Jeff Becks octaver on Wired album?

[jpm83]

What octaver did he use on Goodbye Porkpie Hat? Is it some sort of transformer octave like tycho or is it scrambler?

Janne

[Mark Hammer]

I was always under the impression it was a Blue Box, partly because it was what was available at the time and because I'm fairly sure I read it somewhere, but I could be wrong.  I also started noticing recently that he uses false harmonics on "off" frets that produce ring-mod-like tones from time to time.  For instance, crank your volume and rest your finger above the 3rd fret on the E or A strings while you pick, without pressing down.  Weird, huh?  Some tones, though, I think Jeff is the only person in the world who knows how he gets them.

[jpm83]

I'm pretty sure that in that tune the "ring mod" sound is effect based. I think he uses that false harmonics thing more in kind of tremolo picking thing like Blue Winds beginning of the solo. I found that easiest way to make that sound was to use the flesh of thump instead of using the pick. Thanks for the reply. Does the Blue Box do octave up? Because I think that the effect is octave up in that tune.

Janne

[Mark Hammer]

The Blue Box does 2 octaves down.  BUT....the signal it is mixed with is anything but clean.  It is quite possible that in the right hands, and at the right volumes, that turns into a sort of octave up.  Hopefully, someone with more knowledge will chime in.

[jpm83]

I think there is that kind of 2 octaves down effect in the solo of tune Come Dancing on that album. Maybe I now have to do Blue Box also to my collection.

Janne