Boss OC-5 Octave review

The latest coffee-colored octave pedal from Boss is the best yet...

Boss OC-5
(Image: © Boss)

Guitar World Verdict

For too long, the OC series has been the unsung hero in the Boss catalogue. For compact octave effects, it's unbeatable. It handles the conventional octave functions with ease, and in poly mode, there's some quasi-synth textures to discover.

Pros

  • +

    Very low latency.

  • +

    Poly and Vintage modes make it very versatile.

  • +

    Typically solid Boss build.

  • +

    Compact form.

Cons

  • -

    Nothing.

You can trust Guitar World Our expert reviewers spend hours testing and comparing guitar products so you can choose the best for you. Find out more about how we test.

Considering that the Boss OC-2 Octave – with its straightforward sub-octave pitch-shifting – has been the perennial “thickening agent” for so many guitarists and bassists since its introduction in 1982, it’s somewhat surprising that this glittery espresso-colored stompbox doesn’t get more of the love and recognition it deserves. 

No matter, because Boss followed up much later with the OC-3 Super Octave, which introduced polyphonic octave effects, turning this bottom-end box into a broader innovation. 

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Paul Riario

Paul Riario has been the tech/gear editor and online video presence for Guitar World for over 25 years. Paul is one of the few gear editors who has actually played and owned nearly all the original gear that most guitarists wax poetically about, and has survived this long by knowing every useless musical tidbit of classic rock, new wave, hair metal, grunge, and alternative genres. When Paul is not riding his road bike at any given moment, he remains a working musician, playing in two bands called SuperTrans Am and Radio Nashville.