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Hello I just registered to get some advice (fuzz advice).
So I have a Tone Bender Mk III pedal (Earthquacker Devices Tone Reaper). I like the general sound but it seems too polite.
What could be a pedal with similar sound but meaner and gated?

BYE

Here's a demo of the tone reaper... for reference. (I'd love to recommend something but I cant think of anything similar to what you're asking)

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6OIadW5Wyxs[/youtube]

That thing sounds smexi!

If your looking for something more custom, contact the dude from monsterpiece. He may be able to make you somethig more nasty in the same vein and with a sag control (for gating).

Otherwise I'd just look for something different.

mmm tone reaper gas...

Maybe try a starve box or something?
Or look into more MKII based tone benders
DAM, throbak, and MJM make decent ones.

Monsterpiece does some great work...you could try chatting with him and see if he offers anything interesting up.
Keep in mind his mk2 is actually a mk1.5. I think he also does a mk3 now.

I can think of a couple of mods if you can handle a soldering iron...
If you raise the value of the Q1 Base if it's just a standard tone bender that should raise the gain.

Give me a PM if your interested in a clone of something by moi, or one of my fuzz designs, I can think of a few ways to get some nice gated fuzz, germanium or otherwise.

is there any Devi pedal that has a tone bender type of sound?

LorenzoTs wrote:is there any Devi pedal that has a tone bender type of sound?

Not really. The only Devi Ever pedal I can think of that would get you close is the spectacular aenima. I'm usually first to recommend a devi pedal but they tone bender doesn't give me any similar vibes.

Scruffie wrote:I can think of a couple of mods if you can handle a soldering iron...
If you raise the value of the Q1 Base if it's just a standard tone bender that should raise the gain.

Give me a PM if your interested in a clone of something by moi, or one of my fuzz designs, I can think of a few ways to get some nice gated fuzz, germanium or otherwise.

Even easier, look for a trim pot inside the pedal. Many builders use a bias trim pot to get the voltage right on one of the transistors (can't remember if it's the first or last one - but if there is one, there will be only one trimpot inside). Set tastefully (for 4.5V), you get the classic tonebender sound, but crank that bias control and you get more gain, more mids, and an almost gated sound. Really wild shit.

I built a BYOC ToneBender for the other guitarist in my band. It's bone stock and sounds like a phenomenal tone bender, but when I cranked that internal bias control, it got nasty, louder, mean, and cuts through a mix WAY better. I offered to set it back to spec for him and he nearly decked me.

Or just buy a Dr. Scientist Frazz Dazzler. That's what I use. Mean, gated, and nasty, but thick and beautiful too. My favourite fuzz.

Yea I woulda said about the trimmer but I don't know what's in this pedal and also I find misbiasing can be a bad idea... but that's my preference

Scruffie wrote:Yea I woulda said about the trimmer but I don't know what's in this pedal and also I find misbiasing can be a bad idea... but that's my preference

It can't hurt the parts, but it definitely can make it difficult to get it back to the "correct" location without the right equipment to measure and set it.

I know it wont damage the parts, but it may lead to noise, higher temperature sensitivity (assuming it's germanium, not a clue on that make) squeeling, oscilation in bypass and yes without an DMM it can be difficult to get it back to stock, even if you mark it.

I think changing the base resistor is a safer option if you don't know about electronics although of course a tone bender isn't always gunna sound neccesarily great at 4.5v, some people prefer other settings.

Scruffie wrote:I know it wont damage the parts, but it may lead to noise, higher temperature sensitivity (assuming it's germanium, not a clue on that make) squeeling, oscilation in bypass and yes without an DMM it can be difficult to get it back to stock, even if you mark it.

I think changing the base resistor is a safer option if you don't know about electronics although of course a tone bender isn't always gunna sound neccesarily great at 4.5v, some people prefer other settings.

Definitely germaium on that one. Now that you mention it, I think the fuzz became a little more sensitive to temperature fluctuations after I jacked the bias.

No trim pot and would prefer to try something else instead of modding it...
I really hate that I cannot just go to a shop and try lots of pedals to choose one (or more).

A Tone bender MK II? A Zvex Wooly Mammoth or Fuzz factory both can be quite gated, Mid-Fi Peace gun ?

HYPERION
turn the texture down and the volume WAY up, it gets there