Tips

Here's some tips for getting the most out of
your Chicago Iron Tycobrahe Reproductions

The Chicago Iron Parachute Wah

What the Parachute Wah can do:

• No Switch Settings. Replace your current multi tone wah. No switches to deal with.

• Huge Sweep. The Parachute Wah has the biggest sweep in the business. You can literally play the portion of wah frequency you need. The Chicago Iron Parachute Wah housing has the exact same long sweep travel as the original Tycobrahe Parapedal.

• Full Frequency. The Parachute Wah works with almost any instrument.

• New Sounds. Loves to be mixed with other effects. Finally you can make your own signature wah sound.

Vintage Wah effects couldn't get easier. What makes this wah pedal extra special is the wide, full frequency sweep and all the other pedals you can mix it with. Even though the original Tycobrahe Parapedal design is 30 years old, we feel this wah is still ahead of it's time.

By itself, the Chicago Iron Parachute Wah is a formidable weapon. The Parachute goes LOW. In fact it goes so low it can be used like a volume pedal. At the end of the heel stroke, the pedal goes so low it is inaudible. It goes HIGH too. Now you don't need a sweep capacitor switch to get all the frequencies you need. They are all there already - in line and ready to sweep!

The Chicago Iron Parachute Wah likes to be used with amp distortion. It also loves being placed AFTER a distortion effect.

For the ultimate experience, try this setup, in this order:

• Guitar -
• Overdrive or distortion pedal-
• Parachute Wah -
• 800ms delay -
• Amp.

Can your wah do that? I didn't think so.

The Chicago Iron Octavian octave pedal

What the Octavian controls do:

• VOLUME KNOB - this knob is used initially to set up the pedal volume as compared to your amp's clean channel. Think OUTPUT LEVEL. It can also be used to overdrive your amp. Use caution when using this knob to drive the amp's clean channel or front end harder. It can go very loud. Plenty of output to spare. Probably louder than you can effectively use when turned past 11 o'clock. A good position to start with is 9 o'clock.

• BOOST KNOB - This knob allows you to add sustain to the fundamental note. What this means is that as you turn it up (clockwise), the fundamental note will sustain longer and longer before the pedal will do it's magic and turn the fundamental note into a blooming octave. All the way counter clockwise produces a shorter sustaining fundamental note before the octave "blooms", and turning it up (clockwise) will make the fundamental note sustain longer before the octave "blooms".

What your guitar controls will do:

Pickups:
• BRIDGE PICKUP - can still get octaves but only on the higher registers. Makes a very good tight fuzz pedal on the lower registers.

• MIDDLE PICKUP - More octave comes into play and tracking becomes better. Tone control allows many octave options. Still a huge fuzz.

• NECK PICKUP - most widely used pickup. Produces the best octave blooms especially with the tone rolled off. On the lower registers the Octavian produces a well defined bottom end fuzz. In this position the fuzz is quite powerful and full of texture.

Want some fun? try turning both the knobs on the Octavian pedal all the way up, and back off until you have a usable mayhem! Notes will compress and bloom almost uncontrollably.

Also be sure to try this pedal with lower register power chords. Try it with both of your amp's channels and find a huge bottom end drive. Very fat in dropped tunings too.

Rock & Roll has never been the same since the octave pedal came on to the scene in the 60's. These pedals are out in the hands of quite a few major artists and Hendrix/ SRV tribute bands that swear by them. This information is designed to help you maximize your octave pedal "experience".

Your pedal, by itself, should give you a strong "fuzz face" like sound on the lower neck positions, and have a hint of octave doubling as you go up the neck, combined with a ring modulated sound. After the 12th fret especially on the G B and E strings, the octave becomes even more pronounced.

You may already know about the need to use the neck pickup, with the guitar tone knob rolled all the way off to start. The pedal will sing and bloom octaves on the higher registers when followed by a high output distortion pedal, (not all buffered output pedals will do) or an amp drive channel that is setup for distortion that has a good deal of sustain, like a Marshall super lead gets when turned all the way up. Then using the neck pickup and tone knob rolled off, switch on the Octavian.

Set the Octavian pedal volume knob to achieve unity gain with your amp's clean channel and the pedal boost knob all the way counter clockwise, or off. Depending on the pickups, anywhere from the 10th fret and up you should be able to play a note and the pedal will allow the fundamental note to sound and then bloom into the octave note. By adjusting the pedal boost and the volume knob of the guitar you can go from blooming octave to double note (chiming) octave to flute like octave only. It is a system, guitar Octavian, distorted pedal or amp, guitar output signal level and tone control that make this happen. It is the same with all the octave up pedals. Forgive me if you already know how to make the octave pedals sing on your setup, as there is only a certain way that it goes.

At this time you should be able to produce a light quieter octave and ring modulator sound when using only the Octavian in the signal going to your clean amp channel. Many references to this tone are on any Band of Gypsies album.

By switching on to your amp's gain channel, or switching on a fuzz/distortion pedal after the Octavian will produce a singing sustain that blooms into a clear ringing octave. Octave is not all it can do in this position. Chords in the lower positions are huge and fat. Not just for playing the Hendrix and Stevie Ray Vaughan set. This pedal blows many other distortion pedals off the stage when it comes to bottom end drive.

When you get your Octavian pedal fitted properly in your setup, the fun really begins. When used either way the Octavian pedal is very touch sensitive. It responds to your playing style. Pick light and the octave comes out earlier. Pick heavy and the fundamental note sustains longer. Same with the guitar volume knob, turn down the volume for more octave. By experimenting with the guitar's tone knob, you can produce many different sounds and octave "sweet spots".

The Chicago Iron Octavian boasts a well defined bottom end. Something that has been missing from the clones. Try it!

Daisy Chain 9 Volt Power Distribution Information: Just like the original Tycobrahe Octavia, Parapedal and Pedalflanger pedals, The Chicago Iron Octavian and Parachute circuit is a POSITIVE GROUNDED CIRCUIT. A positive grounded circuit is exactly the OPPOSITE of what most people are used to. Most other pedals are NEGATIVE GROUND circuits and can be powered by "daisy chaining" the 9 volt power supply, reducing the number of "wall warts" and pedal board power clutter. This is an authentic circuit and the tone reflects the best a vintage Tycobrahe Octavia and Tycobrahe Parapedal has to offer, kind of like a "NOS" Hand selected 1970's Tycobrahe pedal!

The Chicago Iron Octavian an Parachute pedal can be powered by a standard 9 volt TIP NEGATIVE pedal power supply, but can only be daisy chained to similar POSITIVE GROUND pedal circuits, like an Octavian and a Parachute wah.

What this means is, in order to add a Chicago Iron Octavian or Parachute wah pedal to your existing multi pedal setup, you must dedicate another isolated 9 volt tip negative pedal power supply for the positive grounded pedal, or ALL your daisy chained pedals 9 volt power will stop, including the Octavian or Parachute.

All of your existing 9 volt tip negative, negative grounded pedals get powered from one or more isolated power supplies, and all of your positive grounded pedals, like the Tycobrahe Octavia, Parapedal and Pedalflanger and the Chicago Iron Octavian and the Parachute wah, use another dedicated, isolated 9 volt tip negative power supply.

Most pedal board power supplies have a few isolated power supplies in each box. Pick a couple from there or use two "warts", one for "negative" pedals, and one for "positive" pedals like CHICAGO IRON.

Remember the Octavian is wired for a tip negative power jack, so special "inverted" wiring is not necessary. This applies to all versions of the Chicago Iron octave pedals, and the Parachute and ParaBaby wah pedals. Enjoy!