Tonebender earlest version sound samples

[slideman82]

Oh yes, the MKII gain is really high, but wasn't much for me. If you do that old MAyer's trick... rising the 470 resistor to 1K or more... gain goes up! The secret of this damn circuit is to find the right trannies! You can also do the E to B Ge diode trick, this will also take you more time! I have just made 3 MKII, the first one only sounded like Jimmy Page, exactly! I used Matsush*ta trannies, if I'm not wrong. The sad part is I made it for a guy (plus a FF with excellent AC128, I think those are the best sonding fuzzes in Argentina!). The other 2 are almost a mess... just one of them sounds almost like Zep, and both have OC84 Mullard trannies! I think you can make the MKI sound good, maybe trying some values for that 2M2 resistor... or leaving it out, and finding the right trannies. I haven't build it yet, but I'm gonna make it work!

[RedHouse]

Frank, Doug, Howie, and I see up in the corner that Jay Doyle is back too.  It's like a high school reunion.

Alright, the band is back together, now the question is ....is there going to be a Nort American Tour?   

Just kidding, good to see you around again Frank. 

[smnm]

I've recently posted about a schemo for this fuzz, and someone reply me with the circuit you are posting here. How could you get it? Reverse engeneering it?

David Main (of D*A*M*) reverse engineered it - he had access to at least three originals and produced a very limted run clone earlier this year - the bias resistor values varied on the originals, naturally - the given values are kinda averages I guess. Vanessa just asked for a copy of the schem, indicating the level of interest in it in these parts, and he sent a hand drawn version which was redrawn and posted here...

[Pedal love]

Thanks Frank! I finally built one. It sounds amazing. 

[frankclarke]

Ronson and Beck with the wedgies:
http://dam.10.forumer.com/a/tone-bender-spotting_post24.html
Pagey has something else with the jacks a strange angle, I think. Pics from some Vox Wah fan called S. Castledine, it seems. Do you have more, Stewart?

I read in the newspaper that an ex-prime minister of India had died, an ex-prime minister of France had died, and beneath that 3 words "Mick Ronson dies". I suddenly realised that of the 3 celebs, only one had made a difference to my world.

[frankclarke]

OK, just pulled 3 AC188's randomly out of a bag of 70, built a Tonebender II pro, and absurd gobs of gain with fuzz at minimum. I put a 1k on Q1 emitter-ground and then it actually cleans up with the volume control. Still doesn't remind me of Led Zep one as much as the three knob, but getting closer. Probably requires a darker amp. And maybe I should measure the gains on the trannies .

[slideman82]

OK, just pulled 3 AC188's randomly out of a bag of 70, built a Tonebender II pro, and absurd gobs of gain with fuzz at minimum. I put a 1k on Q1 emitter-ground and then it actually cleans up with the volume control. Still doesn't remind me of Led Zep one as much as the three knob, but getting closer. Probably requires a darker amp. And maybe I should measure the gains on the trannies .

The Ac188 seems to have quite much gain, but some of those. depending the manufacturer, are good ones (anyway I don't buy them anymore...). Whit the original schematic, try with 50-60 hFe for the first tranny, 70-80 for the second and almost the same, or a bit more gain, for the last. If you've got much highs, just rise the 10 n filter input cap a bit. I always finish lowering it. also, you can rise the 100n cap to 1u, better bass too!
If the fuzz gets really nasty, try the emitter-to-base Ge diode (excellent trick from Plate to Plate!!!!!!!!) for the first, 2nd, or 3rd tranny. Mine's got it in the 2nd one, but you've gotta try in all positions, even with 2 diodes (for the first and the 3rd tranny if they are too gainny). I think this is the only way to get that ZEP II sound, like Bring it on home. I used this trick, and I had to, on the first MKII I built, and I think it's the best!

What a coincidence! Last Night I changed the circuit in my only official pedal... now it does sound good!!!! My MKII is alive, again!!!!!!!! The difference is mine got 1K resistor instead of 470 ohm, and a 2K pot... better if you use a 1K pot and 1K resistor from lug 1 to ground, better control! It sound whit great mids now. Cap to ground is 8,2n, but it's gonna be 6.8n or maybe 4.7n later. You can also put a DPDT switch to taste different caps, the same for the 100n cap.

I think this fuzz is really hard to make it sound right. Ge trannies are all a mess!!!! The best I could get, and I'm very proud of them, are the 2SB175A (B175A) from Masushita. They are in excellent conditions, very low leaking. They sound well, but bit dark in the FFace, not as good as the Mullard OC84 I have, that are really f*cked up, too much leaking... the best I could measure is on the MKII as 3rd tranny, plus a couple of B175's.

[DougH]

I built a Mark II derivative with 2n5089 Si transistors and it sounds fantastic. It's my favorite fuzz, by far.

[slideman82]

I've recently posted about a schemo for this fuzz, and someone reply me with the circuit you are posting here. How could you get it? Reverse engeneering it?

David Main (of D*A*M*) reverse engineered it - he had access to at least three originals and produced a very limted run clone earlier this year - the bias resistor values varied on the originals, naturally - the given values are kinda averages I guess. Vanessa just asked for a copy of the schem, indicating the level of interest in it in these parts, and he sent a hand drawn version which was redrawn and posted here...

Thanks Jebus he exists!!!!! And thanks for that reverse engeneering too. ABout biasing, that's right, you'll have to bias every fuzz you are gonna built, nevermind the trannies... that's for all fuzzers!

[frankclarke]

After much transistor swapping and cussing, I finally got a TBII to sound Zeppelinesque. I should pour epoxy over it and leave it alone. For some reason it is Pagey buzzy rather than Topographic Ocean sustainey now. I can swap a couple of transistors and get the synth organ sound I usually get, same schematic, chalk and cheese. I could do the trannies-on-a-switch thing.
What transistors did you use Doug?