Tone Bender

Pickups, pedals, amps, cabs, combos

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plopswagon
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Tone Bender

Post by plopswagon »

So with the whole Jeff Beck thing I dug out the ol’ Tone Bender Professional MkII Sola Sound (London) LTD Reissue

I have no idea how old it is or who made it but I’ve had it probably 25+ years.
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The inside is very clean and very modern
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It sounds like, well, a Tone Bender. I don’t know much more about it. Hoping Mike will pop in and give me data I won’t understand.

The shapes, of things before my eyes…
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ekwatts wrote: ↑Wed Dec 21, 2022 12:53 pm The word "moisty" has made me irrationally angry.
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plopswagon
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Re: Tone Bender

Post by plopswagon »

Honey I’m afraid I got dirt all over the rug…
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ekwatts wrote: ↑Wed Dec 21, 2022 12:53 pm The word "moisty" has made me irrationally angry.
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Doog
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Re: Tone Bender

Post by Doog »

Lovely stuff, always loved those enclosures, and have loved the mk3 since I tried Tim's out at Progfest.

Damn, you got a FZ-2 too!
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benecol
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Re: Tone Bender

Post by benecol »

Thread here (with apologies for TGP content), but think that's a Mk1.5 circuit in a Mk2 enclosure (see post near the bottom). Which is good, because Mk1.5s are brilliant - I've got a Fuzzfaceless one.

UPDATE: my Fuzzfaceless one is a Mk1. I'm forgetting my Tonebender lore.
Doog wrote: ↑Sat Jan 14, 2023 10:09 am Lovely stuff, always loved those enclosures, and have loved the mk3 since I tried Tim's out at Progfest.
They're a funny circuit - quite close to a muff, apparently. That's one of those pedals (sold in times of no money) which would be worth daft money now if I'd have held onto it. But I'd have cashed those chips in five times between now and then, as I'm more of a "yeah sure, I'll swap for some magic beans" guy.
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Doog
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Re: Tone Bender

Post by Doog »

The mk3 definitely felt less mid-scooped and compressed than Muffs I'd used at that point (I guess just NYC Pi), but coulda been down to the unfamiliar amp etc.

Either way; DUG IT.
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Re: Tone Bender

Post by sunshiner »

plopswagon wrote: ↑Sat Jan 14, 2023 1:39 am Honey I’m afraid I got dirt all over the rug…
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Such a nice family photo of the Dirts
matte30is wrote:Someone man up and get a balloon.
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Re: Tone Bender

Post by 71Smallbox »

Doog wrote: ↑Sat Jan 14, 2023 10:09 amDamn, you got a FZ-2 too!
Doesn't everyone have an FZ-2?
Lovely Tonebender by the way, I only have the Boss one.
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plopswagon
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Re: Tone Bender

Post by plopswagon »

FZ-tutu.
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ekwatts wrote: ↑Wed Dec 21, 2022 12:53 pm The word "moisty" has made me irrationally angry.
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Doog
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Re: Tone Bender

Post by Doog »

Et FZ-2, Brute??
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Re: Tone Bender

Post by NickD »

Doog wrote: ↑Mon Jan 30, 2023 9:33 am Et FZ-2, Brute??
To get those stabbing treble tones
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Re: Tone Bender

Post by NickS »

NickD wrote: ↑Mon Jan 30, 2023 11:11 am To get those stabbing treble tones
:lol:
Re Paul's Tonebender: http://fuzzcentral.ssguitar.com/mkII.php
Looks like the Mk II reissue (see link), as it only has 2 transistors. Very Fuzz-Face-like circuit (with no buffer on the input) but with some extra high cut (small caps between base and collector - I did this on my son's silicon Fuzz Face homebuild).
Last edited by NickS on Tue Jan 31, 2023 1:04 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Personal pronouns he/him
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sunshiner
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Re: Tone Bender

Post by sunshiner »

Which one pairs best with an bass, Plops?
matte30is wrote:Someone man up and get a balloon.
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plopswagon
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Re: Tone Bender

Post by plopswagon »

I liked the Rat with my bass the best. I would usually run into two amps, one for the low end and leave that clean, one for the high end and Rat-afy that one.
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ekwatts wrote: ↑Wed Dec 21, 2022 12:53 pm The word "moisty" has made me irrationally angry.
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Re: Tone Bender

Post by sunshiner »

That sounds right to me. Fuzz and overdrive pedals are often built to fatten the guitar sound. Bass has plenty of fat as it is and when used with some guitar "dirt" pedals might wind up sounding like wet farts into a cushion with no definition or ability to cut through. A high gain pedal with a shrillish top end might be good for achieving a tight er bass sound.

Combination of the dry and overdriven sounds must've sounded massive.
matte30is wrote:Someone man up and get a balloon.
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