Guitar Octavers - A question best answered by bassists.

[llamalor2112]

I have been looking toward messin' around with guitar octavers (using a 6 string electric) and have been having a hard time confirming just how well that some octavers actually track and produce a convincing bass guitar or bass VI sound.

I've been looking particularly at the ElectroHarmonix Micro POG.

Anybody have anything to say w/ regards to this that actually plays bass and isn't some guitard just sayin' it sounds real bassy even when they have no idea what they're saying.

[fightthepower]

An octaver will not do a realistic bass guitar sound on its own; an analog octaver will give you a keyboard-like bass tone. I have found the EHX *OG's to yield the most 'natural' tones in terms of sounding like a stringed instrument, though on their own they still leave much to be desired IMO; if the application permits, I find an overdrive or some other dirt to go a long way in making it sound more like an actual (overdriven) bass guitar.

For bass applications, analog or digital will track fine so long as you play with clean technique and do not allow sympathetic string vibration-- all analog octavers are Monophonic. The POG and related track extremely well and are somewhat polyphonic; they will track simple chords, fast playing.. sloppy playing, fuzz'd signals, etc-- they are the best tracking octavers/harmonizers on the market in my experience.

[chuck3]

I recently got the EHX POG 2 and am very satisfied with it. You have great flexibility with the sliders on one/two octaves up and one/two octaves down (not that you need the latter for bass, but it's great with a guitar). The sliders on the right side are effects that let you emulate an organ or a synthesizer if you wish. I've played this with several electric basses, an Upton upright and a Larrivee acoustic/electric guitar and it's been great with all. It may be most awesome for guitar since you can go low as well as high.