Somebody Recommend me a Tonebender I won't Hate

[sylnau]

Skin Pimp Skin Bender MKI... look like an awesome fuzz too. I prefer this one to the Buzzaround.
Wish they where not $350 (but I understand why they are so expensive... point to point, art, ...).

[Wizard]

In other news,

I think the buzzaround is making a Beeline to my heart. Seriously, i've been playing the Skin Pimp one for two days now, and it does it all.. really well. <3

So who makes buzzarounds/ modded ones

so far i know of the skin pimp and the creepy fingers.

The timbre control has a small cap on one side so if you turn it all the way down (usually) you have that brighter tone you were looking for in the Vox. Then if you want more bass you can crank that timbre control. That circuit is quite a bit tighter and clearer than a MKII as well so you've got that going for you to keep the bass together.

Very much true, and i love that about it. i did some stuff regarding that on the demo.

this might be the first non muff to steal my heart and soul.


[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hiS-5zTphSo[/youtube]

[devnulljp]

Get a Tone Bender Jumbo like the B&M and be done with it. It's a muff.

[Officer Bukowski]

That Skinpimp Buzzaround sounds really good.

I'm currently jonesing HARD for an MKl Bender

[sylnau]

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ebAaY9zPaFs[/youtube]

[Wizard]

Get a Tone Bender Jumbo like the B&M and be done with it. It's a muff.

please tell me more

i feel like there's a whole side of tonebenders untapped. i feel like when theyre modded everybody always goes towards making them do more muffish things with the TB character, which isn't bad considering Muffs reign over me, and the buzzaround is currently my mistress, but why doesnt anyone make them all harsh and gross sounding?



I THINK THEY WOULD BE SO AWESOME AT THAT.

or do they..?

[ghost_effects]

the buzzaround is currently my mistress, but why doesnt anyone make them all harsh and gross sounding?



I THINK THEY WOULD BE SO AWESOME AT THAT.

or do they..?

DIZZY TONE!

[Wizard]

oh holy fuck

[StopReferencing]

Hi Evan!

Tonebenders, eh?

-I had a Montgomery Appliances Quattro, never really vibed with it. Looked great inside and out, though.

-I had a Diceworks Fuzz Epic - Union Jack side is supposed to be a Tonebender, I believe. Just okay.

-I had the MJM 2 and 3-knob Benders - fine, had a "bedroom" vibe, if you know what I mean. More on the polite side.

-I had a Fulltone Soulbender - MkIII-ish, right? My friend Eric in Lonnie Walker (Casino/AC30) uses one of these really effectively, usually followed by a Beano Boost. I once read a description of Fulltone fuzzes like the 69 and Soulbender having this "plastic" quality to them; I kind of agree.

-I had a Skinpimp MkIII (first generation) - sounded great, but this was when I realized I wasn't a MkIII guy (at least, I wasn't at the time, haven't tried one in a while). MkIII is kind of more compressed/less fucked sounding than the MkII. More "normal," I guess.

-I had a Throbak sTonebender that sounded a LOT like the fuzz on early Led Zeppelin records; interesting, but not sustainable interest-wise (for me).

-I had a Skinpimp Skinbender MkII/Fuzz Face (switchable) loaded with OC84s. Smooth in a buzzy way, not spiky, but still rude (in an awesome way). Wanted something a little more versatile. (See Fuzzfaceless MkII below.)

-I had two Skinpimp MkI units, both with the "Misfits tattoo" graphic. One was bland/unmemorable; the other was unbelievably awesome (I think it was serial #1), but it was such a one-trick-pony that I couldn't justify keeping it (attack knob did barely anything). That one fucking ripped the sky wide open, haven't heard anything quite like it. Outrageous amount of volume on tap - huge, thick mid-range with a brutal velcro-y attack. Took me a while to understand that the fuzz sounded WAY better with the volume past noon, as it never needed it to be that loud. I'd stack it into a Hotcake and use that as a master-volume, sounded amazing. Kind of miss it.

-I have a Hudson Soul Bomb; Mr. Soul (Mk1.5, the most fuzz-face-y tonebender, as I understand it) followed by a Gospel Bomb Boost. There's an AC125 in there somewhere. I really dig this one; has a low-cut knob to get you some of those MkII-like biting fuzz sounds if you want 'em (sounds like what you're looking for). Gnarly. Enclosure's enormous though.

-I have a Fuzzfaceless MkI with volume, attack, and bias controls (attack and bias concentric). Gets both "normal" fuzz sounds and more rippin' thick gnarly MkI sounds. Not quite as extreme as that Skinpimp I had, but waaaay more versatile.

-I have a Fuzzfaceless MkII with a bunch of custom options (blendable input caps, external bias, variable feedback resistor, cat etching, etc.) that's being finished up right now. Very excited about this.


Also FWIW, I have a Skinpimp Buzzaround with NKT213s. That one's sticking around for a bit.

[insubordination]

Is there a technical reason why Buzzarounds seem to START around $300? I am ignorant of the cost of components, so if that's the issue then OK. But I was just curious since there are plenty of rare vintage fuzz pedals whose modern analog is affordable (Super Fuzz, Fuzzface, Tonebender, etc.), so is it an issue of the scarcity of the original informing prices of the clones? I'd really like to try one out, it's just an expensive prospect to check out multiple $300 pedals to find the "right" one. Welcome to "the game" I suppose.

[devnulljp]

Get a Tone Bender Jumbo like the B&M and be done with it. It's a muff.

please tell me more

Jumbo TB is a muff minus a gain stage & one pair of clipping diodes, same as the Vox Suppa Tone Bender.
That's about it really. Sounds awesome on bass -- the two clones I've had both seemed to let a bit of clean signal through. It's a muff, but not quite ... not as smooth and compressed, a bit dirtier without as much scoop.

GeneralGodGadgets does a DIY clone board if you need a new bible for your bathroom ...

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=50cgUM5PJPs[/youtube]
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lINIZ1wNPGI[/youtube]
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eKST6mZayaM[/youtube]
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pnrAAJIv844[/youtube]
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ln39Ss2gQU0[/youtube]

Compare the Schematics
Big Muff:


Colorsound Jumbo Tonebender:

[ghost_effects]

Is there a technical reason why Buzzarounds seem to START around $300? I am ignorant of the cost of components, so if that's the issue then OK. But I was just curious since there are plenty of rare vintage fuzz pedals whose modern analog is affordable (Super Fuzz, Fuzzface, Tonebender, etc.), so is it an issue of the scarcity of the original informing prices of the clones? I'd really like to try one out, it's just an expensive prospect to check out multiple $300 pedals to find the "right" one. Welcome to "the game" I suppose.

i do them cheaper than $300 with screenprinted cases and NKT214 transistors!
the main chore with the buzz and the dizzy is keeping noise levels down, i test the transistors in the actual circuit before soldering them in, takes a bit of time but is well worth it.

[insubordination]

Well I have a birthday at the end of the month so you may have an order from me then! Looks/sounds awesome.