Boss | OC-2 Octave

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Model Number or Name:

OC-2 Octave

Discontinued
Octave

Circuit Type: Analog

Original Price: $99

Excellent Used Price: $280

Year Released: 1982

Year Discontinued: 2003

Alternate Version(s)

OC-3 Super Octave (2003 - Present)

The OC-2 is a basic octaver that can produce a two extra tones in additional to the original tone. The first is one octave below the original tone and the second, two octaves below. The level of each octave’s tone can be adjusted independently. The Oc-2 has always been popular with both guitar players and bass players.

To get a steady and reliable sound from the Octave, it is recommended that you keep your action high and that you have absolutely no fret buzz on your guitar. It is also an advantage to use a compressor in front of the OC-2 to limit the dynamic range that the OC-2 has to work with.

The OC-2 had originally a much lighter non-metallic brown color and it was labeled “Octaver” instead of Octave. The name changed early 1984 while the darker shade of brown was introduced about a year later. Production moved to Taiwan, 1989 and was modified for the PSA adapter 1997.

Sometime later in the life of the pedal (it is unclear exactly when) supplies of the BA634 single flip-flop used for IC6 dried up and IC6 was changed to a 4013. All the “Octaver” pedals examined had the BA634.
Therefore the following versions of the OC-2 are potentially in service:

Octaver
Octave (dark paint)
Octave (light paint)
Taiwan
PSA (there are examples that indicate the BA634-to-4013 change has definitely occurred by now)