jimmy page distortion

[brian wenz]

Hello Hello--
  O.K., anything in 1966 or before would be a 2-tranny Vox Tonebender MK I [ with and without mods], mainly because there was no such thing as a Fuzz Face before then.  The MK I has a 2-tranny circuit and 2 knobs.
From '67 on Page used the Tonebender MK II with 3 trannys and 2 knobs for all the Yardbirds and all early live Zep stuff [1st album.....maybe 2nd album too, I don't have a copy of that one......can't remember..]
The TB MK II was what he used for all the live shows that I was at and all the video stuff that I have.  [By the way, on Zeps' first American tour they were using solid-state Rickenbacher Transonic amps!]
Also, this was the period that Page played his Telecaster exclusively.
Brian.

[Gearbuilder]

Hi ,
Have a look at the last Led Zep DVD ,there's a video where you can see a three knobs tonebender and the sound is famous ,it is call 'Tous en scene and is placed in the extras.The sound is not very different from the record (for  a stage sound i mean)He used it on stage!
Bruno

[Jim Jones]

Hey guys,

Here's the pics Bruno sent me of the Tonebender he popped open.

Thanks!

Jim

http://members.shaw.ca/house-of-jim/Images/Tonebender/

[Gearbuilder]

Hi,
that's Ok ! Thanks a lot Jim
If these shoots could help somebody it's cool,it's a pity because i didn't have recorded the sound !
I'm going to redraw the PCB with a pen or on the PC ,i don't know
I'll sent to  you it when it will be finished
Regards
Bruno

[MAXIMUS]

whoa! i like that firefly! I wanna build! how/where?!

[petemoore]

Is only less than half of it IMO.
 The face that we revere and use as a standard of guitar tone the Page stuff, brings to light once again the studio master wizardry he achieved.
 Getting a recording of guitar that we're trying to emulate with [say Marshalls] imitating a vynil album using some kind of stereo amp and speakers...pretty dang amazing.
  I've heard 'redos' and Pagey sounding guitars [Whitesnake] ahemm that nail fairly closely the guitars tone but nothing EVER beat the Page studio stuff for guitar recording mastery [IMOHO].
  Actually I find a Dist+ quite 'forgiving' and has a 'generic' Fuzz and boost type sound that I find lends itself well to getting cool tones from my amp controllably.

[brian wenz]

Hello Gearbuilder--
  The three-knob Colorsound Tonebender came out in late 1971-'72.  The "classic" Led Zep period I'm talking about is the "Telecaster years"   before Page and Plant started spinning all the drug-induced Hobbit yarns.
  If you want to get close to the sound  Page gets on that particular song on the DVD, get a Yardbox pedal [and be prepared to mod it!] or build the "Tonebender MK III" circuit at the Fuzz Central site [That's the one in Jim's photo..]  Oh, by the way, better find some real good germ trannys for that one , too!
Brian.

[Peter Snowberg]

whoa! i like that firefly! I wanna build! how/where?!

I would recommend building one 100% .

Just click on the schematics link at the top of the page, scroll down to Doug Hammond, and head to his site.

Maybe one of these days Aron will add a FireFly link directly on the schematics page.

Happy building, you're going to LOVE it in all likelyhood. 12AU7s make for some screaming little amps.

My circuit is similar and after taste testing several makes, I really liked the Shuguang 12AU7s with Ei and Tesla (now JJ) 12AX7s. A couple of the Sovteks were nice too for what they did, but they didn't sound as "thick" or "clear".

Take care,
-Peter

[Doug H]

My circuit is similar and after taste testing several makes, I really liked the Shuguang 12AU7s with Ei and Tesla (now JJ) 12AX7s. A couple of the Sovteks were nice too for what they did, but they didn't sound as "thick" or "clear".

Take care,
-Peter

I didn't realize you built one, Peter. Thanks for the comments.  Do you have any photos or sound clips?

It occured to me yesterday that I should probably add links on my site to folks who have built this. I'm going to move out on that...

Doug

[Bluesgeetar]

The fuzz boxes I made for JP were loosely based on the circuit
configuration of the Gibson Fuzzes but used different transistors,
different operating voltage, resistor and capacitors. So there is always
some truth in rumours. The good news is that I will later this year be
offering a new version of this classic design of mine using selected new
old stock germanium transistors.
--
Kindest regards,
Roger Mayer
www.roger-mayer.co.uk
 

[brian wenz]

Hello Hello--
   Yeah, modded Maestro Fuzzes for 9-volt operation.   [Originals being 1v-3v]
Some of Pages' earlier  studio sessions have the Maestro on 'em .......then the Tonebender came along.  
Hey, anybody want to make a 9-volt Maestro??  I was thinking about that a while back when I built a couple of the stock Maestro circuits [Thanks Gez!]
Brian.

[Gearbuilder]

Hi ,
great news

Thank you very much for your informations ;Mr Mayer!
I think that many people are waiting for your new pedal ,it's more than we are waiting for  in this forum .I congratulate you too for all your contribution at the rock music !
Best regards
Bruno

[Gearbuilder]

Brian Wenz wrote:

Hello Gearbuilder--
The three-knob Colorsound Tonebender came out in late 1971-'72. The "classic" Led Zep period I'm talking about is the "Telecaster years" before Page and Plant started spinning all the drug-induced Hobbit yarns.


I'm totaly agree with you about that but i just give thru informations on the sound of Page  .(That's thetopic's subject  )

 Thank you again but it's my shoots that Jim put in his site with my  agreement;(Jim is a very cool man)
and i've got a cloned MKII that do the work.I'm just searching good germs for an MKIII clone now and if i don't find them ,i'll try the future RM Fuzz!
Best Regards
Bruno
[/b]

[bwanasonic]

--
Kindest regards,
Roger Mayer
www.roger-mayer.co.uk
 

You might want to make it a little more clear you are posting a quote from Roger Mayer. Some people apparently now think M. Mayer is posting here...

As to the JP sound, I find my Rangemaster clone into my Ge Fuzz Face gets close and is more flexible than a Tone Bender alone. Then kick it up a notch with a Mosfet booster after the RM and FF!

Kerry M

[Jim Jones]

Hey Bruno,

Thanks.  

I'm not any sort of a Colorsound authority but I'm wondering if the pedal you sent me the pictures of would be referred to as a MKIV?  I ask because this is a pic of a MKIII from a great Colorsound site http://www.netshopboys.com/colorsound  - and this particular pedal is touted as being extremely rare.



I haven't looked closely at the internals yet - but I believe your pedal is the circuit that gets called "3-knob Tonebender" or "Tonbender TC"  (for "thin case".)

I don't know for sure though, we need Dennis or Stuart Castledine to chime in!  

Jim

[brian wenz]

Hello  Hullo--
   It's important to know what era we are talking about when anybody wants to know how to  "get someone's sound".   Depending on the situation, it's very difficult for Page to get Page's sound!
I just try to concern myself with getting MY sound on a day to day basis....
HEY JIM!!-- I bet Ammscray could provide the Colorsound info..I just got off the phone with 'em so maybe he'll check in.
I'm to busy to look all this stuff up, but I'm pretty sure that the circuit in the photo is the earlier MK III  [germanium].  I seem to remember that the silicon circuits took over after this one [and then the 4-tranny circuits kicked in].
Oh, by the way, if you don't tell me which BC's you want I'm going to start sending you homemade fuzz boxes 'til you give in!!
 oh...shit....wait a minute......I didn't really mean that.............!!!!
Brian.

[Stuart]

Not a MkIV either!  The MkIV has the same housing, but has Sola Sound written across the top and Tone Bender snaking between the fuzz knob and the switch. There's a tiny "Mark IV" just above the switch.

The MkIII and MkIV circuits are very similar to the "TC". The bias string on the first transistor has different values and some of the caps are different. There were also MkIIIs with Veroboard circuits ala the MkI and MkII.

[Jim Jones]

Hey Brian,

Hehehe, OK I'll send you an email...although whatever you'd like to build me is fine  

Hi Stuart,

Cool - thanks for the info - I knew you'd know.    But now I'm kinda confused - is Bruno's TB a MKIII or something else?  

Thanks!

Jim

[brian wenz]

Hello  Hello Stuart--
   What trannys have you found in the MK III  circuits??
[I've got OC75 and OC76 laying around here...I'll probably use the 76's.]
Brian.

[Stuart]

Hi,

No, it's not a MkIII, it's the "thin case" Tone Bender we know as the 3-knob, made from late '69 to '74. The first ones were yellow, as seen in this photo next to a MkIV:



I've heard the first ones came with OC75s, including a fourth one used as a diode. I've only seen early '70s examples with those unmarked metal-cased trannies,which I think were made by STC. The earliest have the "upside down" board, where you see the solder side when you open it up.

The Veroboard MkIII circuit was completely different & had silicon transistors. I only know of two of those though. They have two knobs, but the same housing and graphics as the three knob Vox MkIII.

There's also another two knob version of the Vox MkIII with the germanium 3-knob circuit, where the fuzz pot is replaced with a wire link. The tone pot on those is labelled Fuzz, for some reason.

It's all very confusing.