Dunlop MXR SUB Machine vs MXR M103 Blue Box
The Dunlop MXR SUB Machine and the MXR M103 Blue Box are both pedals sharing octave, full. The Dunlop MXR SUB Machine leans fuzzy.
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Blended from circuit-archetype lineage, dynamic feel, tone-signal overlap and tone-vector distance — the tone vector itself is derived from editorial description text, not a measured acoustic signal, so this reflects how similarly the catalog copy describes the two, not a lab measurement. Shown only within a gear class, and only where there's enough evidence to be meaningful.47% — somewhat different
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Genres both listings are associated with.- Rock
- Experimental
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Derived from overlapping tonal signals across both listings.- octave
- full
Dunlop MXR SUB Machine
Dunlop · pedal
MXR M103 Blue Box
MXR · pedal
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Citation/mention fame — how often this gear is cited across artist rigs and gear discussion.$199.99via Reverb
The MXR Sub Machine is a two-channel fuzz and sub-octave pedal from MXR by Jim Dunlop, combining an upper-gain fuzz channel with a sub-octave generator that drops the guitar signal one octave below pitch. The pedal features independent controls for fuzz and sub-octave level alongside a dry signal blend, allowing players to mix the three signal elements in any proportion. The Sub Machine produces dense, synth-like fuzz tones with the sub-octave adding a deep, full-frequency foundation below the fuzz. It is suited to players who want the textural complexity of a fuzz and a sub-bass element in a single enclosure without separate octave and fuzz pedals.
The MXR M103 Blue Box is an octave fuzz that duplicates the guitar signal two full octaves down for a huge, subterranean, synth-bass tone layered with fuzz. The Blend knob controls the balance between the fuzz and the sub-octave signal: turned fully one way it is a nasty, straightforward fuzz, turned fully the other way it becomes a fat, fuzzy synth-bass tone, and pushed toward its extreme it starts spitting, glitching, and tracking unpredictably for a raw, 8-bit-like chaos. It became a gear icon after Jimmy Page used it for the solo on Fool in the Rain, and has since been used by Jack White, Lee Ranaldo, and Thurston Moore. It suits players wanting an uncontrollable, glitchy, monstrous octave-down fuzz for experimental, psychedelic, and heavy styles rather than a clean, predictable octave effect.
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Genres this gear is documented as being used in.- Stoner Rock
- Doom Metal
- Blues
- Metal
- fuzzy
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Occasions this gear suits — judged per model, or derived from its wattage, connectivity and category.- Busking