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Tone Bender is the name of several fuzz distortion effect pedals.
The first incarnation of the Tone Bender was designed by electronics engineer and former Vox employee Gary Hurst, who was approached by session guitarist Vic Flick with a request for a pedal that would emulate the sound of an Gibson Maestro Fuzz-Tone, but with more sustain. The Tone Bender utilized a three-transistor circuit based on the FZ-1. [1] Early incarnations in mid-1965 were housed in wooden enclosures, which were later replaced by folded steel enclosures. By September 1965 the pedal was being sold through the Macari brothers' Musical Exchange music stores, with later units bearing the Macari's Sola Sounds brand. [2]
Notable examples of the Tone Bender MKI in use include Jeff Beck's sitar-like guitar solo on the Yardbirds' 1965 song "Heart Full of Soul" and Mick Ronson's guitar work on David Bowie's 1972 song "Moonage Daydream". [3]
Introduced in February 1966, this successor of the original Tone Bender has a two transistor circuit which is essentially a negative feedback amplifier. A rounded, sand-cast aluminum enclosure with steel sheet metal base plate replaced the folded steel enclosure of the previous version. Although this was a de facto second version, no version number was used on its case. To differentiate it from the MKI and MKII, it is commonly referred to as the "MK1.5". This version was manufactured by Sola Sound in different guises as OEM products for other companies such as Rotosound. Another variant was the Rangemaster Fuzzbug. This version of the Tone Bender is the version upon which the Italian-made Vox Tone Bender is based. [1]
An early variant of the Tone Bender MK1.5 featured a 500k volume pot instead of the more common 100k, providing a fuller low end. The bias point was slightly adjusted to make it less susceptible to temperature changes. The Arbiter Fuzz Face, which was released later in 1966, is a clone of this variant. [4]
The Tone Bender MKII is a three transistor circuit [1] based on the MKI.5 version, but with an additional amplifier gain stage. Sola Sound produced the circuit for Vox (who sold their version as the "Vox Tone Bender Professional MKII"), [5] Marshall (who sold their version as the "Marshall Supa Fuzz"), [6] and Rotosound (who sold their version as the "RotoSound Fuzz Box". [7] There also was a version of the short-lived Rangemaster Fuzzbug containing this circuit. Other variants may exist.
The Sola Sound and Vox version used the same sturdy, sand cast metal enclosure designed by Hurst for the MK1.5 version. In fact, most Sola Sound-branded MKIIs were probably leftover stock of MK1.5s with the circuit modified to MKII specs and a "Professional MKII" silkscreen added, presumably to differentiate them from the earlier version. [8] These MK1.5 conversions can be identified by their smaller circuit board. Only few Sola Sound-branded units with a large circuit board exist. It seems the last of them were rebranded from Sola Sound to Vox. After that point only Vox-branded Tone Bender Professional MKIIs seem to have been produced.
By November 1966, advertisements for the pedal in Beat Instrumental magazine marketed it as a "Gary Hurst Design". [9] This circuit, utilizing Mullard OC75 or Impex S31T transistors, remained in production until early 1968. Shortly before production ended a batch of pedals using Mullard OC81D audio driver transistors had been made. Most of these are branded Vox Tone Bender Professional MKII, but Rotosound Fuzz Boxes and Marshall Supa Fuzzes from that era do exist. Marshall continued producing a slightly different-looking version of the Supa Fuzz until at least 1972.
Notable examples of the Tone Bender MKII in use include much of Jimmy Page's guitar work on Led Zeppelin's debut studio album, as well as well as Alan Parker's guitar work on Donovan's 1968 song "Hurdy Gurdy Man". [3]
Beginning in 2009, Macari's resumed selling the Sola Sound Tone Bender Professional MKII for the first time in over 40 years as part of their Vintage Series of guitar pedals. It is being manufactured by Differential Audio Manifestationz (D*A*M) of South Yorkshire.
The Sola Sound Tone Bender MKIII featured a three transistor circuit with a germanium diode and added tone control. The MKIII circuit was produced in several different enclosures and was available under different brands and models. Most MKIII Tone Benders are branded as Vox; the Sola Sound version is scarce. The Park Fuzz Sound and Rotosound Fuzz Box were also available with this circuit. This version is closely related to the Burns Baldwin Buzzaround.
A short-lived version of the MKIII with only two controls, and containing a circuit with four silicon transistors was also produced, and likely predates the more common germanium version.
By 1969 the same circuit used for the MKIII was sold in a smaller updated case as the Sola Sound Tone Bender MKIV (sold concurrently with the larger MKIII version). Also available in the smaller MKIV enclosure were the Carlsbro Fuzz and Park Fuzz Sound. By 1971 the MKIV's graphics were updated to market the pedal as the "Tone-Bender Fuzz" from that point onward. By the mid-70's it was also available in yet another enlclosure, branded as the CSL Super Fuzz. The circuit was discontinued around 1976 and reintroduced in 2012, once again with MKIV graphics.
The Colorsound Supa Tonebender utilizes a four transistor circuit based on the Electro-Harmonix Big Muff π. It was produced by Sola Sound for its subsidiary, Colorsound.
The Colorsound Jumbo Tone Bender is a three transistor circuit based on the Electro-Harmonix Big Muff π. Sola Sound made this pedal under various names, in various enclosures and for various distributors. It can be found in a narrow Colorsound enclosure with the same graphics as the late germanium Tone Benders, a wide Colorsound enclosure with Jumbo ToneBender graphics, in Vox MKIII Tone Bender enclosures, in a different narrow enclosure rebranded as B&M (Champion) Fuzz, B&M Fuzz Unit, CMI Fuzz Unit, G.B. Fuzz, G.B. Fuzz Unit or Pro Traffic Fuzz Unit or in a smaller enclosure labeled as the Eurotec Black Box Fuzz Module. The same circuit was also part of the Colorsound Supa Wah-Fuzz-Swell.
The Vox Tone Bender (model no. V828 in Vox's 1966 US price list) is based on the same circuit topology as the Sola Sound Tone Bender MK1.5. It was manufactured for the Thomas Organ Company by the JEN company in Italy. [1] This circuit uses different component values and transistor types, making it different in tone and behavior. Unlike the UK-built MK1.5, this version used a PCB. Different transistor and capacitor setups have been used over the years. Earlier variants are fuller sounding, while later ones are rather bright and cutting. It is assumed that these were initially made for the US market, while the Sola Sound versions were distributed in the UK and Europe.
JEN used the enclosures and circuit boards to make Fuzz for other companies such as Elka, Gretch and Luxor. They also released it under their own name of JEN and used the enclosure for a range of other effects.
British music instruments and equipment retailer Macari's Limited, who has built and sold Tone Benders since 1965 owns the Sola Sound brand, and the Tone Bender trademark in the U.K. and Europe since 2007. [3] [10] Korg owned some Tone Bender trademarks in the United States in the 1990s. [11] [12]
An effects unit, effects processor, or effects pedal is an electronic device that alters the sound of a musical instrument or other audio source through audio signal processing.
Vox is a British musical equipment manufacturer founded in 1957 by Thomas Walter Jennings in Dartford, Kent, England. The company is most famous for making the Vox AC30 guitar amplifier, used by The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, The Kinks, The Yardbirds, Queen, Dire Straits, U2, and Radiohead; the Vox Continental electric organ, the Vox wah-wah pedal used by Jimi Hendrix, and a series of innovative electric guitars and bass guitars. Since 1992, Vox has been owned by the Japanese electronics firm Korg.
A wah-wah pedal, or simply wah pedal, is a type of effects pedal designed for electric guitar that alters the timbre of the input signal to create a distinctive sound, mimicking the human voice saying the onomatopoeic name "wah-wah". The pedal sweeps a band-pass filter up and down in frequency to create a spectral glide. The wah-wah effect originated in the 1920s, with trumpet or trombone players finding they could produce an expressive crying tone by moving a mute in, and out of the instrument's bell. This was later simulated with electronic circuitry for the electric guitar when the wah-wah pedal was invented. It is controlled by movement of the player's foot on a rocking pedal connected to a potentiometer. Wah-wah effects may be used without moving the treadle as a fixed filter to alter an instrument’s timbre, or to create a "wacka-wacka" funk-styled rhythm for rhythm guitar playing.
Electro-Harmonix is a New York City-based company that makes electronic audio processors and sells rebranded vacuum tubes. The company was founded by Mike Matthews in 1968. It is best known for a series of guitar effects pedals introduced in the 1970s and 1990s. EHX also made a line of guitars in the 1970s.
The Boss DS-1 is a distortion pedal for guitar, manufactured by the Roland Corporation under the brand name Boss since 1978. The first distortion effects unit made by Boss, it has become a classic effect, used by many notable guitar players.
The Shin-ei Companion FY-2 is a discontinued fuzz pedal, made by the Japanese Shin-ei effects pedal company from the late 1960s to the early 1970s. The pedal is known for its raw, distinctive, gated fuzz. FY-2 pedals are now rare.
The Dunlop Cry Baby is a popular wah-wah pedal, manufactured by Dunlop Manufacturing, Inc. The name Cry Baby was from the original pedal from which it was copied, the Thomas Organ/Vox Cry Baby wah-wah, first manufactured in 1966. Thomas Organ/Vox failed to register the name as a trademark, leaving it open for Dunlop. More recently, Dunlop manufactured the Vox pedals under licence, although this is no longer the case.
The Ibanez Tube Screamer (TS808/TS9) is a guitar overdrive pedal, made by Ibanez. The pedal has a characteristic mid-boosted tone popular with blues, rock and metal players. The Tube Screamer has been used by many guitarists to create their signature sound, and is one of the most successful, widely copied, and custom-modified ("modded") overdrive pedals in the history of the electric guitar.
The Pro Co "The RAT" is a distortion pedal produced by Pro Co Sound. The original RAT was developed in the basement of Pro Co's Kalamazoo, Michigan facility in 1978. Numerous variations of the original RAT pedal are still being produced today.
The Z.Vex Fuzz Factory is a fuzz pedal made by the American inventor and musician Zachary Vex of the Z.Vex Effects company.
The Fuzz Face is an effects pedal for electric guitar, used also by some electric bass players. It is designed to produce a distorted sound referred to as "fuzz", originally achieved through accident such as broken electrical components or damaged speakers.
Distortion and overdrive are forms of audio signal processing used to alter the sound of amplified electric musical instruments, usually by increasing their gain, producing a "fuzzy", "growling", or "gritty" tone. Distortion is most commonly used with the electric guitar, but may also be used with other electric instruments such as electric bass, electric piano, synthesizer and Hammond organ. Guitarists playing electric blues originally obtained an overdriven sound by turning up their vacuum tube-powered guitar amplifiers to high volumes, which caused the signal to distort. While overdriven tube amps are still used to obtain overdrive, especially in genres like blues and rockabilly, a number of other ways to produce distortion have been developed since the 1960s, such as distortion effect pedals. The growling tone of a distorted electric guitar is a key part of many genres, including blues and many rock music genres, notably hard rock, punk rock, hardcore punk, acid rock, and heavy metal music, while the use of distorted bass has been essential in a genre of hip hop music and alternative hip hop known as "SoundCloud rap".
A treble booster is an effects unit used by guitarists to increase the high end of their tonal spectrum. Many units boost the overall volume as well. Treble boosters were commonly used by guitarists in the 1960s and 1970s. During the last couple of decades, their popularity has increased again and many clones and reissues of the classic circuits have become available.
Jennings Musical Instruments is a manufacturer of musical instruments, and the original owner of the Vox brand. The company was founded by Thomas Walter Jennings.
A combo organ, so-named and classified by popular culture due to its original intended use by small, touring jazz, pop and dance groups known as "combo bands", as well as some models having "Combo" as part of their brand or model names, is an electronic organ of the frequency divider type, generally produced between the early 1960s and the late 1970s. This type of organ predated, and contributed largely to, the development of modern synthesizers. The combo organ concept, at least in the context of mass-production, is thought to have arisen from popular demand, when smaller home organs were seen in music stores. Combo organs were probably originally developed in the United Kingdom, based on the Univox polyphonic version of the Clavioline, and some models included the inner-workings of Italian-made transistor accordions. They were the brainchild of necessity for portable organs of simple design, mainly for use in these small groups. Combo organs ended up having a major impact on the music scene of the mid- and late 1960s, particularly on rock and roll of that era.
The Univox Super-Fuzz was a fuzzbox produced by the Univox company, primarily for use with the electric guitar or bass.
The Big Muff Pi (π), often known simply as the Big Muff, is a "fuzzbox" effects pedal produced in New York City by the Electro-Harmonix company, along with their Russian sister company Sovtek, primarily for use with the electric guitar. It is used by bassists as well due to the Big Muff's squeaky frequency response.
Fuzz bass is a style of playing the electric bass or modifying its signal that produces a buzzy, distorted, overdriven sound, as the name implies. Overdriving a bass signal significantly changes the timbre, adds higher overtones (harmonics), increases the sustain, and, if the gain is turned up high enough, creates a "breaking up" sound characterized by a growling, buzzy tone.
Vintage musical equipment is older music gear, including instruments, amplifiers and speakers, sound recording equipment and effects pedals, sought after, maintained and used by record producers, audio engineers and musicians who are interested in historical music genres. While any piece of equipment of sufficient age can be considered vintage, in the 2010s the term is typically applied to instruments and gear from the 1970s and earlier. Guitars, amps, pedals, electric keyboards, sound recording equipment from the 1950s to 1970s are particularly sought. Musical equipment from the 1940s and prior eras is often expensive, and sought out mainly by museums or collectors.
The Maestro FZ-1 Fuzz-Tone was the first widely marketed fuzz distortion guitar and bass effect. Introduced in 1962, it achieved widespread popularity in 1965 after the Rolling Stones guitarist Keith Richards prominent use of the FZ-1 on the group's hit, "Satisfaction". Later in 1965 the design was slightly modified, designated as the model FZ1-1a. In the wake of the success of the Rolling Stones' "Satisfaction," numerous recordings mostly from 1960s garage rock and psychedelic acts featured Maestro Fuzz-Tones on guitars. More significant design changes made after 1967 resulted in different renditions of the Fuzz-Tone released over the years. In the 1990s Gibson re-issued FZ-1a, but it was later discontinued.
