MXR reboots its cult classic Blue Box for the refined Poly Blue Octave pedal

MXR has debuted the M306 Poly Blue Octave pedal – a redeveloped and rebooted fuzz/pitch-shift/modulation pedal that nods to the brand’s flagship Blue Box unit.

The original Blue Box was used by a handful of electric guitar heroes – such as Jimmy Page, who put it to use on Led Zeppelin’s Fool in the Rain – and favored for its fuzz effect and two octave-down pitch-shift powers.

With the M306, MXR has tapped into the DNA of the iconic Blue Box, while simultaneously introducing a number of new-and-improved specifications.

At first glance, it offers a far more comprehensive approach to pitch-shifting. Featuring a polyphonic/monophonic switch, the M306 boasts four separate octave divisions, complete with their own level controls.

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As well as letting users shift their signal down two octaves just like the Blue Box, the M306 features a handful of extra pitch-shifting options: one octave down, one octave up and two octaves up, which are controlled via Sub-1, Sub-2, Oct+1 and Oct+2 knobs.

The Blue Box’s influence can specifically be found in the fuzz department, with the M306 coming loaded with an “unruly fuzz” – said to be derived from the Blue Box’s own effect – that is applied to all signals and tamed by way of the Dry knob and fuzz toggle switch.

Other appointments include an expression output, which allows for expression pedal-operated control of various parameters, and a dual-mode modulation effect that aims to tap into Leslie/Phase 90-style effects depending on which pitch-shifting mode is selected.

It's a far cry more feature-packed than the original Blue Box, which only came with Output and Blend knobs, as well as a single bypass switch.

The M306 is yet to crop up on Jim Dunlop’s website, though it’s currently available to preorder over at Guitar Center for $199.

For more information, visit Guitar Center.