Thorpy sneaks out super limited The OLD Timer 3-in-1 Hendrix in a Box - Octavia + Tacit Blue Fuzz + ER-2 Uni-Vibe
For the keen tone chasers among you - most will be familiar with Foxrox’s Captain Coconut Hendrix-in-a-Box combo pedal - consisting of an Octavia Style Octave Fuzz, Arbiter Fuzz Face style Fuzz, and Shin-ei style Uni-Vibe. The first Captain Coconut appeared in around 2000, so it’s kind of fitting that we get a further tribute to that 24 years later!
Thorpy has taken that format as an inspiration - which then lets him make use of his already brilliant Tacit Blue Germanium Fuzz Face, and ER-2 Uni-Vibe - here in improved Block 2 edition.
The mission of course is the same - to deliver a single box to cover most of Hendrix’s key tones. Thorpy’s Old Timer has some really clever routing - with each pedal section essentially being an independent capable FX Loop Send / Return pair - while you can also simply connect to the start and end of that chain - giving you interesting Switching and cabling Options!
Thorpy’s Tycobrahe Octavia take is a first here for him, and has not been released independently before. We may well get some format of stand-alone edition of that Octave Fuzz eventually, while for now - if you want a Thorpy Upper Octave Fuzz - then you need The Old Timer!
Note that the recently retired ER-2 has been massively re-engineered - now with the lightbulb and ldrs removed. Which makes its output more consistent, and a little louder. To all intents and purposes - Thorpy has been able to simplify his circuit a little to still deliver those superbly articulate uni-vibe sounds.
I obviously own the ER-2 original and Tacit Blue, and I have several upper octave fuzzes in my collection to recreate the same sounds. A further advantage of the Old Time is its expression port - which allows you to remotely manipulate the Speed and Intensity of the ER-2.
Controls - OCTAVIA } Volume, Boost, Oct-Lift Switch; TACIT BLUE (Ge Fuzz Face) } Volume, Fuzz, Smooth, Bias; ER-2 BLOCK 2 (Uni-Vibe) } Intensity, Speed, Offset, Volume, Cho / Vib Footswitch, Vibe Footswitch.
You obviously have this The Old Timer, Foxrox's Captain Coconut - which I think is currently discontinued or on hiatus, and then you also have the Keeley Electronics Monterey along similar lines. I'm sure there is a few more out there - while with The Old Timer - you obviously get Thorpy's specialist take on those key circuits.
I really like these kinds of things, while they're not entirely practical for my complex rig. I also don't particularly like effect duplication - and since I own the ER-2 and Tacit Blue already - I will wait until Thorpy does a standalone Octavia to complete my set.
I can obviously vouch for the Tacit Blue and ER-2 which are each top tier within their respective categories - while Thorpy is such a dab hand with Fuzz, that he's one of the few that I would buy every effect from with out trial or even seeing a demo - so I expect all 3 effects to be equally spectacular.
Note that there were some super limited 'Great Escape' Secret Project 3 variants as the timing of the Old Timer coincided with the anniversary of that event - and so Thropy made just 10 of those for his super elite VIP customers.
For The Old Timer - only 100 will be made in total - in batches of 10 or 20 at a time, and the pre-orders will open up again each time the previous batch is despatched - until all 100 units are sold. With the super rare SP3 Great Escape variants - there will be 110 pedals built in total. You can Pre-Order via the ThorpyFX Webstore, where these retail for £749. The ER-2 was individually prices at £299.99, and the now discontinued Tacit Blue was also £299.99. Interestingly the Tacit Blue was Secret Project #1, and its RangeMaster Have Blue air (£249.99) was Secret Project #2!
If you were unable to get the ER-2 or Tacit Blue - then this is your best chance at that. The ER-2 Block 2 should be out on general release in due time too - and hopefully we will get an Octavia style Octave Fuzz stand-alone variant someday soon!
This is a fantastic Hendrix sound compendium - in a very attractive package, already loved by all who have encountered it!
Demos
