Legendary effects manufacturers DOD and Morley have united to create something truly remarkable: the Wah-ocTo-Fuzz™ pedal. Available now worldwide through local retailers and online, this innovative device answers the call of musicians looking to combine classic sounds by masterfully harmonizing three distinct effects into one unit. The pedal achieves this by blending DOD’s iconic 80’s FX35 Octoplus circuit with Morley’s timeless 70’s wah and fuzz circuits. The result is a pedal that simply leaves players saying, “WTF!”.

Designed to ignite creativity for guitar, bass, and keyboard players alike, the Wah-ocTo-Fuzz™ empowers musicians to use a singular effect or combine one, two, or all three simultaneously. The octave section utilizes the DOD FX35 Octoplus circuit to produce a classic analog octave blend that channels the captivating, glitchy essence of the 1980s. Players can easily sculpt this sound using the Direct Level to control the dry signal output, the Tone Control to adjust the overall brightness, and the Octave Level to dictate the lower octave signal.

The wah section boasts Morley’s classic Electro-Optical design and features convenient switchless operation; users simply step on the glow-in-the-dark treadle grip to instantly engage the wah effect. Finally, the fuzz circuit draws inspiration from the timeless sounds of Morley’s 1970s era, offering an Intensity Level knob to control the gain of the fuzz effect and a Fuzz Level knob to manage your overall signal when the fuzz is activated.

Built for maximum protection, the WTF pedal is housed in a rugged and lightweight Cold-Rolled Steel chassis. It also features a premium Morley buffer circuit designed to protect your tone from any mischief in your signal chain.

The new Wah-ocTo-Fuzz pedal features standard 1/4″ instrument jacks for both its input and output connections. For power, the unit operates using a standard 9VDC 300 mA center negative power supply, utilizing a standard +9V DC tip-negative barrel jack. Alternatively, it supports standard 9V battery operation that is easily accessible via a quick-clip battery door. Physically, the pedal measures 6.86 inches in length, 4.23 inches in width, and 3.88 inches in height, with a total weight of 2.27 lbs. (1.03kg). Finally, the Wah-ocTo-Fuzz is backed by a 1-year warranty.

For more information on the new DOD and Morley Wah-ocTo-Fuzz, please visit www.digitech.com.

Street Price: $249.99 USD

Phil Jones Bass announces the BOOSTEROOSTER Model PE-2, A precision 2-band EQ, preamp, and clean booster for bass. Packing a boost of 18dB of 2-band clean gain, the PE-2 is a compact preamp and EQ pedal engineered specifically for electric and upright bass. It has been engineered to restore tonal control in any environment and delivers consistent, authoritative bass tone when connecting to PAs, recording interfaces, or unfamiliar backline — where bass tone is most often compromised.

The BOOSTEROOSTER’S +18dB of clean gain will drive amplifiers into their optimal operating range, compensating for passive or low-output instruments, and maintaining signal strength through long cable runs or complex pedalboards with no distortion, no compression, no coloration.

Features of its precision EQ include Bass Control (±12dB @ 60Hz) — targets true fundamentals, adding weight and authority without boom or speaker overload.

Treble Control (±12dB @ 6kHz) — adds clarity and articulation without harshness.

For more features and information, visit online at www.pjbworld.com

Kikuchi Guitars, Japanese boutique craftsmanship with a legacy behind it…

A new name has entered the international bass guitar scene, though the story behind it reaches back decades.

Kikuchi Guitars is the work of Japanese master luthier Yoshiyuki “Yoshi” Kikuchi, a respected builder whose career includes work connected to renowned Japanese and American bass brands and artists. During his career, Kikuchi has been associated with Atelier Z, John Suhr and Roger Sadowsky. In the early 1990s, he moved to New York to work alongside Roger Sadowsky and further refine his craft, later contributing to the development of Sadowsky’s Japanese production.

Today, decades of experience in design, setup and refinement come together in Kikuchi Guitars: instruments built around musicality, balance, smooth playability and immediate response.

The philosophy behind Kikuchi Guitars is simple: evolve the classic electric bass by improving feel, balance, response, consistency and musicality, without losing the soul players fell in love with in the first place.

“A legacy, made personal.”

The basses are manufactured in small batches in Japan and combine inspiration from classic 60’s and 70’s bass designs with carefully considered modern refinements. Features such as graphite-reinforced necks, lightweight hardware, transparent custom electronics, carefully selected woods and exceptionally low, even setups all contribute to instruments known for their comfort, balance and responsiveness.

The current lineup includes the Hermes Series, featuring models inspired by vintage configurations of Jazz Basses and available in both active and passive versions. Rather than custom shop instruments built to order, these basses are produced in limited batches with fixed specifications, allowing Kikuchi to offer boutique-level craftsmanship at a more accessible price point.

Tonally, Kikuchi basses are known for articulate lows, textured mids, crisp highs and a highly dynamic response. Whether played fingerstyle, slapped aggressively or used in subtle studio work, the instruments remain musical, balanced and expressive.

Kikuchi basses are already attracting attention from players looking for a refined boutique instrument that blends vintage familiarity with Japanese precision, detail and feel.

In addition to the bass lineup, Yoshi Kikuchi is also building a small number of handcrafted archtop guitars. At present, it has not yet been determined whether these instruments will become available outside Japan.

Kikuchi Guitars Europe, based in Hilversum, The Netherlands, is the official European distributor and showroom location for the brand. In the United States, players can connect through Kikuchi Guitars USA. Players are welcome to book private demo sessions in person or online.

Visit online at kikuchiguitars.com

EarthQuaker Devices Announces the Scrolls Bass Odyssey, A Bass Rig in a Box That Takes Your Tone From Motown to Metal With the Click of a Button…

Bassists are historically a painfully underserved demographic when it comes to new pedal releases in general, let alone ones that are truly exciting and groundbreaking.

But even the bass players get lucky sometimes.

And today is their lucky day, because the insatiable tonesmiths at EarthQuaker Devices have released the Scrolls Bass Odyssey—a powerful, modern tool capable of shaping any bass signal to match virtually any bass and amp combination imaginable.

Essentially, Scrolls is a sonic pilgrimage through the entire universe of electric bass tone. From Motown to Metal and everywhere between and beyond.

It all started when legendary bassist Kentaro Nakao, best known for his work with ’90s Japanese rock band Number Girl, challenged EarthQuaker Devices to capture the vast history of vintage and modern bass tones in a single, portable form factor. Ultimately, Nakao wanted the ability to summon any bass sound he needed, no matter where in the world he was playing and regardless of the other gear at his disposal.

“I am constantly playing shows in every type of venue you can imagine, so having my sound in a portable rig is a must—that’s why I’ve been a big believer in preamps for a long time,” Nakao explained. “I’ve realized that what’s most important to me is a wide range of EQ control and the ability to shape overdriven tones.”

The pedal’s Drive is a rich, tube amp-like distortion that was inspired by a rare, little known pedal from Nakao’s personal collection. Key amongst the Drive channel’s features are the Blend and Bandwidth controls that are on tap to ensure the low-end response remains intact. 

The EQ channel boasts a full suite of active, audiophile-quality controls. The secret weapon of the EQ is the Variable Frequency control—a feature that enables players to cut or boost frequencies from around 20 Hz to 10 kHz. It’s the perfect tool for cutting out the mud and boosting the high-end.

“When we were working on Scrolls, I wanted the EQ channel to be totally transparent when the knobs are set at 12 o’clock, so the output sounds exactly like the clean signal coming in,” Nakao revealed. “This keeps my bass sounding like my bass, while giving me the ability to enhance its natural tonal qualities and make adjustments across a full frequency spectrum.”

Additionally, the EQ side of Scrolls features three push buttons for one-click on-demand tone sculpting. The Deep button adds 80 Hz boost for booming, but clear low end. The Process button scoops the mids and instantly produces a modern tone that is punchy, dynamic, and defined. Finally, a quick press of the Bright button activates 5 kHz boost to add articulation and attack.

Ideal for use in complex setups with multiple signal paths, Scrolls features three outputs that all work simultaneously. There’s a buffered parallel out for sending clean signal to an external destination like an amp, tuner, DI, or other effects; a balanced XLR out to run Scrolls directly to front of house or into a recording interface; and finally a good-old fashioned ¼” output for your amp.

Scrolls also features an effects loop that lives between the Drive and EQ channels.

“The effects loop is really designed so that Scrolls can function as the brains of your pedalboard,” EarthQuaker Devices Founder & President Jamie Stillman explained. “Bassists can place modulation, time-based, or any other effects that they’d normally place after their dirt pedals (including more dirt pedals) after the Drive channel, while still retaining all the tone-shaping benefits the EQ channel offers.”

Much like the speaker cab simulations EarthQuaker has worked into their Easy Listening and ZEQD-Pre pedals, the signal from the XLR out on Scrolls includes just a splash of discrete analog filtering to give it some amp-like-character. No menu diving or digital modeling required.

“Most XLR outs tend to have a harsh top end that sounds nothing like what is coming out of the amp, especially when dirt is involved,” Stillman said. “I thought it would be useful to add a bit of natural filtering so what is sent to the front of house is much closer to what is coming out of the amp.”

If you’re wondering whether or not Scrolls is for you, here’s an easy way to tell. Ask yourself the following questions: Do you play bass? Would you like to have a pedal that can make your bass sound like virtually any bass/amp combo with the click of a button and the turn of a knob or two? Would you like a pedal that’s compact and versatile enough to be the only thing you need to play a session or show other than a bass if that’s all you wanted to bring?

If you answered yes to even just one of those questions, then you’re exactly who Scrolls is for.

Each and every Scrolls is all-analog, true bypass, and built one-at-a-time by credentialed professionals at the EarthQuaker Devices Tone Wellness Clinic under the malt gray skies of Akron, Ohio.

Scrolls Bass Odyssey is available now wherever EarthQuaker Devices are sold.

Neural DSP Introduces Darkglass® Ultimate – Expanding the Iconic Darkglass Sound into a Complete Creative Platform for Bass…

Neural DSP announced Darkglass Ultimate, a revamped plugin that brings the iconic Darkglass sound into a complete, studio-ready bass rig. Available as a free update for existing Darkglass Ultra users, it builds on Darkglass Ultra by combining Darkglass’ defining tones with a full signal chain and creative tools, enabling players to move from initial idea to finished, record-ready sounds all within one plugin.

The Darkglass sound has defined modern bass tone for more than a decade, with its powerful low end, clarity, and unmistakable character. Neural DSP first brought that sound into the digital domain in 2018, capturing the essence of the B7K Ultra and Vintage Ultra preamps inside a plugin. With this release, Darkglass Ultra evolves into a creative platform for bass – extending beyond preamp modeling into a signal chain designed for modern bass workflows.

“With Darkglass Ultimate, we’re expanding the Darkglass sound into something more comprehensive,” said François Barrillon, Lead Product Manager – Plugins, Neural DSP. “For many players, that sound has been a reliable starting point – something they shape around and build on. This release brings more of that process into the same place, so you can experiment, refine, and carry a sound further without stepping outside of it – while preserving the clarity, power, and character that define Darkglass.”

The Darkglass Sound, Fully Unleashed

At the core of Darkglass Ultimate are the B7K Ultra and Vintage Ultra – two circuits that have shaped modern bass tone.

The B7K Ultra delivers a tight, aggressive drive with controlled low end and clear articulation, while the Vintage Ultra introduces a warmer, more rounded character inspired by classic tube amplification. Together, they offer a wide tonal range that remains consistent, responsive, and immediately usable in a mix.

Surrounding the B7K Ultra and Vintage Ultra is a signal chain designed to support the entire process of tone creation:

• Pre-effects including compressor, auto-wah, octaver, and fuzz for shaping dynamics and character
• Post-effects such as chorus and delay
• Darkglass cabinet simulations including DG210C 2×10 and DG810ES 8×10 with flexible microphone positioning
• A 9-band graphic EQ designed specifically for shaping bass tone
• Integrated tools including transpose, tuner, metronome, and a curated selection of production-ready presets

This extends the Darkglass sound beyond the B7K Ultra and Vintage Ultra into an all-in-one bass toolkit – combining its defining tones with the tools needed to shape, refine, and bring sounds to completion.

“Darkglass Ultimate represents how we continue to build on what players already know and love,” said Douglas Castro, CEO and Co-Founder of Neural DSP. “We’ve taken the core Darkglass tones and expanded them into a more complete setup, bringing more of the signal chain within a single environment and making the process of shaping and developing a sound more fluid – so players can spend less time managing their tone and more time creating with it.”

To learn more and purchase Darkglass Ultimate, visit neuraldsp.com/darkglass-ultimate. A 14-day free trial is available.