In what is turning out to be a banner day for aficionados of Boss guitar effects, following the launch of the Pocket GT, the latest evolution of the pedalboard titan's OC series of octave pedals has been unveiled.
The Boss OC-5 is a familiar looking update to its long-running octave pedal, which, with a host of new features, is quite possibly the most tweakable yet.
There is a new Vintage mode, offering you the mono awesomeness of the OC-2 but with – crucially – improved tracking. The smart Poly mode, first introduced on the OC-3 Super Octave, has been upgraded, allowing you to fly with the Byrds and play full octave chords.
In its instantly recognisable dark bronze enclosure, the OC-5 includes a variable Range control so you can choose which notes you want the pedal to process. Set it low so that the octave effect works on your low E and B strings, while you can play in your regular register on the other strings.
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What's really cool is that the Range control's lowest setting allows you to isolate the bottom note in a chord. So play an open E and it you can double your low E string an octave down.
Elsewhere, you've got an octave up effect that's available in both Vintage and Poly modes, and you can play around with octave up and octave down controls to extend the range of your instrument.
The OC-5 works with either guitar or bass, take the usual 9V of DC or battery power, and should ship before the end of the month, priced $129.99.
