Octavio Evolution courtesy of Roger Mayer

[johnabraham]

In message
<015F67629E7F4B43B44B71B1C932877E022015F4@muexch01.Explc.net>, Jasen
Emmons <JasenE@emplive.org> writes
>Hi Roger,
>Thank you for your voice message and this email. We appreciate you
>taking the time to set the record straight. My friend and colleague,
>Jacob McMurray, said he had a good conversation with you, and we'll work
>to see that Dunlop doesn't misrepresent their new pedal. It's very
>important to us that we present an accurate historical perspective.
>
>Best,
>Jasen
>
>-----Original Message-----
>From: Roger Mayer [mailto:Roger@roger-mayer.demon.co.uk]
>Sent: Friday, January 19, 2007 4:09 AM
>To: Jasen Emmons
>Subject: Roger Mayer Octavio/Octavia Pedal Exhibit
>
>Dear Jasen,
>
>This letter is in regards to an exhibit that you have at the EMP museum:
>the Octavio / Octavia Guitar Pedal built and designed by me. By the way
>I never wrote on any boxes myself hence the confusion between Octavio
>and Octavia.
>It has come to my notice that Dunlop manufacturing is now releasing a
>clone of the Octavio pedal in your collection and making false claims as
>to provenance and use on the "Purple Haze" and "Fire" recordings. Please
>follow this link:
>http://namm.harmony-central.com/WNAMM07/Content/Dunlop/PR/Hendrix-Octavi
>o
>.html
>
>I would like to take this opportunity to set history straight.
>1.The Octavia / Octavio sound was first heard on record in the solo of
>"Purple Haze" and this solo was recorded on Feb 3rd 1967. I first met
>Jimi on Jan 11th 1967.
>2. The actual Octavia used did not have the same circuit, type of
>transformer or enclosure as your wedge shaped example, which was
>manufactured at least 20 months later. It did however use elements of an
>electronic configuration that could be considered pivotal. This first
>unit can be considered as Octavia Evo1.
>3. This Evo1 unit used germanium transistors and a ferrite transformer
>and also had limited drive capabilities. It was used in the recording of
>Purple Haze and Fire with another custom driver in a separate enclosure
>that also used germanium transistors. This driver was placed in front of
>Evo1 to give enough drive to satisfy Jimi.
>4. After the recordings Evo 1 was never used again in it's original form
>and consigned to the trash bin.
>5. It became obvious that both the driver section and the Octavia
>section should be combined into one box.
>6. The path of development and understanding through experimentation was
>continuous and fast like in motor racing and in the space of less than a
>year at least 15 variations and evolutions had been produced.
>7. These units were used by Jimi and not housed in a wedge shaped box.
>Some only had a life of a week or so as we both learned and experimented
>and moved on. It can be thought of as racecar development throughout a
>season. Maybe the same chassis configuration but lots of component
>changes.
>8. Later that year we began recording "Axis Bold as Love" which used
>the latest evo of Octavia on several tracks and if you listen carefully
>the clarity and detail of the Octavia effect was much more defined. Of
>course at the same time I was updating, building and customising the
>distortion units to compliment the latest evo of Octavia.
>9. At the end of 1967 I designed the wedge shaped enclosure that was
>manufactured by my father's electronic company and only 5 or so examples
>were made.
>10. The latest evo of the Octavia were housed in these new enclosures
>and still used germanium transistors and ferrite transformers. They
>however had a DPDT foot switch which the previous versions did not have
>which were primarily designed for studio work and not suited for
>touring.
>11. These first boxed used different knobs than the example you have and
>did not have a moulded in shoulder to cover the mounting nut. They were
>a tapered conical shape and made in silver plastic.
>12. I went on tour to the USA with Jimi from Jan 30th 1968 until April
>19th 1968 where the Octavia was used on a few special gigs. We did not
>use it everyday owing to fact they custom made and could not be replaced
>as I was on tour as well. Having gear stolen from the stage was a real
>problem every night. We never lost an Octavia though. Jimi and I kept
>the Octavias save with us at all times.
>13. After the winter 68 tour in the USA I returned to work at Olympic
>Studios having left the Admiralty Research Laboratories to start a new
>career designing and manufacturing recording studio consoles and
>associated outboard equipment. I of course still kept in close contact
>with Jimi and the Octavia development continued on. I was also meeting
>lots of other famous musicians and bands that came to the studio and
>also expressed a desire to have an Octavia example.
>14. It became obvious that a more rugged type of Octavia using silicon
>transistors and iron type audio transformer would be needed for rugged
>stage use. The use of low noise silicon transistors was an improvement
>in temperature stability over the germanium type. The iron laminations
>of the audio transformer did not have the detail of ferrite but overall
>was more rugged and not subject to breakage from dropping. Ferrite cores
>can be damaged more easily than iron laminations.
>15. At the end of 1968 I decided to build a limited run of 5 or so
>Octavias and 5 Distortion Pedals all housed in the wedge enclosure.
>16. The Octavia configuration used for the driver comprised of
>complimentary NPN PNP low noise silicon transistors driving a
>commercially obtained iron audio driver transformer. The biasing for
>these units were also varied to operate from 24V for studio work to an
>optimised version using an internal 9 Volt battery. This series of
>pedals used the type of knobs you have on your exhibit at EMP.
>17. These units were completed in early 1969 and went to guitar players
>like. Syd Barrett - Pink Floyd, Steve Marriot - Small Faces Peter
>Frampton - Small Faces. Jimi of course had some too.
>18. In May 1969 I went to live in New York City with my new married
>American wife and started Roger Mayer Electronics building and designing
>studio equipment. I also had taken a few of the remaining 10 pedals with
>me to New York. I of course was still in contact with Jimi and the
>development of the Octavia continued. The aim now was to get rid of the
>transformer altogether and Jimi and I got together at the Record Plant
>and Hit Factory to play with the latest evos.
>19. After Christmas 1969 I get a call from Jimi saying he needs an
>Octavia for his upcoming gig News Years eve at the Fillmore East as all
>his ones were gone missing. Luckily I had an Octavia and distortion left
>from the 10 I had made earlier that year and took these to rehearsal for
>the Band of Gypsys concert. The results can be heard on Machine Gun etc.
>20. 1970 saw Jimi real busy but I still caught up with him in the studio
>and showed him the latest version of the Octavia.
>21. In October whist working with Stevie Wonder at Media Studios I hear
>of Jimi's death. The session was called and everybody was very sad.
>22. The Rocket version of the Octavia is the latest version connected
>with Jimi and does not use a transformer but represents the last of the
>development directly inspired by Jimi.
>23. This is the reason I have never myself made a replica wedge box or
>indeed ever claimed that the Rocket Box was used was on "Purple Haze"
>or "Fire". The wedge box you have was never used on these records and
>was made at least 20 months after the fact. You indeed do have a piece
>of music history that may have been owned and used by Jimi but not on
>those tracks or "Axis Bold as Love".
>24. I could of course have lied years ago and made false claims about
>making the exact same box that was used on Purple Haze but I have not
>nor do I. I am totally against anybody else getting away with such lies.
>25. The spirit of the Octavia sound lives on and the latest version the
>Vision Octavia is an evolution Jimi would have loved.
>26. I would really appreciate your help in setting the facts straight as
>history should be correct and I don't feel that anyone at EMP can afford
>to be associated with helping pervert the truth. I contacted you as soon
>as I knew of this cynical attempt to commercialise your exhibit. Now you
>have the facts I feel confident you will take necessary, swift and
>appropriate action with the parties involved to set Jimi's history back
>on the correct path. My fortunate involvement with Jimi and being part
>of music history is payment enough and I know Paul Allen has a deep love
>of music too and an interest in keeping the spirit of music alive.
>27. Jacob McMurray your associate suggested that I take a look at your
>text surrounding this exhibit and offer my comments as to make it's
>place in history correct and I of course will be delighted to help EMP
>in any way I can.
>

--


Kindest regards,
Roger Mayer
www.roger-mayer.co.uk
"experience the difference"

[johnabraham]

"I am not a big fan of the indisputable "accuracy" of forums. There is a lot of posts to read before finding usable info and even that info has to be investigated for authenticity, accuracy and truth. Because of the necessary time and resources needed to prove theory in a forum, it rarely ever happens.The holder of the info most forum attendees are searching for rarely use forums.

This Octave topic is controversial and like a puzzle making it addictive. I know, I am Kurt Stier from Chicago Iron and I find this pedal's history and mystery fun.

Carl is correct, I do have a documented by Roger Mayer BOG era wedge pedal and have studied it for the last 3 years. There have been no less than a dozen people who have helped me along the way to further document this. I have never found another with this layout and design.

When we started building Tycobrahe over 10 years ago with the help of Cesar Diaz, we actually contacted past Tycobrahe people and bought whatever we could from them and some of the items were schematics. When we first reproduced the Octavia, I went and checked the forums and DIY schematics against what we reproduced from actual Tycobrahe units and the Tycobrahe schematics we bought and found that the DIY's were drawn wrong. We also studied the EMP octave pedal and have built a circuit from the hand drawn by Tycobrahe schematic from the Roger Mayer pedal that Tycobrahe originally cloned that started the whole mystery. That pedal, by the way, was never owned or used by Jimi. It belonged to Jeff Beck. That's the connection between Beck and Tycobrahe as told to me by a few original Tycobrahe employees.

The pedal at EMP was never used by Jimi either. It was Keith Relf's and he played harmonica. In fact, the Dunlop and the Tycobrahe are both copies of the "Plain Jane" RM octaves that were released to other artists like Syd Barrett and Jimmy Page. Whether Jimi ever used the plain units is debatable as well, but the box I have has a dozen more parts and extra transistors from what we are used to.

In 1987 I bought a transformer winding machine and destroyed a few Tycobrahe Octavia pedals to research the transformer. Back then the Tycobrahe Octavia was only $300 to $400. Expensive but worth it. After many windings I found the magic is not in the transformer. It's only there to double what you put in it making a mirror reflection 1 octave up. If it doesn't double you screwed up the winding count.

These pedals are not magic. They are a preamp and a full wave rectifier with clipping diodes. All of these ingredients and schematics were available in many electronic component data text books in the 40's. The men that deserve respect for mixing this brew and making it famous is Roger Mayer and Jimi Hendrix and the pioneers like them. I believe Roger when he shares the history. Those were turbulent times and in my mind I see Roger and Jimi working on the BOG pedal in a hotel room. Jimi had lost or had stolen by then all the octave pedals he had and who was keeping track? (insert Purple Haze) The biasing is what I would see in a hand tuned to ear pedal circuit. The wiring is controversial as well. I have studied many octave circuits and they all have some roots that are similar, and Roger made a few different wedge pedal runs so the mystery cannot be solved without records from Roger - if there are any still.

I do a service for original Tycobrahe owners. I will match the pedal they own in tone and playability. I can get them exact, but I have to mess with values on components. Do I document the customer and the changes? No. Each is different from gain to bias. Even the values of the diodes will be different. So Roger probably did the same with Jimi's input, and the box is the only reference as to what is in it.

Yes there is a BOG box. Carl has known for over a year and I can't believe he kept it to himself this long until he was severely attacked. When I started this business Carl was an early customer. One morning the phone rang and all I could hear was Hendrix. It was played so good I thought someone was playing an actual bootleg recording of Jimi. Sitting there with all my hair on end, a voice came on the phone and said "Hi this is Carl....I got the Octavian"

I love guitar. Even better I like getting those calls in the morning!

I got the RM wedge pedal from one of Jimi's musician friends. Jimi loved to jam with this guy. Jimi gave it to him with some other stuff, and said to try it on his keyboards. The guy did and it didn't work so well. He contacted Roger and Roger made him one for keyboards for $1000 and he put this one away for decades. This is in 1969~1970! I have the actual receipt from when it was made and invoiced.

When the pedal is played you will notice immediately the many differences between it and the plain jane circuit. I fully understand the way Jimi played with one hand now. The sustain is amazing - even at low gain like no other pedal I have played. It was an event attended by a few friends and collectors who swore to keep it secret.

I reproduced it even before Tripps and Dunlop made the mad dash and claims. I talked to Jeorge about it when he was still at Line 6. I asked Roger if he would custom build me 500 of them and I would pay him $500 each to do it and he said he would think about it. I asked if Chicago Iron would make it, would he accept some of the financial rewards if I sent them to him and he was very nice and said I was the first guy to ever mention the part including him in the profit. Dunlop never even contacted him.

To try to stop the banter about authenticity, I offered it to Dunlop for a tidy sum and they declined, acknowledging what they were selling was not the documented Jimi effect. They were resting on "It was made by Roger". Who will know?

I bought a few of the Dunlops and have mounted quite a few Octavian circuits in them for customers. It's not a bad octave, they all sound different and the pot wire is in the wrong spot on the PCB for the plain jane design. I was told they were not allowed to disassemble the pedal or look at the bottom of the board and that they said their engineers have enough experience to figure it out...

I have played many octave circuits. Cesar and I decided what was the best combination of ring mod, octave bloom, harmonics, gain and sustain that we found in original Tycobrahe pedals and optimized the circuit we sell today to incorporate the best of each. It has become the benchmark and everything produced by others since we did that is suspiciously groomed with that tone and bloom in mind. The plain jane RM pedal does not sound like the Tycobrahe, but now the Dunlop clone sounds like a Tycobrahe. The transistor gain is different between a Tycobrahe and a RM wedge. Tycobrahe has more gain and "bloom" than the early RM units. The RM wedge octaves really don't bloom much at all. They chime. You would have to play really light on a Tycobrahe to sound like that.

I have had many RM products. I fully understand the forward technology of what he sells in his Octavia and why he does not want to go back to the old design. If I took Jimi's BOG pedal and made it with today's stable and RF rejecting and buffering, it would be close to what you buy today from Roger Mayer. The original Purple Haze box had a ferrite core transformer. If you dropped the pedal the tranny shattered. So that design was scrapped. The BOG has an iron core, like the Tycobrahe. Ever wonder why the old wedges have to have a shielded input which is not on the Tycobrahe, but on the Dunlop? That problem was designed out and with it some of the tonal nuances for stability. I personally like instability better. I know how to adjust knobs and can remember how to keep from oscillation, but I find the most fun when the octave is on the edge of chaos!

With thousands of famous recordings of the Tycobrahe pedals out there and about 12 combined recorded uses of different RM octaves used by Jimi, most of us are tainted. The Tycobrahe pulls an easier octave, sounds almost the same, and if you had one of these BOG units you will have to learn to play it all over again. They are not the same. I thought it was broken the first minute I spent with it, and I have played octaves for a long time. It was just a different technique. Jimi's technique. "

**********************************************************************************************

****There needs to be some correction to Kurt's use of the term or abbreviation of "BOG" in the descriptions of his pedal. "BOG" is a term or abbreviation for the "Band of Gypsys" which held shows on December 31, 1969- 1 January 1970 for those who don't know. It was there when the BOG recorded a few famous tracks in which Jimi used the Octavia on Machine Gun and Who Knows, etc. It is fact what Kurt has is a Octavia which Jimi owned and played through, that was authenticated in January 2000- but what is not known, is whether or not he has the same pedal used for the famous recordings.

Jimi owned 1 other unit- and a possible 3rd unit which were configured most likely near exacting to what the famous pedal was. Until Mr. Mayer personally inspects Kurt's pedal, it's unclear whether of not it is the actual pedal used at those famous shows. Mr. Mayer does know for fact which configuration that Jimi used on those shows, there is only one- and it will be distinct from the other units. No slight here to Kurt by any means whatsoever about his use of the term or abbreviation of "BOG" in connection to the pedal he has. It just has to be clear again that it's still unknown as to whether or not he has the actual famous unit, or it exists elsewhere....


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