OVERDRIVE- NOCTURNE Jr Barnyard - 1930's thru 40's amp-in-a- Box

NOCTURNE JR BARNYARD OD

Back in 1935 the days of the first Jazz Electric guitar what few amp makers came and went were the first to use the new 8 pin, 11/16" RCA 'octal tubes'. Octal was the name they gave the base of the tube. It soon became an industry standard word wide and today it is a rare amp that does not use them. The earliest tubes sounded different as you may expect many makers refined or specialized designs for different functions. To get to the point Nocturne has attempted to capture the tone of these early amps in a pedal. The Nocturne sets out to simply capture that sound. In fact they provided a circuit for Bass and even a microphone. 

CONCLUSION

It is an interesting but not an overly practical idea. The effect is all about a subtle even if pleasant sound.

Many amps own sound are going to not blend with it let alone they will take over with their own sound. I think it might even sound best thru a very neutral sounding clean channel of a transistor amp. Ideally the cleanest sounding Fender tube amps might benefit from at least the blend.

TRIVIA

Why do vintage amps often use a 'Tweed' cloth?

Early amp makers had a very small niche market. They were much like the gourmet amp or pedal makers today. Nearly all were too small to have a carpentry shop to make cabinets. In those days industry was regional. Every state would have at least one small company that made luggage. You guessed it. Early amps were built into what is just really a suitcase. The covering, the handles etc. were nothing more than what were on the suitcases of the day. Often just small openings were cut out to let the sound of the speaker thru as there was very little else than the thin side of a suitcase to hold them up.

FUZZ- DEATH BY AUDIO Germanium Filter ...Tone Bender w/Cocked Wha ??? ...or Magic

DEATH BY AUDIO GERMANIUM FILTER FUZZ

$225.00 USD

It is basically a vintage simple circuit germanium Fuzz with a filter that gives you a lot of control over the frequency band you wish to use from high to low. Not in overall concept miles away from Tone Bender with a cocked Wha. Mind you I am only giving you a descriptor. I do not for a moment think the circuit is all that simple.

CONCLUSION

The bottom line of any pedal is the sound 

and this pedal delivers! Two things you need 

to be cautious of is that iit uses vintage 

germanium transistors that may be beyond 

maddenly temperamental with drop outs. 

It does have a level control but it is a trim 

pot inside the box. Both factors can cause 

havoc on a board with several or more 

ther pedals.

OVERDRIVE- MASTER EFFECTS Martyr ... Marshall Valve-State 8100-in-a-Box ...Death Metal Classic

MASTER EFFECTS MARTYR 

$200.00 USD

Back in the 90's Marshall made a budget transistor high gain amp.

By adding just a single tube the tube sound deceived the ear making it sound scary close to an all tube amp.

It became a favourite of up and coming young players into Death Metal 

and many found in spite of it being entry level they ended up preferring it's sound. Another big key to its success was it had a quasi parametric mid control which allowed you boost or cut the mids anywhere across its range. 

It was the wide range EQ that could make this amp sound like several different amps rather than just one that was merely tweaked. 

CONCLUSION

Not surprising to me it sounds great. Shootouts with anything ME makes he never do worse than a draw. Usually the product is cheaper.

Tim Gorjanc is the one man show that runs ME and he literally has state of the art gear and can do high end anything for other builders. In short he can give you the best for a great price because he doesn't have to farm out anything.

OVERDRIVE- FUNNY LITTLE BOXES 1991... Pearl Jam-in-a Box

FUNNY LITTLE BOXES 1991

$135.00 USD

Back in 1991 Stone Gossman and Mike McCready were wailing away in Pearl Jam.
Their basic sound was a Marshall JCM 800 with healthy boost of Tube Screamer. 

So thought Andy why not put all that in a box?

Funny Little Boxes is a Boutique pedal Shop in the UK run and owned by Andrew Ilgunus that all the goodies and naturally a repair shop. Such shops have traditionally been the place where many great pedal makers started. Not surprising the 1991 should 

come from there.  

The layout gives 2 levels of gain, volume, and bass mids and treble.

CONCLUSION

Actually there is hardly one single box to capture the total 'Grunge' thing. 

However many boxes I have heard sound more like a bad Fuzz or far to 

Metal sounding.

Or to put it another way ...this is the best I've heard.

____NEW___FENDER HAMMERTONE PEDALS ___ serious pedals, budget prices !!!

FENDER HAMMERTONE PEDALS 

Stan Cotey is back with a whole new line. I am hoping he took that entire line of his big everything but the kitchen sink, line of pedals and condense it down to the 'Best Of'.

CONCLUSION

Right from the get go we get a great look with the hammerstone finish of the Tonebender and other early 60's pedals and likewise with colours for the knobs. The dirt pedals are $80.00 USD and the others are $100.00 USD.

There are no video reviews as yet so we do have a wait and see.

 

GUITAR- EPIPHONE Joan Jet Olympic Special ___NEW___ just released today

EPIPHONE JOAN JET OLYMPIC SPECIAL

An artist Ltd. Ed. guitar. Nothing new as there have been several Gibson models over the years. I have always felt the idea of using the Melody maker with single entry level Gibson was an ideal ideal really basic Rock machine. 

Although this a only $550.00 USD for an Artist guitar it is indeed a simple guitar to make without the pricey handwork of binding or indeed any decor.

SPECS

Mahogany body with fitted mahogany neck, laurel fretboard, wrap around bridge but with adjustable saddles, Graph Tech nut and Epi tuners. A single CTS volume control and a kill switch. Lightly aged finish. Epi Power Pro PU.

CONCLUSION

The price is not obscene but the money can get you a lot of

guitars that are quite frankly better. I think the guitar has the

possibility of a very good resale value. In short you should

never lose a penny selling it. Except for swapping out the PU

which may or may not need it or the tuners which may be fine.

Epi does source good Korean ones especially for Artist 

guitars like this. On the whole I would say if you like the guitar

then get one.

GUITAR- SCHECTER Ultra III ... modern Retro

SCHECTER  ULTA III  

Under many players radar, Schecter has made this guitar for years. You get some serious specs. Made in Korea pretty much guarantees it is not a toy. It comes fitted out with Seymour Duncan FG-01 mini Gretsch inspired Filtertron PU's, Grover tuners, Bigsby whammy with a roller bridge, Graphtec Tusq nut, mahogany body, thin 'C' set neck with a 25.5 inch (Strat) scale and rosewood fretboard.

$1100.00 USD

WTF !!!

The Schecter looks familiar. Is it a take on the Ibanez Jet King???
It was the very first guitars with the Ibanez name on it
It was made for them by Guyatone, who took their
Guyatone LG130 T
and slapped the Ibanez name on the 
headstock.
I have one. It has zero mods.
The PU's it comes with are hot P90's
When I want to remove the back wall in a club
I put this thru my Plexi
and the job gets done!!!

AMPLIFIER- JOSE AREDONDO Modded 1971 Super Lead 100___A NEED TO KNOW___

JOSE MARSHALL & THE PEDAL THING 

These days when it comes to a MIAB pedal most thinking it should sound like a Jose Aredondo modded Marshall. We often surmise Marshall manufactured their amps to sound straight from the factory like an amp Jose modded. It certainly does not, lol. Even dimed the Classic of Classic Marshall Plexi simply has a Crunch sound. A killer Crunch sound, yes but... not a Jose.

I find both are necessary. It usually takes two pedals to do this. A simple boost seldom keeps your tone in tack. A modern Metal sound can even be what is really a much modded Fuzz. I like that too but I am aware it is different thing for a different application. In fact I am not happy unless I can check the boxes of having a low gain, medium gain (Crunch) high gain (Jose) and a flat out Modern Metal OD. A Fuzz or two never hurts either, lol.

OVERDRIVE- BROWNE AMPLIFICATION Carbon ___PART 3 __BLUESBREAKER vs. BLUESBREAKER

BROWNE AMPLIFICATION CARBON OD

$220.00 USD

HANDS ON

I have tried every pedal out there to get a perfect Strat sound. It includes the stupidly overpriced Japanese wonder pedals. 

They were all beyond disappointment. Do to it's popularity I settled on the JHS Morning Glory. Trust me it does a lot of things but none of them make it sound better that an original Bluesbreaker. I finally by accident stumbled on the Chicago Stompbox Blooze Maker. It claims to be a straight ahead clone using NOS parts to sound like the original. It does deliver on the promise. It has all the good and the bad of the original. Like the original it has a great sound but the highs have a bit of a nasty rasp and it is a tad muddy, lacks serious sustain and is a bit thin. It is also noisy. In spite of all it's warts the Blooze Maker like the original sounds damn good.

CARBON vs. BLOOZE MAKER aka BLUESBREAKER

I set up the Blooze Maker up to my favorite sound. I then dialed in the Carbon which took me seconds to match.

THE BIG BUT!!!

The Carbon is quieter, it is fatter, it has better sustain and zero mud. It has clean crisp highs and a the kind of soft gloss I only ever heard on the original Klon. It still has the best of a Bluesbreaker stamped all over it.

If the Original Bluesbreaker was a truck it would be a Ford F-150 if the Carbon was a truck it would be that same F-150 but hand made at the Ferrari factory. NO bull!!! It nails it!

In short it sounds killer. It really is a big improvement over ALL the other Bluesbreaker pedals and I include the King Of Tone. 

Browne Amplification DID NOT tear the soul and guts out of the original. They made the pedal that Marshall should have made as their version two.

It was a long wait but I finally got a great Strat sound !!!

Oh yes before I forget. The build is stellar. Firm smooth pots. Literally the best footswitch money can buy. The whole look is understated and screams first class. Zero lint to pick anywhere.

CONCLUSION

If you buy one make sure you have clean underwear to change into before you try it!!!

The Fine Print

Read my first Post it gets into the Marshall Bluesbreaker 

history and the John Mayer connection etc. 

Check out videos, as good as they are they can't pick 

up all the sweet detail in the sound.

My second Post on it is really a warning that

the word is out so oder asap or you will have a long wait.

       OK ..I got to go. It is really uncomfortable sitting here ...

       I am sure you get my drift

FUZZ- BOSS FZ-2W Hyper Fuzz ___NEW ! ___ a Uni-Vox Super Fuzz 2 on steroids!!!

BOSS FZ-2W HYPER FUZZ

The Japanese Shin-ei FY-6 octave Fuzz was a milestone.

It was sold in America as the Univox Super Fuzz. 

The blueprint for dozens of modern Doom etc. Fuzz pedals.  

Before it became that Boss became the first to 

borrow that blueprint and hot rod it in 1993. 

Fuzz is an in your face sound. They constantly 

fall in and out of fashion so by 1997 sales tanked 

and Boss killed it. They had done a killer job so 

many modern builders skip the original and 

make their Fuzz by starting with the Boss version. 

So Boss thought WTF, why not bring it back 

with a Waza Craft take on it.

CONCLUSION

WTF? Where's the demo???

Don't rush out to get one. You can't. No it is not released. Production and shipping has been blocked by endless new Covid infections which has already had the release date changed twice. Boss made an official video but pulled it so checking out the original will have to do.

GUITAR _____PRS SILVER SKY vs. FENDER PLAYER SERIES_____

 DAVID vs. GOLIATH 

If you are a Strat guy or not this is still fun to know.

Both guitars sell for 

$850.00 USD

PEDALS- MAESTRO by Gibson - the very first pedal company on the planet is back!

MAESTRO PEDALS 

Back in the 1965  Gibson had a separate brand for music accessories many not guitar related. They decided to produce on licence a new device call the Fuzz Tone designed by Glen Snoddy and Revis V. Hobbs. They use their Maestro name probably to sell it thru all dealers not just Gibson.

Gibson were very enthusiastic about this new 'thing' and on initial release made a fairly large quantity of pedals. However the pedal tanked and in order to get some out there they gave away free if you bought a Gibson amp. 

In fact I bought one from a Country guy who tried it out in the store screaming explicit deletes when he heard it. While he was making the purchase of the amp I offered him all the money I had in my pocket, $17. He took it!

Keith Richards used the Fuzz on the Stones hit Satisfaction and put 'Fuzz' on the map. Happily bailing out Gibsons new toy.

Maestro went on to produce the first Phaser and slowly added other pedals. They faded away I believe because unlike small builders that followed they were never in touch with what modern players in the clubs wanted. There product are oversized in large pricey enclosures using the household kitchen appliances colors of the day. They looked made for one's Mother not the Rock club.

At the time it was the only Phaser made, so, yes I bought one, lol.

ALL NEW & UPDATED

Today Gibson released 5 new pedals. They have tried to find a balance between being up to date but still having vintage vibe. They sound good but is just 'good' ...good enough??

CONCLUSION

Priced at $150.00 USD for all but the Delay at $160.00 USD they should do well.

Oddly enough the Distortion is quite good but perhaps does not really fit the image of the brand. The Fuzz will do well. Oddly enough more with those that are anything but Fuzz aficionado's. First time Fuzz guys will love it.

OVERDRIVE- ONE CONTROL Strawberry Red DLX OD ...the Dyna Red 20 years later

ONE CONTROL STRAWBERRY RED DLX OD

$220.00 USD

This is Bjorn Juhl refinement of the classic DynaRed he produced over 20 years ago. At the time it was considered a high gain distortion. However it had transparency when there was no such buzz word used to describe a dirt sound. It is most obvious on a Strat where even dimed you have no doubt as you can hear that Stat chime, quack and spank coming thru.

The sound is full, open, harmonically open without a nano trace of mud or fizz.

One thing that is typical of all Bjorns pedals is whether near off or dimed the tone is usable. The pedal is the sweet spot.

CONCLUSION

There is nothing 'broke' to fix.There aren't any bad news surprises. What you hear is what you get.

 

OVERDRIVE- PAST FX TS-Y ...a new, take on Gilmour's old 80's Tube Driver Pre

   PAST FX 

TD-y OVERDRIVE 

$165.00 USD

The Buffalo FX big seller was once the long discontinued the Buffalo FX TD-X EQ and Booster. The pedal was a take on the  80's Tube Driver Pre. that Gilmour loved. PAST-FX did a faithful copy of that but it was a large  pedal and so know keeping with the times it was condensed and put in a standard 'B' box.

So we have a take, on a take, on a take of a ...pedal, lol.

It has a simple layout of gain, volume treble and bass.

It has big fat midrange honk that in spite of very good EQ to tweak you can not really tame.

CONCLUSION

I have 15 MIAB pedals so I will pass on this one. I do however love it. Killer fat and an overall really nice old school tone. What's not to like!!!

FUZZ- PETTYJOHN ELECTRONICS Rail ...an OpAmp Bender???

PETTYJOHN ELECTRONICS RAIL FUZZ

$200.00 USD

Strange as it may seem it is an Opamp Fuzz but it has a tonality that sounds more 

like a Tonebender than something like a Big Muff Opamp Fuzz. A second twist is it can 

run from 7v to 18v so you can get a lot of headroom. The headroom keeps the core 

tone but gives you more dynamics and definition. On the other hand with less you 

get a more gnarly classic sound. The feel will change throughout the spectrum. 

CONCLUSION

The most notable feature unlike nearly every Fuzz it creates a very tight and controlled definition. It would be fair to say it is that it is un-Fuzz like. Guys that hate a Fuzz 

and are big OD fans would love it. You definitely get 'that sound' without pulling on the reigns of a wild Fuzz-horse. There are pedals out there like the Big Knob Colour Jumbo Tonebender that meet you halfway with the crazy Fuzz spit, 

sputter and growl still there, but under control. 

It is worth comparing.

the fine print

Pettyjohn make a series of pedals that are both ingenious and sound incredibly impressive. 

They have an incredible sense of fine detail in their sound.They are very pricey because zero 

expense is spared to make them so. I truly believe without these costly parts they may 

be so bad as unusable. They would be like a Ferrari that stalled on every gear change. 

The Rail is Pettyjohns newer line that attempts to make a budget friendly pedal. 

It is good but the guy is making it with his hands tied and it shows.

OVERDRIVE- BROWNE AMPLIFICATION Carbon ___PART 2 ___ I had a WTF moment!!!

 WTF!

Every day I get Stats that tell me what Posts you guys are checking out.

99% of the time the winner for the day is the ANALOG MAN KING OF TONE

Not today!!! Today the Browne Amplification Carbon is in first place.

This is more of a big deal than you may think. 

The last pedal this happened to was the Columbo Audio Electronics Plexi Breed. 

When that happened the wait to get that pedal was forever.

Back then I ordered mine just after I Posted the pedal and it took 6 weeks.

Keep in mind at this very moment about 10 other guys are reading this too.

So give it some serious thought. If you think you want one now's the time.

OVERDRIVE- BROWNE AMPLIFICATION Carbon ...NEW for '22 ! ...a Bluesbreaker at it's best!!!

BROWNE AMPLIFICATION  CARBON OD 

$220.00 USD

This pedal needs a bit of background. Over the last couple of years 4 'Dual Drive' pedals have got the attention of a group of players. I will loosley throw them in the John Mayer Fan Club. It includes others. Often those that have put the Dumble-in-a-Box pedals on the map. It is all about pedals that are labelled 'transparent'. The pedals these players get are the Cornerstone Gladio, the King of Tone, the King Tone Duelist, VS Audio Royal Flush and the Browne Amplification Protein.

Most have some form of Tube Screamer on one side and a Marshall Bluesbreaker on the other. The King of Tone is in fact has 2 Bluesbreakers in one box. 

I am a big Bluesbreaker fan but on the whole I hate the Tube Screamers symmetric distortion. It sounds synthetic. Tubes put out asymmetrical distortion.

If I want a similar vibe I use the Boss SD-1 which is the same circuit but uses asymmetrical distortion.

What I like about the Bluesbreaker is it is the opposite of a ts. It doesn't boost the mids it scoops them a bit and adds some just right lows.

It is ideal for when you need to shift from flatpicking to single note lines or even the odd power chord thrown in. Your sound has ample fullness and sustain with zero mud or mush coming from the chords you are flatpicking.

Needless to say the 'blue' side of the 'Protein' pedal is the Bluesbreaker. You had to buy the whole pedal to get it.

The Carbon solves that problem. One nice feature is great attention has been taken to get the pedal dead smooth and at zero it can be used as a clean boost.

JOHN MAYER

In 1991 Marshall made several pedals each one was meant to imitate one of their famous amp. The tech was not there yet so the imitation was feeble but the pedals simply sounded very good and have been the blueprint for hundreds of variations by every pedal maker since. In fact the King of Tone is really just 2 Bluesbreakers in one box with a 4 year waiting list to buy.

The Bluesbreaker pedal was meant to copy the 1962 Marshall combo based on a JTM 45 circuit that Eric Clapton used and put on the map. The pedal is very clean and relatively low gain and was nearly discontinued several times because very low sales. It was defunct when John Mayer discovered it and it became the foundation of his sound used as an always on pedal usually pushed through a clean Fender amp. It wasn't long before used original pedals sold for the price of a Klon, lol.

CONCLUSION

Things are in the preorder stage so there aren't any videos other than the Protein. 

Keep in mind the Carbon is the left side of the pedal with the blue LED.

___This pedal blows me away!

Good ol' Ben is building mine so I will give you a heads up 

when it arrives!!!

Check back soon.

UPDATE: 

Read the details in a PT. 2 of this pedal.

But if you have already decided to get 

this don't put it off.

____Demo of the 'Carbon' sound is at 3:30 on the first video, 

     and 2:17 on the second

HANDS ON
Check out a separate Post

Browne Amplification Carbon __PART 3__ Bluesbreaker vs. Bluesbreaker

There is lot more to it than "It was great, Buy one"

GUITAR- PRS Silver Sky SE ...___NEW!___ cheap version, John Mayer PRS Strat

 PRS SILVER SKY SE 

STORES ARE TAKING PRE-ORDERS 

price ...$850.00 USD  

They will takes months to get. I expect within a day or two they will be sold out for a year. You can buy one and flip it. My guess is you will see prices get as much as $500 more added, maybe higher.
BIG BUT ...Buy it to flip or buy it to play, but buy in the next 10 minutes because eleven may be too late. 

No I am not being facetious just stating a fact!

CONCLUSION

It sounds very good!!! Lots of quack and bell like chime but still very full.

These are ALL the videos posted at 9 am PST which was the release date and time down to the hour! Later I added Phillip McKnight's video because he pulled off the pickguard, takes us thru the guts, including some very cool and unusual PU's. Each PU has 6 standard magnets and 5 mini magnets between them.

...4 colors to choose from
No one had red in stock or to even demo with ?
Inventory was spotty & primarily nonexistent.
The green one showed up the most in stores with
one in stock 

New Video, good for comparison

with the U.S. version

GUITAR- GIBSON ...a guitar they could make with zero down side to company or player

WHY DOESN'T GIBSON MAKE ...

First I am talking about an entry level Gibson guitar.

What it is a guitar Gibson would have a good reason to make. 

All their other guitars are either single cut or they are SG in shape so those that have to have that will bite the bullet and buy one at the current price.

This MM can be done cheaply by using a 3 piece African mahogany body painted in a low gloss solid color. The neck would be maple that is great for tone and is unmatched for strength but one quarter the price of mahogany. Indian rosewood or even a baked maple fret board would both keep it cheap without killing the tone. The narrow headstock does not need the added costs of widening it with glued on 'wings' that the standard headstock uses. The PU should be a standard size humbucker. Basic Kluson tuners will do. Like the '71 the PU, the pots and output jack should be all on the pick guard as it means only one routing of the body.

All these choices would give them a healthy profit margin and still keep the price under $1000.00 USD.

1971 Gibson Melody Maker
...gone is the '61 model with the egg shaped
back half of the body

THE BIG WHY

I have had ample experience with making and marketing guitars.

I choose all the manufacturing techniques used or indeed not used

to keep the costs at it's lowest without dumbing down things like a 

fitted neck and tone woods that would impact on the 'Gibson' sound.

My choice of HB, PU is critical in allowing the buyer to change or upgrade 

the sound with a simple drop in PU. There are hundreds of choices,

including a P90 in a HB size. In fact the P94T is just such a PU and

is made by Gibson.

GUITAR- IBANEZ Q vs. STRANDBERG ___A NEED TO KNOW___ it's all about the neck

 ARE WE MISSING OUT?

I am always looking to improve. I never dismiss anything new in guitar tech until I have tried it myself. Of course what with Covid and a world of online, buy first find out later we all need some help.

the fine print

Strandberg came up with their neck by comparing the 'best' positions to place your hand via what is taught to players that play a classical guitar in the classical position. It indeed does just that. The thing is the electric guitar has it's own vocabulary including things like hammer-ons, pull-offs, trills, side to side vibrato and bends just to name the obvious. Then there is the need for palm muting techniques. You can not have all of the various  techniques served by any one specific shape of neck. I do believe a rounded back on the neck is the least problematic for even the very best players that play in a wide variety of styles. There are many styles that have their virtuoso players that play guitars that are far from ergonomic.

One is of course creating movements that are unnatural to the hand to do repetitively to play any guitar. In short repetitive strain injury even if mild is a given. We all sit in front of a PC for long periods of time which has it's own hazards. But ever since the first pointed stick became a spear we are fated to create tools that have as many drawbacks as benefits, LOL.

ONE FINAL NOTE

As for headless guitars they may make a guitar lighter or more balanced but no body at all Steinberger fashion does that too. Secondly body shape and size dictates how far you have to stretch to reach lower or even higher notes. All these factors are both an asset and a compromise unless the guitar is designed for just the player that owns it.

FUZZ- BIG KNOB PEDALS Colour Jumbo .. Colorsound Jumbo Tonebender ...duplicated?

BIG KNOB PEDALS COLOUR JUMBO 
TONEBENDER FUZZ 

TONEBENDERS

The Macaris/Sola Sound Tone Bender has always bubbled up to the surface every time anyone mentions a Fuzz. There were 4 different versions. The first was a beefed up Maestro Fuzz Tone. It added a third transistor. The second version added a gain stage. The unofficial 1.5 v went back and removed a transistor and third version added a tone control to version two but tweaked the sound to be more like version one. All 3 versions used germanium transistors. The fourth version came out in '74 because players were leaving the problem ridden Germanium Tone Bender for the new silicon transistor Big Muff. The Muff won out and in the end. Sola Sound simply closed their shop. Since then the the prices of old Tone Benders has headed into Klon and original Tube Screamer territory and original pedals sell for beyond stupid prices.

EVERYBODY HAS A BENDER

Fuzz was so popular that Marshall, Vox, Colorsound and others wanted to have one. Marcaris cleverly made them for all these companies rather than compete if those same companies made their own. Some came in identical casings others used something different.

A REBIRTH & THE CLONES

Marcaris/ Sola Sound has been reconstituted by the Marcaris family. 

They have brought back their Fuzz pedals making totally dead accurate repros. They of course sell for obscene prices.

There are countless clones. Some with added features, and many using NOS transistors from the 60's. NOT the original brands, because what is left of them sell for hundreds a piece. Many are very good but germanium transistors will either fail to work at all or sound like sh@t do to temperature changes or actually leak and die altogether.

The cool thing is the Tone bender v.4 may be silicon based but the voicing is incredibly similar. In fact unless the two are compared side by side the difference is nearly imperceptible. Used in a band it is guess work to hear the difference.

$130.00 USD

THE BIG KNOB COLOUR JUMBO 

I expect that this pedal is definitely true to the original schematic. It probably uses 

NOS transistors but those that are more common and accessible. Even the original Colorsound used 3 different transistor brands depending on price and availability.

Nothing can be better than to run a clone beside an original. The video does just that.

CONCLUSION

WOW! Talk about a winner! How much closer  do you need it. Add to that you get a pedal that if you play in a band or used on a recording simply screams Tone Bender. 

Which version of any of them to the listener is nothing but a guess.

At a $130.00 USD it is a nobrainer buy!!!

HANDS ON

Ordered one, Got one!

It delivers!!! 

That 60's Gibson into a Tone Bender is all there with both the overall tone but with that killer heft in the lows. I found it expressed the dynamics of my playing noticeably better than even my favourite OD!!! A serious keeper!!! 

All Fuzz pedals work well with single coil PU's What I like especially about the 'Jumbo' is beyond killer with my Gibson SG  Std with hummies!

If you do not own a Fuzz this is a bullet proof choice! Just enough nasties but you

are always in control.