Fender Blender and Ampeg Scrambler clones

[rfurtkamp]

I'm a scrambler into blender guy personally - so much splat and spit.

From a quickie I did 3 years ago here:

[Chaosmic]

Here's a clip of the Chaosmic Fuzz with bass that I made a few days ago. It's a quick iPhone recording but should give you some idea what it sounds like. I sort of randomly tweaked settings throughout. The end of the clip is where it gets most nasty. I'll have better clips and such soon for sure. The PCB's are ordered and the Chaosmic Fuzz will be available mid-September for anyone interested. Cheers!

[KaosCill8r]

Here's a clip of the Chaosmic Fuzz with bass that I made a few days ago. It's a quick iPhone recording but should give you some idea what it sounds like. I sort of randomly tweaked settings throughout. The end of the clip is where it gets most nasty. I'll have better clips and such soon for sure. The PCB's are ordered and the Chaosmic Fuzz will be available mid-September for anyone interested. Cheers!

Is the Chaos control just outboard control of the octave? I recently built a Scrambler clone with outboard octave control and it makes it so much more versitile. Why that isn't a standard Scrambler feature is beyond me. And the Scrambler is awesome for bass. Every fuzz loving bass player should have one on their board in my opinion.
And I couldn't see the link for your bass clips demo. Would of liked to hear it. Danm iPads.

[rfurtkamp]

Scrambler as it was is from an an era where even two knobs were hard for people to understand!

[Chaosmic]

Here's a clip of the Chaosmic Fuzz with bass that I made a few days ago. It's a quick iPhone recording but should give you some idea what it sounds like. I sort of randomly tweaked settings throughout. The end of the clip is where it gets most nasty. I'll have better clips and such soon for sure. The PCB's are ordered and the Chaosmic Fuzz will be available mid-September for anyone interested. Cheers!

Is the Chaos control just outboard control of the octave? I recently built a Scrambler clone with outboard octave control and it makes it so much more versitile. Why that isn't a standard Scrambler feature is beyond me. And the Scrambler is awesome for bass. Every fuzz loving bass player should have one on their board in my opinion.
And I couldn't see the link for your bass clips demo. Would of liked to hear it. Danm iPads.

I definitely agree with you regarding bass + Scrambler. That same feeling was my inspiration to build the Chaosmic Fuzz. The Chaos control is a tweaked and expanded Texture control like is found on the original Scrambler. It definitely has a significant affect on the amount of upper octave effect. It also adds compression and increased harmonic inter-modulation as you turn it clockwise. Hopefully this link will work: https://m.soundcloud.com/metalstring-so ... mic-fuzz-1

[KaosCill8r]

Yeah that link worked. Thanks. Great sounding pedal dude. You will move quite a few of those. Also hope you make some more decent sounding bass fuzzes, drives and other bass effects.

[Chaosmic]

Thanks so much for the kind words! Yep, Rabbit Hole's second pedal is already under development. I've got plans for another flavor of dirt in the pipeline as well.

[rfurtkamp]

Yea, always interested in another Scrambler, Blender or Bee-Baa that improves a little on the originals (I don't need "Revoicings" that take away the origina's snottiness or ugly, ala some of the recent Bee Baa things)

[Chaosmic]

Right on, I hear you. There's plenty of snot and ugly to be had. The Gain and EQ controls allow access to sounds similar to the original circuit and way beyond.

So glad to hear there's interest!

[rfurtkamp]

The other thing is the originals vary substantially, I've played four originals in my travels. Two stood out as "oh, good lord, clone THAT one!", one was just..average, and another there must have been something wrong with it (and I knew why it was being sold at the low end of market the minute I played it). I have an older bathtub PCB clone (90s) that made me sell my original and reissue - it's that damn good.

So I'm definitely interested.

[Chaosmic]

Yep, the Scrambler is a strange and finicky circuit indeed. I did 5 fully operational prototypes before finalizing the design. Changes or tweaks that *should've* yielded predictable results often did not at all. I can definitely understand there not being a "gold standard" regarding the Scrambler.

[rfurtkamp]

Biggest problem is the variance in parts back then (and the 25 years of drift before I got my hands on one the first time). It's the same reason that one Fuzz Face will sound amazing to somebody beyond corksniffing.

That and the originals (and faithful circuits) sound a LOT different on different types of batteries/voltages.

[popvulture]

Ronsound had a Fender Blender clone tht fixed the massive volume drop and added led indicators and put the jacks the right way and basically made it how it shouldve been when they reissued it.

Yes, it's one of the best Blender I've ever tried. Immedialty sold my original '69 one when I received it.

I really need to look this up now... I've always been surprised that I haven't seen more Blender clones out there, but obviously I just haven't looked hard enough.

I've got an original that sounds so fucking good. Playing it solo, there seems to be no shortage of volume, more like a copious amount of loud-ass, gloriously unruly fuzz. Playing with a band, though? Stomp on it with the hopes of unleashing an evil squall of noise into the room, and you completely disappear in the mix. I always chalked it up to occupying a frequency range that just won't sit on top of things unless you've got much more volume on tap. Frustrating to say the least.

The reissues always seemed fine, but way too polite in comparison. Definitely gonna have a look at the Ronsound.

[BLOOD EAGLE]

Ronsound had a Fender Blender clone tht fixed the massive volume drop and added led indicators and put the jacks the right way and basically made it how it shouldve been when they reissued it.

Yes, it's one of the best Blender I've ever tried. Immedialty sold my original '69 one when I received it.

I really need to look this up now... I've always been surprised that I haven't seen more Blender clones out there, but obviously I just haven't looked hard enough.

I've got an original that sounds so fucking good. Playing it solo, there seems to be no shortage of volume, more like a copious amount of loud-ass, gloriously unruly fuzz. Playing with a band, though? Stomp on it with the hopes of unleashing an evil squall of noise into the room, and you completely disappear in the mix. I always chalked it up to occupying a frequency range that just won't sit on top of things unless you've got much more volume on tap. Frustrating to say the least.

The reissues always seemed fine, but way too polite in comparison. Definitely gonna have a look at the Ronsound.

The reissues only needs a couple of mods apparently to bring it to original stock. And by mods, I really mean yanking stuff out, putting a bridge for one part, and switching 2 wires on the tone switch...

[rfurtkamp]

I've played originals and have a RI.

No volume drop on mine to speak of. It won't go balls to the walls +30DB boost, but I'm a unity gain guy on my fuzz and gain, always have been.

It's as batshit as the originals I played, but keep in mind that there's a TON of component drift on some of the older ones (including from the minute they were made with the old specs for what was acceptable from the electronics suppliers).