The MXR M103 Blue Box is an MXR fuzz pedal. Close alternatives include the MXR Poly Blue Octave and the Catalinbread Perseus. It pairs well with the Blackstar Marco Mendoza and the Marshall Plexi 1959SLP.
MXR M103 Blue Box
MXR · pedal
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.
- octave
- experimental
- sub
- glitchy
- distortion
- thick
- rock
- distinctive sounds
Good for
- Busking
Genres the MXR M103 Blue Box is commonly used in
Amps that pair well with the MXR M103 Blue Box
Blackstar Marco Mendoza
Blackstar
26% matchWhat MXR M103 Blue Box brings here leans toward octave — that's worth building a pairing around
Marshall Plexi 1959SLP
amplifier
20% matchDocumented together in one player's rig - the Blue Box's octave fuzz turns thick and wild through the 1959SLP's aggressive plexi saturation. — also used together by 1 artist
Dumble Overdrive Special Amp Head
Dumble
19% matchRun the Blue Box's glitchy, sub-octave fuzz into the Overdrive Special's playable, dynamic headroom so the tracking stays defined instead of collapsing.
Pedals that stack with the MXR M103 Blue Box
Electro-Harmonix Satisfaction Plus Fuzz
Electro-Harmonix
28% matchMXR M103 Blue Box's own octave character is the real reason this is worth trying
Catalinbread Fuzzrite Germanium
Catalinbread
27% matchRun MXR M103 Blue Box after it and the thin edge settles into something more full
Fairfield Circuitry 900 Fuzz
Fairfield Circuitry
26% matchRun MXR M103 Blue Box after it and the thin edge settles into something more full
EarthQuaker Devices Chelsea V1 Low End Fuzz Driver
EarthQuaker Devices
25% matchMXR M103 Blue Box leans full right where the thin tone needs it
Mooer MFZ1 Blue Faze
Mooer
22% matchRun fuzzy into MXR M103 Blue Box for more octave on top
Ibanez Tube Screamer
Ibanez
20% matchThe Screamer's mid-hump tightens the Blue Box's glitchy, sub-octave fuzz into something more controlled.
Klon Centaur
Klon
19% matchRun the Klon after the Blue Box and its midrange boost cleans up the octave fuzz's glitchy low end into something more usable.
MXR Dyna Comp
MXR
13% matchAhead of the Blue Box's glitchy octave fuzz, the Dyna Comp evens out pick attack before the octave-tracking circuit gets a chance to react unevenly.
Alternativessee all similar tone character →
MXR Poly Blue Octave
MXR
70% similarity“expanding on MXR's classic Blue Box with four independently controllable octave voices”
Catalinbread Perseus
Catalinbread
69% similarityShared character: each_note, mono_synth, tight_tracking
Boss SD-1 Super OverDrive
Boss
69% similarityShared character: other_distortion_pedals, users, durable_construction
Univox Super-Fuzz
Univox
69% similarityShared character: each_note, fat, raw
Ibanez TS9 Tube Screamer
Ibanez
69% similarityShared character: durable_construction, volume, full
Boss DS-1 Distortion
Boss
68% similarityShared character: other_distortion_pedals, durable_construction, pedal
Way Huge Electronics Green Rhino MkII Overdrive
Way Huge
68% similarityShared character: tonal_possibilities, users, fat
Source Audio Soundblox Multiwave Distortion
pedal
68% similarityShared character: mono_synth, one_octave, pedal
EarthQuaker Devices Data Corrupter
EarthQuaker Devices
68% similarityShared character: each_note, mono_synth, tight_tracking
Fairfield Circuitry The Unpleasant Surprise
Fairfield Circuitry
68% similarityShared character: mono_synth, fat, one_octave
ProCo RAT 2
Proco
68% similarityShared character: volume, full, thickness
EarthQuaker Devices Eqd-Bit
EarthQuaker Devices
67% similarityShared character: each_note, mono_synth, tight_tracking
See all alternatives to the MXR M103 Blue Box (cheaper + boutique) →
Questions people ask
What are good alternatives to the MXR M103 Blue Box?+
The closest matches in character are the MXR Poly Blue Octave, the Catalinbread Perseus, the Boss SD-1 Super OverDrive.
What pairs well with the MXR M103 Blue Box?+
Strong matches from rig and tone-complementarity evidence: Blackstar Marco Mendoza, Marshall Plexi 1959SLP, Dumble Overdrive Special Amp Head — What MXR M103 Blue Box brings here leans toward octave — that's worth building a pairing around.