Good Tone Bender remakes...
- Thread starter dr.barlo
- Start date
the guy who invented fire
Fuzzy. Guitars
Re: Good Tone Bender remakes...
Despite the negative stuff you can find on line about JMI in general I like my 2 JMI Benders.
Matter of fact I pulled out my 2 JMI Benders and my 2 BMF Benders yesterday, I was hoping to put one of them on my board for a little while as a different flavor of fuzzy tones but no dice...I just cant get away from a Fuzz Face.
The Benders are a lot of fun but the dynamics of a Fuzz Face are unbeatable!
Despite the negative stuff you can find on line about JMI in general I like my 2 JMI Benders.
Matter of fact I pulled out my 2 JMI Benders and my 2 BMF Benders yesterday, I was hoping to put one of them on my board for a little while as a different flavor of fuzzy tones but no dice...I just cant get away from a Fuzz Face.
The Benders are a lot of fun but the dynamics of a Fuzz Face are unbeatable!
Andrew Lamprecht
Minion of One
Re: Good Tone Bender remakes...
I want this.
I want this.
hermetico
New member
Re: Good Tone Bender remakes...
You seem really schooled in fuzzes (among other things, sure).
I love fuzzes but, I hate their issues:
batteries (no DC plug)
impedance issues
temperature inestability (germanium transistors)
polarity (germanium positivizes the ground)
etc
So, even that I've got a Hudson Electronics Stroll On fuzz (a clone of a Tone Bender MKII, with Mullard's OC81s), among other fuzzes, I am still looking for a modern take that makes the trick.
I wonder if you ever tried the Wampler Leviathan, that seems able to mime Tone Bender tones, as well as Fuzz Face tones, in paper.
But every video I saw it's demoing more the monstruous sounds of such a fuzz, more in the Big Muff side.
Any experience with this one?.
I already saw you recommendation of the Analogman NKT Red Dot Sunface and... I liked it to dead!. What a fuzz, man!.
You seem really schooled in fuzzes (among other things, sure).
I love fuzzes but, I hate their issues:
batteries (no DC plug)
impedance issues
temperature inestability (germanium transistors)
polarity (germanium positivizes the ground)
etc
So, even that I've got a Hudson Electronics Stroll On fuzz (a clone of a Tone Bender MKII, with Mullard's OC81s), among other fuzzes, I am still looking for a modern take that makes the trick.
I wonder if you ever tried the Wampler Leviathan, that seems able to mime Tone Bender tones, as well as Fuzz Face tones, in paper.
But every video I saw it's demoing more the monstruous sounds of such a fuzz, more in the Big Muff side.
Any experience with this one?.
I already saw you recommendation of the Analogman NKT Red Dot Sunface and... I liked it to dead!. What a fuzz, man!.
hermetico
New member
Re: Good Tone Bender remakes...
I've found Hudson Electronics doing a job of same quality of D*A*M, with very neat wiring, short queue and more affordable, but, still expensive for such a simple pedal!.
If fuzz sounds good is heaven, if bad hell.
Very useful vid!
:cool2:
I think I like mark 1 and mark 2... Not the professional, the regular mark 2...
I know that this is a deep subject, and can make a guitar player go bankrupt.
:friday:
B
I've found Hudson Electronics doing a job of same quality of D*A*M, with very neat wiring, short queue and more affordable, but, still expensive for such a simple pedal!.
If fuzz sounds good is heaven, if bad hell.
the guy who invented fire
Fuzzy. Guitars
Re: Good Tone Bender remakes...
I have not tried the Wampler...
I'm not really keen on modern takes on vintage fuzzes, to me they never hit the mark and I figure why bother...I snapped up a few good examples of all the fuzz types I think I'll ever need or want and just deal with the issues.
The impedance issues really can't be fixed w/o running the character of the fuzz which is what I like about them but there are ways around it.
The battery only thing can be fixes...several of my fuzzes have DC jacks but I never use them...a battery lasts so long anyway plus to me they seem to make a little less noise when using batteries.
If you've already got a good clone of a vintage fuzz then I highly doubt you'll find a modern version that will make you happy.
...I never have
I have not tried the Wampler...
I'm not really keen on modern takes on vintage fuzzes, to me they never hit the mark and I figure why bother...I snapped up a few good examples of all the fuzz types I think I'll ever need or want and just deal with the issues.
The impedance issues really can't be fixed w/o running the character of the fuzz which is what I like about them but there are ways around it.
The battery only thing can be fixes...several of my fuzzes have DC jacks but I never use them...a battery lasts so long anyway plus to me they seem to make a little less noise when using batteries.
If you've already got a good clone of a vintage fuzz then I highly doubt you'll find a modern version that will make you happy.
...I never have
Chickenwings
Alnico 6/8
Re: Good Tone Bender remakes...
im with tg. all the problems that make fuzz faces difficult are also a lot of the reason they sound so good. The way the impedance loads up and stuff is really cool because of how sensetive they are to your pickups, volume knobs and even pickup combinations. A lot of the great stuff is more subtle than you might think and its really interactive and musical tool. I think its the bare simplicty of the circuit that gives the richness of sound.
If you really dig fuzz then you have to use it and pretty much nothing else in your signal chain.
If you want a modern approach with lots of stompboxes and a heap of different presettable tones and flexibility then you need to look elsewhere. BIg muffs and their derivatives for example are a lot more user friendly in the pedal chain aspect.
im with tg. all the problems that make fuzz faces difficult are also a lot of the reason they sound so good. The way the impedance loads up and stuff is really cool because of how sensetive they are to your pickups, volume knobs and even pickup combinations. A lot of the great stuff is more subtle than you might think and its really interactive and musical tool. I think its the bare simplicty of the circuit that gives the richness of sound.
If you really dig fuzz then you have to use it and pretty much nothing else in your signal chain.
If you want a modern approach with lots of stompboxes and a heap of different presettable tones and flexibility then you need to look elsewhere. BIg muffs and their derivatives for example are a lot more user friendly in the pedal chain aspect.
Agileguy_101
Master of his Domain
Re: Good Tone Bender remakes...
Over the past year, I've become a bit of a fuzz nut. I currently have two on my board with two being built that will go right on as soon as they get here. I've had a few different fuzzes - big muff variants, fuzz faces, a SI tonebender-esque fuzz, and a much more modern fuzz (Fuzzhugger Algal Bloom).
I've found that for all of their "problems," vintage fuzzes, or clones thereof, are the ticket for me. I especially love fuzz faces - I've had a NKT275 Sunface for about half a year, and just picked up a Foxrox CC Hybrid yesterday (a half germanium, half silicon fuzz face). They're dynamic, expressive, and very versatile in their simplicity.
The issues that accompany the territory aren't a big deal if you approach it that way. For battery powered pedals, I make sure to get them with a battery on/off switch. The best clones of vintage fuzzes are mostly made by small builders, so getting a custom option like that is almost never an issue and doesn't cost much at all. As far as impedance, I just make sure to use my GE fuzzes right after my (true bypass) tuner, so that's not an issue either. Temperature issues are mitigated by adding a bias knob (again, all reputable small builders will add this for a small upcharge). The polarity is only an issue if you use a power supply, and for the occasional fuzz I get with a DC jack, it's not an issue with my isolated power supply. If you have fuzzes of this caliber, I don't see why you wouldn't invest in a good power supply.
I'm expecting my custom MKII Bender within the next few weeks, and I'll make sure to put up a review of it. I'll probably be getting a MK1.5 Bender from BMF within the next few months. I'm hoping my custom Basic Audio Tri/Ram Muff is done this week. I still want to get a Trombetta Mini Bone, and possibly a MK1 Bender.
Told ya - I'm a bona fide fuzz nut.
Over the past year, I've become a bit of a fuzz nut. I currently have two on my board with two being built that will go right on as soon as they get here. I've had a few different fuzzes - big muff variants, fuzz faces, a SI tonebender-esque fuzz, and a much more modern fuzz (Fuzzhugger Algal Bloom).
I've found that for all of their "problems," vintage fuzzes, or clones thereof, are the ticket for me. I especially love fuzz faces - I've had a NKT275 Sunface for about half a year, and just picked up a Foxrox CC Hybrid yesterday (a half germanium, half silicon fuzz face). They're dynamic, expressive, and very versatile in their simplicity.
The issues that accompany the territory aren't a big deal if you approach it that way. For battery powered pedals, I make sure to get them with a battery on/off switch. The best clones of vintage fuzzes are mostly made by small builders, so getting a custom option like that is almost never an issue and doesn't cost much at all. As far as impedance, I just make sure to use my GE fuzzes right after my (true bypass) tuner, so that's not an issue either. Temperature issues are mitigated by adding a bias knob (again, all reputable small builders will add this for a small upcharge). The polarity is only an issue if you use a power supply, and for the occasional fuzz I get with a DC jack, it's not an issue with my isolated power supply. If you have fuzzes of this caliber, I don't see why you wouldn't invest in a good power supply.
I'm expecting my custom MKII Bender within the next few weeks, and I'll make sure to put up a review of it. I'll probably be getting a MK1.5 Bender from BMF within the next few months. I'm hoping my custom Basic Audio Tri/Ram Muff is done this week. I still want to get a Trombetta Mini Bone, and possibly a MK1 Bender.
Told ya - I'm a bona fide fuzz nut.
hermetico
New member
Re: Good Tone Bender remakes...
I've workarounded every aspect before, I am just saying that is really a headache to insert them in a big chain. And that I would love to know a modern fuzz that can do the real stuff solving vintage issues. The MI Audio Neo Fuzz didn't worked for me, by example.
:eyecrazy:
Thinks I've already done:
I am using a couple of Voodoo Labs Pedal Power 2 units, so I have isolated DC outputs and, therefore I can get rid of feeding the fuzz without (theoretically) affect the rest of the chain. This is paper. The real thing is that this makes noisier the rest of chain.
I am using one of the outputs that simulate worn batteries, running about 5V.
I am using a battery clip (voodoo cable) permanently inserted in the pedal and feeded by the Pedal Power output.
Most of pedals are negative grounded, while the germanium fuzz is positive grounded. All them are linked together accross their jacks so... when combined together the party starts. Rest of pedals are noisier.
I also have a Carl Martin Octaswitch II unit, to have the fuzz isolated in a dedicated loop, to "remove" it from the chain when not used. But, I like to use the fuzz alone and with a Wah and, sometimes with a vibe.
I have a fuzz friendly wah (RMC4, Vision Wah) and some buffer to restore the goodness of the signal at any spot. So, I can run the wah before the fuzz and the buffer after the fuzz.
I have all my rig running thru a power conditioner, with isolated AC outputs so, even every pedal power is isolated and, every amp is and, everything has its ground decoupled from home's ground.
So, yes, I've invested in lots of things and, I've got rid of most of issues.
But, I still have a wish!.
:cool2:
Just wanted to know if anyone tried the Leviathan, being a fuzz lover, and recommends it or rejects it and why yes or not. In paper it can do the tone bender, the fuzz face and the muff thing. It's an hybrid, with germanium and silicon modes so, this covers a lot of ground. Hasn't impedance issues (so can be inserted at any spot in your chain) and works with regular center negative barrel DC inputs.
Very nice in paper, but, I would like to know real opinions!.
:scratchch
I've workarounded every aspect before, I am just saying that is really a headache to insert them in a big chain. And that I would love to know a modern fuzz that can do the real stuff solving vintage issues. The MI Audio Neo Fuzz didn't worked for me, by example.
:eyecrazy:
Thinks I've already done:
I am using a couple of Voodoo Labs Pedal Power 2 units, so I have isolated DC outputs and, therefore I can get rid of feeding the fuzz without (theoretically) affect the rest of the chain. This is paper. The real thing is that this makes noisier the rest of chain.
I am using one of the outputs that simulate worn batteries, running about 5V.
I am using a battery clip (voodoo cable) permanently inserted in the pedal and feeded by the Pedal Power output.
Most of pedals are negative grounded, while the germanium fuzz is positive grounded. All them are linked together accross their jacks so... when combined together the party starts. Rest of pedals are noisier.
I also have a Carl Martin Octaswitch II unit, to have the fuzz isolated in a dedicated loop, to "remove" it from the chain when not used. But, I like to use the fuzz alone and with a Wah and, sometimes with a vibe.
I have a fuzz friendly wah (RMC4, Vision Wah) and some buffer to restore the goodness of the signal at any spot. So, I can run the wah before the fuzz and the buffer after the fuzz.
I have all my rig running thru a power conditioner, with isolated AC outputs so, even every pedal power is isolated and, every amp is and, everything has its ground decoupled from home's ground.
So, yes, I've invested in lots of things and, I've got rid of most of issues.
But, I still have a wish!.
:cool2:
Just wanted to know if anyone tried the Leviathan, being a fuzz lover, and recommends it or rejects it and why yes or not. In paper it can do the tone bender, the fuzz face and the muff thing. It's an hybrid, with germanium and silicon modes so, this covers a lot of ground. Hasn't impedance issues (so can be inserted at any spot in your chain) and works with regular center negative barrel DC inputs.
Very nice in paper, but, I would like to know real opinions!.
:scratchch
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