Mitigating Loss in TMB Tone Stack for Vintage Style Tonebender

[Big Monk]

I've been working up some modifications to the vintage Tonebender schematic in preparation for a semi-original circuit using readily available Si transistors.

When looking at the classic tube circuits using the TMB stack (I'm thinking Fender and it's derivatives) you always have an extra gain stage put to use to drive said stack. In many DIY Push-Pull amps seeking to conserve PCB space and chassis space, you'll also see a mosfet source follower driving a tone stack prior to the phase inverter.

A thought occurred to me: depending on its placement, i.e. either between Q2 and Q3 or directly after Q3 prior to the level control, I should be able to utilize a higher gain device in either Q2 or Q3 to overcome any loss introduced by the TMB.

Since the stock circuit is very bright to begin with, tailoring the TMB and a few other select upstream components to provide a range of smoother to more direct and cutting tones may be an option.

Enclosure space OTOH...Any thoughts? Apologies if this is a well tread idea. Getting back into hobby after working for a number of years has made me think more outside the box. Credit to the Beavis Fuzz Lab Jr. for the seed here.