A reissue of the cult ’90s pedal from the grunge and alt-rock era, the Meatbox Subsynth is a combination booster, octaver, and lo-fi bass synth.

The box has four knobs – Octave, Output, Sub, and Low – so operation is a breeze. On one hand, you can use it as an octaver, simply adding a drop-octave pitch on your lower strings. But the combination of the Octave, Sub, and Low controls can take this DOD box over the top, particularly if you add fuzz/overdrive/distortion, or perhaps envelope filters and reverb. The Sub knob brings that subharmonic synthesizer range of grungy bass, while Low keeps low-end under control – you’ll want to pay close attention here, since the Meatbox can make your speakers and subwoofers really work for their dinner. Even the Output is extremely powerful, making the unit a serious booster pedal. Its TRS output-jack further allows musicians to split the subharmonic synthesized signal to the PA.

For all manner of post-grunge and stoner-metal riffs, the Meatbox works great on distorted guitar, but attention-seeking bassists will crave it, too. It’s a powerful little pedal that may shock you with its ball-busting kick and edge-of-your seat octaves. Consider yourself warned!

This article originally appeared in VG’s August 2023 issue. All copyrights are by the author and Vintage Guitar magazine. Unauthorized replication or use is strictly prohibited.