Identify this Vox ToneBender!

[phillip]

I saw this Vox ToneBender on eBay this afternoon and when I saw the circuit I was amazed to see that the circuit board was loaded with three Silicon transistors.  Anyone have any idea as to which ToneBender schematic that this circuit is a version of, or is this something that's not already traced out?

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=41418&item=3765151750&rd=1&ssPageName=WDVW

It has the same enclosure shape as the two transistor Germanium ToneBender, but it's painted black instead of grey.  The two controls as also labelled the same.

Phillip

[petemoore]

That third transistor there is funny looking jobby [I've never seen that shape of transistor].
 What Is that Huge brownish orange thing...largest component...a capacitor?  Whew...they sure don't make 'em like they used to !!!

[phillip]

That third transistor there is funny looking jobby [I've never seen that shape of transistor].
 What Is that Huge brownish orange thing...largest component...a capacitor?  Whew...they sure don't make 'em like they used to !!!

Yep that's the "button" package transistor like the BC209C (like in the Fuzz Faces) came in.  I forget the "official" name for that package.

The largest component is indeed a capacitor...probably a fairly large value...0.1uF, 0.22uF...

Phillip

[phillip]

Okay, I think we have a winner...this circuit looks almost exactly like the Jen Fuzz.  Three Silicon transistors, the resistor values work out to be the same (I think) and it has a pair of clipping diodes on the output:



Does that look right?

Phillip

[petemoore]

I don't know...
 Perhaps...Who tried this one
 Looks pretty interesting, I wonder why I don't remember reading about someone trying the Jenn Fuzz.

[Nasse]

I think you are right, It looks just same like Italian Jen/GEM made Vox pedals. When Vox went into financial troubles, they just sticked a different nameplate on and sold the pedals with jen name and someone other than Vox got the money. Or so I believe. The factory workers had to have their money too, it is understandable.

[Ammscray]

I think you are right, It looks just same like Italian Jen/GEM made Vox pedals. When Vox went into financial troubles, they just sticked a different nameplate on and sold the pedals with jen name and someone other than Vox got the money. Or so I believe. The factory workers had to have their money too, it is understandable.

FWIW that pedal IS JEN-made, early 70's...it's a slight diverion from the said Jen 3-tranny fuzz, that they started making when they ran out of SFT363E germaniums...but to set the record straight, Jen (Pescara, Italy) had nothing to do with Vox whatsoever.

They (Jen) bought the overstock from the original Solasound factory in Italy (who made ALL the pedals for Vox) when they (Solasound) moved to the UK to become Colorsound circa 1969-70...information courtesy Steve Macari.

Might as well mention too that that circuit sounds like crap...

Hi to Brian Wenz!

[brian wenz]

Hello Hello Ammscray--
     Was wondering when you'd chime in!
Brian.

[Nasse]

:roll:    :oops:  :cry:

I´m sorry I was wrong again, but life is learning (my brain cells maybe learn nothing...). When I was a kid, neighbour kid´s band had two of Jen Fuzzes, and I was pissed off because they sounded better than mine.

But could it be like fuzzfaces, that some sounded good and some not. But not heard about that.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v411/Nasse/jen_fuzz1.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v411/Nasse/jen_fuzz.jpg

(The pics are lifted from Custom-Sounds site to my hard drive, they once had a used Jen on sale, not anymore, hope they don´t mind //www.custom-sounds.com