Tone Bender!!!

[alderbody]

What a great pedal!

I built one yesterday out of lying_around parts and i was amazed. Boxed it instantly!

I used:

Q1 Sanyo 2SA202 (64Hfe), Q2 Sanyo 2SA203 (77Hfe) and a Matsushita 2SA100 (Hfe 120) for Q3, all taken from my grandma's old radios...
The input cap is a FRAKO 4.7uF electro i found in a local shop, the gain cap is a 4.7uF NP, the coupling .1uF is a Wima PolyPro and the output cap is an Orange drop.
I applied the modern mods (47K instead of 100K, 1k2 instead of 470Ohm, 20K trimmer instead of 8k2, 1M anti-pop and 2K gain pot)

Beautiful rich Germanium tone.

here are some closeups:

[Steben]

Damn, I Like that "sputnik" look of the trannies in those days! 

[g3rmanium]

Can you post the under side? Looks surprisingly simple...

[alderbody]

I'm afraid not... at least not now...

but it's indeed very simple. Imagine a Fuzz Face circuit with an added transistor in the input side (almost).

simple and great sounding build!

[alderbody]

Damn, I Like that "sputnik" look of the trannies in those days! 

yes, magnificent looks!...

mine are "reliced", too...   

[jmusser]

Which version is this? I've made two or 3 different versions, and they've all been great, especially the Jumbo Tone Bender. I used Russian transistors for mine. I have used some of the 2S Japanese series of transistors like you're showing, in other fuzzes, and they do a good job. Did you strip those out of something?

[alderbody]

Which version is this? I've made two or 3 different versions, and they've all been great, especially the Jumbo Tone Bender. I used Russian transistors for mine. I have used some of the 2S Japanese series of transistors like you're showing, in other fuzzes, and they do a good job. Did you strip those out of something?

I followed the shematic of the MK-II but with the "modern" appointments i described above.

The trannies were removed from my late Grandma's old radios...  (That's what i call heritage... )

I removed many devices and most (if not all) of them were good!

[nightingale]

Hey Alder,
How do yuou like those WIMA caps. Roger Mayer uses those, and I have been keeping my eye on them in mouser's book.
I am asking about the mixed film ones. The poly ones are around $6-$8 depending.

thanks,
ry

[tcobretti]

Just today I was listening to a Zep boot where Pagey is clearly using his TB MkII, and it sounded great.  So when I got home I dug mine out (Si w/ PN2369As using the GGG/RDV schem), and reveled in how great it sounds.  I LOVE the way my MkII's gain pot works.  At it's lowest setting it's very Page like and adds a bit of low gain fuzz, but as the gain knob gets cranked it gets fuzzier and more kazoo like.

I highly, highly recommend everybody build this one.  It is truly a classic fuzz. 

[alderbody]

Hey Alder,
How do yuou like those WIMA caps. Roger Mayer uses those, and I have been keeping my eye on them in mouser's book.
I am asking about the mixed film ones. The poly ones are around $6-$8 depending.

thanks,
ry

Well ry,

the (polypro) Wimas are not quite for everywhere...

for instance, i hated them in any Wah configuration! I didn't quite dig the sound for an input cap in a rangemaster, too.

Of course, "good tone" perception is SUBJECTIVE...

I have some in other pedals (but not only polypros) and they sound good (to me...)

I can't recommend anything more than to try them and see for yourself, if your budget allows experiments. 

[alderbody]

I highly, highly recommend everybody build this one.  It is truly a classic fuzz. 

I couldn't agree more!... 

[alderbody]

How do yuou like those WIMA caps?

about WIMA caps again,

last night i played with my ROG eighteen.
When i opened the box to check the guts, i (re)discovered that i built it using exclusively WIMA caps.

and it sounds great!... 

some of them must have been polypros.