jimmy page distortion

[suspended]

hello everyone,

Where I can find a schematic for the fuzz box that jimmy page uses?

thanks

[Marcos - Munky]

I think he used a Tonebender MKII in the first Led Zeppelin album. Chack Runoffgroove.com.

[Gearbuilder]

Hi ,
For the Pagey sound? First album Tonebender MKII for sure,it's the two knob model ,but i've  seen on the DVD that he used near this time the 3 knobs model.I think that all this models are used after a VOX wha-Wha and are surely modified by John Mayer More rescent sounds can be achieved with a MXR Dito plus.
I've got two links for Tonebender MKII and MKIII and one for the MXR
Here's they are:
Disto Plus: http://www.tonepad.com/project.asp?id=2
Tonebender MKII : http://fuzzcentral.tripod.com/
Tonebender MKII , MKIII and disto + : http://www.generalguitargadgets.com/v2/index.php?option=displaypage&Itemid=99&op=page&SubMenu=
I hope this help you
Bruno

[Jim Jones]

Hey Bruno,

I agree a hundred percent on the MXR!  I don't believe Page ever used the Distortion +, but with a LP and and small tube amp it definitely gets me in the zone of his early 70's tone.  Using the Ge diodes is the key - it sounds 70's "chunky" with a hint o' fuzz.  Si diodes make it sound too harsh IMO.  Upping the output cap to 10uF and using a 50K volume pot brings the level up, too.

Jim

[Doug H]

Hey Bruno,

I agree a hundred percent on the MXR!  I don't believe Page ever used the Distortion +, but with a LP and and small tube amp it definitely gets me in the zone of his early 70's tone.  Using the Ge diodes is the key - it sounds 70's "chunky" with a hint o' fuzz.  Si diodes make it sound too harsh IMO.  Upping the output cap to 10uF and using a 50K volume pot brings the level up, too.

Jim

He used an MXR Distortion+ live back in '77 when I saw him.

That was in the "Presence" timeframe.

Doug

[Jim Jones]

Hey Doug,

Cool - thanks for the info!  Man, I would kill to have seen them live.

Jim

[suspended]

thanks alot u guys.  I didn't expect to get replies soooo fast!  

[brian wenz]

Hello Hello--
  I've found that to really get the earlier Page sound [Yardbirds and early Gimp Blimp.......er, I mean Led Zep..]  it's best to match the TB MK II with a Fender Telecaster guitar.......it's perfect!
Brian.

[suspended]

well, that's the only guitar I got  

[Gearbuilder]

Hi,
Thank Doug for the info that confirms my ears !! I used to use the disto +
since ten years now with my LP and my modifified Marshall it's rock like Page on the last records,but i was always looking for his early records and i began to clone Tonebender ,three but all of the three are  sounding differents, since a friend of mine one day phones found an MKIII for ONLY 12$ in a second hand shop !!!!!!!Incredible !!!I was sick!!Impossible but true ! Then one day he call me again and asked  to me if i could repair it  he was disgusted no sound at all :cry:
I put in at home and suddenly i understood what's happenned: he had reversed the in out jack when he'd plugged his guitar!!!!! Old but reversed input !Then i had a look in it ,take some shoot of the PCB and i plugged my LP in my Vox Wha then in the right input of the bender ,warm up the marshall Whaooooo,creammy,fuzzy, the best pedal i've ever heard ,touch sensitive and an overall very good balanced tone,i changed the  amp'old Garen with 6l6 ,reverb ,tremolo and old 15w speakers  a tube echolplex an then i began to play the first album, i was KO by the similar sound i could have all that i had to do is to play ,very good time !!
Now i'm very sad because i return the MKIII to my friend and i am searching the old magic germs ,i'm sure now they are the secret of this fuzz box!
Bruno

[Marcos - Munky]

Maybe the germanium aren't the secret of the Tonebender. Take a look at //www.runoffgroove.com/tbmk2sounds.html. You will find soundclips for a all Si Tonebender.

[Craig V]

Is the "Boutique Bender 3 Knob" the same as a Fulltone Soulbender?  Whats difference between this and a normal 3 knob version?

[RDV]

You guys are neglecting to mention the old treble booster into a small amp trick, which he used a LOT of the time, I mean, you can HEAR it. Like on Heartbreaker. I can nail that beginning tone with a Rangemaster clone and my mid 60's Supro 'Super'. FUN. Add a plate reverb to the same tone and you've got that big lead breakdown. Sweet.

Regards

RDV

[Jim Jones]

Hi Bruno,

Did you ever draw out the MkIII circuit?

Jim

[Gearbuilder]

Hi,
Not yet but i'm planning  how to redraw it easily with a photo.Maybe should i took a scan of the board,like that the dimensions are OK
I'm looking for posting a photo in this forum ,it seems to be complicated
Bruno

[Gearbuilder]

I'm sure that he used the three knob version on stage ,but who can say what he used in studio? Jimmy Page was  a session man in the beginning and it's possible the use of a booster but at each time i've  seen a stage pshoot  he used a tonebender.The treble booster is good and there's  a germ(OC44)in the Dallas rangemaster,it's seems like a fuzz but i've read everywhere that Page used a TB on his first LZ record.
Bruno

[Gearbuilder]

hi,
Sorry but i read with a little late some answer.
 Sorry too but the clip at Runn groove doesn't change my idea  about Germs,it's not the sound of JP ,i said on others posts that i 've had got during one week a 3 knobs version at home  .It's a complete different sound that i can ear on Rungrooff site ,(i respect him  ...)
This model have three big hat germs,it's impossible to find these models
I build two benders , a MKII and a MK III ,i try to clone the sound of the orinal;Impossible !! I try with severals OC 44 ,AC 128 with no good results ,the sound was in your face(like Silicon reissue or Rungrooff clip)sound,agressive non musical even i put the real gain values on the three trans.I had take the Vcc on the original ,tweak them on my clone ,always a fuzz but not the best sounding Tonebender.Maybe the TB;
no the good harmonics and tone .
I never try with silicon device because i'm sure that silicon version came after 70,
Bruno

[Ansil]

hello everyone,

Where I can find a schematic for the fuzz box that jimmy page uses?

thanks

theres alot of stuff goin on about his tone.. but check out this. clip from runoffgroove.com


http://runoffgroove.com/clippah3.mp3

[Doug H]

hello everyone,

Where I can find a schematic for the fuzz box that jimmy page uses?

thanks

theres alot of stuff goin on about his tone.. but check out this. clip from runoffgroove.com


http://runoffgroove.com/clippah3.mp3

Along the same lines:

http://home.earthlink.net/~dennisf3/sound/bring2b.mp3

From here:

http://home.earthlink.net/~dennisf3/ff.htm

(Heh-heh...)

Doug

[Ansil]

nice..   hey doug man you should really consider doing some pcb boards for this. you could make some cash dude. i know a bunch of peeps who would love to have this like a TONEPAD type project.  hmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm??