marsling Octafuzzdrive Audio Samples 1 with Joel Byron
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Oklahoma City sludge rockers Chat Pile have had a busy few years. Their 2022 LP, God’s Country, broke them internationally, and their critically acclaimed 2024 follow-up, Cool World, solidified them as one of the most exciting heavy bands of the moment. We spoke with bassist Stin and guitarist Luther Manhole about the record for our November 2024 issue.
Now, we bring you the band’s first official Rig Rundown, filmed ahead of their show at The End in Nashville last fall. Tune in to see how Stin and Luther conjure the band’s brutal soundstorms on the road.
Brought to you by D’Addario.
Bari Blast
Manhole’s main machine is this baritone 6-string, an Ernie Ball Music Man BFR Axis Super Sport, finished in “starry night.” Luther took a tip from tourmate and Agriculture guitarist Richard Chowenhill and slapped some tape over his neck pickup near the first string to prevent it from catching on the edge of the humbucker. It’s tuned to drop A, with Ernie Ball Mammoth Slinky strings.
Quite the Quilter
Back at home, Luther and Stin lean on big vintage amps, but on the road, Luther brings out this Quilter Tone Block 202, which is plugged into an Ampeg VT-40 combo amp that’s been gutted to run just as a 4x10 cabinet. Luther digs the icier, cutting tone from the 10″ speakers.
Luther Manhole's Board
Manhole’s board is minimalist: All he needs is a TC Electronic PolyTune, a Suhr Riot for dirt, an Electro-Harmonix Memory Boy (which is set for a wobbly chorus effect), and a TC Electronic Hall of Fame for reverb—pedals he’s used for over a decade. An Acoustic PBIS08 supplies the quartet with power.
Peavey Power
Around 2007, Stin went on a hunt around Oklahoma music shops for a Peavey T-40. He finally found one—in a total “Wayne’s World moment”—that belonged to a country singer who had passed away. Since the band’s formation, this “hot and clangy” white T-40 has been Stin’s tool for crafting Chat Pile’s elephantine, bottom-heavy sound. He uses the 5-string Ernie Ball Slinky Cobalts (.060–.125), omitting the .040 string, and plucks with orange Ernie Ball Everlast .73 mm picks for strong, percussive attack.
Building Blocks
Stin’s signal runs to this Quilter Bass Block 802, which blasts through a Trace Elliot 4x10 redline cab with horns—the cab that’s been used on every Chat Pile recording to date.
Stin's Board
Stin probably thinks Manhole’s board is excessive. He packs just his Boss TU-3 and a Tronographic Rusty Box, each with their own individual power supply plugged into a power bar that’s fixed to the board.
Mike Stern has been around the block. The jazz-guitar virtuoso earned his stripes through the ’70s and ’80s in New York’s jazz scene, playing 6-string with drummer Billy Cobham before tapping in with artists like Miles Davis and Jaco Pastorius—even at a time when guitar wasn’t necessarily a cornerstone piece of a jazz outfit. In this episode of Wong Notes, Stern fills Cory Wong in on the ups and downs of 50 years spent in one of the most complex and underappreciated music genres.
Stern made the leap to New York from Boston when Davis invited him to join his band (back when jazz was the pop music of the day, notes Stern), but it was a rocky ride—Stern says he and many other musicians were “bottoming out” from addiction, until a friend went sober and convinced them to give sobriety a try. Stern talks about Miles’ hidden love for the guitar, and how he succeeded in fitting into non-guitar environments.
Wong and Stern touch on the decline of arts spaces and cultures in America (thanks, Stern says, to misallocated funding), playing gigs where the band outnumbers the audience members, the benefits of running the same rig in every room, and how to pick the right pick—for Stern, that involves a bit of wig glue. Tune in to get the details, and be sure to check out our 2018 Rig Rundown with Stern, too.
